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Rockwater Reader

“reflections from a new creation”

Category Archives: Bible songs

February 28, 2010 Singing the obituaries just ain’t right!

A psalm is a song. To catch the point of a song (the whole point) you need to sing it. To catch the point of things in general you need to experience them according to their design and purpose. I don’t need to sing the obituaries. I do need to taste the food. I don’t need to comb my hair with a toothbrush. I do need to lie down in a hammock. Things are meant for what they were meant for. To sing the obituaries may make for an interesting comment on death and our attitudes to it, and we may even learn something new from the obituary that was latent in its original design, but if we bypass its original design then our view will always be distorted. Things need to be understood on their own terms. 

November 18, 2009 Psalm 18 and Before the Throne of God

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

I very much like William Bradbury’s  music “Sweet Hour” to this famous Hymn, though I am more familiar with the Vikki Cook version.  I had been singing “Sweer Hour” to the metrical version of Psalm 18 from Trinity Psalter (Crown and Covenant Publications). Turning things on their heads a little one might even try singing Psalm 18 to Cook’s modern music.

Here’s the first stanza of Psalm 18 (metrical):

1. I love you, LORD! You are my strength,

2. The LORD, my rock, my fort, my power

My God, my hiding place, my shield,

My horn of safety and my tower.

3. Because He’s ever to be praised,

Unto the LORD I lift my cry;

For I shall be delivered thus

From all the foes who me defy.