Should I Pray for Jerusalem?
Psalm 122 calls people to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” and to seek her good (6, 9). Is the Psalm calling us to be politically pro-Israel, as some people interpret it today? Or is it teaching something more basic to…
Tag psalms
Psalm Singing: The Church’s Punk Rock
“Corporate Rock,” is the derisive label slapped on a style of music born in the 1970s. Characterized by formulaic arrangements, shallow lyrics, and predictable chord progressions critics claim that corporate rock was engineered by record label executives, not artists, to…
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Psalm 77 In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord… The Bible is remarkably honest about the troubles and sorrows we will face in this life. Any expectation that Christians may expect to avoid or somehow rise…
Monday, March 23, 2020
Psalm 129 A Song of Ascents. “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”— let Israel now say— “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. The…
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Psalm 130 A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas…
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Psalm 46 To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though…
God’s Forgetfulness and God’s Face
True believers may, and do, experience times when they feel as if God has forgotten them. They feel as if the divine no longer takes interest in them. David felt this as well. He expresses this in Psalm 31 in…
The Trinity Psalter Hymnal (2018)
Congratulations to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) and United Reformed Churches (URCNA) and Great Commission Publications on the new Trinity Psalter Hymnal (2018). I have only had my copy for a couple of weeks or so, but I want to offer a few quick…
A Psalm-Singing Resurgence
We are experiencing something of a Psalm-singing resurgence in our day. Resources abound online for people who would like to learn more about psalm singing. Churches are making strategic plans to train their members in singing the psalms. Blogs buzz with…
Considering Exceptions: Singing Psalms
Often, potential exceptions to the Westminster Standards take this form: “If the Confession is saying ‘x’, then I must state my difference with that section.” One particularly common example of this is found in WCF 21.5, which reads, If the…