Psalms for the Spirit

This soaring Irish traditional melody, ‘The Lark in the Clear Air’ brings a lightness to this Psalm about God’s revelation in both creation and scripture. The words of the Psalm remind us that the skies tell a story of who God is, and teach us important things, without words. Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice...

These ancient words of lament, combined with a haunting medieval traditional Irish melody, express the human longing to see God’s face in times of sorrow. The original tune ‘The Lament of the Three Marys/Coaineadh na dTrí Muire’ depicts the three Marys’ cries of sorrow at the tomb of Jesus - a moving complement to this prayer expressing sorrow and abandonment, and the yearning for signs of hope. G...

A Psalm of praise to the Creator of the wonders of nature, this Psalm also contains a call to action - that in our status “underneath the angels,” we need to take responsibility for caring for creation. Set to the Irish tune ‘Far, Far Beyond the Mountain,’ and through the slightly ominous tones of the arrangement,  we hear anew the sobering reminder to show respect and dignity to the world we live...

The very first Psalm, set to the tune ‘Bán Chnoic Éirann Ó,’ speaks of following the “law” of God – and so we remember the greatest commandment: to love God, neighbor and self. When we grow in connection to this love, we can flourish and thrive like trees planted by streams of water. In times of weariness and anxiety, grief and loss, anger at injustice, longing for peace, we can plant ourselves in...

A Psalm for Christmas Eve: Sing to the Lord (Psalms 98, 99 and 100). Check out my Resilient Spirit offerings ~ a membership, courses, and 1:1 sessions. Psalms for the Spirit is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. *Lamp photo from Unsplash This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers...

This Advent, I’ll be sharing four Psalms for the season leading up to Christmas. We may not think of Psalms during Advent, but they have been part of Advent liturgies for generations. Today’s Psalm is Psalm 85: Love and Mercy . Pick up a free printable journal when you become a paid subscriber, or order a paperback version copy here . For a deeper exploration of this Psalm, listen to Ep. 11 with P...

This Advent, I’ll be sharing four Psalms for the season leading up to Christmas. We may not think of Psalms during Advent, but they have been part of Advent liturgies for generations. Check out my Resilient Spirit offerings ~ a membership, courses, and 1:1 sessions. Psalms for the Spirit is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid s...

In this episode of Psalms for the Spirit , I’m joined by Rev. Julie Hoplamazian , an Episcopal priest in New York City and the founder of Faith on Pointe ~ a ministry exploring ballet as a spiritual practice and theological language. A lifelong dancer, Julie weaves together her grounding in ballet, her Armenian heritage, her love for stories and art, and her recent journey through cancer with a de...

In this episode of Psalms for the Spirit , I’m joined by Brendan McManus , a Jesuit priest from Lisnaskea, Northern Ireland. After years in the computer industry, Brendan felt a deeper call that led him into the Jesuits and into a lifelong exploration of Ignatian spirituality, pilgrimage, and finding God in everyday life. He now serves as a spiritual director, retreat leader, and author of Finding...

This song evokes praise with all our heart, soul and body ~ with all of creation, with all instruments, with all aspects of who we are. Indeed, praise includes what brings us pleasure, joy and delight ~ something we don’t often sing about in hymns, and yet which are such an important aspect of living as fully and vibrantly as God intends. Set to the Scottish tune with Irish words, this paraphrase...

In this Psalm, all creation praises the God who heals the broken-hearted. It is combined here with the words from the Doxology and the rousing melody ‘Mo Ghile Mear.’ A song of joy at the outpouring of God’s blessings, this Psalm also tends to the outcasts, the forgotten, those longing for peace in home and hearth ~ that all creation will sing when such blessings are extended to all people. Contin...

This joyful song praises the true ruler of the earth: a God of justice and compassion who stands with the vulnerable of this world. Set to ‘Here’s a Health,’ it is a jubilant song of praise, but one that recounts various forms of suffering ~ oppressive power, poverty, false imprisonment, injustice, bereavement, refugees ~ and continually places hope in the goodness and mercy of the one who will ul...

This is a Psalm about the transformation from a call to battle into a prayer for peace, and is set to ‘The King’s Shilling’ by the Scottish musician Ian Sinclair. The desire for peace is hard won, after facing the realities of war. In the same way, our prayers for people also become more fervent when we encounter the dreadful realities of war, and our hearts are softened as we utter our prayer of...

Combined with the lyrical air, ‘The Banks of Claudy,’ this beautiful Psalm professes faith in a God who knits us together and knows us intimately. Whether we like it or not, God knows our every thought and movement, but this Psalm continually reminds us that God’s constant presence is one that is loving and accepting of who we are at our best and our worst moments, and that God will continue to le...

Set during the Babylonian exile, this Psalm mourns what was left behind in the homeland. The refrain, inspired by the traditional song ‘The Emigrant’s Farewell,’ echoes the request that God remembers those who grieve and those whose wounds have not yet been healed. Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to praye...

With the antiphonal refrain “God’s love endures forever,” this Psalm, set to the sea shanty ‘Bold Riley,’ speaks of the story of the Hebrew peoples’ journey into the promised land and of God’s love that endures through the generations. Like a heartbeat, the refrain is a continual reminder that amid the dramas of our lives and of history, God’s loving pulse is the life force behind it all. Continue...

Comparing harmony between kindred with the holy oil used for anointing in the temple of Jerusalem, the Psalm claims that such experiences of community bring fullness of life. Set to the Irish tune ‘A Fig for a Kiss,’ this paraphrase chooses the word “harmony,” which is a synonym for unity in the Hebrew and expresses the possibility of harmonious relationship amid diversity, rather than the homogen...

These Psalms, sung to ‘The Quiet Land of Erin,’ share hope in a forgiving God who is with us always, even when we are in the depths. Putting these two Psalms together back to back, this song connects the concept of forgiveness with the deep rest of an infant in its mother’s arms ~ loved unconditionally as a beloved child and held with tenderness and compassion. Continue your reflections with the a...

A Psalm of ascendance to Jerusalem, this would have been sung as a part of a collection of pilgrimage Psalms. Set to the upbeat Irish melody ‘A Fig for a Kiss,’ this evokes the joyful lightness of nearing the pilgrimage destination, almost like a festive dance. It creates the image of peace between all peoples, nations, kindred ~ a peace that seeks the good of all. Continue your reflections with t...

Set to the 18th-century Scottish air ‘MacPhearson’s Lament,’ this Psalm reflects on the comfort of God’s everlasting protection. It begins with the iconic image of the hills or mountains that remind us of where we can find our help, and it continues to unfold the image of God watching over us, never slumbering, offering us shade and shelter, and blessing us as we “come and go,” both now and foreve...

The writer of this Psalm praises God for responding mercifully to the cry of the suffering: in return, this individual offers to serve God faithfully. Set to the uplifting Irish melody ‘Galway Shawl,’ this is a Psalm of thanksgiving for deliverance from suffering, a testament to the transformation that can come through God’s help, and a commitment to faithfulness in response. Continue your reflect...

Welcome to this new series, “Something Psalmic,” in which I invite my guests to share what’s lifting their spirits and offering them healing and hope right now. In this moving episode of Psalms for the Spirit , I sit down with SueAnn Shiah ~ a Taiwanese American musician, filmmaker, ethnomusicologist, community organizer, and Queer Christian pastor. Through her creative and pastoral work, SueAnn w...

Testifying to God’s power to redeem us in times of trouble, this Psalm is set to ‘The Meeting of the Waters.’ It tells story after story of God redeeming people from various situations ~ wandering in deserts, imprisoned by misery and grief, stormy waters ~ and it continues to return to the encouraging message passed on from those who have experienced redemption: “From trouble, God will redeem us s...

Welcome to this new series, “Something Psalmic,” in which I invite my guests to share what’s lifting their spirits and offering them healing and hope right now. In this soulful episode of Psalms for the Spirit , I’m joined by Saima Masud , a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with a deep passion for compassionate frameworks in antiracism, extremism, and everyday chaos. Saima brings both her professi...

Recounting the story of the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea, this song is set to the English tune ‘The Snow it Melts the Soonest’ proclaims God’s compassion despite the people’s continued rebellion and doubt. Telling the tale plainly and with a slightly ominous tone, this Psalm invites us to confess our own propensity to turn away, even when God has done grea...