Psalms for the Spirit

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...

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 rich and moving episode of Psalms for the Spirit , I’m joined by Rev. Cheryl Meban ~ Presbyterian minister, university chaplain, member of the Corrymeela Community, choir singer, and faithful “walker of the Way.” Born during the co...

This Psalm praises the God of creation and is based on an old version of the air ‘Thugamar Féin an Samhradh Linn,’ rediscovered by singer Pádraigin Ní Uallacháin, which marks the arrival of summer. It moves through various aspects of the natural world, considering how God is behind it all, and as the Psalm concludes, we are led into thankfulness for all of life’s “good things,” for life and breath...

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 warm and wide-ranging conversation, I’m joined by Jim Deeds , a pastoral worker, poet, and author whose “yes” to God’s invitation years ago set him on a winding and spirit-filled path. Formerly a social worker, Jim now serves commu...

This Psalm is sung to the air ‘I Wish My Love was a Red, Red Rose,’ and praises God’s compassion and mercy. A song that is sweet and simple in some ways also explores the theme of forgiveness (“far as the east is from the west, so far God removes our sins”) and the finitude of our lives (“though all our days are like the grass that flourishes, then blows”), it remains grounded in the steadfast lov...

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 episode of Psalms for the Spirit , I’m joined by Rev. Heather Prince Doss ~ an ordained Presbyterian minister, lifelong traveler, and founder of Progressive Pilgrimage , a ministry that guides spiritually rich journeys for open-hea...

This Psalm tells the story of one who is ill in mid-life and of the particular struggles of that experience. It is joined here with Irish words of the original song ‘Taim cortha o bheith im’Aonar mo lui,’ and the refrain “I am weary from being alone.” Both the Psalm and the Irish song contend with grief, loneliness, and the depth of life’s sorrows, yet they take some consolation from simply being...

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 inspiring episode of Psalms for the Spirit , I’m joined by Miriam Diephouse-McMillan , a chaplain, ordained minister, and author of Sacred Balance: How Ancient Practices Can Restore Modern Minds . Miriam has served for over 12 year...

‘Willy Taylor’ is the inspiration for this song of praise to a steadfast God. The Psalm tells the story of the Exodus, of the Hebrew people’s liberation from slavery, and of the joyful thanksgiving through which we can sing a new song, with the accompaniment of musical instruments and along with the rest of creation. Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includes further q...

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 episode, I sit down with Dr. Almut Furchert, a German-American scholar, therapist, philosopher, and founder of Cloister Seminars. Raised in a pastor’s family in East Germany and now living in the American Midwest, Almut brings a de...

A prayer of protection for a loved one, this Psalm makes the hopeful claim that God will provide ultimate redemption from the evils that threaten us. Set to the Irish tune ‘Dearthairin Ó Mo Chroí,’ it is a fervent prayer for safety, despite the perils of this world, and it expresses a faith that in the end, God will protect us in a way that this life cannot. Continue your reflections with the acco...

A Psalm of recognition of the fragility of life as well as God’s eternal nature. Combined here with the Irish traditional song ‘Casadh an t’Súgain,’ it broaches the subject of how we might live with “wise hearts,” recognizing that from dust we came and to dust we return. Importantly, this paraphrase emphasizes that we return to God ~ our maker, to whom we belong in life and in death and who will r...

A Psalm of abandonment, full of questions without any attempt at resolution, this Psalm presents a heart-rending, honest portrayal of someone in the midst of deep difficulty. Combined with the lamenting tones of the Irish tune ‘Bean Dubh a Ghleanna,’ this song holds a space for the most forsaken experiences of humanity, while continuing to retain a relationship with the God to whom it asks these q...

The haunting melody ‘My Lagan Love’ accompanies this Psalm’s plea for the listening ear of the loving God who is “Lord of All,” words kept from the original lyrics by Joseph Campbell. This Psalm expresses lament from a place of weariness deepest longing to be saved from the grave, and turns to God for guidance on the way forward, recalling also God’s deep love and goodness. Continue your reflectio...

Depicting a vision for what this world could be, this Psalm, set to the Scottish tune ‘Lovely Molly,’ imagines love and mercy (or truth or faithfulness, in other translations), justice and peace coming together to greet and kiss. This rendition of the Psalm continues to unfold that vision of the future as one in which God’s goodness and kindness are evident, healing takes place, and the people wil...

Set to the beautiful air ‘Carrickfergus,’ this Psalm depicts the pilgrimage of faith. It recounts the ways we can enter into God’s courts of dwelling, such as through the birds who sing their praise, or through the desert valley that becomes a place of flowing streams, and gain strength for our journey towards our heavenly home. Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includ...

This moving Psalm speaks of someone overwhelmed by the circumstances of life, who cries out for salvation and receives deliverance. Set to the tune ‘The Streets of Derry,’ it tells of the distress the psalmist is facing, the weariness from calling out, and the request for God’s face not to be hidden. The Psalm ultimately turns towards the hope that God will rebuild the broken people and that all w...

The tune for this song is the Scottish air ‘Ae Fonde Kiss,’ and the Psalm acts as a benediction prayer. Asking God’s gracious blessing on all people and all nations, it also recalls God’s kindness and sustaining presence and asks for God’s face to shine on us all. Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer...