Reformed Presbyterian International 2008 Psalm Singing

[AgrippaVipsanius]

Please make available more video clips like this. It would be helpful were you to make available also the words and music on perhaps another website.

[leahweh]

Hi, May I know which psalm is this and what book are they singing from?

[dwall057]

Wow, wow, and wow!!! Looks like this is how it's done??!

How did our worship of the living, saving, triune, creator God devolve so far down from this?

[revhighlandjohn]

C'mon now, y'all. Tell us what psalm this is. I can't believe you haven't made this obvious. This is beautiful singing.

[UISTMAN59]

@revhighlandjohn Psalm 102. 

[yourgodisreal]

Cults use group songs to provide social pressure to get people to adhere to untenable ideas

[hepzebahsu]

Lovely harmonization. Good to hear congregational singing as it should be done - chin up (not down your shirt), singing for content. Better than some of the old metrical versions where the sense is sacrificed for rhyme. AMEN!

[doctorh2005]

wow

[r4ttie]

Praise God for his Psalms and the way we can communicate to him in such emotion and feeling through his Word.

Awesome singing-the Free Church of Scotland released a completely new Psalmody in metre in 2005, FYI translated from the original text into rhyming enlgish. it too is fantastic and conveys excellently what the scripture says. I'm getting my Anglican church to use it!

[parpaillotcamisard]

Most Protestant hymns are emotional and , simply , convey the sincere elevation of the believing soul ...

Like this one , in the " calvinist " tradition .

[melodiemaker]

Beautiful! I am going to buy this Psalter now!

[MAZisINtheHALL]

Psalm 102.

[MattPerk7]

So beautiful to hear this!

[ruth12949]

Love it...our God is worthy!

[Dwaydt]

Wonderful my fellows. May presbyterians be an example of ortodox/scriptural hymns as in the beginning of the Reformation.

[11berto124]

Totally different melody than we sing in Holland! We sing the melodies of Geneva and Straatsburg

[youratm]

Could you post which psalm this is.... Glad to see and hear this....

[woodlander63]

I miss Calvin, nothing in my life has ever so influenced me as my years at Calvin.

[CincinnatusUSA]

'Hatendaz2"--you make me smile, for what I read from you is merely the screams of the damned. The more you hate, the stronger we become. Suffer in your own agony--it has been foreordained from all eternity.

[mimmar3891]

@CincinnatusUSA I grew up in the RPCNA so I know where you're coming from. But unlike you, I NEVER smiled and reveled in the concept of such a thing as preordained eternity. I spent years in agony, searching and praying, because no matter how hard I tried and how many pastors I spoke to I knew in my heart that such a thing is simply incompatible with a loving God. I've heard all the arguments for it and they fall short. I imagine you now think that means I am preordained to burn in hell too.

[cabecarpenter]

@mimmar3891

It isn't a concept that there is preordained eternity, it isn't an argument either, it's what the Bible says. Acts 4 says that God predestined Jesus death for sinners: "for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place

" (Acts 4:27-28).

[mimmar3891]

@cabecarpenter It's a concept and an argument if you don't believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. And I don't. I spent many, many years studying the scriptures before determining that the numerous inconsistencies were incompatible with such a notion. I know how shocking that is to you, and you will deny that a personal relationship with God is impossible as a result. But I do have just that, and I also can sleep at night knowing that people of all faiths will be in heaven.

[Islandretreat]

@mimmar3891,"knowing that people of all faiths will be in heaven"

The Bible says you must believe in thine heart that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried and and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. You'll read it in 1 Corinthians. The Jesuits control the Ecumenical Movement through "inter-faith" dialogue and I can't help but notice you're parroting what the Pope says and that it's contrary to the Word of God.

[mimmar3891]

@Islandretreat Well, if you'll look at my comments below you'll see that I don't believe the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God. Please don't assume I don't know my Bible -- as someone who was raised in the RPCNA, I have read it cover to cover several times. If you're implying by "parroting" that I'm copying the Pope, my beliefs have nothing to do with him. I don't believe in the elevated status the Catholic church gives him. My beliefs come from years of earnestly seeking God in prayer.

[Islandretreat]

@mimmar3891, No assumptions, just a reminder that Christ died for all our sins and that the Lord said no man cometh unto the father but by me. My God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I don't know who you worship but it isn't my God. The Ecumenical Movement is the great delusion in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 where God warns us to leave the Apostacy, but by your reasoning, we should all join it and be damned.

[mimmar3891]

@Islandretreat With all due respect, you cannot possibly know that we don't worship the same God. You firmly believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. I firmly believe it is not so your comments regarding Apostacy and damnation hold no water with me. With that gulf between us, I know I won't convince you of what I now see so clearly. Before, I prayed the sinner's prayer out of fear. God in the Old Testament, a being who wiped out entire civilizations, including babies, terrified me. (cont.)

[mimmar3891]

I could write a book on all the reasons why I no longer believe the Bible. But at the heart of it is this: Even the most callous of parents would rarely if ever desire to throw their beloved child into a fire for five minutes. God has given us a tiny fraction of his love and compassion, so that such a thought repulses us. How then can we reconcile divine love with eternal damnation? If you want to continue this discussion feel free to message me here on Youtube because I have much more to say!

[Gamolmann]

@mimmar3891 The Bible doesn't say that God loves everyone in the sense that modern Christians talk about. He only has a special saving love for His Elect.

[applemac100100]

@Gamolmann Agreed

[phillipgaley]

@mimmar3891 While, G0D's choice is to reveal His beauty in your uniqueness throughout eternity, if that is not your choice; if you can maintain so, through death, guess what—time will change, "and they shall remember those days no more"—no one will either care or remember; and, it's like many things: "If you believe you can? You can. If you believe you can't? You can't.", either way, in your destiny, you pronounce the deciding vote, but: "Sorry, Charlie—only the best make it.", . . .

[StringsAndVerses]

@mimmar3891  God does not throw any of his children into the Lake of Fire. That is reserved for his enemies.

[mimmar3891]

@StringsAndVerses The vast majority of these so-called enemies have never even heard of the bible, much less the "plan of salvation." And those who hear it and are unable to believe it, such as myself, certainly don't self-identify as enemies of God. You may call them that but it's simply ridiculous. Please don't start quoting verses. I grew up in a Christian home and have read the bible several times. All my careful studying is what led me to the conclusion that the bible is simply a book.

[mimmar3891]

@StringsAndVerses There's not room here for all I want to say. Please feel free to contact me through my Youtube profile if you want to have a more in-depth discussion because I'd like to share some of my other thoughts with you. I do have an author to recommend, a man who studied at the Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College, who has some fascinating insights gleaned from his many years carefully studying the bible. His name is Bart D. Ehrman.

[applemac100100]

@mimmar3891 You are man and not God

[mimmar3891]

@applemac100100 Well, thank you for clearing that up. I've been confused about that all this time! :) Just teasing, but in all seriousness, can't you come up with a more detailed response to my posts than that? I'd love to hear what you have to say.

[cabecarpenter]

@mimmar3891 And yet, I don't think that you will be in hell because of your wrong belief considering considering God's election/predestination. If you are doubting your salvation, call on God, like the psalm song "God be merciful to me, on thy grace I rest my plea, plenteous in compassion thou, blot out all my transgression now"

I have friends who are Christians who struggle with the idea of a God who predestines. Yet, I don't snub them for it. I'm sorry for you if people have snubbed you.

[mimmar3891]

@CincinnatusUSA @CincinnatusUSA (Continued from my previous comment) There simply isn't space here to list all the reasons but let's put it this way. Does an inventor who designed a product prone to system crashes and failures get angry with the product? No, that would be foolish, because he's the one who designed it. I don't know if you're a parent, but if so, can you imagine throwing your child into an eternal lake of fire for disobeying? And God is infinitely greater than us.

[cabecarpenter]

@mimmar391: God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked, we know. And no one is going into hell because they had no "chance" to get into heaven. Yet, it is pretty clear in the Bible that some people God foreordained to hell, and some to heaven. To go against that is to deny what the Bible says. Ultimately, God chooses us:

[cabecarpenter]

Hatendaz2, what does Jews going to heaven have to do with anything? You aren't a Jew. Why do you make this false claim? And why all the unappropriate potty talk? Why not seek after truth for a change?

[cabecarpenter]

claurarau, don't be so foolish. "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all..." (1 Timothy 2:5-6a). God's inspired Word does not say anything about the Protestant Church being founded by Christ. You can be in the Protestant or Catholic Churches and die an eternal death.  The only way to live is through the ransomer, Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to ransom a people for himself.

[Hatendaz2]

@cabecarpenter

Only Jews go to heaven.

[cabecarpenter]

Hatendaz2, If you were Jewish, you would either be dead or sought after by the Jewish law.

[Speezerina]

I would LOVE to learn more about Psalm singing. If anyone knows of a source to learn, please let me know. Thanks. :-)

[dacatholicbandorgan]

The Eastern Catholic/Orthodox and Roman Catholic (some) do so. This is more of the Eastern Catholic/Orthodox version. Roman Catholics just chant.

[Hatendaz2]

@dacatholicbandorgan

You stupid heretics! When will you learn?! Only Jew is saved! Only when you become Jew and accept gay! Israel is number one friend of gay! America hate gay! That is why you died in hurricane!

[dacatholicbandorgan]

@Hatendaz2 It is you who is the Heretic. Jesus is the Messiah and Catholocism is the Chuch he founded.

[Hatendaz2]

No! No! You are liar! Jew is chosen! You and the stupid Presbyterian believer of pigs penis are fool! You no better than diaper head Muslim! Jew is best in world! We allow sex of gays! That is why we better! I know!

[dacatholicbandorgan]

@Hatendaz2 Muslims certainly have diapers on their heads, but not in their heads.

[Hatendaz2]

Go away and worship your lies eventually you will go to hell for your beliefs! I am a gay Jew and proud! You have nothing to be proud of liar!

[dacatholicbandorgan]

@Hatendaz2 If I wasn't a Chirstian or had common sense, I'd call you out more often than your Mother after you haven't made your bed. BTW, I think she is calling you now.

[dacatholicbandorgan]

@Hatendaz2 You are correct, seeming as how Pride is one of the 7 deadly sins.

[Hatendaz2]

@dacatholicbandorgan

I want to eat your dingleberries.

[dacatholicbandorgan]

@Hatendaz2 I and I will eat your Mother in law's Kreplach.

[claurarau]

nou the Protestant Church is founded by Christ. the Catholic ar heretics end idol worshippers. they worship the Pope nat the Christ.

[dacatholicbandorgan]

@claurarau Did we ever call the Pope God, or genuflect before him with the intention of Godlyness, I think not.

I even think saying that the Protestant Church is the one founded by Chirst is ubsurd, beacuse where did the Protestants, Protest from, the Catholic Church. Even Secular history would aggre that Martin Luther founded the Protestant Church.

[Hatendaz2]

@claurarau

Your church was founded by Jews to become slaves, which you are you blind slave.

Now that the truth has been given to you, you can suck my balls like a normal protestant.

[claurarau]

you ar sick.

[claurarau]

@Hatendaz2 My the Lord have mercy upon thy soul.

[cabecarpenter]

Hatendaz2, you are not Jewish.

The Torah says: "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them." (Leviticus 20:13)

[mimmar3891]

@cabecarpenter Hatendaz2 was being facetious, obviously. Jews actually don't believe in a permanent hell, nor do they think they are the only ones going to heaven. (I learned this from an Orthodox Rabbi and was surprised.) He/she is just trying to have fun by stirring up trouble.

[mite43]

Beautiful the music ... the faith !

[helmuthoorn]

Played this so often that l'm singing along now.

[eavesdm]

Truly, truly beautiful. And I've found it in one of my books! I bought the book 18months ago in an Oxfam shop in Otley, West Yorkshire and what a gem if a purchase it's turnin out to be! I miss singing like that, with conviction and enjoyment and purpose, and a tune!

[cowswirl]

5. 11 An ev'ning shadow are my days; Like grass I wither soon away.

12 But You, Jehovah, sit enthroned Forever; Your memorial

Abides through generations all.

[cowswirl]

3. With sighs and groans my frame resounds. 6 I'm like a desert pelican,

Or like an owl in ruined wastes. 7 I lie awake, as on the roof

A sparrow stands, alone, aloof.

4. 8 All day my foes their taunts repeat; Those filled with anger curse my name.

9 I food with tears and ashes mix, 10 For You on me in anger frown;

You raised me up to throw me down.

[cowswirl]

1. 1 To this my prayer O listen, LORD! And let my cry for help reach You.

2 In day of grief hide not Your face. Your list'ning ear toward me O bend;

The day I call, Your answer send,

2. 3 For all my days go up in smoke, And like a hearth my bones are burned.

4 Like grass my heart is crushed and dried; I daily food forgotten leave;

5 My skin and bones to gether cleave.

[tubalefty]

What is the name of this tune?

[Ukieboi83]

This is absolutely beautiful! It's amazing how the historical singing acapella singing style for the Psalms of the Scots and Scots-Irish is similar to the traditional acapella singing of the Carpathian people of Eastern Europe.

[foucachon]

check out some of the video responses! Psalm singing from Moscow, ID.

[Reformation1517]

Nothing compares to the divine psalms of sacred Scripture. Yahweh willing, one day I will be a member of an exclusive psalm-singing Reformed Church.

[xmalickix]

i was there wahooo...

it sounded even better there

[RAIDFIX]

Incredible!

The singing is rich, harmonious and reverent.

What psalm, tune and psalter please?

[73831]

Psalm 102, Baca L.M. and based on the wording, and the fact that they are RPCNA, it would be the Book of Psalms for Singing.

[smileandpresson]

I was there.. what a wonderful time that was!.. Thanks for posting Mr. Eshelman!.

[bluespruce123]

How beautiful! I just came across this last night and have listened several times since. Thanks, nleshelman, for posting it and for giving us the words and tune name. Wonderful to sing along!

[TalliferUpplands]

It is interesting that so many members of such an obviously conservative congregation should dress so carelessly when worshipping.

[RadicalWhig]

I thought that too. In my experience, Presbyterians wear suits or other dark, formal clothing - certainly not SHORTS!

[GraemeLongmuir]

I am a Presbyterian and I only wear formal clerical dress when conducting worship.

[covvie]

This was a Sabbath afternoon Psalm Sing. When we had a full worship service in the morning, the dress was much more "formal". BTW, this was not a trained choir. This is our denomination's quadrennial international family conference, and this was "just folks".

[kensingtonpalace]

this looks to be more like a retreat or conference than church service. i was raised presbyterian and we never sang like this, we had a psalter set to familiar hymn tunes but very rarely used it. (in fact i visited there recently and they have been removed from the pews) we just sang from common hymnbook w/ organ/piano.

[79luke]

God created Adam & Eve to be Naked, and saw Job in sack-cloth. I cannot believe you honestly think that God cares about if we wear a black suit or not. God requires us to "Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God". Not the "Outward appearence". I am surprised that you didn't mention the fact that the women do not have their heads covered in worship!

[hc454ma]

Lovely! And natural.

[keebearfull]

how about that. . . Calvin Fine Arts Auditorium. I don't mind simple accomp. that promotes confidance in fuller audience participation. W/ or w/out accomp. , The psalms are the most God-centered of all musical praise forms! God bless the use of his psalms to the edification of his people!

[kensingtonpalace]

i agree, no richer worship than psalm singing. i often chant a psalm for the prelude at our church

[AvrahamCohen101]

This is spirit uplifting that bring us together and closer to God.

[MandolinHymns]

I always scoffed at the regulative principle of worship until I witnessed the beauty of Psalm singing w/o instrumentation. Worship in its purest form---no hungry egos to be fed, no "stars" seeking applause, just the words of God being sung to God. Thank you for posting! Next time sing through the whole book!

[jimhuffman]

My error. I was unaware of it being a translation from Hebrew.

[nleshelman]

It is a psalm. It is a translation of the Hebrew. It is not a paraphrase, what about it makes you think that it is paraphrastic?

The Book of Psalms for Singing is known to be one of the best translations of the Psalms used for singing today.

[avantibarbari]

Doesn't it have to be a paraphrase for it to metrical? I think the EP folks should take some time to study Byzantine chant, where the Psalms are often sung (from the Septuagint) without any rewriting to make them metrical.

[graypj]

The RP Psalter has some chants, but the Scottish Presbyterian Tradition is metered homophony.

[kensingtonpalace]

i prefer Anglican Chant, they do not alter the text, but rather make the music fit the text.

[GraemeLongmuir]

Surely there is room for both in the wide diversity of Christian music in worship. I like Anglican Chant, too, but was born and bred a Presbyterian, so the metrical psalms are in my blood.

[kensingtonpalace]

Anglican chant is a lot harder to learn since it doesn't rhyme or have steady rhythm, when done well, it is my favorite, but the arranged psalms sung to hymn tunes is probably best for congregational singing :)

[phantommyangel]

Hi there, I grew up in the RP and I think what the person probably meant is that some of the Psalms are arranged to rhyme and fit the meters. I wouldn't call it paraphrasing, but it probably isn't as pure a translation as the Bible itself due to needing to find rhyming words. But the Book of Psalms for Singing is excellent. Thanks for posting this!

[jimhuffman]

This is a very nice song. The video has good quality as well.

A small quibble: this isn't a Psalm. It's a Psalm paraphrase. Nothing wrong with that, per se, but it's to Psalm 102 what Luther's 'Mighty Fortress' is to Psalm 46. Does your church body sing the actual Psalms, meaning the verbatim Psalm text?

[frphilipmullen]

Amen!

[helmuthoorn]

This one has gone into my favs on this Sabbath.

Thank you very much for this treasure.

[nleshelman]

1

To this my prayer O listen, LORD!

And let my cry for help reach You.

In day of grief hide not Your face.

Your list'ning ear toward me O bend;

The day I call, Your answer send,

[nleshelman]

2

For all my days go up in smoke,

And like a hearth my bones are burned.

Like grass my heart is crushed and dried;

I daily food forgotten leave;

My skin and bones together cleave.

[nleshelman]

3

With sighs and groans my frame resounds.

I'm like a desert pelican,

Or like an owl in ruined wastes.

I lie awake, as on the roof

A sparrow stands, alone, aloof.

[nleshelman]

4

All day my foes their taunts repeat;

Those filled with anger curse my name.

I food with tears and ashes mix,

For You on me in anger frown;

You raised me up to throw me down.

[nleshelman]

5

An ev'ning shadow are my days;

Like grass I wither soon away.

But You, Jehovah, sit enthroned

Forever; Your memorial

Abides through generations all.

[reformedman]

Thanks so much, but I think I understand now, this was a practiced choir; not a layman service? In other words, they are actually trained singers for the most part?

The other question would then make sense that they had a pitch tune before the recording started? just guessing though.

BTW this was very special and meditating on the words as the hearts sang out, was impacting.

[reformedman]

Mine is a hymns and psalms no-choir type of worship with a very reverent piano. I respect the E-P from reformed churches and am equally blessed by it. YouTube isn't a place for a debate on E-P but I know the issues and respect your point of view.

Thank you so much for posting this video.

[kensingtonpalace]

the song leader usually provides the pitch by singing "do, so, me, so, do"; thereby giving each voice their starting point.. you can hear the end of this as the video starts.

[reformedman]

Very nice, I have never attended an exclusive Psalmady service, I wonder if you could help me understand;

how does everyone know in which note to start without a prior note being played?

Would it be too much trouble to also add the words to the description box so I could follow along, I would very much appreciate it.

[nleshelman]

Psalm 102A from the Book of Psalms for Singing. It is verses 1-12 of Psalm 102. The tune is Baca.