Psalm 40

In the midst of my blog browsing this morning, I saw Nancy Beach's post recommending a close read of Psalm 40. (She said she's using this as a basis for her talk at the upcoming Arts Conference.) Lately I've been reading more from the New Living Translation (my eyes and ears are so familiar with the NIV that I'll occasionally gloss over things, so new translations are good for me). When I read this chapter in the NLT today - I was just in awe of what an honest and rich prayer/song this is.

Psalm 40
For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.

4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.

6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand—
you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, “Look, I have come.
As is written about me in the Scriptures:
8 I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your instructions are written on my heart.”

9 I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O Lord, well know.
10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

11 Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles surround me—
too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.

13 Please, Lord, rescue me!
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”

16 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
17 As for me, since I am poor and needy,
let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
O my God, do not delay.

I so relate to the highs and lows that are expressed in this one chapter! Often when I read through the Psalms, I'll try to grab onto one or two phrases that really jump out/resontate/challenge me. Today - it's these:

• He has given me a new song to sing,
  a hymn of praise to our God.
  Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
  They will put their trust in the Lord.
  
• I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
  I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
  I have told everyone in the great assembly
  of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

What jumps out at you?

Photo Observations

I got a sweet camera last year for my birthday - and I'm trying to remember to use it more. I want to document fun memories, I want to try to use it to stretch my creativity, and I want to notice the beautiful things around me. Stretch my artistic abilities...that type of thing...

So I thought I'd share some of my recent shots:

If you can't see the license plate, it says "WYND N GO." I don't really get why you would do this to your car. UNLESS it's an alternative fuel method, in which case, it is GENIUS!

Josh LOVES generic cereal names. It's a favorite activity at the grocery store. Some past favorite finds include: Marshmallow Mateys, Freaky Fruits (which had me laughing hysterically in Schnucks), Cinnamon Toasters, Frosted Mini Spooners, and Crispy Hexagons. Here he is with 2 new finds, Happy Shapes and Tootie Fruities.

And finally, I leave you with my favorite artistic gem:

I think that speaks for itself.

Maybe I should take a photography class....

Signs of spring

We've been listening to the end of the Cubs game on the radio for several hours,
I've incorrectly guessed what inning it is twice,
and Spear just broke out the rally cap.

Ahhhhh, baseball season....

Album Review: In Christ Alone - Modern Hymns of Worship - Bethany Dillon & Matt Hammitt

I mentioned this album a few posts back, but I'd like to give it a quick review.

In Christ Alone - Modern Hymns of Worship by Bethany Dillon & Matt Hammitt
This is an interesting project - it's a worship project where 2 artists (Bethany Dillon and Matt Hammit, of Sanctus Real) cover worship songs written by other musicians. What drew my attention was their choice of songs - a number of the modern hymns that have been written by the likes of Stuart Townend, Tim Hughes, and Matt Maher. They're some really solid worship songs...in fact, I'd argue that they have some of the richest lyrics of the worship songs being written today. So why re-record them? Some songs, like "In Christ Alone" have been very widely sung by congregations and covered by lots of artists. However, the majority of the songs on this album are not as widely-known or sung.

Two things stand out when I listen to this album: first, the powerful lyricism/excellent song-writing and second, creative musical production. It's a great combination. Not all of the arrangements were done with congregational singing in mind...but that doesn't diminish my appreciation for the album. It has already been one that I've worshipped with in my car.

Stand-out tracks for me:

• "Clinging to the Cross"
• "Jesus is Lord"
• "The Wonder of the Cross"

(I will say that a few songs fall short - the children's chorus in "God of Justice" and "Adoration")

It's probably not an album for everyone, but if you're interested in worship music that sounds a bit different that most recent albums, I recommend giving this one a listen. (I'm not going to lie - having some worship music in a female vocal range is one of my favorite things. Self-centered as it may be, it's true.)

Other recent albums I've been listening to:

• Great God Who Saves - Laura Story
• Live from Las Vegas - Central Worship
• Spring EP - Jon Foreman
• Me and You and the World - Dave Barnes