Dad, I like Rock more than Jazz.

That’s okay, Ethan. Kids are supposed to like Rock, because Rock is written for children.

Pastor Mark Dever gave a wonderful message at the WorshipGod08 conference, entitled “Glorifying Christ with the Psalmist.” He ended with a plea for believers to read the psalms through Christ’s eyes, and imagine the Lord singing the psalms.

• Who could more lament the reality of sin than the one who would bear the sins of all of us?
• Who could more sing of trust in the God of Israel than the one who gave his life completely in trust of Him?
• Who could more joyfully sing the Father’s praises than the One who knew Him best?
• Who could celebrate creation more than the one through whom all that has been made, was made?
• Who knew more about the deliverance of God’s people than our deliverer Himself?
• Who could more rightly speak words of judgment than the man, Christ Jesus, who was appointed to be judge over all?
• Who could better express penitence than the one who both knows our sins fully and was tempted as we are, and yet was without sin – so knows completely the way God calls us to live?
• Who better to express the life of the Pilgrim than the one who came to seek and to save that which was lost?
  Who better to sing the Royal Psalms than the one who is the everlasting King – great David’s greater Son?
• Who better to sing the teaching psalms than the one who was wisdom itself?
• And who better to sings psalms of ascent than he who would ascend back into his Father’s presence, waiting for the moment when he would return?

Christ. The fulfillment of Scriptures, will help us understand the Scriptures. The Scriptures, including the Psalms, will help us understand him more. And that will certainly make Christ all the more lovely, all the more desirable, all the more praiseworthy, in our minds and in our hearts and in our churches, so we can really say with the psalmist: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

10 great propositions from James Hely Hutchinson.

1) The psalter is supremely ascribed to Yahweh and He is worthy to receive it.
2) The activity of praising in the Psalter is essentially vocal.
3) The most appropriate locus of praise is a congregational setting, praise being typically conducted simultaneously on both the horizontal and vertical axes.
4) Praise in the Psalter is both descriptive of Yahweh’s character and deeds, and declarative of his particular acts of deliverance.
5) Praise has an emotional dimension.
6) Praise is frequently the fruit of a transformation in outlook, whic the psalmist embraces in the midst of crisis or difficulty.
7) Praise is considered to be a corollary of the believer’s very existence.
Praise in the Psalter arises particularly from a circumstance-defying belief that Yahweh’s covenant promises will come to realization — through the arrival of the David king.
9) The polemic of praise consists in the overthrow of Yahweh’s rivals.
10) The Psalter insists on marrying exuberant praise not only with obedience but also with fearful trembling.

James Hely Hutchinson, “The Psalms and Praise,” in Interpreting the Psalms: Issues and Approaches (ed. by David Firth and Philip S. Johnston; Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2005), 85-100.

Here’s a post that lives up to its title.

TERMINATOR:

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN:

Welcome to those of you who have found my blog because DesiringGod’s recent conference! My song, The First Place, was sung there on Sunday morning (along with many other great songs — here’s the full list).

You can find sheet music, song background, and even a string quartet arrangement of the song HERE.

For information on other songs I’ve written, and free sheet music for all of them, check this page.

Levi is learning his alphabet, and the best way to do that is to have a famous musician teach it to you.

Which is your favorite?

LENA HORNE: MoTown ABC.

Patti LaBelle: Black Church, with Shout ABC.

India Arie: Neo Soul ABC.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo: African ABC

Take 6: Harmonic ABC

Manhattan Transfer: Swinging ABC

Celebrity ABC, with Ray Charles, Patrick Stewart, David Robinson, Susan Surandon, Lambchop, and Tony Bennett.

3 Stooges: Teaching girls.

AND THIS MIGHT BE THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE EVER SEEN.

Try things differently.

It’s my dad’s birthday.

My dad is my hero. I’ve said it in front of his whole church. I’ve said it in front of my whole church. I’ll say it to you — the internet community — MY DAD IS MY HERO.

Today is also the birthday of the Constitution. Coincidence?

Which Founding Father are you? Find out with this online interactive quiz! My score? George Washington.

SunRise United Methodist Church (O’Fallon, Missouri) has decided to include “O Bless The Lord” in their list of 25 most used songs for this fall.

Sunrise’s homepage posts the full list (which I’ll included at the bottom of this post). It’s a great idea for a couple of reasons:

1) Intentionality – It serves the people of the church well to have thoughtful and intentional song list for a particular season.

2) Commonality – By posting the list, the church leaders are encouraging their people to be listening to the same music, thus increasing the shared experience and vocabulary of their church body.

Here’s their list:

Do you ever go home from worship and wish you could hear the same uplifting music throughout the week? Here is a “Top 25″ song listing of music will we be singing this fall at SunRise – download from iTunes and play them in the car and on your computer: “Ain’t No Rock” (chickBand), “Be the Center” (Jami Smith), “Better than Life” (Travis Cottrell), “Everlasting God” (Lincoln Brewster), “Floodgate” (Paul Colman/Michael Neale), “Forever” (Chris Tomlin), “God of This City” (Chris Tomlin), “Goodness and Mercy” (Hilliard/Combs/Frazier), “Got Me Some Joy” (Ferguson/Stone), “Holy is the Lord” (Chris Tomlin), “How Can I Keep from Singing” (Chris Tomlin), “How Great” (Powell, Everett, Shelton, Littrell), “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” (Hillsong), “Let God Arise” (Chris Tomlin), “Let it Rise” (Lakewood Church), “Let the Praises Ring” (Lincoln Brewster), “Let the River Flow” (Darrell Evans), “Lord Have Mercy” (Eoghan Heaslip), “Made Me Glad” (Hillsong), “My Redeemer Lives” (Phillips, Craig & Dean), “O Bless the Lord” (Matthew Westerholm/Lindsey McCaul), “Revelation Song” (Gateway Worship), “Sovereign Lord” (Aaron Benward), “That Where I Am” (Rich Mullins), “You Are My Hiding Place” (Selah)