Psalms and Songs

As  stated in my last blog I am currently doing a series on the Psalms for my sermons, and tomorrow's is on Psalm 23.  As I have been working on this series it keeps reminding me of a project that I did about 7 years ago.  At the time I was a youth counselor at South Meridian Church of God here in Anderson, the youth pastor at the time was Mark Krenz, who is now the lead pastor of One Community Church outside of Phoenix.

It was right before Lent and Mark suggested that instead of giving something up for Lent maybe we should try to do something new instead.  During my college years I wrote a lot of song lyrics, so I decided that during Lent I would read all 150 Psalms and write a song based on each one.  I thought if I wrote three to four a day I would get all 150 in the 40 days.  Sadly, I am not the most disciplined person so while I started out writing 3 to 4 a day I quickly went away from that and sometimes did only 1 and a fair amount of the time I did none, so toward the end of the 40 days there were a few days where I was writing 8-10 a day to finish on time.  So as a blast from the past, here is what I thought David was saying to me on February 15, 2005.

A Shepherd's Psalm

Intro:
I need a green pasture
I need a still water
I need a path of righteousness
because I'm stuck in the valley of death

You promised you'd be here
and that's a promise kept
but I wish you hadn't promised
that I'd be here at all

And though you're with me
I still have a dreadful fear
and mine enemies look like
they're about to eat me

Chorus:
Lord, can you get me out of here
I'd do just about anything, I fear
so Lord, just get me out of here
and I'll do anything, go anywhere

you promised me a cup
overflowing
but you didn't say anything about
me drowning in it

and you said you'd
anoint my head
but you failed to mention that
I needed healing

Chorus:

Intro:

Chorus:

anywhere but here

As you might have realized it was a time when I really wanted out of where I was.  This is a recurring feeling that I have, wanting to go somewhere new.  This might be why I like going places on vacation so much, or it could be that I just have a wandering spirit from when I was a kid and we moved every few years.  I may post a few more of my Psalm songs as we go along...to that end here is my one based on Psalm 1 which I did for last weeks sermon.

Prayers and Cries

Dear Lord, I pray
hold me to your side
Dear Lord, I pray
never let me wander from you
Dear Lord, I cry
always hold me to your chest
Dear Lord, I cry
keep me from the wicked path

Chorus:
make me a tree Lord
planted by the sweet water
let me bring fresh fruit
and set my leaves not to wither
and I will walk in your ways
until, until, the end of my days

Dear Lord, I cry
cry myself to sleep sometimes
Dear Lord, I cry
over all the times I promised and lied
Dear Lord, I pray
that you might hold me so tight
Dear Lord, I pray
help me Lord, you not to fight

Chorus:

Bridge:
you know the paths of righteousness
it's where I always want to be
and you know the hearts of the follower
it's who I always want to be
and I pray, and I cry
Dear Lord

Chorus:

Well, that's just a taste of my awesome song writing abilities.  At the time I had dreams of one day being a songwriter or singer in band [was in one the year before but we went our separate ways, I still sing in church though, so if anyone needs a lead singer for their band let me know ;-)]

Peace and Love,
Pastor K