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Psalm 51
How does this psalm piece interpret the psalm?
This musical interpretation focuses on the psalmist’s plea for mercy through the refrain that is repeated at the end of each verse: “I pray you’ll have mercy. Mercy, Lord; mercy, Lord; mercy is what I ask from you.” The plea for mercy carries weight because of the psalmist acknowledges the presence and reality of sin and has a humble approach to God. By paraphrasing select verses, this piece captures that acknowledgement of sin and also recognizes that we must come to God in humility. Each acknowledgement is followed by the plea for mercy. Mercy properly comes from God, so the plea always calls directly on God. Though Psalm 51 does not mention the name of Jesus, this piece does because as Christians we believe that forgiveness is given through Jesus Christ. This is significant for ministry today because there is an increasing polarization of our communities between “us” and “them,” “good” and “bad.” But as Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” Romans 3:23 tells us that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Therefore, we all need, and have reason to plead for, mercy.
This piece can be used as a hymn for any occasion of penitence or lament. The refrain can also be used as a standalone refrain for the Prayers of the People.
Text and Music: Psalm 51; Allison Dean, © Allison Dean
Used by permission.
Contact: Allison Dean, allisonkdean@hotmail.com;
Why and how did psalm singing become such a hallmark of Reformed worship? Join Dr. Karin Maag for a fascinating journey through time, from Reformation Geneva to Scotland and from the Netherlands to New England, exploring the roots and impact of metrical psalm singing. Along the way, we will hear the voices of early modern Christians as they learned how to sing the psalms, both in unison and in harmony.
Sister Kathleen Harmon of the community of the Ohio province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Dayton, invites us to be transformed by the psalms and experience them as the whole story God is revealing to us. As we keep praying and singing them, the psalms interpret us, and that’s when the transformation comes.
Vinroy D. Brown Jr.—conductor, musicologist, educator, and minister of creative worship and music at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City—explores the vibrant intersection of Black sacred music and the psalms. He talks about Black composers and how they have reimagined the psalms through choral music, spirituals, and the gospel tradition for the benefit of everyone.
Why and how did psalm singing become such a hallmark of Reformed worship? Join Dr. Karin Maag for a fascinating journey through time, from Reformation Geneva to Scotland and from the Netherlands to New England, exploring the roots and impact of metrical psalm singing. Along the way, we will hear the voices of early modern Christians as they learned how to sing the psalms, both in unison and in harmony.
Sister Kathleen Harmon of the community of the Ohio province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Dayton, invites us to be transformed by the psalms and experience them as the whole story God is revealing to us. As we keep praying and singing them, the psalms interpret us, and that’s when the transformation comes.
Vinroy D. Brown Jr.—conductor, musicologist, educator, and minister of creative worship and music at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City—explores the vibrant intersection of Black sacred music and the psalms. He talks about Black composers and how they have reimagined the psalms through choral music, spirituals, and the gospel tradition for the benefit of everyone.
John Goldingay, an Anglican priest and the senior professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary, posits the psalms are the densest material in the entire Old Testament. They expound the nature of God as the compassionate, faithful, and committed one, but also as the one who makes demands upon us. The psalms help us talk to God, even about difficult things—and when we do, we are talking to someone who is in a position to do something about it.
