# Good Psalms for Genesis



## Hamalas (Dec 28, 2008)

Our church is taking the first few steps towards incorporating Psalms into the worship service. Our Pastor is going to be preaching through Genesis starting in January and I was wondering if y'all know of some good Psalms that we could sing? Psalmody is fairly new to most people in the congregation so if you have some well known tunes that might fit as well that would be great!


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## fredtgreco (Dec 28, 2008)

My advice would be to pick Psalms that are upbeat (to counter the prejudice that they are dry dirges), easier to sing, and that have clear words.

People don't think "wow, that song really went with the text of the sermon." They think "wow, that was a great tune" or "that was impossibly slow" or "what a great line in that song"


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 28, 2008)

It may depend on which Psalter you are using, of course, as to which tunes will be appropriate, but if you are using the RPCNA Psalter and a creation theme is apropos, then consider the following selections:

Psalm 8B (tune: Amsterdam)
Psalm 19A (tune: Clarksville)
Psalm 65B (tune: Webb)
Psalm 100A (tune: Old 100th)
Psalm 146B (tune: Hallelujah)​
If you use the Scottish Metrical Psalter, there is the advantage of singing the psalms to well-known common metre tunes like Amazing Grace.

Links and Downloads Manager - Worship - RPCNA Psalter: The Book of Psalms for Singing - The PuritanBoard
Links and Downloads Manager - Worship - Psalm MIDI Files - The PuritanBoard
Links and Downloads Manager - Worship - Psalter.org -- The Online Resource for the Book of Psalms for Singing - The PuritanBoard
Links and Downloads Manager - PuritanBoard Blog Roll - Precentor in Charlotte - The PuritanBoard


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## Hamalas (Dec 28, 2008)

Good advice. The way this whole thing came about was through me and two other guys who approached the session about the lack of psalmody in our worship. Our church is PCA, but most of the congregation, including the leadership, was not raised in the reformed faith. They responded well and we have done a few things like purchasing Psalters for the musicians and singing some psalms for special music. Please be praying for our church as we seek to reform our worship! 

So what would be some good, "upbeat" Psalms?


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## PresbyDane (Dec 28, 2008)

My point would be not just to give them "up-beat" "what they (whoever they might be) want kind of music.
Give them what they need to hear not what they want to hear.


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## py3ak (Dec 28, 2008)

Psalm 104 is very appropriate to use in conjunction with sermons on Genesis. Read Candlish's lecture on it in his commentary on Genesis to see why.


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## ColdSilverMoon (Dec 28, 2008)

In addition to those mentioned, I would add Psalm 97. It's similar to Psalm 19 in that it illustrates the sovereignty of God in nature, but also His sovereignty over false gods, and our salvation.


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## Casey (Dec 28, 2008)

The back of the _Trinity Hymnal_ has a Scripture index. From there, you can determine which Psalms are in the entire hymnal that can be chosen to be sung during the service. Check the selection first, because sometimes it's a single verse or a paraphrase; if it says "Psalm 16," then it's Psalm 16; if it says "from Psalm 16" then it's more of a paraphrase (read the introduction to see how these notes work).

Unfortunately, there are some Psalms that aren't included. Anyway, there are some very good congregational Psalm selections to start with if you don't have a psalter. Additionally, you could copy the text of any metrical Psalm that isn't in the hymnal into the bulletin and attach a familiar tune that is in the hymnal.


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## Hamalas (Dec 29, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions, I also thought about using Psalm 148.


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## jaybird0827 (Dec 29, 2008)

Hamalas said:


> Thanks for the suggestions, I also thought about using Psalm 148.





Psalm 148 - including a link to the tune.


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## Augusta (Dec 29, 2008)

Psalm 8 is also great. We sing it to the tune Azmon.



Psalm 8 Scottish Metrical Psalter.

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.

8,6,8,6 click here for the tune Azmon aka Denfield

1 How excellent in all the earth,

Lord, our Lord, is thy name!

Who hast thy glory far advanc’d

above the starry frame.

2 From infants’ and from sucklings’ mouth

thou didest strength ordain,

For thy foes’ cause, that so thou might’st

th’ avenging foe restrain.

3 When I look up unto the heav’ns,

which thine own fingers fram’d,

Unto the moon, and to the stars,

which were by thee ordain’d;

4 Then say I, What is man, that he

remember’d is by thee?

Or what the son of man, that thou

so kind to him should’st be?

5 For thou a little lower hast

him than the angels made;

With glory and with dignity

thou crowned hast his head.

6 Of thy hands’ works thou mad’st him lord,

all under’s feet didst lay;

7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and beasts

that in the field do stray;

8 Fowls of the air, fish of the sea,

all that pass through the same.

9 How excellent in all the earth,

Lord, our Lord, is thy name!


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