Writing WorshipНамуна

Songs for Days

Repetition and rituals bring about a certain beauty. The knowing, the expected, the discipline, and the unity that these things can bring to the body of Christ is like nothing else. Growing up in a Reformed Church, I knew these things well. I knew when to respond, what to say, when to stand, and when to sit, and had prayers and creeds seared into my heart and spirit from a young age. Such sacredness. Such togetherness.

So, with such a love for these things, I guess you could say they are easy for me to spot. I was doing my daily “psalming” recently when I had an amazing discovery. Psalming is basically singing the Psalms aloud and is one of my personal rituals with the Lord in the mornings. I’ve learned more about writing worship through this discipline than any other way. I noticed for the very first time that the subtitle below Psalm 93 read “A Friday song, composed by King David after being resettled in the land.” Here’s an excerpt that will give you an idea of the theme of this psalm:

Nothing could ever change your royal decrees;

they will last forever!

Holiness is the beauty that fills your house;

you are the one who abides forevermore! (Psalm 93:5)

If I had to choose one word to summarize this psalm, it would be victorious. The entire psalm has that feel. And isn’t that a Friday feel? I had to laugh. Don’t you feel victorious when you get to the weekend?

Next, I noticed that Psalm 94 was also related to a day of the week. The subtitle  reads “A Wednesday song, composed by King David.” Uh oh. Hump day. Here’s a verse that gives you the idea:

Lord God Almighty, you are the God

who takes vengeance on your enemies.

It’s time for you to punish evil!

Let your rays of revelation-light shine from your people and

pierce the conscience of the wicked and punish them. (Psalm 94:1)

My word to summarize this psalm would be vengeance. Do you ever feel like that on Wednesdays? It’s that in-the-middle place of not yet seeing fulfillment. Definitely a Wednesday frame of mind!

And finally, Psalm 92, for which the subtitle reads “A song for the Sabbath Day.” Here’s an excerpt:

Because You, O Eternal One, thrill me with the things You have done, 

I will sing with joy in light of Your deeds. (Psalm 92:4)

The word that describes this psalm would be praise. Perfect for a Sunday. Praise is evidence that we are in a place of complete and total rest—Sabbath.

Yes, David had songs for days of the week. And I’m sure these were sung by many. The cry of Wednesday gave way to the breakthrough of Friday and the joy of Sunday. It’s a journey of the week through song, together.

Part of me wondered about the days in between. What would these themes be? But maybe this is an invitation of sorts for us. Maybe those songs are for us to write. And maybe those days aren’t necessarily named Tuesday and Thursday but Persevering and Patience. One thing is for sure, we need songs for every kind of day. And when we can sing them together, they become an anchor to us all.

Prayer:

Lord, what days do You want me to write songs for? Lead me as I sit down to write toward the things I need to express for myself, my family, my friends, and my congregation. Amen.