Weekly Exercise (9/23/20-9/29/20)

It’s hard to believe that September is coming to a close and we’re already onto our third Weekly Songwriting Exercise. Last week I had great results and I can’t wait to share a new song with you! Hopefully this week’s exercise yields similar results. This week we are sticking with the idea of writing a melody that matches a form. What’s nice about this form is that you really only need to write two lines of music, you just repeat the “A” phrase three times with something different in the middle.

Use this as a frame to start with but don’t worry about expanding it. Last week I wrote a 16 bar song then arranged it in 21 bars. This gave it some more breathing space and nice transitions.

On the Road with Sean Ellis: Beauty

Background

From July 20th to August 8th of this year, I spent almost every day driving around the country. Spending 8 to 11 hours a day alone in a car provides much time for meditation, prayer, and mental frolicking. Much of that thinking was spent on God, His works, our relationship with Him, and how we can glorify him, in song as well as through word and deed. In this first of several articles I’ll be writing for TWS, I’ll be covering my experience with beauty over the course of my trip, and its purpose in the world.

Defining and Experiencing Beauty

While my primary purpose in taking this trip was to see people whom I missed and would be unable to see because of the pandemic, the second purpose of the trip was to see parts of the country which I hadn’t seen before, which were many. The country houses many places of differing kinds of beauty: vast mountain ranges, coastal cliffsides, and sprawling deserts spanning dozens of flat miles. Witnessing these throughout my journey often prompted the question, “What is it that makes these things beautiful?” Was it their sheer size? Was it the contrasting colors? Or was it that all of these things were foreign experiences to me?

All of those were contributing factors; however, the fullest answer came from listening to Scripture. I spent much of my trip listening to the Bible. I’m thankful that I was prompted to start from the beginning, because those first few books of the Bible provided the answer to my question: what makes these things truly beautiful is that they are physical reminders of God’s power. The accounts of creation, the great flood, and the Exodus out of Egypt all provided reminders of the working of God’s power through his physical creation – reminders that also remain in the form of our beautiful world. These thoughts reminded me of Romans 1:19-20, in which Paul wrote “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

The Purpose of Beauty

The asking and answering of that question then prompted another question: “why did God make things beautiful?” Certainly God didn’t make such beautiful things just because he is powerful. Romans 1:19-20 tells us that he created the world the way he did in order to reveal his eternal power and divine nature to us, but toward what end? The answer is multifaceted. First, as mentioned here, the purpose is to be a constant reminder of God’s power and presence. Thomas Schreiner notes, “God has stitched into the fabric of the human mind His existence and power, so that they are instinctively recognized when one views the created world.” 

“That is a worthy purpose,” one might think, “but does God’s creation only serve to remind us of facts, that He exists and is powerful?” These questions are sometimes daunting to ask; but they help lead us to a greater understanding of God’s works. A different phrasing of this question leads us closer to our answer: “why does God want to remind His creation of how powerful He is?” God, being all knowing, knows what his creation would gain from knowing and experiencing his power.

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God makes promises to His people. If God is loving, merciful and just, then knowing that He is also powerful provides us with the knowledge that not only would He see His promises through – He can and will see them through. Knowing that God is powerful provides us, his people, with knowledge and assurance that the one who created all things is powerful enough to provide for our every need. We should respond to God’s power the same way David responds in the Psalms: with awe-filled worship. Take, for example, Psalm 65:5 and 147:5 – “By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas;” “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.” David’s earnest praise as a response to witnessing God’s power supplies an example of what our response should be as well.

Faith and Assurance


After meditating on this for a while on the road, I went back to the creation account and reflected on how God created: God spoke his will once, and that one instance has sustained creation for all time. Charles Hodge wrote that “This simple idea of the omnipotence of God, that He can do without effort, and by a volition, whatever he wills, is the highest conceivable idea of power.” I then reflected on a favorite passage, from Lamentations 3, that reminds us, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Uniting these two pieces of knowledge led me to a comforting, glorious conclusion: if God’s very speaking of his word is enough to found and sustain all of creation throughout all time, how much more will his persistent and interminable grace sustain us through every trial when it is made new every morning! 

In the current circumstances of the world, it is easy to be overwhelmed with despair or to numb oneself to modern stresses. Our call in these times, fellow Christians, is to hold fast to God, knowing that, “though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love” (Lam. 3:32).  Set your hope in God, knowing that in His infinite wisdom, power, and love, He works all things together for the good of those called to His purpose. Praise the Lord indeed!

Beauty and Music

So, what does this mean for musicians? Musicians – and artists in general – have a particularly close relationship with beauty in the world because creating and emulating beauty is how we make our living. Our answer lies, again, in the Psalms. The Psalmists’ response to God’s power and the beauty of God’s creation serve not only as words by which we can worship, but also starting points by which we can reference how we worship. The Psalmists are unashamed in their worship; whatever their circumstance, they come before God to laud, honor, and hope in him. In the same manner, all Christians, worship leaders in particular, should come before God unashamed, willing to throw every burden at his feet. This may look different for every person; for me, worshiping unashamed means not caring about what others may think when worship brings tears to my eyes, or being vulnerable enough to express earnest worship in the first place. I encourage you to honestly meditate over how you as well can worship in a way that places your hope and trust in the Lord as paramount, and to hold the same hope in God’s love and power that is expressed by Maltbie Davenport Babcock:

“This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.”

Weekly Exercise (9/16/20-9/22/20)

One of the most daunting parts of songwriting is finding where to start. When I sit down to write a song there’s an entire world of possibilities. With almost an unlimited number of rhythms, melodies, and harmonies for me to choose from, I find myself stuck with choice paralysis (its similar to trying to pick out the right cereal at the grocery store).

One way to counter this is to start with a form. This week I’m going to start with the restraint of writing a 16 bar melody (like Amazing Grace) then go from there. I might channel my inner Chris Tomlin and add a chorus to it or maybe I won’t… either way, I know where I’m starting this week!

Weekly Exercise (9/9/20-9/15/20)

If I want to get better at something then I have to do it. I can watch countless youtube videos, read all the books, and listen to motivational speakers all day but if I never put pen to paper (or cursor to Finale) then I’m not going to grow as a songwriter. This new series of posts will be a collection of weekly songwriting exercises that me and my friends are practicing. I’m putting it up here on TWS so that anyone who is interested can join us. If you do join in we would love to hear what you’re working on! Get in touch with us on Facebook, Instagram, or leave a comment below.

Last week’s exercise was to write 5 melodies, no requirement on length or type, just 5 melodies. This week we turn around to focus on the lyrical side of songwriting.

Song of the Month: On That Day

This is one of my earlier songs but I find it to be encouraging today. It holds in contrast two truths. First, this world is broken. Second, there is a better day that is yet to come. The question is, what will we trust in while we wait for that day? Verse 2 points me back to the fact that my only solid hope is in the Trinity. The Father watching over, the Son securing, and the Spirit moving through me. I pray that you find as much encouragement in this song as I do.

Also, I’ve updated the recording. Let me know what you think!

For free chord charts and lead sheets check out the song page.

On That Day (Acoustic)

Writing Songs That Point to Christ

In addition to writing new songs this past month I have also revisited some older ones. I have to say, it’s amazing that I ever thought those recordings were worth putting up. For the meantime they’ll stay up there but I am looking forward to replacing them. One such song that I have revisited is “Delight In The Lord (Psalm 1)”. Psalm 1 is a short Psalm so at first I only included one verse in the song. However, after more study and mediation I have found that it needed another verse. In the original version of the song I focused on the blessedness of the righteous and only mentioned the condemnation of the wicked in the chorus. The thing is, the contrast between the blessedness of the righteous and the condemnation of the wicked is a major part of Psalm 1. This observation is what led me to explore that contrast with a new verse.

Now the condemnation of the wicked is not a topic that sits comfortably with my evangelical upbringing. How could a loving God ask me to worship Him with words such as “The wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalm 1:5-6). Doesn’t a loving God want everyone to come to Him? Why is the first worship song in His divinely ordained songbook so blunt about how the wicked will perish? What’s even worse, don’t we all have a bit of wickedness in us? How is this Psalm supposed to encourage us when both the Psalmist and Paul affirm that “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12, Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3).

There is only one answer and that is grace.

This is true for both the old and new testament saints. We read in Hebrews that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin (Hebrews 10:4) yet the Israelites are commanded to sacrifice bulls and goats (Leviticus 4) when they sin. Why? Because it is an expression of faith in God’s promise. What is God’s promise? Well that goes all the way back to Genesis and is woven throughout the entirety of His word. In Genesis 3 God promised Eve a seed who would crush the head of the serpent. In Genesis 12 God promised Abram that he would be a great nation and all the peoples of the earth would be blessed through him. In 2nd Samuel 7 God promised King David that he would have a son on the throne forever.

When the Israelites shed the blood of bulls and goats for their sins they were not cleansing themselves by works but were expressing faith in the promise that somehow God would forgive them. That forgiveness that they were looking for finds its fulfillment in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now the old testament saints only knew Christ through the veil of prophecy. To them, the gospel was wrapped in mystery. They didn’t even understand that God was bringing the gentiles into this story of redemption (even though He had told Abram that ALL peoples would be blessed). We Christians, who live on the other side of the cross, are blessed to see the love of God more clearly.

For this reason, when I write songs based on the Psalms, I don’t hold myself to verbatim transcription. Instead I meditate and reflect on them in light of the cross. Here in Psalm 1 I make that connection in verse 2 with the crucial word “unless”.

The wicked shall not last
When on that day of justice
Their chaff is blown away
By the wind

There before the Lord
Sinners cannot stand the Judgement
Unless they are covered
By the blood of the Lamb

Delight In The Lord – Dan Loch

The blood of bulls and goats may not be able to take away sin but the blood of Christ is all sufficient. There is no sin that is more powerful than Christ’s sacrifice and no hope greater than His resurrection. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that Christian worship points us back to the cross. Not every worship song will do this explicitly but they should, at the very least, be preparing our hearts to reflect on, celebrate, or glorify Christ.

There are two practical applications that I draw from this principle. First, when approaching old testament content, be prepared to pull back the veil of mystery and help your singers understand how this material points to Christ. Second, be intentional about naming Christ in your songs. Don’t settle for lyrics that could be applied to a significant other instead of Christ. If your song is going to lead people in worship make sure they are worshiping the God of the Bible and not an idea of God, or love, or good feelings, or a fallen human. Our worship should be reserved for God alone and I pray that our songs never lead someone to worship something less than Him.

If you have the time, check out the new recording of “Delight In The Lord (Psalm 1)” and let me know what you think.

Delight In The Lord (Psalm 1) (Acoustic)

Writing Songs That Lament (And thoughts on Psalm 22)

To prepare for writing this article, I went back and read through the entire book of Psalms. Okay, I skimmed through the book of Psalms. Still, I went through all 150 Psalms and made note of how many were either laments or, in some way, a cry of distress. About 52 out of 150 Psalms (about 35%) gave me the impression that the worshiper was confused, depressed, angry, remorseful, grieved, or on the brink of death. Then I went back and took stock of the songs I sing on Sunday morning. How many of them reflected these Psalms? The answer: about eight, if I’m being generous (close to 6% of the songs we sang in the last year). Within those eight, only one or two even begin to approach the vivid imagery that is featured in the Psalms (The Getty’s “I Will Wait For You” doesn’t count since it basically is Psalm 130). So God dedicated almost one-third of His congregation’s song book to vivid expressions of distress while I have barely approached the topic with watered down, vague imagery of culturally palatable troubles.

This fact, that God put aside a third of the Psalms for voicing distress, should at least lead us to meditate on a Biblical expression of grief as we read through, and meditate on, His Word. Consider some of these lines from the Psalms. When was the last time we uttered them, or something similar, on Sunday morning as the body of Christ?

I am weary with my sighing
Every night I make my bed swim
I dissolve my couch with my tears.

Psalm 6:6

How long O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?

Psalm 13:1

My God my God why have You forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning

Psalm 22:1

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also

Psalm 31:9

I don’t know if I have ever sung lyrics quite as dark as these and only a few times have these Psalms, or similar verses, been recited on a Sunday morning. In my Evangelical experience, grief, lament, and confession are generally swept away, relegated to the individual’s private life. Instead of a corporate bearing of burdens or solace in common plight, we keep these negative feelings away from our gatherings which forces the individual to bear the full weight of their own distress. Or perhaps, even worse, those who are suffering begin to feel cut off from the happy congregation. Why should I come to church if my melancholy is just going to ruin the mood? Now there is a time for solitude, and there is a place for individual lament, indeed many of the Psalms are individual laments, but it is important that this does not take the place of corporate lament.

Now I can hear an objection to this idea, even in the back of my own mind. What about the resurrection? We live in a time where we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we know the hope of the resurrection, and we have such wonderful promises through Christ. In light of this, should we not be filled with and express hope, joy, and excitement? In regards to this objection I have two thoughts.

First, yes. As a Christian who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who has seen the mystery of Christ unveiled, and who lives in a time of unparalleled material blessings (I’m looking at you, AC unit) I should give thanks and praise for all that God has given me. Simply having access to the Gospel story should lead me to sing songs of joy that David and the nation of Israel could not even imagine.

However, and secondly, even though there are stories born from the Gospel that David was unaware of, he was not ignorant of the Gospel. To see this, we need to look at Psalm 22. Now to get the full impact of this Psalm I suggest reading Matthew 27 then when you come to Matthew 27:46, pause, and read Psalm 22. The following comes from notes for a sermon I preached at First Baptist Church of Wycombe entitled “He Has Done It!”.

Microsoft tells me that that last time I modified this file was Saturday April 20th, 2019 at 11:44pm. Those were probably that last edits I made before I printed it off and tried to catch some sleep, knowing that I would be preaching at the sunrise service the next day (Easter Sunday). I began that sermon with an apology for lingering on Good Friday but made the promise that we would not stay there. Still, we needed to start there because Jesus, and Psalm 22, were going to teach us how to rely on God as the answer to our suffering. Looking back now, from the midst of the storm that is 2020, I find my studies for that sermon have been a great and timely comfort.

I see Psalm 22 in five parts. Each of these parts walks the singer (or reader) through the process of suffering, gradually turning the cries of deepest grief into a song of greatest praise and proclamation of the Gospel.

The Cry (v1-2)

Psalm 22, verses 1 and 2 begin where Matthew 27:46 left off. Jesus is hanging on the cross and he cries out “My God my God why have you forsaken me?”. Day and night the Psalmist cries out but there is no answer and no comfort in the passing of time. Even though the Psalmist’s circumstances (day turns to night) have changed, there is no comfort because comfort is found in the presence of God. Unfortunately for the Psalmist, God seems to be gone. By itself this is a dark and depressing section. However, when we take it with the rest of the Psalm it becomes an essential part of the journey of lament.

Remembering What God Has Done (v3-10)

After letting out such an emotional cry the Psalmist tries to counter the darkness with facts and logic. Verses 3-5 recall intellectual knowledge of who God is and what He has done. The Psalmist recites that God is enthroned (v3) and that He has delivered His people in the past (v4-5). However, despite these reassurances, the Psalmist’s present circumstance is still unbearable (v6-8). There is this great contrast between the present experience and the historical truth. It is such a contrast that recalling the historical data for comfort is insufficient. This data does not raise the Psalmist from the pit of suffering to a place of praise. So the Psalmist tries again, this time recalling personal experience (v9-10). This seems to yield better results.

God I need You Here With Me! (v11-21)

This next section begins with the Psalmist begging for God’s presence (v11) but then immediately dives back into describing the agony of the present circumstances (v12-20). If you have noticed, I identify the writer of this Psalm primarily as “The Psalmist” instead of as king David. This is because of this section. Here, what is hyperbole for David is reality for Christ. I cannot tell if David has written Psalm 22 as a poetic rendition of his own experience or if it is a prophetic retelling of the events of Matthew 27. Or both. Either way, the Psalmist, whether he be human or divine, does not shy away from describing his terrible circumstances. It is not generic darkness in which the Psalmist is stuck. Instead it is bone counting, hand pierced, garment rent, laying in the dust of death torment. Once again I find myself asking “when was the last time I sang a song with words like these?”. Yet even with these terrible circumstances, and even after crying “my God my God why have you forsaken me?” the Psalmist still calls on God for deliverance (v20-21).

Praise Before Salvation (v22-26)

Nothing has changed. The Psalmist is still in the middle of death and destruction. All he has done is bring his troubles before God and ask that God be near (even after yelling that God seems to have forsaken him). Yet the Psalmist knows, partly by looking back at what God has done (3-10), that he can step out on faith and look forward to what is to come. This section is crucial in our journey though suffering. We cannot rely on changing circumstances. Sometimes things will work out for us in this world. Other times our suffering will go unanswered until glory. Yet no matter what we are going through, our God is worthy of all praise. We do not praise Him because He changes our circumstances, we praise Him because of who He is and what He has done. This brings us to the final part of our journey.

Hope in what God Will Do (v27-31)

The Psalmist knows that in the end, ever knee will bow and declare that Jesus is Lord. It will be told for generations yet unborn that He has done it! Or as Jesus put it in John 18:30, “It is finished”. From David’s perspective, he knows that God will preserve his line. He knows, despite his present circumstances, that God will make good on His promise to establish His kingdom through David’s son. From Jesus’ perspective, He knows that on that cross He has secured eternal life for all who believe in Him. Either way, the Psalmist finds his ultimate comfort in the Gospel. Nothing short of the person and works of Jesus Christ can bring hope to a shattered world.

And How Does This Relate to Songwriting?

There are some important take-aways from the form and content of Psalm 22.

First, put your hope in the Gospel and not in changing circumstances.

Second, don’t be afraid to share your grief with God. Even when it feels like He has forsaken you cry out “my God my God why have You forsaken me?”. Remember, He gave You the Psalms to sing at home and as a congregation. He did not write them to be ignored or for us to be ashamed of such dark language. God knows that we go through terrible times and He has given us the words to tell him what we are feeling.

Third, grief is a journey. We all want to be in a Psalm 23 state of mind but I think the Psalmist knew we needed to sing Psalm 22 first. We want to be in a place where we are singing Psalm 22:27-31 but I don’t know if we can honestly sing God’s praises while secretly harboring unexpressed bitterness in our hearts. How can we sing “I love God!” with our mouths while crying “my God my God why have you forsaken me” in our hearts? It is only by being honest with ourselves, God, and each other, that we can rest in genuine peace and fellowship. Too many people feel that they have to put on a mask to come to church, and I’m not talking about a face mask for Covid.

So how does this relate to songwriting? Take stock of what you are singing. Does it help you through the journey of grief or are you skipping over Psalm 22 to get to Psalm 23? If you are writing songs, be honest and vivid. If generic darkness gets the point across then use generic darkness (See “Set Free”) but if you are dissolving your bed with tears (See “The Lord Has Heard”) don’t settle for saying you were a little sad.

Also, if you use songwriting to meditate on Scripture (which I highly recommend), don’t skip over the Psalms of lament. For that matter don’t skip over Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, or Revelation either.

But keep this in mind. The goal of lament is not to leave us in a state of lamenting. Instead, take this definition from Pastor Mark Vroegop (which I got from Matt Boswell’s sermon “The Joy of the King”) “Lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust”. Lament is a crucial part of the journey that enables us to be honest with God and ourselves. Once we know we can be honest with God it is so much more natural to trust Him. Then if we come to a place where we trust Him in the midst of our troubles, we will find that our praise is only magnified by what we have gone through.

If I have one application for songwriters it would be this: write songs that give the hurting a voice. Give them songs that let them honestly express their pain while also leading them to hope in the person and works of Jesus Christ. God dedicated one third of His songbook to cries of distress. That tells me that He wants us to come to Him and sing just as we are. Whether we are worn down, if we are sinners, if we are tormented, or torn, God is calling us to bring it all to Him and trust in His unfailing love. Don’t wait to be better, don’t worry about bringing down the mood, come as you are and in time God will wipe away every tear and make all things new (Revelation 21:4-5).

Song of the Month: Set Free

Another month has come and gone. That means its time for a new song of the month! Recently I have been focusing on the importance of lament (and I still am, stay tuned for a new “writing songs that…” article) but the Psalms make it clear that the purpose of lament is not to stay in a lament. Instead, it is to journey through the lament and, in proper time and after proper reflection, arrive at a place of praise.

This new song, “Set Free”, was written at the same time as “The Lord Has Heard (Psalm 6)” and I find the two to be a fitting pair. “The Lord Has Heard” gives voice to the raw emotion and lets out the cry “Return O Lord and rescue my soul. Save me because of Your loving kindness” and “Set Free” illustrates that loving kindness. I hope this song brings a bit of hope as it leads us in praising our Savior who is both the Ancient of Days and the Lamb who was slain.

“The Lord Has Heard (Psalm 6)” Is Up!

This is probably the quickest a song has gone from first draft to up on the site. I started it on Tuesday morning and here it is on Thursday night, lead sheet, demo, and all. Check it out here.

I don’t expect to hear this one on Sunday morning because Psalm 6 is a hard lament to sing. The vivid, heart-wrenching imagery does not sit well with my Evangelical upbringing. Even posting this I wonder if people are going to say “Wow, that’s some messed up stuff to sing to God” or “Is this anyway for a church leader to be presenting himself?” but then I remind myself, this is what David, the King of Israel and God’s anointed, gave his people to sing as a communal song. God’s people were meant to sing this song together.

And I think we were meant to find solace in that communal lament. Sort of a “Hey, you’re singing this with the same passion that I am feeling… I guess I’m not alone”. Or perhaps we find comfort by saying “God, right now all I have is brokenness” and then resting in the assurance that He hears us.

In a way, it is refreshing to sing Psalm 6. Too often have I lied while singing happier songs. Then, after going through the motions, I just feel guilty because I’m not as happy as the songwriter wants me to be. Suddenly, my lack of happiness is also a source of spiritual guilt. I don’t get that when singing Psalm 6. Instead, going through the journey of Psalm 6 helps move me to a place where I’m ready to sing something like Phil Whickham’s “Great Things” or Fee’s “All Because of Jesus”.

So maybe you’re at a place where its hard to be happy. If so, this is a modern rendition of an ancient lament that has been guiding God’s people through their brokenness for around 3000 years. God hears our cries and that alone is reason enough for our foes to flee.

Psalm 6 Demo

Psalm 6 and a Glance Into the Creative Process

So this morning I was reading Psalm 6 and I posted this picture to TWS’ Instagram (FYI, follow us on Instagram!). One of the ways I study Scripture is I write songs based on or inspired by the Scripture. This forces me to wrestle with presenting the Scripture in a new but true way that communicates the original meaning while connecting with a modern listener. This process has even helped me memorize the Scripture that I am studying.

After reading Psalm 6 I thought “why not follow up Psalm 5 with Psalm 6? So I sat down, meditated on the text, found a section that would make a good chorus, and started playing. This is one of those songs that just writes itself (it helps that the lyrics are already there!). It’s closer to a setting of Psalm 6 than an interpretation of it but it is still not exact. I normally take liberties with Psalms to make them easier to sing and to give a clear Christ centered interpretation.

One thing I love about Psalm 6 is that it does not shy away from lament. It ends with great hope in God’s character but it doesn’t ignore the journey that we, as emotional beings, take to get there. In this Psalm, God has given us words that we can pray to express our brokenness, dissatisfaction, and despair while still turning our hearts back to Himself.

I also love that Psalm 6 continues the theme of relying on God’s character from from Psalm 5. Here, in Psalm 6, the Psalmist doesn’t say “save me because I am worthy” or “save me because I have served you!”. Instead, the Psalmist prays “Save me because of Your loving kindness”. The Psalmist rightly knows that his salvation is not rooted in himself but is instead rooted in the unchanging character of his faithful, loving, Father.

So I sat down, thought of that, and the song basically wrote itself. Then I recorded it on my Zoom H6, plugged that file into Reaper, added a touch of reverb, and come up with this. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Psalm 6 (Demo)