In June this year (2009), I was asked by my pastor to put music to scripture word for word, specifically to the 15 Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120 to 134). From the start of the first Psalm which I worked on (which was Psalm 130) to the completion of last one (Psalm 133), I have not ceased to be amazed, for the Lord has given me melody after melody to fit His words. I believe this is because we, the church of Jesus Christ, are entering into a season where these psalms will become more and more relevant, as we look forward to our Lord's return. (Please read the enclosed write-up for a clearer understanding of the Songs of Ascents).
I thank my pastor for allowing the Lord the use him to challenge me to the task. (Your feedback and guidance were crucial to keeping me on track.) I thank my church for enthusiastically learning and singing these psalms. (Hearing you sing them week after week gave me the encouragement to continue writing.) I thank my husband for providing me with all that I needed to work on these psalms. (You were the first to have the vision that we would sing straight out of out Bibles!) I thank my kids for their endless support and love. I thank my friends (in particular Pastor Wah Lok and Rich Moore) for their help, feedback and encouragement. Most of all, I thank my God, my Lord and Master, for seeing me fit to be a channel for what He wants to bless the body of Christ with.
Here's a short write-up for a better understanding on the Songs of Ascents:
Psalms 120-134, also called the Songs of Ascents, are basically songs sung by the Israelites as they "ascended" in their pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Zion) to worship God at the annual feasts. The Songs of Ascents collectively have a Zion-ward movement and express a deep yearning to be in Zion, the eternal dwelling place of God. These 15 psalms can be divided into five groups of three. The first four groups (Psalms 120 to 131) share similar themes: the first psalm has the pilgrim crying out to God for help in a situation of distress; the second emphasizes the Lord as the deliverer; and the third rejoices the pilgrims' ultimate security in Zion where God dwells. The last three songs (Psalms 132 to 134) are all psalms of arrival celebrating the blessing of being and fellowshipping in the Presence of God in Zion.
Why sing the Songs of Ascents? Firstly, it is in obedience to God's command to use psalms in worship (Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19, 1Cor. 14:26) and to meditate on His Word day and night (Psalm 1) that we might be blessed. Singing makes memorizing much easier. Secondly, many scriptures are prophetic of the end time, and none more so than the Songs of Ascents. These psalms teach and prepare us to face the distressing tribulations that the true Church of Jesus Christ will increasingly experience in this end time (Mt 24: 9-13, 22). The ancient pilgrims' cries of hope in distress are becoming our cries to God for our own deliverance. Furthermore, their joyful arrival in Zion encourages us to hold on to our blessed hope in Christ when He returns to take us to reign with Him in Jerusalem (Rev. 20:4). Lastly, the Songs of Ascents remind us that even now, we are all pilgrims on an inward spiritual pilgrimage Zion-ward as we await our literal ascent to Jerusalem. Therefore, we are exhorted not to love the world or the things in the world, to forsake all, take up our cross daily and follow Christ.
Esther
More on this artist, who is my beloved mummy:
http://ps138.blogspot.com/
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=329899
