Psalm of the Week: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow/Psalm 147

Set to the 18th-century Scottish air ‘MacPhearson’s Lament,’ this Psalm reflects on the comfort of God’s everlasting protection. It begins with the iconic image of the hills or mountains that remind us of where we can find our help, and it continues to unfold the image of God watching over us, never slumbering, offering us shade and shelter, and blessing us as we “come and go,” both now and forever. Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice. Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for I Lift My Eyes up to the Hills Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet Psalms for the Spirit is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The writer of this Psalm praises God for responding mercifully to the cry of the suffering: in return, this individual offers to serve God faithfully. Set to the uplifting Irish melody ‘Galway Shawl,’ this is a Psalm of thanksgiving for deliverance from suffering, a testament to the transformation that can come through God’s help, and a commitment to faithfulness in response. Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice. Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version Psalms for the Spirit is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Testifying to God’s power to redeem us in times of trouble, this Psalm is set to ‘The Meeting of the Waters.’ It tells story after story of God redeeming people from various situations ~ wandering in deserts, imprisoned by misery and grief, stormy waters ~ and it continues to return to the encouraging message passed on from those who have experienced redemption: “From trouble, God will redeem us still.” Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice. Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for O Give Thanks Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet Psalms for the Spirit is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Recounting the story of the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea, this song is set to the English tune ‘The Snow it Melts the Soonest’ proclaims God’s compassion despite the people’s continued rebellion and doubt. Telling the tale plainly and with a slightly ominous tone, this Psalm invites us to confess our own propensity to turn away, even when God has done great things for us. Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice. Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for Banks of the Nile Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet Psalms for the Spirit is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This Psalm praises the God of creation and is based on an old version of the air ‘Thugamar Féin an Samhradh Linn,’ rediscovered by singer Pádraigin Ní Uallacháin, which marks the arrival of summer. It moves through various aspects of the natural world, considering how God is behind it all, and as the Psalm concludes, we are led into thankfulness for all of life’s “good things,” for life and breath, for which we might sing our undying praise. Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice. Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for Praise the Lord All the Earth Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet Psalms for the Spirit is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.