Balm in Gilead

Psalm 58 (ESV) To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David. 1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?  Do you judge the children of man uprightly?  2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;  your hands deal out violence on earth.  3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;  they go astray from birth, speaking lies.  4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent,  like the deaf adder that stops its ear,  5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers  or of the cunning enchanter.  6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths;  tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!  7 Let them vanish like water that runs away;  when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.  8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,  like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.  9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,  whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!  10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;  he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.  11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;  surely there is a God who judges on earth.” Ice Breaker:  “What have you been listening to/reading”? Song vs Song Gratitude: Brandon Lake  Verse 1   All my words fall short   I got nothing new   How could I express   All my gratitude? Verse 2   I could sing these songs   As I often do   But every song must end   And You never do Chorus   So I throw up my hands   And praise You again and again   ‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah   Hallelujah   And I know it’s not much   But I’ve nothing else fit for a King   Except for a heart singing hallelujah   Hallelujah Verse 3   I’ve got one response   I’ve got just one move   With my arm stretched wide   I will worship You Chorus   So I throw up my hands   And praise You again and again   ‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah   Hallelujah   And I know it’s not much   But I’ve nothing else fit for a King   Except for a heart singing hallelujah   Hallelujah Bridge (x3)   So come on, my soul   Oh, don’t you get shy on me   Lift up your song   ‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs   Get up and praise the Lord Chorus   So I throw up my hands   And praise You again and again   ‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah   Hallelujah   And I know it’s not much   But I’ve nothing else fit for a King   Except for a heart singing hallelujah   Hallelujah Babylon Bee – Worship leader driving over the bridge Worship Leader Late To Church After Repeatedly Driving Over Bridge | Babylon Bee  4 issue:  Problem with Perspective Lens of reader vs lens of writer  There are two lenses through which to view this song. If you look through the lens of the reader (i.e. “me”), there is a logic that makes sense and contains some truth. For instance, it is true that I hold in tension the two facts that I desire to fully express my gratitude for Christ’s saving grace and my inability to perfectly magnify the thrice holy God of the universe. The logic breaks down, however, when you look at the song through the lens of the writer (specifically, “Brandon Lake”). The opening line makes very little logical sense when you see Brandon Lake specifically saying “all my words fall short.” He acknowledges that his words are not the best words to offer God in praise, but then he goes ahead and does it anyway. When “I’m” singing the song, it is easy to overlook this issue, but thinking about Brandon Lake writing that line raises some questions:  If he knew that his words fall short, why not sing a Psalm or a hymn that has stood the test of time? If he knew that his words fall short, why knowingly offer God what he himself considers to be an insufficient song?  Lake has no problem offering God a second best option, especially when they are his words. He even goes out of his way to proclaim that the song is a second best option, since he could have easily written an alternate first line. As it is, the song comes off as a “humble brag”.  Settling for his own words rather than choosing a song God wrote (a Psalm) or a song tested by the church over time (a hymn), results in a final product that elevates Brandon Lake more than it elevates God. Words be 2 cas(ual) The second line of the song is “I got nothing new” and the first line of the course is “So I throw up my hands”. Both of these lines are placed in such a way to set the mood of the song. The rest of the song is built on the foundation of those two lines, and those two lines are incredibly casual. It reads like you are talking to your buddy, not the thrice holy God of the universe.  There is a reality that Jesus calls us “friend”, but that does not diminish the fact that Jesus’ glory will obliterate any sinner in His presence. The proper response to being in the same space as Christ is to fall prostrate on your face and say “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Even when compared to the hymn What A Friend We Have In Jesus, there is not the same feeling of casualness. The hymn, while exulting in the fact that we can call Jesus our friend, never divorces the fact that He is God. In fact, the song proclaims “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!” This over casualization of our relationship with God has a two fold effect of both lowing Christ below His position and raising ourselves above ours. Salvation conflation Justification vs Sanctification  The song conflates the idea of fallen sinners bringing nothing to their justification and bringing an appropriate offering of praise. It is true that no one can contribute to their salvation; that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It is not true, however, that we have nothing of value to bring God in worship. This is because as we are Sanctified, we have more and more Christ-like behavior.  In Philippians 2:12b-13, it says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The language and theme of “fear and trembling” is seen elsewhere in the Bible in the context of proper worship of the thrice holy God of the universe (Psalm 2, Isaiah 6). As such, we can learn that we are called by God to contribute to our worship through the process of Sanctification.  Throughout the story of King Saul and King David, the theme of obedience over sacrifice is repeated (1 Samuel 15:22, Psalm 51:16-17). Paul brings the same idea up in 2 Corinthians 7:15: And (Titus’s) affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. As we grow to be more and more like Christ through Sanctification, we have more and more to offer God in worship through obedience. Failed attempt to appeal to Psalm 42 Lack of Scripture use in general The bridge of the song switches from speaking to God to speaking to “my soul”. This is an odd shift, but there is biblical precedent in Psalm 42. In Psalm 42, the speaker is not speaking directly to God throughout, but rather the whole thing reads as introspective. There is a marked shift from the “verses” to the “refrain” in that the Psalm switches from no direct recipient to the direct recipient of “my soul”: Why are you cast down, O my soul,  and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,  my salvation and my God. In Gratitude, the change in recipient from “You” to “my soul” is similar to the shift on Psalm 42, but it is important to see how different these passages are.  In both the bridge of Gratitude and the refrain of Psalm 42, the soul is troubled. This reflects the soul of everyone, believer or not. All of humanity can relate to one another through our troubled souls. However, the remedies are starkly different in these passages.  In Gratitude, the remedy for the troubled soul is to white knuckle your way through it. The passage is a pep talk to find your strength from within, to “get up and praise the Lord”. This is especially odd considering the foundational concept of having nothing of worth to offer. In contrast, the refrain from Psalm 42 offers a different remedy for the troubled soul: “hope in God.” Don’t place your hope on the lion that resides inside of your lungs, but hope in God! Only then will you praise Him.  More than the failed attempt to appeal to Psalm 42, the song Gratitude fails to appeal to any Scripture. There is exactly one accurate theological concept: the never ending nature of God. Every other theological statement is the invention of man, most commonly as a conflation of terms, such as “all my words (of praise) fall short” being conflated with “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. This song ends up being a poster child for “doxology without theology”, which Shai Linne identifies as “idolatry”. 1 Timothy 6 (KJV) 16: who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 1 Peter 2 (KJV) 9: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Song of the Risen Son: As Isaac (Album: Headed for My Home) You hold the keys Of heaven and earth From eternity Eternity You are complete in perfection so sweet You are otherly Otherly Holy Holy God Almighty Worthy is the Lamb who was slain Holy Holy God Almighty Worthy is the La

Bryan got to hang out with Grant and we decided to turn on the camera and see what happens. Credits due to O Creative One by Providence, Eustace Scrubb by Sarah Sparks, Saints by Poor Bishop Hooper, and Behold the Man by Spencer Parsons. We also sang Psalm 42D from The Book of Psalms for Worship and How Firm a Foundation. Watch this one on YouTube! Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm 53 Psalm 53 in the ESV – Hey, did you see that Relight now has the ESV and the KJV? Listen to the Episode We’re Back! This is our first episode back from our “summer” hiatus. Thanks for sticking with us. We start out by talking about what we’ve been up to and listening to. A big shoutout to Poor Bishop Hooper who has just completed their EveryPsalm series with Psalm 150. Main Topic: Revisiting the Royalties Argument A brief peek behind the curtain… Grant came up with the idea to revisit the topic from #14 since Psalm 53 and Psalm 14 are nearly identical. This was about a year ago. I came up with the idea to talk about holding in tension the Royalties Argument and the Kensrule. We all (this was back when Justin was still on the show, though it is worth noting that he is still active in the community) agreed that we wanted to give ourselves adequate time to prepare for this episode, because we all saw the potential for its helpfulness. We immediately came to a disagreement between the Presbyterians and Baptists on the understanding of the Kensrule  This disagreement led to 1) some good conversations about how Covenant theology trickles into worship and  2) some challenging conversations about mysticism in worship The second item in particular led me to personally dig very deeply into the subject, and as a result I have actually flipped on a few of my stances. Over the next few episodes I will address these changes. For the rest of this episode I want to share some of the details of the rabbit hole that very nearly led to the end of this podcast. Ultimately, the conversations I had led to three perspectives on how to interpret the Kensrule. The boring part of the conversation is that all three of these perspectives handedly said “there is no tension to hold between the royalties argument and the Kensrule: don’t play songs that pay real money to people who are using it against the kingdom of God”. I agree with this assessment, even more after having had these conversations. However, what I was really trying to pin down was this question: “Royalties aside (think “public domain”), does it take glory away from God to worship Him by singing a song that was written by an unregenerate, yet sincere church member in good standing with the church community and leadership?” This question is a big question, because it includes songs like “It Is Well With My Soul” which has been sung by many Christians for many decades, and it challenges the legitimacy of believers’ worship when they do choose these songs. It also raises the question of “how can I know for certain that this particular songwriter from 1873 was actually a Christian, and if he wasn’t a Christian, am I blaspheming God unknowingly by singing it?” These questions made me reconsider Psalmody Exclusivity once more, but ultimately I could see that there is a gnostic element to that line of thinking at its core, though on the surface it seems legitimate. Contemplating the question through months of conversation, I settled on three possible answers: Songwriters under the Abrahamic Covenant will receive the blessings of regularly hearing biblical teaching, regularly receive prayer from other members, and regularly be ministered through the spiritual gifts of other members. As such, this Covenant membership justifies their songwriting and makes it useful for congregational worship. This is a more or less original thought. It makes sense to me based on my understanding of the Covenant as well as my personal experience. However, since it is an original idea, and since there is no such thing as new doctrine, just old repackaged heresies, I was very nervous to keep promoting this idea, especially as Truth. For more information on what we believe about God’s Covenant with us, see Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 7 Songwriters who were never Christians never fully understood the gospel and were never able to worship God properly. As such, any song they wrote was ultimately to a god made in the likeness of the songwriter. Using this song takes glory away from God and is not useful for congregational worship. This thought comes from a more Reformed Baptist view of Covenant membership and rejects the idea of Covenantal abandonment. This is also taken to its logical conclusion regarding the glory of God. With both of these first two thoughts, however, we fall into the trap of seeing music as more mystical than it is. It can actually be very easy to treat music and songwriting as a sacrament! The final thought rejects the view of sacramental songwriting. Songwriters in good standing sitting under good teaching will tend towards having a better head knowledge of theology and can incorporate that knowledge into their songwriting. Also, in order for a song to be useful for congregational worship, there does not need to be an “original worship experience” that mystically makes it possible for future legitimate worship experiences. As such, each song should be judged for legitimacy only on its own merit through various discernment processes. This third view is the view I now hold. The Royalties (and the Guilt By Association) Arguments are still major things to consider, but as far as “The Origin Element” goes, nothing about a song’s origin gives it “worship legitimacy” nor does it take legitimacy away from the song. Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm Psalm 50 Jars of Clay’s self titled album review Liquid Arms nailed down / Are you telling me something? Eyes turned out / Are you looking for someone? This is the one thing / The one thing / The one thing that I know Blood stained brow / Are you dying for nothing? Flesh and blood / Is it so elemental? This is the one thing / The one thing / The one thing that I know Blood stained brow / He wasn't broken for nothing. Arm nailed down / He didn't die for nothing / He didn't die for nothing This is the one thing / The one thing / The one thing that I know Sinking It's not my problem anymore / You see it never really was So you can stop caring as you call it / And I'll be fine right here You see that I can play / A pretty convincing role So I don't need you / I don't think I need you But you see through my forever lies / And you are not believing And I see in your forever eyes / And you are forever healing You can't hear what I'm not saying / And I can hold out long enough Treading water I keep from sinking / I'm not one for reaching You see that I can play / A pretty convincing role So I don't need you / I don't think I need you But you see through my forever lies / And you are not believing And I see in your forever eyes / And you are forever healing Love Song for a Savior In open fields of wild flowers / She breathes the air and flies away She thanks her Jesus for the daisies / And the roses in no simple language Someday she'll understand / The meaning of it all He's more than the laughter / Or the stars in the heaven As close as a heartbeat / Or song on her lips Someday she'll trust Him / And learn how to see Him Someday He'll call her / And she will come running She fall in His arms / The tears will fall down / And she'll pray I want to fall in love with you (x4) Sitting silent wearing Sunday best / The sermon echoes through the walls A great salvation through it / Calls to the people Who stare into nowhere / And can't feel the chains on their souls He's more than the laughter / Or the stars in the heaven As close as a heartbeat / Or song on her lips Someday we'll trust Him / And learn how to see Him Someday He'll call us / And we will come running We'll fall in His arms / The tears will fall down / And we'll pray I want to fall in love with you (x4) We want to pray It seems to easy to call You 'Savior' / Not close enough to call You 'God' So as I sit and think of / The words I can mention To show my devotion I want to fall in love with you (x4) Like a Child Dear God / Surround me as I speak The bridges that I walk / Across are weak And the frustrations fill the / Void that I can't solely bear Dear God / Don't let me fall apart You've held me close to you / But I have turned away And searched for answers / I can't understand They say that I can move the mountains / And send them falling to the sea They say that I can walk on water / If I would follow and believe With faith like a child Sometimes, / When I feel miles away And my eyes can't see your face / I wonder if I've grown to lose The recklessness I walked in / Light of you They say that I can move the mountains / And send them crashing to the sea They say that I can walk on water / If I would follow and believe With faith like a child They say that love can heal the broken / They say that hope can make you see They say that faith can find a Savior / If you would follow and believe with faith like a child Art in Me Images on the sidewalk / Speak of dream's descent Washed away by the storms / To graves of cynical lament Dirty canvases to call my own Protest limericks carved / By the old pay phone And in your picture book / I'm trying hard to see Turning endless pages / Of this tragedy Sculpting every move / You compose a symphony And you plead to everyone / See the art in me Broken stained glass windows / The fragments ramble on Tales of broken souls / An eternity's been won As critics scorn the thoughts / And works of mortal man My eyes have drawn to you / In awe once again And in your picture book / I'm trying hard to see Turning endless pages / Of this tragedy Sculpting every move / You compose a symphony And you plead to everyone / See the art in me He Don't try to reach me / I'm already dead The pain when it grips me / For things that I've done Well I try to make you proud / But for crying out loud Just give me a chance to hide away Exhaustion takes over / Will this someday be over? Fearful tears are running down / The pain you've laid don't speak a sound Don't take my heart away from me / And they think I fell down again Daddy don't you love me / Then why do you hit me? And Momma don't you love me / Then why do you hurt me? Well I've tried to make you proud / But for crying out loud Just give me a chance to hide away Exhaustion takes over / Will this someday be over? Fearful tears are running down / The pain you've laid don't speak a sound Don't take my heart away from me / And they think I fell down again A teardrop falls / From up in the heavens Drowning the sorrow of angels in high For the least of the helpless / The hopeless, the loveless My Jesus, His children, / He holds in His arms He loves you, He sees you, / He knows you, protects you, He needs you, He holds you Boy on a String The marionette has your number / He's pulling your arms and legs 'Til you can't stand on your own / Dragging your conscience on the stage And your heart gets rearranged / And you cannot tell you mentor / From you Maker Look at the crowd bleeding with laughter / Or the way you entertain at beckon call They don't see behind the lights / Or the painted background / They just like to see you fall But you don't really mind / And you're just wasting time You don't feel anything / You're a boy on a string I feel a sadness like Gapetto / Watching the life that he created run away Seeing the puppeteer's intrusion / And holding the remains / Of puppets that had rotted away One day the curtain will not open / And all of the crowds will go away Someday those strings will choke you / But until that day But you don't really mind / And you're just wasting time You don't feel anything / You're a boy on a string Flood Rain, rain on my face / Hasn't stopped raining for days My world is a flood / Slowly I become one with the mud But if I can't swim after 40 days / And my mind is crushed by the crashing waves Lift me up so high that I cannot fall / Lift me oh Lift me up / When I'm falling / I'm weak and I'm dying I need you to hold me / Keep me from drowning again Downpour on my soul / Splashing in the ocean, I'm losing control Dark sky all around / Can't feel my feet touching the ground But if I can't swim after 40 days / And my mind is crushed by the crashing waves Lift me up so high that I cannot fall / Lift me oh Lift me up / When I'm falling / I'm weak and I'm dying I need you to hold me / Keep me from drowning again Calm the storms that drench my eyes / And dry the streams still flowing Casting down all waves of sin / And guilt that overthrow me Worlds Apart I am the only one to blame for this / Somehow it all ends up the same Soaring on the wings of selfish pride / I flew too high and like Icharus I collide With a world I try so hard / To leave behind To rid myself of all but love / To give and die To turn away and not become / Another nail to pierce / The skin of one who loves More deeply than the ocean / More abundant than the tears / Of a world embracing every heartache Can I be the one to sacrifice / Or grip the spear and watch / The blood and water flow To love you, take my world apart / To need you, I am on my knees To love you, take my world apart / To need you, broken on my knees All said and done I stand alone /Amongst the remains of life I should not own It takes all I am to believe / In the mercy that covers me Did you really have to die for me? / All I am for all you are Because what I need / And what I believe / Are worlds apart And I pray To love you, take my world apart / To need you, I am on my knees To love you, take my world apart / To need you, broken on my knees I look beyond the empty cross / Forgetting what my life has cost And wipe away the crimson stains / And dull the nails that still remains More and more I need you now / I owe you more each passing hour Battle between grace and pride / I gave up not so long ago So steal my heart and take the pain / Wash the feet and cleanse my pride Take the selfish, take the weak / And all the things I cannot hide Take the beauty, take my tears / The sin-soaked heart and make it yours Take my world all apart / Take it now, take it now And serve the ones that I despise / Speak the words I can't deny Watch the world I used to love / Fall to dust and thrown away I look beyond the empty cross / Forgetting what my life has cost Wipe away the crimson stains / And dull the nails that still remain So steal my heart and take my pain / Take the selfish, take the weak And all the things I cannot hide / Take the beauty, take my tears Take my world apart, take my world apart / I pray, and I pray, and I pray Take my world apart / Worlds apart Blind Cynical, just your way / You play the doubting Thomas / Feel the scars and wipe the stains So you fight, and retreat / And talk yourself out of believing / in any peace that you can't see Blind words you call / Blind words will fall You're logical, you can't find / any reason to believe in love / you are blind Crucify, and deny, pass the blame and burn the mission / Till dust remains and wash your hands Blind words you call / Blind words will fall Four Seven (secret track) We have this treasure / in earthen vessels to show that this power / is from God, and not from us Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so

Bryan sits down with Jesse Roberts of Poor Bishop Hooper to finish the discussion on their first album, Foreign Made. Check out Poor Bishop Hooper’s website for more on their music.

Psalm Psalm 48 Welcome Spencer! Check him out on Spotify! Or other popular music services like Apple or YouTube Music. What We’re Listening To Spencer Listen to his music such as Psalm 1. Bryan Mars Hill Music Grant Crown & CovenantPoor Bishop HooperBBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraPsallos Main Topic: Philippians Listen to the album with the Bible pulled up next to you. Also, visit Psallos’ website to learn more about them. The story behind Goin’ Home. Hymnos Christou English Lyrics. Send Spencer your favorite choral pieces by visiting our Slack or emailing us at thereis *at* balmcast *dot* com. Not a member on Slack? Join today! Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm 47 Read Psalm 47 What we’re listening to Bryan:  Sarah Sparks – Into the Lantern Waste The Oh Hellos – The Four Winds Grant: PsallosCrown & CovenantThe BlendersThe Corner RoomDwell The Sing Team The Sing Team – Oh! Great is Our God! Oh! Great Is Our God! Verse 1 Oh! Great is our God! So we should worship greatly! / No song is too loud! No orchestra too stately To hail the majesty of our King / So lift your voices loud as we sing Verse 2 Oh! Great is our God! So let our songs be endless! So awesome His ways, how could we comprehend them? So we will make it known to our kids / And we will sing about the gracious gifts you give Chorus We will sing your praise and pour forth your fame / We will bless your name Let everyone give thanks, because our God is great! Verse 3 Oh! Great is our God! And we cannot contain it! / We sing from our souls, affected by His greatness His mercy covers all that Heʼs made / Showing His glory and His grace As Long As I Live (Psalm 63) Verse 1 Oh God, you are my God / I am seeking you like sunny days in winter months My soul is thirsty for you, my body longs for you / In a dry and weary land, where thereʼs no water PreChorus I have seen you in the sanctuary, / I have seen your power and glory Because your love is so much better than my life / My lips will glorify you Chorus I will praise you as long as I live x4 Verse 2 All day I think of you / In my bed at night, I cannot help but think of you Because you are my help, my soul clings to you / And youʼre the only thing that holds me up Because Jesus Christ Is Alive Verse 1 We get tired, we canʼt win We were dead in our sin But thereʼs a hope, a new life The pressureʼs off, cause Jesus Christʼs alive Prechorus So we can rejoice, though weʼre grieved by various trials for a little while ʻcause a genuine faith under testing brings honor and glory to our great King Chorus By Godʼs great mercy we have been born again because Jesus Christ is alive Our living hope is in our inheritance, because Jesus Christ is alive No grip of fear, no sting in death, by His mercy we have been born again because Jesus Christ is alive Verse 2 We donʼt have to bear the load We donʼt have to have control We are free from guilt and shame ʻcause when He rose, he left death in itʼs grave Bridge No grip of fear, no sting in death, because Jesus Christ is alive Weʼre free from guilt, weʼre free from shame, because Jesus Christ is alive Weʼre free to live for Jesusʼ fame, because Jesus Christ is alive Hail the King Zach Bolen and Brian Eichelberger Verse 1 We have been justified / By faith through Jesus Christ / It’s only by His grace we stand Once bound by sin and shame / Now slave to righteousness / Our faith perfected by his love Chorus 1 Praise the Savior, he has won! / Our sin defeated, through His blood Now exalted, Jesus reigns / Hail the king, praise His name Verse 2 While we were weak he died / Making us reconciled / To God for all eternal days And even in our fading flesh / Our only hope and rest / Is found in faith that Jesus saves Chorus 2 We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God x3 / We rejoice in the glory of God Bridge Our hope of glory is found in the one who gives / Great joy to sing about the love that he poured out Forever lifted high is our savior Jesus Christ / The gift of God given in love Where Were You CAM HUXFORD IV and BRIAN EICHELBERGER Part 1: I said… God, I do not understand this world Everything is dying and broken Why do I see nothing but suffering God, I’m asking could this be your plan Sin has taken hold of this whole land Will you not say anything else to me Part 2: 1. He said. . . Where were you the day that I measured Sunk the base and stretched the line over All the the earth and carved out it’s cornerstone Where were you the day that I spoke and Told the sun to split the night open Called the morning dawn with its light to show 2: Who shut in the ocean with stone doors Marked the reach of tides on those new shores On the day the waves rose and first broke forth Have you seen the springs of that great sea Walked the caverns carved in the black deep Through the gates of darkness there on its floor 3: Have you seen the armory I hold Snow and hail are stacked up in silos For the times of trouble and war and strife Can you raise your voice to the storm cloud Would the thunder answer and ring out Does the lightning ask you where it should strike 4: Who has cleft a channel for torrents Rain to sprout the desert with forests In the wilderness that my hand has filled Can you hunt the prey for young Lions Can you loose the chords of Orion Is this whole world bending beneath your will Outro: I spoke of things I did not understand Things to wonderful for me Although I had no right to ask My God knelt and answered me It Is Finished Dustin Kensrue and Brian Eichelberger Verse 1 There’s no deed that can redeem us, There’s no rite, nor magic word Only by the work of Jesus, Can salvation be secured Chorus 1 It is finished! He has done it! Let your weary heart rejoice Our redemption is accomplished Raise a shout with ragged voice And go bravely into battle Knowing he has won the war It is finished, lift your head and weep no more Verse 2 There’s no sacrifice to offer There’s no penance to complete Freely drink of living water Without money come and feast And Let every sinner rejoice! Hear the dying victor’s cry Raise up your voice Sing it out through earth and sky Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm Psalm 41 Feedback We really enjoyed our Summer Interview Series with Kyle Thompson, Philip Moyer, Renee Emerson, Cody Curtis, and Henry Haffner. Unfortunately, Jesse Roberts could not make it onto this episode due to Covid, which oddly enough is why Justin couldn’t make it onto this episode either! So please keep the Rea and Roberts families in your prayers for a swift and full recovery, especially knowing there are little ones and very little ones in those households.We have really enjoyed having Justin on for season 3, and we have no plans to boot him off any time soon. He really is only out this week due to Covid, so don’t let any nasty rumors start!This episode, we will wrap up Season 3 as we tackle the conversation on Craft, but I also wanted to point out that we just wrapped up reading Book 1 of the Psalter. It took a decent amount of last minute finagling to get those two events to sync up, despite the fact that Covid tried its hardest to prevent it.We have officially launched our Instagram account by posting actual episode relevant content! Actually, my wife took over the account, because we were doing a bang up job of letting it die.We uploaded our full backlog into the Not The Bee social site, so if you have an account with them, you can listen to our podcast through their app and website. We have already gained a few followers that way including a public endorsement and invitation from the owner Dan Dillon, so thank you again for that!We got our first hate mail! We are not discouraged by it, but rather encouraged, because we know now that our reach has increased past our core and Target listeners. We are happy that Balm in Gilead has been a cause for some critical thinking and hope that you all will write in with what’s good and what’s not. Thank you for your feedback! Also, please rate and review us in your podcast player of choice and bonus points if you do so in Apple Podcasts as that really helps get the word out and build up the listener community.  Also… Lutheran Satire on the song Hallelujah.Switchfoot’s new album interrobang.Alisa Childer’s podcast episode on deconstruction.Poor Bishop Hooper’s album Foreign Made. Intro So far this season, we have been talking about Excellence in Beauty and Excellence in Craft. We have focused deeply on a Biblical argument for the pursuit of Excellence, and we have had the opportunity to talk to many experts and practitioners about elements of Beauty within music and poetry one small piece at a time. Today, we are going to tackle the entire conversation on Craft. Bryan and Jesse Roberts of Poor Bishop Hooper discussed this at length over email, which informs this episode. When I talk about Craft, I am referring to rules and blueprints that are learned and replicable for the purpose of being a foundation. I’m not just referring to music or even just art, but this is a foundational principle for all things Crafted, whether it be for practical or presentational or somewhere in between. I also believe that when Craft is done well and in a God honoring way, it will be Beautiful. Because of this, I realize now that I should have talked about Craft first as a foundation and built on it with the Beauty conversation. Since I didn’t, I am taking a step back to talk about Craft now. As a result, there will probably be a decent amount of bleeding over into Beauty conversation, but I am going to try to stay focused specifically on Craft. A little bit about my personal background: I minored in creative writing in college, I took a couple semesters of undergraduate music theory while in seminary, and I have taken a handful of free classes and paid coachings in songwriting proper. I consider myself to still be a novice in songwriting, but with some natural gifting, and enough coaching under my belt to no longer be on the bottom rung of the ladder. I do think I am a better critic than practitioner which is ultimately why I started this podcast. That said, I built my questionnaire using the limited knowledge that I had in the area. After talking to Cody and Henry in the last couple episodes, I have tweaked the Beauty portion to be easier to follow and to incorporate more and better concepts. See also the Questions for Christian Music Discernment. Main Topic In preparation for this episode, I asked Jesse this question: would it be possible to write a song a week for three straight years without a firm grasp on the rules of language and music? Great question. Highly unlikely! Also unlikely to be able to do so without having written a great deal of songs prior to the endeavor. Little info from us, both Leah and I were writing songs for many years and in great numbers before starting everypsalm. Are the Lyrics and Music Crafted, Creative, Clever, and Clear? Check out Pat Pattison’s books. CraftedConstructed well using the generally accepted building blocks of language and musicCreativeOriginal and fresh without throwing the rules out the windowCleverThought provoking and interestingClearAble to communicate its message accurately and completely Discernible Care and Attention Word ChoiceGrowing in knowledge in vocabulary, vernacular, and appropriate language. Listen to episode 27 for more on colloquial language in songs.Grammar“You can’t communicate a complete Truth with an incomplete sentence” -Bryan WulfmullerSyntaxSentence orderComprehensibilityKnowing when to break the rules without becoming confusing Check out Bryan on the Sound in Worship podcast. Discernible Care and Attention to Basic Music Theory Elements Melody Chord StructureArrangementSingability Hillsong United Introduces Controversial New Fifth Chord | Babylon Bee After this conversation, the noteworthy edits made to the Craft section were 1) switching the order of importance of Craft then Beauty and 2) adding Music Theory as its own category with the other items in the list falling under it. We have exciting things in the works that will get more into on the next episode (which should air three weeks from the release of this episode).  Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm 36 Kyle Thompson introduction Podcast host at Undaunted.Life. The Psalm that has been most meaningful to him is Psalm 34, especially verse 10. Music recommendations ConvictionsFor TodayImpending Doom Favorite song(s) in church O Come O Come EmmanuelBlessed AssurancePower in the BloodShane and Shane, Psalm 46 Links from the Show Undaunted.Life podcast on worship Episode 176. Most popular Undaunted.Life Episode 4 which describes a bit of Kyle’s backstory. A Message of Strength, Faith and Love – OKC Thunder Asst. Coach’s wife killed by drunk driver. Balm in Gilead’s Psalter Playlist Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm 34 What We’re Listening To Poor Bishop Hooper: Just finished Book 2 of the Psalms.JUDAH New AlbumSwitchfoot New Single “i need you (to be wrong)”Thief to KingEllie HolcombCaroline CobbCorner RoomPsallos Top Songs on CCLI Great Are You Lord by All Sons & DaughtersBattle Belongs by Phil WickhamReckless Love by Cory Asbury. Reckless Love: The Catechism Raise A Hallelujah by Bethel Music, Jonathan David, & Melissa Helser If Songs Could Preach: Raise a HallelujahHow Great Thou Art by Stuart Wesley & Keene HineCornerstone by Hillsong WorshipO Come To The Altar by Elevation WorshipRevelation Song by Jennie Lee RiddleGreat Is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas Obediah Chisholm & William Marion RunyanRest On Us by Maverick City Music & UPPERROOM Giveaway! Go Listen: Clovercroft | Henry Haffner Leave a review, and email us at thereis@balmcast.comListener Chris has generously provided a copy of Clovercroft from Henry Haffner, available in MP3, CD, or… Cassette Tape! Intro to main topic The question was brought up (more or less): are you more lenient for the Getty’s and less lenient for Hillsong? That is one of the easiest questions for me: absolutely yes. I develop biases over time that I regulatory check, but if someone has a reputation for writing solid music, I will spend less time vetting songs from them. Likewise, I will spend more time listening and researching a song from a questionable source. This is similar to someone handing me a well known and widely used hymnal. I know that serious time and prayer has gone into curating and vetting the hymns, so I don’t feel the need to. I can rest assured knowing that hymns are theologically sound. At that point, I am mostly concerned with the beauty and accessibility of the song.  Though there are some tertiary doctrinal issues that I still look for, I am rarely at a point where I would flat out refuse to sing a song. With the Getty’s, it is the same way. They have proven themselves to be dedicated to maintaining both Beauty and Truth with their word choices. They have many peers review their drafts before publication as well to ensure no unintentional errors have been made. They have a public reputation for holding fast to important and unpopular truths (such as the wrath of God being satisfied on the cross as Jesus died), and they have a love for beauty in melody and arrangement. They are innovators and not interested in simply following the trends of the day. Furthermore, they are doing what they can to educate and supply resources to others in order to help them seek to worship in Spirit and Truth. Hillsong is all about the trends. Trends in music, trends in theology. They don’t sing about the wrath of God or really about sin in any detail. They don’t have groundbreaking music. They don’t have songs that are meant to last. They have a good handful of songs that “pass the test”, but none of them are the best songs out there theologically.   They do pursue excellence in beauty and in craft to a degree, but not necessarily in creativity.  They write music that sounds good, and they play their instruments with great skill, but they do not do a lot that is unique or original.  Pursuit of excellence in creativity is something that I feel is lacking in Christian music altogether.  This week in our main topic we are going to cover the pursuit of excellence in beauty and craft, but we are intentionally not talking about the pursuit of Excellence in creativity. This is because I do not believe this is a learned ability, but rather it is a God given ability that can be cultivated.  (Maybe pause here and discuss the idea of creativity?) That said, as we go through the Excellence Element, many Hillsong songs will score high in the areas of sound and skill.  For that reason, I do not hold this category as nearly as important as the Psalm Model or Scripture Element. But nonetheless, it is an important part of song discernment. Main Topic Last episode, we talked about Excellence as a biblical concept, and gleaning from scripture we found that: Excellence is the pursuit of growing in knowledge and ability towards the standard of Beauty and Craft set in place by God in both general and special revelation.Excellence must contain truth, honor, justice, purity, loveliness, commendability, and that which is worthy of praise.Excellence belongs to God, is a gift from God, and comes from knowing God. It is tied to God’s glory, to God’s promises, and to sanctification. If I had any significant time to decide towards a research project, I would love to dive deep into each of those aspects and provide a clear defense for each claim, but for now, I must take the presuppositional argument that these are generally true for music and move on. Before we jump back into what Scripture says about Beauty and Craft, I want to spend some time carefully explaining what I mean and what I don’t mean. It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, meaning that one person may see beauty in something where no one else does. There is great truth in this, but there is also a standard of Beauty in God that all other beauty strives towards. If something refuses to strive towards the beauty of God, or if it actively strives against it, any actual beauty is accidental or inescapable. An example would be a cacophony of random noise. There are “musicians” out there who seek to force beauty into something that isn’t actually seeking to be beautiful on its own. It would be like calling a jackhammer music. While there might be beauty in seeing a construction worker work to the glory of God. The noise created in his beautiful work in and of itself is not beautiful music. I also want to be careful to make a distinction between “Beauty” and “Preference”, even if there is a great deal of overlap. Preference is subjective and mutable. Typically, someone’s preferences become more refined as the individual matures. Similarly, one’s preferences will become more God honoring as the individual becomes more sanctified. But the Standard of Beauty is objective and immutable. God honoring works of art will work with the preferences of the artist (and may grow the preferences of the artist) to achieve the Standard of Beauty in a unique way. You cannot have a proper talk about Excellence, Beauty, and Craft in the Bible without talking about the Tabernacle and the Temple. These topics are also highly related to the regulative principle of worship. It is also important to note that Creativity is not a part of human obedience concerning specifically the building of the Tabernacle and Temple.  In these examples, God is the chief creative, but He entrusts man to the Craft. Beauty Exodus 28:2 [2] And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. (ESV) This is part of the building of the Tabernacle and all that goes with it. While there is much description of the Beauty of the Tabernacle in the Torah, this is the chief explanation of something being Crafted for the purpose of being Beautiful and that Beauty bringing Glory to God.  As a part of the Crafting of the Tabernacle, it isn’t wrong to extend that explanation toward all of the other Beautiful things that were Crafted. Psalms 27:4 [4] One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. (ESV) Psalms 50:2 [2] Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. (ESV) Psalms 96:6 [6] Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. (ESV) These other passages refer to both God and the Temple as being Beautiful, and it is important to understand that the final product of both the Temple and the Tabernacle came after passages upon passages of incredibly detailed instruction to the builders and artisans. I won’t quote it, but much of the description of the Tabernacle is found in the last half of Exodus as well as parts of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Much of the description of the Temple is found in 1 Kings 5-6 and 2 Chronicles 2-7. Beauty was a major part of Jewish worship. Every aspect of the Tabernacle and Temple was dedication to the Standard of Beauty, because any less for the House of God would have been blasphemy and disobedience. This is later reflected in the beauty of the Psalter, the Wisdom literature, the Canticles, many of the Prophets  and the Creeds (found in many of the Epistles). Today, we must not settle for what is popular over what is truly beautiful. The sound may be very pleasant and appealing to man, but we must compare the sound with what is generally agreed to be truly beautiful both in special and general revelation. We mustn’t be fooled by the lipstick on the swine so to speak. Craft Similarly, we must discern the difference between the skill it takes to play music well and the skill it takes to construct good music.  Just because the song was played flawlessly doesn’t mean the song was good to begin with.   Another way to look at it would be this: you might have a builder who makes the best buildings, but the supplier might skimp on the materials. The builder cannot make the materials better just by flawlessly following the plans. Likewise, the worst builder cannot make the best materials into a perfect building. It takes the flawless skill plus the best materials to construct the right building.  That said, the highly skilled builder should be able to recognize that the materials weren’t up to par.  Continuing to use them would reflect that the builder was either not really that good to begin with or was so incredibly prideful that he thought his skills could somehow still shine through the bad materials. Musicians that play poorly written/uncreative songs (songs that follow the same chord structure as all other popular songs) to the bes

Psalm 33 Follow up Apologies for the delay in last episode. I had some major technical issues as my iPad stopped exporting audio (and I had to export the audio manually by playing the audio from my iPad into another computer which lowered the audio quality as well). We are not transitioning to a triweekly podcast, but there may be some delays as I am using borrowed equipment. I met a gentleman named Dave at church after we recorded our last episode. We were chatting about random stuff and the topic of podcasts came up and I mentioned that my podcast was called Balm in Gilead and he had heard of us! He listens to presbycast and heard us on there. Kinda cool. Mr. Beyenhof’s name pronunciation. Ice Breaker How Churches Are Influencing Vaccine Decisions  Problems I see here: Impinges on Christian liberty cf. WCF 20The author misunderstands the role of the church WCF 21Ordinary means of grace: Word, sacrament, and singing Wrong view of what’s wrong with the world Wrong view of church and state WCF 23.3 Main Topic As we walk through the Excellence element, our approach and our goal are going to change slightly. With the Psalm Model and Scripture Element, we focused heavily on what the Bible said concerning the matter and we sought to glean from Scripture a pattern of what God desires from us as we write and discern music that is useful for Worship. For the Excellence Model, I admit that we are veering into a more subjective area. The Bible does not have an explicit command to pursue excellence, it does not have an explicit definition of excellence, nor does it tie the pursuit of excellence in the arts with sanctification or any other spiritual discipline. However, the descriptions of artistry given, especially those concerning the building of the Tabernacle and Temple, are clear descriptions of Excellence. The Bible is not silent on the matters of Excellence, Beauty, or Craft; and I want to take this episode especially to lay some biblical groundwork in the argument that God cares about our pursuit of excellence in beauty and craft. My ultimate goal for this season, though, isn’t to build an entirely biblical argument for the Excellence Model. Nor am I trying to build an argument that is solely useful for Type 1, 2, and 3 music. My ultimate goal for this season is to offer a helpful guide for what I believe are generally accepted ideas about excellence, but I will admit that I have some personal ideas in the mix as well. As such, this Element has more potential to change as we work through it than the Psalm Model or Scripture Element. My thesis for my defense of the Excellence Model is built on an idea that John Cooper said well on his podcast: Christians should be making the best stuff because the Spirit is in them and they have no excuse not to be making the best stuff. He argues that Christian music should be the best music, Christian movies should be the best movies, Christian plumbers should be the best plumbers, etc. because they have no excuse not to be. If God is dwelling inside of each Christian, and God’s standard is perfection, and God is sanctifying us daily, then we should be glorifying Him by refusing to settle for cheap throwaway twaddle. This idea is not unique to John Cooper. In fact, I wrote my first draft of this questionnaire more than a year before ever listening to Cooper Stuff. But this idea is not unique to me either. I would wager that nearly every Christian creative has had the thought, and I would wager this because we all share the same Spirit, and He is a creative Spirit. For this episode and for season three, I am going to discuss Excellence, Beauty, and Craft. I am going to look at what the Bible says about them, what professional creatives say about them, and what I have to say about them. I would love this to become a conversation, and I am looking to expand my horizons on these topics, but I do take the stance that the best music pursues Excellence in both Beauty and Craft; and the music that doesn’t, doesn’t last. Francis Schaeffer and the Arts: A Retrospective  Excellence Most people probably have a general understanding of “the pursuit of excellence”, but I want to go ahead and carefully explain what I am talking about and what I am not talking about.  I mentioned in one of our first episodes that one of God’s incommunicable attributes is His perfection, but that He does give us Excellence instead. As we are being sanctified, we are becoming more and more like Christ every day, and when we are glorified, we will be perfected in Him.  Our Excellence then, in many ways, is part of our becoming perfected. We cannot be perfect in anything we do or create. This isn’t to say we can never play a song flawlessly or make a 100% on our music theory final, but it is to say that we can never arrive at a complete understating of the art of music. I have heard it said that the pursuit of perfection is the enemy of “done”. I have also heard it said that the pursuit of perfection is rooted in the belief that I can be like God (aka the first temptation). But the pursuit of Excellence is rooted in the understating that I am being made perfect, but that I have limitations. In acknowledging my own limitations, I can strive daily for one step closer, and I can look to Christ as my example. I think a very incomplete definition of Excellence is to try your best and grow as you go. While that is indeed part of it, I do believe that true Excellence must be rooted in sanctification. This is the very core of the concept that Christians should be the best at everything. Unbelievers do not have that element of being perfected by God. They also do not have as high a standard of beauty as the believer, as God himself is the standard. I do believe that common Grace allows for a shadow or type of Excellence for the unbeliever, but even then there is a process of learning that comes before the ability to do, and then there is a process of growing into the role beyond simply trying hard where passion and devotion kick in and carry you deeper into the process. So in the simplest of terms, as we move forward, I will try to sum up the complexity of the idea into this concept: Excellence is the pursuit of growing in knowledge and ability towards the standard of Beauty and Craft set in place by God in both general and special revelation.  As we see unbelievers pursue excellence, we know they are still holding God as the standard as the common Grace He gives them allows them to see His handiwork in the world around them. But we have His special revelation and His saving Grace, we can better see His standard and have greater means of pursuing it. Therefore we are without excuse. “Excellence is the pursuit of growing in knowledge and ability towards the standard of Beauty and Craft set in place by God in both general and special revelation.”Bryan Emerson I want to take some time now to look at a couple passages that mention excellence: Philippians 4:8 [8] Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (ESV) The idea of Excellence is listed among very positive attributes of Christ like thinking. These attributes are all related and in some ways all overlap with over another. It isn’t wrong to say, then, that true Excellence must contain truth, honor, justice, purity, loveliness, commendability, and that which is worthy of praise. I could spend an episode unpacking each one of those, but I must move on. “Excellence must contain truth, honor, justice, purity, loveliness, commendability, and that which is worthy of praise.”Bryan Emerson The next passage is less familiar: 2 Peter 1:3-4 [3] His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, [4] by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (ESV) There is a lot to unpack with this passage, and we do not have the time to fully do so, but I did want to point out a few major things: Excellence belongs to GodExcellence is a gift from GodExcellence comes from knowing GodExcellence is tied to God’s gloryExcellence is tied to God’s promisesExcellence is tied to sanctification This is very broad and is not explicitly about Excellence in arts, but it is essential to the foundation of understanding Excellence. With this foundation, we can see that Excellence is not merely a worldly concept, but it is a biblical concept. As such, we must never settle for less than Excellence, both on our work, but also in the work we approve. In our next episode we will focus specifically on Beauty and Craft, what they are, what they aren’t, and how they apply to Excellence. Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm Psalm 32 Listen to the Episode Ice Breaker Review of Jon Foreman’s Departures album I would classify this album as a Type 2.5 album. Many of the songs are solidly Type 3, but there are Type 2 and at least one song I would classify as a “personal” Type 1 (not meant for congregational worship) Lament: Jesus I Have My Doubts. Before we can fully dive into that song, however, it is important to consider the entire context of that song. This album is a concept album about the year 2020 and how difficult it was for Jon personally, and every song plays a part within the context of the narrative.  I do not plan on talking about each song, but I will talk briefly about some important ones. I will also post a Spotify playlist that Jon created that includes his own  commentary on each song (but be warned that he makes a pretty disappointing theological comment before “Side By Side”). The album begins with a very dramatic song (probably the most dramatic song Jon has ever released under any project) called The Ocean Beyond The Sea. It talks about the futility of trying to achieve salvation on your own. The song is very poetic and does not specifically talk about Jesus, so this would be a Type 3 song.  One very interesting phrase that he uses to talk about salvation is “an elixir for all who grieve”. While this does not offer near enough specificity to accurately conclude that this elixir is the blood of Christ that covers all our sins, within the context of this album, the song sets the stage of dealing with grief specifically. And grief is something that cannot be fully processed without divine help. The final song on the album is called Last Words. Jon is a fairly private person, but I believe this song is likely a sequel to the early 2019 song Joy Invincible from Switchfoot’s album Native Tongue. Joy Invincible is about processing a difficult medical diagnosis, while Last Words is about processing the death of someone close. From the lines of the song, this individual died of cancer, and from the raw emotion of the two songs, I would find it very difficult to believe they were metaphorical or imaginative. I believe this loss was real. Most of the songs on this album deal with grief in some way. Each song has at least one line that is completely turned on its head when viewed through the lens of losing someone, but this is especially true in tracks 1-5. In track 6 (out of 12), we land on Jesus I Have My Doubts. We are going to go over this song in great detail in just a moment, but in short, this is a very raw Lament about not understanding God’s plan. The song reads a lot like Psalm 88. There is very little hope in the verbatim context, but there are some important lines that help us understand that the wound is where the light shines through (see what I did there?). One very important piece of context to help process this song is track 7, which I believe was placed alongside Jesus I Have My Doubts to be the direct center of the album. The song is called Thanks Be To God. The repeated refrain is “Thanks be to God who delivers me. Christ, Christ alone, come and set me free.” This beautiful song helps us to understand that it is in Christ alone that we can process our grief and still make it out in one piece. Podcast episode of Jon Foreman talking about the album. Quick overview of Dustin Kensrue’s deconstruction story We have talked a lot about Dustin Kensrue on this show. He was one of the Mars Hill worship leaders in Seattle as the front man for a band called The Modern Post. He is also the front man for the secular band Thrice. Mars Hill, led by pastor Mark Driscoll, was a major leader in the Young Restless and Reformed movement for many years. Their music in a lot of ways had the potential to compete with the Big Four: Bethel, Hillsong, Elevation, and Passion. However, like with all things in this life, sin ruined everything. Mark was caught stealing money from the church and buying many thousands of copies of his own book so it would hit the Bestseller list. His hope was to start selling even more once it was trending and put all the money back once the royalties started pouring in. He was caught and asked to resign, and that was when a very pesky little church bylaw kicked in. From the start, Mark had built the church around himself, and had a bylaw included that would force the church to shut down in the event that he died. The leaders of the church understood the spirit of the law was to disband in the event that Mark was ever not the pastor (but he never saw another situation in which that would be possible save for his death), so to avoid legal battles, the church shut its doors. At this point I am speculating a bit, but I can find it very easy to believe that following a pastor so closely and then finding out that his words didn’t coincide with his actions, it would be very difficult to continue believing his words. It is without question that Mark built his church around Mark all while saying he was building out around Jesus (now, I am not saying he was a false teacher, propagating heresy, or even that he is non regenerate; but I am saying he sinned big time and should never be in church leadership again; but that hasn’t stopped him from still being in public ministry). Since leaving the crater of Mars Hill, Dustin Kensrue has given up on many of the doctrines that Mark Driscoll taught, namely the inerrancy, infallibility, and Authority of Scripture. Dustin now believes that the Bible is a list of stories written by flawed men that depict their ideas about God given their individual limitations of scope. He believes that the only absolute in this world is change. He believes that God is not immutable and that he changes his mind quite often. He no longer believes in substitutionary atonement and that Jesus is not the only way to Heaven. He believes that the cross was cosmic child abuse and that God is essentially not an all powerful, all good deity. He says that he still reads the Bible, and that he finds it much more enjoyable knowing that his life doesn’t depend on it. I hope and pray that Dustin sees the error of his ways and comes back to God. Article we referenced: It’s Not Enough: Dustin Kensrue’s Turning Away SIDEBAR: WHAT IS PROCESS THEOLOGY? A concept of God that rejects His immutability and instead maintains that God changes and interacts with humanity. Adherents claim that it makes better sense of the God of the Bible, yet they deny many of the teachings of it. In Process Theology, there is no omnipotent God, and no immutable God. “The Process God is finite, mutable, less than omnipotent, and via his physical pole suffers alongside of his creatures. This is not thought to be a defect but rather an asset as it allows God to identify with his creatures and experience what happens to them as it happens.” (Feinberg, n.d.) In other words, a god of man’s own making. For more on process theology, see John S. Feinberg’s writing. Feinberg, J. S. (n.d.). Process Theology. The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved April 10, 2021, from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/process-theology/ Feinberg, J. S. (2001). No One Like Him: The Doctrine of God. Crossway Books. Main Topic: The Grey vs. Jesus I Have My Doubts The Grey: Thrice Verse 1 There was a time when I tried to hold the ocean in my fists When I mistook the language for the light There was a tightness that gripped my soul and bubbled at my wrists And choked me within inches of my life Pre-Chorus But now I'm letting go And I can finally breathe, I can finally breathe Chorus And my hands are open, reaching out I'm learning how to live with doubt I'm learning how to lean into the grey 'Cause I've had enough of black and white I'll find another way and I will lean into the grey I'll lean into the grey Verse 2 There was a time when I tried to bind and bottle up the sea I tried to hide my heart inside my head There was a maze of these vicious lines that cut through everything I pulled against them till my body bled Grant was reminded of the excellent Lutheran Satire video, Tyler the Ex-Evangelical Quits Swimming. Jesus, I Have My Doubts: Jon Foreman Verse 1 Jesus, I'm sorry 'bout last night Jesus, we both know I tried Jesus, feels like the world's in pieces I'm sure You've got Your reasons But I have my doubts Jesus, I have my doubts Chorus When everything that's right feels wrong And all of my belief feels gone And the darkness in my heart is so strong Can You reach me here in the silence? Singing these broken songs Looking for the light for so long But the pain goes on and on and on Can You reach me here in the silence? Verse 2 Jesus, what a week we've had? Jesus, has the world gone mad? Jesus, feels like the world's in pieces I'm sure You've got Your reasons But I've got my doubts Jesus, I've got my doubts Jesus, I've got my doubts Bridge Are You there? Can You hear me? Do You care? Are You near me? 'Cause I'm scared and I'm weary Are You there? Can You hear me? Are You there? Can You hear me? Do You care? Are You near me? 'Cause I'm scared and I'm weary Are You there? End Can You reach me here in the silence? I have my doubts Mark 9:24 – “Help my unbelief!” Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm Psalm 32 Special Guest Justin Rea Check out what he’s been up to: If Songs Could Preach PodcastSound In Worship Music recommendations? Artists are all Spotify linksThe Corner RoomMatt Boswell & Matt PapaMy Soul Among LionsNorton Hall BandJoe DeeganAnother SonBrian SauveFavorite song(s) in church?Psalm 150 (Gettys and Boswell)A Mighty FortressQuestions about current personal projectAbout JustinIf Songs Could PreachSound in WorshipAny cool secret online band projects?Questionnaire overview – Questions for Christian Music Discernment Also note Justin’s blog posts on the same topic: Music Notes | Blog – How to Choose a Solid Worship Song What to expect in season 3Jesus, I have my Doubts by Jon ForemanPalms by Thrice Meaningful Psalm for Justin – Psalm 22. References Forsaken Me by MSAL, see this Podcast episode Additional Links The Balm in Gilead Psalter Playlist (Spotify) Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm Psalm 30 Welcome to the Show Your intrepid hosts start off by discussing our recent appearance on Presbycast and how much we loved it. We also get an update from Bryan’s church travels and find out what he makes of the OPC. Song v. Song: Waterfall v. Satisfied in You Waterfall By Chris Tomlin Verse 1 Oh God, my God I seek You I wanna move when You move You're more than I could long for I thirst for You Chorus You're an ocean to my soul To my soul Your love is like a waterfall, waterfall Running wild and free You hear my heart when I call, when I call Deep calls, too deep Your love is like a waterfall, waterfall Raining down on me waterfall, waterfall Verse 2 Oh God, my God I seek You In this dry and desert land You lead me to streams of mercy Once again Bridge It's coming like a flood I'm dancing in the rain Everything I've done Is covered in rivers of grace, amazing More on this Song Chris Tomlin – Waterfall (Story Behind the Song)  Calvin on verse 7 Calvin on verse 8 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  - Psalm 63:1 7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.  8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.  - Psalm 42:7-8 Satisfied in You  By The Sing Team [Verse 1] I have lost my appetite And a flood is welling up behind my eyes So I eat the tears I cry And if that were not enough They know just the words to cut and tear and prod When they ask me "Whereʼs your God?" [Pre-Chorus 1] Why are you downcast, oh my soul? Why so disturbed within me? I can remember when you showed your face to me [Chorus] As a deer pants for water, so my soul thirsts for You And when I behold Your glory, You so faithfully renew Like a bed of rest for my fainting flesh I am satisfied in You [Verse 2] When Iʼm staring at the ground Itʼs an inbred feedback loop that brings me down So itʼs time to lift my brow And remember better days When I loved to worship You and all Your ways With the sweetest songs of praise [Pre-Chorus 2] Why are you downcast, oh my soul? Why so disturbed within me? I can remember when you showed your grace to me [Chorus] As a deer pants for water, so my soul thirsts for You And when I survey your splendor You so faithfully renew Like a bed of rest for my fainting flesh I am satisfied in You [Bridge] Let my sighs give way to songs that sing about Your faithfulness Let my pain reveal Your glory as my only real rest Let my losses show me all I truly have is You 'Cause all I truly have is You [Verse 3] So when Iʼm drowning out at sea And Your breakers and Your waves crash down on me Iʼll recall Your safety scheme Youʼre the One who made the waves And Your Son went out to suffer in my place And to tell me that Iʼm safe [Post-Bridge] So why am I down? Why so disturbed? I am satisfied in You Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm 29 Follow up Grant was talking with one of the guys over at Presbycast about our show and he said that he was wary about using the Psalms as a model. I have been thinking about what he said and I want to make a clarification. I talked about how the Psalms are Scripture, poetry, and lyrics; but we can only use the Psalms as a model as far as poetry and lyrics go. However, we cannot forget that the Psalms are Scripture, and we cannot emulate that. For example, Psalm 13 begins: How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? As David wrote this, he was clearly feeling far away from God. But when we look at this specifically as Scripture, we know that God was so close to David that He was writing the very words David was using to show his feeling of abandonment.  That interwoven Truth cannot be emulated, but we can look to and reference other Scripture as we write new music. I can voice my doubt of God’s closeness, but if I want God’s presence to still be seen in my song, I must acknowledge God’s presence directly. I still believe that the Psalms are a sufficient guide to writing new songs, but we cannot write new Psalms. The canon is closed, and new songs are simply new songs. We can emulate the emotion, the Truth, the promises and fulfillment, and the content of the Psalms, but we can never emulate the prophecy or Word of God in the Psalms. Ice Breaker: Writing Songs as an Act of Worship I am going to propose a theory that, by its nature, can never be proven by observation, namely because we are not God. I do not wish to act as the Holy Spirit, and so I will not be making any absolute statements, but this theory helps create an order to things I have seen in the past few years. Here is the theory: songs written as an act of true and genuine personal worship to God are generally (if not always) better and more useful to the church than songs that are written mechanically for the specific use of being sung in church. This isn’t to say that “intentionally written” or “planned” songs can’t also be genuine worship, but it is to say that songs inspired by a formula and a deadline will be less useful than songs inspired by dedicated study of Scripture. Referring back to the Psalm Model, all of the Psalms were written as acts of true and genuine worship to God. Looking back at the Original Element, none of the songs coming from a known cult are true and genuine worship of God. All other type 1 songs will fall somewhere in between. I want to be clear that I am not taking this time now to call anyone out as writing for a cult or referencing a formula over the scriptures. When push comes to shove, I am not the Holy Spirit and will never be able to prove my suspicions of anyone else’s motives.  I am, however, speaking to writers right now and urging you to hold fast to the Truth of Scripture when you are writing. Worship when you write and don’t write when you are not worshiping. I do believe that all true and genuine worship will always follow an encounter with the Truth of God. While this will be most genuine following an encounter of God’s Word (or special revelation), it certainly can follow an encounter of general revelation so long as it lines up with and leads toward special revelation. For example, the hymn How Great Thou Art begins with two verses of general revelation depicting the vastness of God and the creativity of God, but this lines up with Genesis 1 and 2 and it leads to the Gospel and Crucifixion in verse 3 and the future return of Christ in verse 4. Whether or not you believe that the Psalms Model is sufficient and *should* be followed when writing music for the church, it cannot be argued that the Psalms are an excellent model for writing poetry and lyrics. Along with being an excellent model, the Psalms are also Truth that can lead us to worship.  Related Links “None of the songs coming from a known cult are true and genuine worship…” Would this then exclude the Psalm paraphrases and hymns of Isaac Watts who denied the deity of Christ or others like him? Isaac Watts’ “Psalm” Imitations – Purely Presbyterian Main Topic—Music Ministry: What We Learn from Timothy, Titus, and Chenaniah According to the Regulative Principle of Worship, all parts of worship must be either completely and specifically prescribed in the Scripture alone or they must be deduced from the whole counsel of Scripture through a process the WCF calls “good and necessary consequence”. (WCF 1.6) For example, in the New Testament, we have clear qualifications for two offices in the church: 1) Pastor/Elder/Overseer and 2) Deacon. However, we do not have qualifications for the role of “music minister.” The question that is raised, then, is this: is the office of the music minister an unbiblical construct that should be abolished from the Christian church, or did we as a church deduce the role through good and necessary consequence? I believe in the latter. You may be wondering why I am even bringing up this question in the first place. The role of the music minister is an assumed norm in the church today (and has been for hundreds of years in some capacity). There is likely a good reason that the church at large has adopted this role, but I have personally never heard a case for it before (and I doubt many of you have either!). I have not looked into the origin of the role of the modern music minister, but I have dug deep into some pertinent passages of Scripture, and I believe I have walked away with a case for good and necessary consequence in regards to the role. In 1 Chronicles 15, the account of returning the Ark of the Covenant to the Tabernacle is retold (with greater detail than the 2 Samuel 6 account). In the passage, we learn about the institution of the priestly musicians as well as the role of “music director”. In the passage, we are told that the priests are to carry the Ark on poles because the Lord commanded it. We are also told that one particular Levite will direct the music simply because he knew how to.  This passage is different from Exodus 31 where God calls Oholiab and Bezalel by name. It is also different from the sacrificial laws and duties of the priests found in the book of Leviticus. There is no direct prescription for music ministry that God outlines and David follows, but we do see God’s approval and subsequent commands to sing and praise with instruments. 1 David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him forever. - 1 Chronicles 15:1-2 12 and [David] said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule." - 1 Chronicles 15:12-13 David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. - 1 Chronicles 15:16 Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it. - 1 Chronicles 15:22 27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres. - 1 Chronicles 15:27-28 In this passage, Chenaniah is appointed as the music director because of two qualifications: he is a leader of the Levitical priests and he understood music. This minimal qualification is in stark contrast to the carrying of the ark on the poles as God had commanded Moses. It reads as a practical difference between direct prescription and good and necessary consequence. David realized how important music was to God and so, in obedience to God’s revelation to him, he instituted the priestly musicians to aid in the singing and also to praise God through their playing of instruments. 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!  4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!  5 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!  - Psalm 150:3-5 Today we undeniably have commands to sing in the New Testament, and just like in the Old Testament, communal singing requires a leader who knows about music in order to do so in an orderly fashion. The question then becomes this: does the priestly role of music director continue through to the New Testament, or is it fulfilled along with the rest of the priestly duties through Jesus’ once-and-for-all sacrifice? When God instituted the Mosaic Covenant, He referred to the future established nation of Israel as a “kingdom of priests”. Shortly after this, God instituted the priesthood and Aaron was ordained as the first high priest. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” – Exodus 19:5-6 Similar language is used twice in Revelation in reference to the already and newly established church. 5b To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood  6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be

Psalm 28 Special Guest Poor Bishop Hooper This week, we have Poor Bishop Hooper in the virtual studio to talk about their music and especially their latest project, EveryPsalm. Both hailing from small towns in central Kansas, we began writing, recording, and performing together after our marriage in 2013. What began as a duo, weaving together a patchwork of melodies atop an upright bass and a guitar, has since blossomed into numerous, multi-faceted expressions of the technicolor story we call life. Though we still often perform classic covers and simple tunes in simple places, we’ve been blessed to develop a vibrant musical ministry – ranging from full band, heavy mood moments like that in The Golgotha Experience, to the string and vocal laden scores of Firstborn. Our most recent project is our most ambitious yet. EveryPsalm began January 1, 2020, and releases a psalm-based song each week… until all the psalms are sung again.From PoorBishopHooper.com In the EveryPsalm project, Poor Bishop Hooper is working through putting the Psalms to music, releasing a new one each week. Starting out, they questioned if they would even be able to do so. Throughout, the couple cites their reliance on God for giving them what’s needed to continue. Here, they talk about the challenges and joys they’ve experienced during this time and take us behind the scenes to talk about their approach, how they maintain their Psalm-a-week pace, and much more. Extras and Errata Poor Bishop Hooper is named for Anglican Bishop John Hooper who was martyred under Queen “Bloody” Mary. Jesse and Leah mention artist Thomas Hart Benton. Today’s closing music is Psalm 28 from the EveryPsalm project. Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm 23 Follow up In case you didn’t catch it, we have a new Bomb of Galahad satire article up.Lauren Daigle’s song You Say is still #1Quick update to the Psalm model for writing worship music: The Psalm Model—Does the song follow the model of acceptable worship found in the Psalms?Lament—Does the song address God as God, bring a legitimate grievance to God rooted in the consequences of sin, and rest in the promises of God? Main Topic: Praise Psalms CCM is dominated with songs of praise, but that doesn’t mean that the songs offer genuine or prescribed praise. Much like a banker studies real money as an effort to guard against counterfeit money, we must learn what constitutes true praise in order to better recognize what is improper. It is worth noting that nearly every Psalm has an element of Praise in it.  The Psalms utilize praise as a structural element, completing each of the five books with a hymn of praise (and completing the fifth book with five hymns of praise). The episode where we briefly discuss Jamie Grace’s song Hold Me. Eleven types of Praise Psalms ExaltMagnifyPersonNameWordWho He isWhat He has doneWhat He will doAdorationBlessingThanksgiving Some scriptures we discuss: Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  – Psalm 100:3 1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  – Psalm 139:1-2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!  – Psalm 150:2 The very first song written and recorded in the Bible was a song rejoicing in the work of God:Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.  – Exodus 15:1 7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”  – Psalm 2:7-9 5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. 7 He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.  – Psalm 110:5-7 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!  – Psalm 103:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.  – Psalm 136:1 Structure of a Praise Psalm Call to worshipReasons for praiseFurther calls to praise This structure is from Tremper Longman’s book:Longman, T., III. (1988). How to Read the Psalms (p. 24). Downers Grove, IL; Nottingham, England: IVP Academic; Inter-Varsity Press. Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Revelation 21:1-4 Just a heads up, this is a bonus episode meant to be heard after episode 22. In episode 22 we laid down a foundation on lament that we will refer back to as we review these songs. We are going to review 5 songs: a Psalm Model song and a Psalm Paraphrase song from “Lamentations” by Bifrost Arts, a Psalm Model song and a Psalm Paraphrase song from “Daughter Zion’s Woe” by Cardiphonia, and “Thy Will”, a Psalm Model song by Hilary Scott and the Scott Family Band. Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm 22 Pattern of the Laments Address God as GodBring your legitimate grievance to GodRest in the promises of God Structure of the Laments In the book “How to Read the Psalms” by Tremper Longman III, he goes a bit more in depth into the lament structure. Not all of these are always together, but often are. InvocationPlea to God for helpComplaintsConfession of sin or an assertion of innocenceCurse of enemies (imprecation)Confidence in God’s responseHymn or blessing Types of Lament Psalms The lament is primarily defined from the mood. There are three types of complaints: The psalmist may be troubled by his own thoughts and actions.He may complain about the actions of others against him (the “enemies”).He may be frustrated by God himself. Longman, T., III. (1988). How to Read the Psalms. Downers Grove, IL; Nottingham, England: IVP Academic; Inter-Varsity Press. Addressing God as God Before we can come to God with our lamentation, we must know who God is. Some of the pertinent basics are that God is in control, God is good, God’s plan is perfect, God hates evil, God does not delight in human suffering. If we do not believe these things, then we cannot tether ourselves to God’s promises as we wrestle with our sin and suffering. Consequences of Sin Discussed in the Psalms Legal Legal standing before God Legal standing before manRelationalRelationship with God First tableRelationship with manSecond tablePhysicalResults from wrathResults from lustResults from negligenceEnvironmentalFaminePestilenceWarDeath Lament Psalms Community: 12, 44, 58, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 89, 90, 94, 123, 126, 129Individual: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 64, 70, 71, 77, 86, 120, 139, 141, 142 Specialized Lament Psalms Penitential: 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143Imprecatory: 35, 69, 83, 88, 109, 137, 140 Examples Psalm 12 CommunalPsalm 42-43 IndividualPsalm 51 PenitentialPsalm 137 ImprecatoryPsalm 88 The Darkest Psalm Other Links The Words of the Lord (Psalm 12) by My Soul Among Lions The Bible Project’s Overview of the Psalms Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.

Psalm 21 Updates here at the Balmcast.com. Check out the new Resources section. The Icebreaker Newsboys and Switchfoot. Which host will reign supreme and guess the lyrics of their favorite band? It’s Bryan. Obviously. What is the Psalm Model? We have talked about the Psalm Model as a way to shape writing worship music (Type 1). The Psalms contain: Ancient Near Eastern poetrySongs written for corporate worshipSongs written by individualsSongs of praise and lamentationSongs of thanksgiving and petitionSongs about the future work of ChristSongs reflecting the Truth of ScriptureSongs reflecting God’s glory and beautySongs commanding to sing new songs We believe that music meant for worship follow this model. Next week: Lament Thanks for listening The Balm of Gilead podcast is a member of the Tech Reformation family of podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please share it with others. We enjoy hearing from you, so join us on our Discord and let us know what you’re thinking. If email is more your thing, write to us at thereis <at> balmcast <dot> com. Thanks again and we’ll see you next time, Lord willing.