My Psalm Song Assignment

So for my 'Worship Through the Ages' course that I am taking this semester, we were given the assignment of writing a metrical psalm.  As I studied the history of the metrical psalm I had no idea the hand that John Calvin had played in popularizing it through the Geneva Psalter (probably the most published song book of all time) and that he had influenced the face of corporate worship as much as he had.  I knew him very well from his influence into what is known as Calvinism.  Well I guess when something is your namesake, it is going to be attributed to you the majority of the time, but I had no idea that Calvin was so passionate about music and the psalms. 

Basically, Calvin hired a professional musician and a poet to give all 150 Psalms meter and melody, while keeping the integrity of the scriptures intact.  The idea was not only a way for the people to worship together in a corporate setting through song, but Calvin believed that this would help the people "hide His word" in their hearts.  Sure enough, it proved to be an amazing tool in memorizing the entirety of the psalms for many people, as well as enriching and encouraging them during times of extreme difficulty and oppression. Mary Tudor anyone?

Anyways, our assignment was to take a Psalm and give it meter, melody and keep the integrity of scripture, just as Calvin did.  We were given the option of choosing an existing melody, or creating our own.  We were also encouraged to write in the style of our congregations (i.e. traditional, contemporary, etc).  So here are the lyrics for my Metrical Psalm Song: Psalm 100 Enjoy!

Verse:

Make a joyful noise

Gladly serve the Lord

Come into His presence

Sing unto the Lord

PreChorus:

We are His and

He is ours and 

As is His own

We lift our hearts

Chorus:

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise

Give thanks to Him and praise His name

The Lord is good, His steadfast love endures

It endures, and we stand secure

Verse:

Make a joyful noise

Gladly serve the Lord

Come into His presence

Sing unto the Lord

PreChorus:

We are His and

He is ours and 

As is His own

We lift our hearts

Chorus (2X):

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise

Give thanks to Him and praise His name

The Lord is good, His steadfast love endures

It endures, and we stand secure

Tag:

The Lord is good, His steadfast love endures

It endures, and we stand secure