Scripture Sunday: Psalm 119:1

The first verse of psalm 119 reads "How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the LORD."

Back when I was a stalwart atheist, I sang these words (granted, in Latin), in my high school choir. And, to disillusion any Glee enthusiasts, when I say "high school choir," I mean the sixteen men and women from my high school who worked our butts off and sang at the White House and the Monaco Cathedral.

My absolute favorite of all the songs we sang (and there were many, all still memorized today, despite the fact that I could really use the brainspace they're occupying), was a motet entitled Beati Quorum Via by C.V. Stanford, a little known but very influential composer. The lyrics for the song are taken from Psalm 119:1, quoted above. I don't know anyone whose way is blameless, but this song makes me want to strive for blamelessness. And, as a soprano, it was an absolute delight to sing. Here is a performance of it that is good, though sung at a faster pace than ours was.

I don't have an American Idol voice. I have a high, pure, vibrato-free soprano that is, as I often joke, only good for hymns and lullabies. And while I often struggle to find my way through the alto-friendly praise and worship songs my church favors, I daily praise God for the ways He ministers to me through music.

In my current (and final!) seminary course, we are reading through the book of Psalms. And I can never separate those poems from the idea of music. They were songs, originally. We have lost the music, but they were written to be sung. And so, whenever I can find a bit of them woven into music, my heart bows down to the floor in praise and worship.

Someday, we will hear (and join with) the heavenly choirs. I am so excited for that moment! And hearing Beati makes me long for that moment. David, the author of most of the Psalms, was the man after God's own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14) Is it an accident that he was an accomplished musician? I don't think so. I think the music of heaven is going to absolutely blow our minds.

And I can't wait!