This page is provided so that you can hear the tunes of items which we use in church. Mostly they are written by the vicar. Please note that they are copyright - we are very happy to give permission to you to use them, but we would like to hear about it. Please include any use on your Christian Copyright Licence returns.
Down this page:
- the words,
- the story,
- the sheet music,
- media player.
The Mighty One speaks
The Mighty One speaks
The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth.
He comes and will not be silent:
in majesty he shines forth.
"Gather to me my people,
set apart by sacrifice.
I will judge my chosen ones:
their virtue and their vice."
O Israel, hear the LORD:
"I do not need your bulls:
All beasts are my own possession,
the cows on a thousand hills.
I have no need of slaughter:
keep your vows to God Most High!
Pray to me when trouble comes:
I answer those who cry."
O evil ones, hear the LORD:
"How can you speak my laws?
You hate my commands and statutes,
with robbers you join your cause.
Slander and lies come from you,
and you think I do not hear?
I am not like you," says God,
"and you deserve to fear."
"Consider this," says the LORD:
"mend your heart and your mind.
The evil I'll tear to pieces,
with no-one to heal and bind.
Those who will turn and thank me,
honour me and seek my face:
they will find their way prepared
and they will see my grace."
Words and tune copyright © John Hartley 2007.
Based on Psalm 50
Story behind the song
Psalm 50 divides very clearly into three sections: an opening declaration of God's majesty and summoning of the earth, a section addressed to those who keep a formality in their religion by offering sacrifice without drawing near to God in dependence on his answer to prayer, and a section addressed to the wicked who think that God will not judge them. Then at the end there's a shorter piece, perhaps a tack-on to the third section, or perhaps a summary of God's warning and invitation. Christians can interpret it as an invitation to faith, but perhaps it's more of an invitation to enter into a relationship of dependence and thanksgiving with God, who will save those who thus declare that they belong to him.
As a statement of God's character and hopes that we his people would draw close to him, I felt it was worth setting to music. So here's my effort.
Perhaps a remark on the fit of the words to the tune are in order. In line 2 of verses 2 and 3 the emphasis is on the little word: "I do not need your bulls" and "How can you keep my laws". In each case I feel that's the emphasis of the line of the psalm.
John Hartley.
Windows Media Player. When you click the left-hand "play" button your computer should have started to play the tune. If it didn't, you might be able to get the tune by clicking here, or by right-clicking the link, choosing "save target as", saving it onto your computer, and then opening it with a music-playing program.
Please remember that a midi file of a tune isn't supposed to be a state-of-the-art musical arrangement - it is only supposed to give a basic idea of how the tune goes. Any reasonable organist / keyboard player / music group could make it sound far better.