The Lord is King ~ SATB choir and organ
The celebratory nature of Psalm 93 cannot fail to lift up our faith and love for the Lord. The words reassure us that no matter what troubles life throws at us, the Lord is stable and sure and everlasting. When, in times of distress, our faith is shaken, we need only to remember the immeasurable strength of God’s love for each of us. As the choir sings “The floods have lifted up their voice,” we are reminded that God’s love billows up around us like a wave. The words of King David remind us that the law of the Lord is greater than any human law. The prejudice of man cannot overwhelm the love of God. If we welcome the Lord into our hearts, His love will swell and drown out the flames of injustice and intolerance.
In this musical setting, the majestic tones of the organ rise and swell like the sea. The long tones are like the enduring foundation of God’s covenant with us, eternal and unfailing. The choral lines switch between a declamatory and lyrical style, acknowledging the duality of a Lord who is majestic and strong, yet loving and forgiving. The long melodic lines of the organ overlap and intermingle with the choir part, building by gradual crescendo to a climax in the final measures. The psalm text urges us to follow the Lord’s decrees: to love the Lord, to love and respect our neighbors, to live in humbleness and kindness, to help those in need and bring justice to those who wish evil. These are the means of ensuring that His love will reign forevermore.
"The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord! Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. Amen."
~Psalm 93, NRSV
Copyright 2012 Christina Whitten Thomas ~ composer. All rights reserved.