14. Now To God I Make My Vows

(Psalm 116)

Psalm 116 is a central text at Passover, remembering God’s faithfulness and giving thanks. For Christians, it is a vital connection between the Exodus story and the Eucharist.

This Psalm is more like two psalms. In fact, in the early Greek and Latin versions of the Bible, they were counted as two separate pieces: Verses 1-9 relate the dramatic stories of God’s deliverance, while 10-19 respond passionately with overflowing thanks to God.

Behind the Song: This song is different that any other in this “Sharing the Road” collection. Where most songs call for my own interpretation of the Psalm text, this one is close to being a verse-by-verse recitation of the Psalm, albeit my own paraphrase. I wanted us to hear the text plainly as the cantor sings the verses. The assembly responds together with the refrain, which is simple enough to learn and be sung in the dark as the light is low and the altar is stripped.

Refrain:
Now to God I make my vows
With all the people of God

Verse 1
I love God because God has heard my voice, heard my cry
I love God; I will cry on your name for all my life

Verse 2
What shall I offer back to God for all his lavish gifts,
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call God’s name

Verse 3
Precious is the death of faithful ones in God’s eyes,
Holy One, you have freed us and broken the snares of death.

Verse 4
I will bring God a sacrifice of thanks, Jerusalem.
I will bring thanksgiving from my heart, Jerusalem.