From Psalms to Praise: Why We Still Need Singable Theology
Exploring the Tradition of Psalms, Hymns, and the Heart Behind "The Jacked Up Life Hymnbook"
For centuries, God’s people have sung their faith. From the temple courts of ancient Israel to the cathedrals of Europe to modern worship spaces around the globe, the connection between faith and song is as essential as breath and prayer. But not all worship music serves the same purpose. Some songs tell a testimony. Others declare doctrine. Some offer collective praise, while others cry out in deeply personal lament.
At the heart of this spectrum lies a tradition often forgotten in the age of projection screens and playlists: the singable Psalm. These were not written for popularity, but for spiritual formation.
Let’s explore this legacy—and how The Jacked Up Life Hymnbook fits into it.
A Brief History of Singable Psalms
Long before Isaac Watts or Fanny Crosby penned hymns, there were the Psalms. The Book of Psalms is often referred to as the hymnbook of ancient Israel. With 150 entries, it captures the full range of human experience in conversation with God: joy and sorrow, faith and doubt, justice and mercy, praise and repentance. These were written as lyrics. Many were sung aloud by individuals or entire congregations, often accompanied by instruments.
When the early Church emerged, believers continued singing the Psalms—many even memorizing all 150 to be recited at different hours of the day. During the Reformation, movements like the Calvinists emphasized Psalm singing over composed hymns to ensure congregational music was strictly Scripture.
Yet, as Christian theology and literacy spread, so did the appetite for hymns—songs that taught theology, told stories, and expressed lived faith in poetic form.
Hymns vs. Psalms vs. Praise Songs
Here’s a simplified breakdown:
In many churches today, modern worship leans heavily on the last row—songs that are emotive, experiential, and chorus-driven. These are powerful tools of devotion, but sometimes, they can leave little room for songs that hold tension, tell stories, or walk with people through messy spiritual realities.
That’s where hymnody—and particularly the genre of “personal psalmody”—still plays a vital role.
The Jacked Up Life Hymnbook: A New Old Kind of Worship
While The Jacked Up Life Soundtrack (released last month) was crafted with broader ears in mind—radio-ready in tone and production, leaning into pop and country with lyrics that dip their toes into themes of faith and struggle—The Jacked Up Life Hymnbook takes a more intentional turn toward devotion. These hymns are constructed not just for listening, but for singing. Whether in personal quiet times, small groups, or even congregational settings, their structure and lyrical theology echo a long-standing tradition of singable truth. Where the Soundtrack gives voice to spiritual wrestling through the lens of story and emotion, the Hymnbook gives shape to worshipful response, drawing straight lines between brokenness and redemption, confession and praise.
Both the Soundtrack and the Hymnbook are rooted in the themes of my book, The Jacked Up Life. Each chapter of that book exposes a reality we often hide behind Sunday smiles: broken foundations, spiritual pride, shame spirals, fractured families, disillusionment with church, and more.
But here’s the thing: Scripture is full of people singing from the wreckage. David didn’t wait to be fixed before he sang. Neither should we.
These hymns don’t pretend we have it all together. But they also don’t wallow in despair. Like the Psalms, they move from honesty to hope. From rawness to restoration. From cracks to rebuilding.
A Few Highlights:
“From Cracks You Build” (Chapter 1) echoes the psalmist’s confession in Psalm 51, laying bare a heart that’s finally done pretending, and ready for true restoration. Musically, it’s probably the least “hymn-y” song on the album.
“When I Descend in Shame” (Chapter 2) is a modern psalm of lament and redemption, acknowledging sin while lifting eyes to the Cross.
“Bless the Mess That Mercy Mends” (Chapter 9) echoes the realism of Psalm 40, where God pulls us from the pit but doesn’t expect polish first.
“Make This Church Your Home” (Chapter 6) speaks as both a prayer for reform and a confession of failure—very much in the tradition of community psalms of repentance like Psalm 85.
“You Lift the Lowly” (Chapter 10) captures the upward arc of the gospel; the kind Mary sang in her Magnificat.
“One Jacked Up Christmas” (Bonus track) is another slight departure from a typical hymn to aim at the bullseye of a gospel-centric Christmas carol.
These are personal hymns, but they are also meant to be shared—just as David’s deeply individual psalms became the songbook of a nation.
Why This Matters
In a time when many Christians are longing for depth in worship (depth of theology, of honesty, of spiritual encounter) there’s a place for modern hymnody that blends:
the confessional heart of the Psalms
the rich doctrine of historic hymns
the emotional connection of modern worship
That’s what this hymnbook aims to offer.
That’s also why I taught myself how to write hymns that lean into the tradition of combining doctrine and devotion with melodic accessibility. By using diatonic I–IV–V–vi harmony progressions in most all of the songs, I tried to create a foundation of harmony that supports both personal meditation and group singing. It’s also why many of my melodies will feel familiar even when the lyrics are deeply original, because the structure gives them theological and musical grounding.
Sing, Read, or Reflect
Whether you’re a worship leader looking for fresh material, a songwriter exploring new forms, or a believer just wanting music that meets you where you are—The Jacked Up Life Hymnbook is for you.
You don’t have to have perfect pitch. You don’t even have to sing aloud.
But if your soul has ever said, “God, I’m a mess. But I believe You can work with this,” then I hope these songs find a home in your heart.
Listen and explore the hymns here → The Jacked Up Life Hymnbook
Buy the book that inspired the songs → Amazon
Let’s recover the power of singing theology; honest, hopeful, beautifully broken theology.
Let’s raise our voices not from places of arrival, but because He came down.
Let’s write (and sing!) new personal psalms for a jacked up world.
I would love to know which of the eleven tracks is your first favorite (because our album favorites change as we listen more and more.) Leave a comment to let me know and share these songs with your favorite worship leader!