Woo-hooooo!!  It’s #SundaySong time again!  And I can’t even hold back my excitement on this leg of the journey, because today we’re going to reflect on one of my FAVORITE songs on Centered:  “Our Dwelling Place: Psalm 84.”

I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that it was written and arranged by my favorite man aside from Jesus–my dear, hard-working, fun-loving, joke-cracking, meat-and-potatoes-eating husband, Aaron D. Johnson. My Chocolate Prince Charming and my one and only true love.

(*insert butterflies here*)

(By the way, Doxa‘s debut album is now available via all digital outlets, including iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.)

Lyrics
Unlike the first two songs, this one doesn’t have a traditional English hymn structure or melody.  Still, its simple basic structure (verse, pre-chorus, chorus) is accessible for people who aren’t professional musicians.  The words are also helpful for Scripture memory, since the lyrics were extracted from the text of Psalm 84.  Understanding that the whole Bible speaks about Jesus (Luke 24:13-35) also helps us celebrate and enjoy Him as we sing the chorus’ pinnacle:  “Oh, how lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord! / Jesus is our Dwelling Place, O Lord!”

Music
“Our Dwelling Place” has a simple melody–great for memorization, like our other songs.  If you haven’t heard it yet, I don’t want to give away too much–especially since it’s my favorite song on the album (and not just because I married the songwriter).  It’s really a surprise hidden gem.

In our gatherings
We actually haven’t sung this in our corporate gatherings in a while, but we would typically end our opening set with a song like this…that placement gives us some freedom for responding to the Lord and staying in the flow of what God might do in culminating that phase of worship through song.

How it speaks to me
I love the journey that this song takes me on. It moves progressively from quiet anticipation to jubilant exaltation! I’m reminded of Psalm 90, where Moses writes that God has been “our dwelling place throughout all generations.” And I’m encouraged to find my rest, shelter, protection, refuge, etc., in the Lord.

How it can speak to you
Here are a few questions to reflect on as you listen to “Our Dwelling Place: Psalm 84” today:

1. What does your soul yearn for at the deepest level?
   
2. What is encumbering your press to spend time with the Lord? (Examples: busyness; don’t know how to get into the Word or have a devotional life with God; preoccupied with other less important things; imbalance between time with others & time with God, etc.)
3. I asked this in my last two #SundaySong posts:  Are you living each day with a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) in Jesus’ return?  If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, how does knowing that you’ll spend eternity with God frame how you cultivate your relationship with Him now?

By God’s grace, Centered was released on Friday 1/30/2015…and in a week’s time, debuted at #18 on Billboard’s gospel albums chart! Thanks so much to everyone who has already supported the project and spread the word to others!

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think about the album or about today’s #SundaySong, how God is using it in your life, etc.