Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast
Reverend Ben Coopers podcast, offers an inviting space for listeners to explore Christianity and spiritual growth with wisdom, humor, and a deep commitment to biblical truth. Through Rev. Ben's engaging conversations with guests, the podcast not only explores the timeless wisdom of the Bible but also tackles the pressing issues of life, faith, and hope in a way that is accessible, thought-provoking, and enriching. Whether you’re seeking spiritual nourishment, answers to life’s big questions, or simply a place to reflect on your faith, the Rev Ben podcast is a valuable resource on your journey.
In each episode, Rev. Ben guides listeners through profound theological reflections, personal stories, and practical insights drawn from the Bible and the broader Christian tradition.
Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast
C6 - Devoted Life: Psalm 23: (PBC@017)
Title: Singing the Psalms – Rediscovering Worship Through Psalm 23
The ancient poetry of Psalm 23 has comforted hearts for generations, offering assurance, peace, and powerful reminders of God’s shepherding presence. In this episode, we take a deep and reflective look at this timeless Psalm—through translations both old and new—and uncover how its words still meet us in the most personal ways.
Alongside Mark, we compare versions from the historic Coverdale translation to the more modern NIV, and even explore how these different renderings all echo the same eternal truth: “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” These aren't just poetic lines—they’re powerful declarations of divine provision and presence.
But this episode is about more than translation—it’s about transformation. We dive into the story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16, imprisoned yet singing hymns and psalms as chains clung to their ankles. Their choice to worship in the darkest moment brought about a literal earthquake of freedom. Why? Because Scripture-based worship has power. It speaks God's truth back to Him, reshaping the atmosphere and reminding our souls of who He is.
We contrast this with some trends in modern worship that tend to focus more on human emotion than on God’s glory. While heartfelt expression is important, there is something uniquely potent about worship rooted in God’s own Word. It realigns our perspective, shifting the focus from our feelings to His faithfulness.
Our discussion includes a fascinating look at churches that still sing Psalms metrically as their core expression of praise. This ancient yet enduring practice offers not only theological depth but a sacred intimacy—singing Scripture as it was originally intended. For anyone longing for spiritual renewal or craving more from their worship, this episode opens the door to something rich, reverent, and deeply rooted in biblical tradition.
Whether you’re familiar with Psalm 23 or hearing it anew, this conversation will rekindle your love for God’s Word and offer practical insight into how the Psalms can reshape your prayer and worship life today.
Let the shepherd of Psalm 23 lead you into deeper peace, purpose, and praise—one inspired verse at a time.
Psalm 23 devotional podcast, power of singing Psalms, worship through Scripture, Acts 16 Paul and Silas worship, metrical Psalms in church, historical Bible translations, Coverdale vs NIV Psalms, God-centered worship practices, biblical songs in worship, how Psalms shape faith, praying through Psalm 23, spiritual strength through worship
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/
https://www.rbchristianradio.net/
Good afternoon and welcome. Thank you for joining us. Wherever you are across the world at this moment in time. We thank God for your life. You're joining Mark and myself as we just explore Psalm 23. Mark has got a very interesting version and it's called coverdow. He's going to read from that. I'm going to just look in the general niv. We're going to have a few moments chat. But wherever you are across the world, we thank god for your life. Thank god for those that are downloading all these, uh, these podcasts. Wherever you are across the world, may god bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Mark, good afternoon, good afternoon, ben. It's so good to have you with us. My friend, we haven't had a chance to have a bit of a recording, have we? And we're just going to have a look, see what's going on with the scriptures. So, mark, let's have a listen. What have you got? Psalm 23.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've got the Psalm 23 in Coverdale, ben, and I think it's just lovely. I read the Psalms in Coverdale from time to time. So Psalm 23 says the Lord is my shepherd. I can want nothing. He feedeth me in a green pasture and leadeth me to fresh water. He quickeneth my soul and bringeth me forth in the way of righteousness. For his name's sake, though I should walk now in the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy staff and thy. Sorry, I've got a bad version actually.
Speaker 1:That's all right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a really old version.
Speaker 1:Ben, I know this. So I have the NIV and it reads like this the Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. Even though I walk through the valley of the? Uh the darkest, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff. They comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the lord me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever.
Speaker 2:That is the, the niv version. Have you got that there, mark?
Speaker 1:I haven't got it here, ben no, um, that's okay, but it's quite similar to the niv anyway. So what got you into the?
Speaker 2:the cover dial anyway it's just written in much more uh, colloquial language.
Speaker 1:Oh is it? Is it really?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know it was quite old-fashioned sounding the one I read there.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:But yeah, they still sing it in the Book of Common Prayer.
Speaker 1:Oh, really, yeah, I think the Book of Common Prayer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a really old version, I think before even Geneva, the Geneva Bibles, I think.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, so it's got some serious history behind it. It's a few hundred years old, yes. So yeah, what you've got there is that Book of Common Worship, common Prayer. I got that from a friend of mine and I love the way they've got that ribbon in the top. Have you seen that ribbon?
Speaker 2:at the top of it.
Speaker 1:Them markers you know I could do with quite a few of them in my Bible because the Bible I've got I just read from the NIV and, as I said earlier, you know, the reason I started with the NIV is because I thought that I had a bit of a learning or reading disposition. But actually, as me and Mark have been speaking, the more reading I'm doing, with the funerals that I'm doing and pressed into the area doing eulogies, I'm noticing my readings getting a lot clearer. So that's really interesting. But I could do with them markers that you've got in the top of that. I think they're great them colored ribbons that you can just pull out and put them in the pages that you use. They're really good, aren't they?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think you've got about six or seven, just in the binding of it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So, mark, what have you got there?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So from this book that you've got here of Common Prayer, it says the Lord is my shepherd. Therefore, can I lack nothing? He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. He shall refresh my soul and guide me in the paths of righteousness. For his name's sake, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, For you are with me, your rod and your staff. They comfort me. You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me. You have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full. Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever so it's um.
Speaker 1:That's beautiful, that's really it is.
Speaker 2:It is actually quite similar. I think this might even be the niv or let's have a look.
Speaker 1:What is it?
Speaker 2:I don't know it seems very similar to um.
Speaker 1:Yes, to the one you read it's probably an up-to-date um common prayer. You know, is it the common prayer or is it common worship? What is it actually titled as?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's titled as daily prayer, common worship, so it might be an updated version.
Speaker 1:So obviously that's oh, it's got the Lord's Prayer in the back of it.
Speaker 2:It's got the Lord's Prayer the Apostles' Creed.
Speaker 1:It's got a lot of information in it. Yeah, maybe I should keep that off the shelf and have a little bit more of a read when I'm doing a few funerals. It's probably got quite a few good leads in it. It's got daily prayers. It's interesting, isn't it? But I love the ribbons in the top. But Psalm 23, you know that Psalm. If you're out there and you're struggling with anything in your life and you're worried about anything, you know psalm 23 is a beautiful psalm that you can just lean into and just trust god for. And even psalm 91. You know we don't have time to flick to psalm 91, but psalm 91 is a beautiful psalm as well.
Speaker 1:And the interesting thing as well mark, before we had modern worship and the worship that we have today. When you think Paul and Silas, they was in the stocks, wasn't they? And it says that they sang hymns and they prayed. So all they had. What they must have been singing was what David gave them through Psalms, mustn't it? It says they were singing. What's the correct word? Is it in the book of Acts, paul and Silas were in the stocks and uh, as they started to worship through uh hymns and uh psalms, their, their, was it? Their shackles came off. I can't remember the actual biblical reference. It is, but it says that they were singing psalms.
Speaker 1:So there is power in psalms, obviously, because it's the word of god. But if you find that you're in trouble and people go to the latest whatever's out there in in the world of worship and we understand contemporary worship there's a few issues with that. That's going on. But when you, when you look at the psalmist, and if you, if you are in need of help, or we would recommend you, went to psalm 23 and you can put that to a rhythm of music, can't you mark? You know psalm 23, you can put that to the rhythm. So paul and silas were in stocks, locked down. There was a completely locked down and as they started to praise and as they started to worship, there was a change in their circumstances as they lifted up the lord, the god of israel, through the Psalms that David gave. So Psalms is worship, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, the Psalms. The Psalms is the word of God. Yeah, it is a form of worship and, yeah, you can sing praise to God through the Psalms. Yeah, and some churches still do that singing the Psalms in meter.
Speaker 1:Because we had that conversation, didn't we not long ago, that we were talking about that and you were saying you were going to do that and you were going to bring some of that here, wasn't you, which was really interesting. You've been to some churches, have you, where they do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, some churches only sing the Psalms.
Speaker 1:And what does it feel like? What does it sound like? I don't like to use the word atmosphere what does it feel like in the church or the place of worship? Do you really get a sense that you are really close with God as you're singing the Psalms?
Speaker 2:I think so. Yeah, there's just a real reverency for the word of God, and I think to sing the words of God, rather than any words, any artistry of man, is just yeah, there's something about it that blesses the soul, and I'm not against singing hymns or singing things, but I think there's a real place for singing psalms, yeah, and trying to keep close and faithful to the Psalms as well, rather than kind of rewriting them too much.
Speaker 1:Is there any particular Psalms that you're aware of that you've heard? So, rather than having contemporary worship, they're literally having three or four, five, six from Psalms itself having a three or four, five, six, from from psalms itself.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, normally in a church service we will only sing four um four psalms. There's one that I I know of where they they'll sing four psalms, but there's another one that we'll sing one, one psalm to begin with and then three hymns, uh, between scripture readings and wow yeah, that's very, very biblical.
Speaker 1:I know that we we all try and go that biblical route, but worship is a is a very sticky conversation, isn't it? Because there's so much out there and the latest secular Christian. However, you've got to be so careful that you don't get absorbed in this secular week. We label it as worship, but actually, is it truly worship? If it is worship, you will really know that, and I also believe, as we understand, lucifer was the chief worshipper and he wanted to be worshipped. So you've got to be very careful, haven't you? Who you lift up as you sing. So it's a very, very, not awkward subject, but it's a subject that needs to be spoken about and looked at. So I'm going to investigate that a little bit more, because this is the second time that we've had a bit of a conversation on that. But you've got the Book of Acts open up there, mark.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've got Acts 16. And what you were referring to? The crowd that joined Silas attacked against. They joined an attack against Paul and Silas and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. They were severely flogged and thrown into jail. The jailer commanded the guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Speaker 2:About midnight, paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken At once. All the prison doors flew open and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted don't harm yourself, we are all here. The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked sirs, what must I do to be saved? He then brought them out and asked Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. So, yeah, that's an amazing verse that came to your mind there, adia.
Speaker 1:It's so powerful, isn't it, mark, to think that singing psalms and hymns your shackles will?
Speaker 2:go. Well, there was an earthquake and something big happened. And the jailer? His response was what must I do to be saved? So, paul and Silas, you know, if I try and compare it to modern worship, they weren't singing in like the modern worship, they weren't making such a loud, uh noise, a thunderous noise it was. They were singing hymns to God.
Speaker 1:It was to God.
Speaker 2:Yes, and a lot of modern worship. Um seems to be a lot of exalting of yourself I will ascend to. I will ascend in some way and it can please self-propelled propelled sorry yeah, and, as you rightly said, uh, lucifer, he, he presents himself as an angel of light, that's correct, he led. He led the heaven, the uh, the uh, the angels in worship, and there can be a sense that worship is. You know, somehow I will lift myself and be lifted Self-focused, but actually it was God that sent the earthquake and shook the prisons.
Speaker 1:Very true.
Speaker 2:The very foundations. And that response, the jailer asking what must I do to be saved? That's the question that needs to be asked. Uh, to receive the gospel? Um, we, we can't be saved just by going to church and just by exalting ourselves in worship. Perfect mark.
Speaker 1:So so true, isn't it? You know so. Wherever you are across this world, you know if you are in trouble, if you are completely tired and weary, it's not so much just bringing up the latest secular worship that's across the world, but it's actually getting in the word of God. So, wherever you are, we thank God for Mark and his life and what Mark does in the house of the Lord through the prayer ministry. Here and wherever you are today, we just want to say thank you so much. May God bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. We are so blessed. Thank you for the downloads. Wherever you are situated across the world, may the hand of God be over you in Jesus' precious name, amen.
