Dwelling in the Psalms is the theme for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), marking Calvin University’s 150th anniversary with 150 psalms, for 150 years. Aiming to connect Calvin’s Reformed heritage with the global and ecumenical practice of psalm singing, the CICW is bringing together students, faculty, churches and artists to explore how the psalms form worship, faith and community. 

Oct. 28 marked the beginning of the yearlong festival, with “Psalm Singing and the Genevan Psalter.” Speaking on the subject was Dr. Karin Maag, director of H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies, who focused on the origins and impact of psalm singing in the Reformed tradition. 

Maag explored how John Calvin, with poets Clément Marot and Théodore Beza, developed the Genevan Psalter. John Calvin’s musical philosophy emphasized being understandable to the newly protestant masses, banning singing in parts and instruments in Sunday worship, both of which would distract from the words of scripture. Over time, the psalter became a staple for congregational singing.

This rhythm of singing the psalms in worship expanded beyond Geneva. According to Maag, Dutch reformers like Peter Datheen and Philip Marnix carried Genevan psalmody abroad, to the Americas and the rest of the world. These Genevan tunes unified Reformed worshipers across languages and nations. 

This tradition sets a historical foundation for the CICW’s current emphasis on the psalms as a tool for faith formation and a shared language of worship. In the same way, with 150 psalms for Calvin’s 150th anniversary, the CICW hopes to encourage both academic and worshipful engagement with the psalms by connecting with Calvin students and the broader Christian community. 

Alexis VanZalen, a program manager at the CICW, explained that having a singular theme across the entire academic year is something new for the institute. VanZalen explained how the series “connects our Reformed roots with our ecumenical reach.” Through hymn festivals, chapels and conferences, the CICW aims to give opportunities to small churches and communities across the United States and Canada. 

Early opportunities for students to engage with this year of psalm-centered worship includes chapel services on Nov. 10 and Nov. 17, the former led by the Calvin University Campus Choir with the Woodlawn Choir, and the latter by singer-songwriter Wendell Kimbrough. 

This year’s Lessons and Carols service, a longstanding Calvin tradition, draws on a refrain from the psalms, “From Generation to Generation.” It will feature many of Calvin’s choirs, including Capella, Women’s Chorale and Campus Choir. 

VanZalen commented that this is an event she looks forward to every year, describing the experience of being surrounded by hundreds of voices in song as “not something you get to experience every day.”

This season of dwelling on the psalms will culminate in a conference this February, free for all Calvin University and Calvin Seminary students. Rebecca Snippe is a program manager for the CICW and reflected on how the conference will explore the way the psalms shape confession, praise and reconciliation. “We’ll explore what the psalms teach us in diverse ways and learn from different communities around the world,” said Snippe.

Snippe drew attention to the creative elements of the conference, including multiple Calvin ensembles, live painter Joel Schoon-Tanis, and visual artist Dee Jenkins, leading a kinesthetic worship response. 

For Snippe, these events highlight an important broader theme about the importance of the psalms in our lives. She explained how the psalms give language for every human emotion: joy, lament, praise and confession. “Many of us carry refrains from the psalms deep within us…The Lord is My Shepherd from Psalm 23, and Be Still and Know That I Am God from Psalm 46.” Snipe continued, “These words stick with us and give us language to speak and listen to God.” 

Dwelling in the Psalms reminds Calvin’s community that worship isn’t confined to chapel — it shapes the whole Christian life. From 16th-century Geneva to modern Grand Rapids, psalm singing continues to renew hearts, churches and institutions. “Our goal,” Snippe summarized, “is to put the words of the psalms in people’s hearts and minds across the United States and Canada.”