Prepared for Psalms Group, November 15, 2020
Psalm 34 is an individual song of thanksgiving written as an imperfect alphabetic acrostic (easier to memorize and learn) to encourage and teach wise living. The New Bible Commentary entitles Psalm 34, “An ABC for a Crisis.” The psalmist uses his personal experience of God’s rescue as an opportunity not only to give thanks (todah=a thank offering) to God, but also to offer wisdom for living to his hearers.
Email preparing for Psalms Group on November 15, 2020
Dear Psalms friends,
Both the Old and New Testaments call on people living by faith in God to make “sacrifices of praise” to him. Individual songs of thanksgiving in the Psalms provide us a template for how to do this. In our recent lectionary readings,, Psalms 18 and 21 are royal thanksgiving (given by or for the king), and Psalms 30, 32, 34 and 40:1-10 are individual songs of thanksgiving. Some theologians call these songs of thanksgiving “songs of declarative praise.” In our Psalm group, we have reflected recently in lessons on Psalm 30 (7-12-20) and Psalm 40 (9-20-20) on this temple practice of giving public thanks and the deep commitment it requires and evokes. Doug’s hard work makes it possible for you to access those previous lessons on our website!
Psalms Group, November 8, 2020
In his short chapter, “The End,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer observes that our hope as Christians is directed to Jesus’ return and the resurrection of the dead. Bonhoeffer also observes that “life in fellowship with the God of revelation, the final victory of God in the world, and the setting up of the messianic kingdom are objects of prayer in the psalms.” The Psalter reminds us to pray for, find comfort in, and praise God for his rescue plan for all his creation and our part in it. Here’s how Bonhoeffer describes psalms like Psalms 2 and 149 in “The End”:
Dear Psalms friends,
Following the Daily Office Lectionary, we are once again finishing up with Psalms 149 and 150 and starting over with Psalms 1 and 2 in our commitment to daily reading and praying the Psalms.
Also, we are doing this as we enter the western Christian season of Allhallowtide—the triduum of All Saints’ Eve (Halloween), All Saints’ Day (11/1), and All Souls’ Day (11/2), as well as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (the first Sunday in November). Allhallowtide is a time to remember the dead, including martyrs and saints. All Saints and All Souls are combined in Anglicanism and Protestant churches and offer a special time of remembrance for all faithful departed Christians, as the church sings “For All the Saints.”
If Psalm 108 is “a recipe for an hour of need,” what are its ingredients?
Dear Psalms friends,
We have skipped right past Psalm 108 each time we have read and prayed our way through Book 5, the concluding book of Psalms. Its superscription states that it is “of David,” and it appears that David composed this community lament using material from two previous psalms: Psalm 57:7-11 (an individual lament) and Psalm 60:5-12 (a community lament).
So what is the flow of thought in this new arrangement? What seems to be going on? What groups of people are involved? What is God’s place in this psalm?
Dear Psalms Friends,
I’m looking forward to being with each of you this Sunday morning at 9 am. Our lectionary psalms this week have taken us out of Book 1 and into Book 2, Psalms 36-55. Tim and Kathy Keller explore these psalms on pp. 70-118 in The Songs of Jesus. Please be ready to share about specific reflections or prayers from the Kellers’ book that are currently impacting you.
Psalm 136 and The Songs of Jesus, pp. 344-346
Dear Psalms friends,
This Sunday’s focus psalm is Psalm 136, the last of the Psalter’s storytelling/narrative psalms. The faithful people in Israel kept retelling the unfolding drama of YHWH’s dealings with Israel. Here’s a helpful outline for reading these storytelling psalms:
Psalms Group, Sunday August 9, 2020, 9 AM
Dear Psalm friends,
We will be focusing on chapter 14, “Creation,” in Open and Unafraid tomorrow at 9 am. We will use Psalm 95:1-7 as our invitatory psalm (invitation to worship) and also read Psalm 8. Both of these psalms are Hebrew hymns of praise, declaring praise for God’s infinite creative power and unique attention to humans made in his own image. Your lesson sheet is attached and will guide us in taking a deeper look at our Creator and his creation, especially ourselves and other humans.