In times of pain, anger, confusion, joy or euphoria we can all be at a loss for words. That may be one reason the Psalms have maintained a central place in the wider church’s prayer and devotion. For in the Psalms God gives us words to use when we are at a loss. The Spirit breaths God’s life into these musical texts; they connect us back 2800 years and call us to a shared future with all ages.
These prayers coach us on how to pray: how to seek God’s presence, how to praise God for God’s own self, and how to cultivate gratitude in suffering. The Psalms teach us how to cultivate a collective identity with all of God’s people. Praying psalms together with others teaches us to own a redemptive history with others; the Psalter teaches us how to grieve together—how to express lament, and, yes, how to safely express even our rage to God.
In this class we will survey the theology and the over-all structure of the Psalter. We will learn how to read them in their original worship settings in the life of Israel, and then study how the early church appropriated them in light of God’s work in Jesus Christ. But most importantly we will pray for them together, seeking to hear the Spirit’s sustaining voice for our lives and vocations.