Throughout history, people have turned to the Psalms for wisdom, insight, comfort, and healing. The church has used them in liturgy, hymnody, preaching, and prayer.
The Psalms give us some of the keenest insight into the human condition. Their topics and content range from celebration to lament, from gratitude to raw anger. Some of David’s Psalms, for instance, walk us through nearly the entire range of human emotion from rage to repentance.
What is it about the Psalms that make them so universal to our spiritual experience? Why were they so important to the early Jews and the first Christians? And what do they still have to say to us–and for us–today?
Join us this Sunday, Jan. 29, as we explore some of our favorite Psalms, look for revelation from them, and see what God may still be saying to us through these ancient texts.
As always, we’ll gather in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company. Bring your favorite Psalm(s) and be part of the conversation!
Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm
Conversation Begins: 7:00pm
For a long time, I’ve been preoccupied with the notion that Psalms is more on the periphery in church and in our lives. People seem to perceive it as inspiring / profound / solemn “filler” for lack of a better term. Yes, we all have our favorite Psalms and psalm verses, but have we really thought about putting them more in the center of our lives? We focus some much on putting the Gospel in the center of our lives (as we should), but what if we Psalms more seriously? How would that change our mindset in a egocentric, media circus, short-term thinking society such as ours?
Our society lacks a sense of solemnity. It seems that everything has to be a spectacular with ongoing chatter and activity. I think one thing about Psalms is that reminds us that solemnity must have a place in our lives.
My final point is that we should not only read the Psalms aloud as a community, we should put more thought into meditating upon them.
Joe — if I stole any of your thunder, I sincerely apologize. I guess I’m more comfortable getting my thoughts across in writing than by doing it sitting with a microphone and sipping a beer.
Peace to you all and see you this Sunday!
Really, really interesting insight Peter. Can’t wait to bring these thoughts into the discussion on Sunday! –JW