Eugene Peterson wrote, “Most Christians for most of the Christian centuries have learned to pray by praying the Psalms. The Hebrews, with several centuries of a head start on us in matters of prayer and worship, provided us with this prayer book that gives us a language adequate for responding to the God who speaks to us.”
In this series, we will consider how the Psalms teach us to worship and pray. The Psalms are a rich array of reflections on God’s character, power, love, and activity in the world. They are also reflections of what it means for us to know, trust, and follow God. Written within the collection of Psalms, are words of praise, cries of help, expressions of anguish and of joy. How do we see our lives reflected in the words of the Psalms? How do the Psalms lead us to a deeper understanding of God enriching our worship of Him? How do the Psalms inform and guide us as we pray?
Week 1: Psalm 34
July 5th with Erin Lonard
Erin Lonard began our reflection on the Psalms by inviting us to consider what it means to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” As we explored Psalm 34, Erin guided us through a meditation on how the psalm gives us a small glimpse of the bigger story that points to God, to who he is, and how he satisfies us. Through the imagery of hunger, Erin identified three types of spiritual hunger: seeking, starving, and satisfied. As you read and reflect on Psalm 34 this week, consider what season you are in right now? Are you:
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- Seeking – asking the question, is there more, or are you simply crying out to God? Psalm 34:17 holds a promise that for those crying out the Lord hears them.
- Starving – are you in a season where you feel desperate- for hope, comfort, strength? Verse 18 promises that God is near to the brokenhearted and those crushed in spirit.
- Satisfied – do you find yourself in a season where you feel filled, satisfied? You have experienced God in a way that creates a desire for you to return to him again and again. Psalm 34:9 reminds us that when we revere and stand in awe of the Lord we will lack nothing.
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Week 2: Psalm 23
July 12 with Chris Griffith
Week 3: Psalm 88
July 19th with Christy Davis
Week 4: Psalms 33, 40, 96, 98, 144, and 149
August 2nd with Warren Anderson
Week 5: Psalm 103
August 9th with Cheryl You
Week 6: Psalm 113
August 16th with James Earley
Week 7: Psalm 74
August 23th with Julian Davis Reid
Books and Articles
The Message of the Psalms by Walter Brueggemann
Praying the Psalms by Walter Brueggemann
Psalms by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley
Open and Unafraid by W. David O. Taylor
Praying with the Psalms by Eugene H. Peterson
Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis
David’s Crown: Sounding the Psalms by Malcolm Guite
Podcasts & Videos
Psalms a Bible Project video
Psalms Study a podcast series by the Bible Project
Music
The EveryPsalm Project by Poor Bishop Hooper
The Psalms Project
Prayer Cards
Psalms Prayer Cards (Kids & Students)
If you have a story to share about how you have been encountering God in this season, we would love to hear it!
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