Among all
the books of the Bible, I think that the Psalms are my favorite. Biblically, it’s
a bit of an odd book. Containing 150 psalms of differing lengths, this book is
awash in images and refrains, praises and lamentations, stories of the past and
hopes for the future. Discovering the depth of the psalms was a part of theme of
this year’s Synod Ministerium. Every September, pastors from across the synod
gather together. Fellowship, worship, workshops, and lectures are all part of
this three-day retreat. Gathering together is an important part of being
church, and especially in a synod as spread out as ours is, opportunities like Ministerium
are incredibly valuable.
How
flexible the psalms are! Individuals, groups, congregations, and, well, pretty
much any one can make use of them. Joy and sorrow, laughter and lament: there
is something for everyone in them.
Knowing that the psalms are there,
that they cover so many different topics, is such good news. Looking through
the psalms, even without a goal in mind, can be an incredible experience.
Martin Luther says that the psalms are “a ‘little Bible’ since it contains, set out in the briefest
and most beautiful form, all that’s to be found in the whole Bible, a book of
good examples from among the whole of Christendom and from among the saints, in
order that those who could not read the whole Bible through would have almost
the whole of it in summary form.” Now, we do
still need the rest of the Bible, but Luther has a point in the variety of
stories and emotions in the psalms.
Of
course, there are a lot of ways to read the psalms. Prayerful reading or singing
of the psalms is good. Quiet space can leave a lot of room for the Holy Spirit
to speak. Reflecting on a whole psalm, or just one or two verses, can be a
powerful way to start or end your day. See how the psalms might fit into your
life. There is a psalm for everything. Understanding isn’t important for
devotional reading. Very often we can be derailed by trying to know what
exactly the psalmist is “trying” to say. We don’t need that. Xeroxing the
psalmist’s emotions isn’t the point. Your faith, your story, your path, are
what matter to your experience of the psalms. Zig-zag all over the place with
them: it doesn’t matter.
This
week, we hear from Psalm 145. A psalm of praise, it is an acrostic, meaning
that in the original Hebrew, each verse started with the next letter in the
alphabet. Since the Hebrew alphabet only has 21 letters, the 21 verses of the psalm
spell out the alphabet, much like the first 26 sentences of this reflection go
through the English alphabet.
I
encourage you to try out the psalms this week. Look at Psalm 145, and how it
sings God’s praises and tells the story of God’s work in the world. Look at
other psalms, and look into your own life, and the psalms your heart is
singing.
“My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh
will bless his holy name forever and ever.”
Thanks be
to God.
Amen.
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