Oversight of Souls

Anyone who has been reading this blog (both of you) over the last year or so will have noticed a focus on the role of the Psalms in worship, both corporate and private. This arose from developments in my own life which corresponded with and were enhanced by a project I led at Union University, funded by a Worship Renewal Grant from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship (here is a site devoted to that event). Coming out of that event Richard Wells and I began working on a collection of essays designed to teach about and encourage the use of the Psalms in worship. Some traditions use the Psalms quite a bit, but many- including most Baptists- do not. It is our hope that this book might encourage people to reconsider and even rediscover the use of the Psalms.

The book is now in production and is due out in October. It is already listed at Amazon for pre-order. I have pasted in below the table of contents so you can see the contributors and their essays (some titles may be adjusted slightly in the final version).

Introduction: Ray Van Neste

Section 1: Biblical and Historical Foundations

John Witvliet—“The Psalms: Gymnasium for the Soul”

Jack Collins—“Always Alleluia: Reclaiming the True Purpose of the Psalms”

Ray Van Neste—“Ancient Songs and Apostolic Preaching: How the New Testament Laid Claim to the Psalms”

Craig Blaising—“Prepared for Prayer: The Psalms in Early Christian Worship”

Douglas Bond—“Biblical Poetry in a Post-Biblical, Post-Poetry World”

Ray Ortlund, Jr.—“Delighting in Doctrine: Word and Worship in Psalm 1”

Section 2: Practice

James Grant—“How I Got My Church to Sing Psalms . . . Without Getting Fired!”

C. Richard Wells—“Reclaiming the Psalms in Pastoral Prayer: A True Story”

Leland Ryken—“Reclaiming the Psalms for Private Worship”

Calvin Seerveld—“Why We Need to Learn to Cry in Church: Reclaiming the Psalms of Lament”

Richard Joiner—“Performing the Psalms: Reclaiming the Psalms for Corporate Worship”

C. Richard Wells—“Search Me, O God: Reclaiming the Psalms for Pastoral Care”

C. Richard Wells—“The Psalm of the Cross as the Psalm of the Christ”

Conclusion: C. Richard Wells

“Ancient Words, Ever New”: An Interview with Marty Goetz

Songs to Be Sung: Examples of New Metered Psalms for Singing: Randall Bush, Chad Davis, Justin Wainscott

Resources for the Recovery of the Psalms in the Life of the Church: A Bibliographic Essay: J. Michael Garrett