Throughout the history of the church, key leaders have extolled the value of the Psalms, even its unique value within the canon, typically because it summarizes the whole of scripture and teaches us to worship. Here is Luther echoing this sentiment: “The Psalter ought to be a precious and beloved book, if for no other …
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One of the voices from the past which I have come to appreciate is Andrew Blackwood (1882-1966), pastor and professor for many years at Princeton. He wrote much on pastoral ministry which remains quite helpful today. Because he wrote in a different day some of his points are dated, but also he often exposes blind …
My copy of this book, The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary by Brucke Watlke and James Houston, just came today, and already I am hooked. This is a significant book in so many ways. In general Waltke provides exegesis of key psalms and Houston provides a history of reception and interpretation. Together they …
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“Nothing, in fact, nothing so uplifts the soul, gives it wings, liberates it from the earth, looses the shackles of the body, promotes its values and its scorn for everything in this world as harmonious music and a divine song rhythmically composed.” “From profane songs, you see, harm and damage and many dire consequences would …
Every Christian who would abound in prayer and piety ought, in all reason, to make the Psalter his manual; and, moreover, it were well if every Christian so used it and were so expert in it as to have it word for word by heart, and could have it even in his heart as often …
In describing the elements of public worship in the apostolic (1st century) church, Philip Schaaf lists “The SONG, a form of prayer, in the dress of festive poetry and the elevated language of inspiration.” This practice, he writes, “passed immediately, with the psalms of the Old Testament, those inexhaustible treasures of spiritual experience, edification and …
“Do you wish to be happy? Do you want to know how to spend the day truly blessed? I offer you a drink that is spiritual. This is not a drink for drunkenness that would cut off even meaningful speech. This does not cause us to babble. It does not disturb our vision. Here it …
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I have just received my copy of Prayers on the Psalms:From The Scottish Psalter of 1595 and am delighted with it! It will now be placed on my morning table alongside Reading the Psalms with Luther to aid me as I seek to pray the Psalms. After just seeing the book in a catalog I …
I recently came across the article by this title written by Clowney for Moody Monthly back in 1979. It is a wonderful, powerful piece (only 3 pages) on the importance of singing in the Christian life, the Psalms and Christ. It is primarily a meditation on the fact the New Testament shows us Jesus singing …
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Tom Fox preached a wonderful sermon on Psalm 31 yesterday. He made a number of good points, but one that particularly struck me had to do with praying Scripture. This topic has been on my mind and Psalm 31 is an interesting example of this as Tom pointed out. Not only do we have examples …