Rev. Jean's Bible Study

The Psalms were written in ancient Hebrew so we read then in translation.   They come from a specific time and place that was much different from ours. They make specific reference to the enemies that threatened the normal life of Israelites thousands of years ago.   Many of their enemies were neighbouring states.   Our current enemies are harder to define:    an unseen virus, a racist history, entrenched prejudice, systemic structures that perpetuate what they were intended to correct.   It is hard to rail against an enemy that you can’t quite define.   Yet rail we do for if we don’t the buried anger can eat away at us.   Photo by Leonardo Baldissara (unsplash) Psalm 6   1  O   Lord , do not rebuke me in your anger,      or discipline me in your wrath. 2  Be gracious to me, O   Lord , for I am languishing;      O   Lord , heal me, for my bones  are shaking with terror. ...

Walter Brueggemann in his book Praying the Psalms suggests that life is usually fairly routine, predictable and manageable.  Yet that ‘normal’ life can be disrupted by all kinds of small and not so small occurrences.  A common cold or a global pandemic, a disparaging word or a mass protest can throw us into turmoil and uncertainty, fear and resolution.  It is from and for these times of disruption that the Psalms were written. The Psalmist is brutally honest about his or her anger, frustration, and despair but rarely ends there.  After the rant has been spent, they always return to God and affirm their hope and trust.  What is your rant?  Can you move onto trust?  photo by Anh Nguyen (unsplash) Psalm 13 How long, O   Lord ? Will you forget me forever?      How long will you hide your face from me? 2  How long must I bear pain in my soul,      and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall...

Psalms for a Pandemic Summer 1  Psalm 22  The Psalms can be a source of healing and hope for us, as they have been for people down through the centuries.   The Psalms are brutally honest about our human condition and exuberantly hopeful about God’s ability to save us.   They give us permission and space to rail about our most heartfelt troubles and an assurance that God’s love and care will overcome all our earthly woes.    My first exposure to the Psalms came before I could read when each Sunday the worship service included a Responsive Psalm.   My mother would whisper in my ear the next response so I could say the phrase along with the rest of the congregation.   I didn’t pay too much attention to what I was saying.   When I began to choose Psalms for worship, I found them uncomfortable.   Some of the anger and vengeance they expressed didn’t seem to belong in worship.   It was tempting to skip those parts and stick to the Ps...