Blog, Can We Talk? Rant. Rejoice. Reimagine. The Psalms, Part 7: Psalm 27
I spent Thursday evening through Saturday afternoon of last week at a Lutheran monastery in Oxford, Michigan. I’ll bet you didn’t know there was such a thing as a Lutheran monastery. It’s the only one in the United States that I know of. There are...
Blog, Can We Talk? Rant. Rejoice. Reimagine. The Psalms, Part 6: Psalm 66
Even less time this week than last, so I’ll just give a few quick observations and impressions related to Psalm 104. 1. This psalm is used to begin the Vespers (Evening Prayer) service in the Eastern Orthodox churches. It is known in Orthodox tradition as the...
Blog, Can We Talk? Rant. Rejoice. Reimagine. The Psalms, Part 5: Psalm 77
I’m going to go off on a tangent this week, because I’m attending my denomination’s national assembly and have NO TIME. Because I am in Orlando, Florida this week and my wife, Helen, is back in Southern Illinois, we will not be together for...
Blog, Can We Talk? Rant. Rejoice. Reimagine. The Psalms, Part 4: Psalm 137
“O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us! Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!” (Psalm 137:8-9, NRSV) For me, the end of Psalm 137 has long been one of the...
Blog, Can We Talk? Rant. Rejoice. Reimagine. The Psalms, Part 3: Psalm 112
My children keep me in touch with what’s new in cyber culture, at least that corner of it that they take an interest in. Recently my eldest, who is getting ready to head of to Azerbaijan for 27 month’s of Peace Corps service, made me aware of “First...
Blog, Can We Talk? Rant. Rejoice. Reimagine. The Psalms, Part 2: Psalm 119
Each year as Lent approaches I encourage my congregations to undertake a Lenten discipline as a way of becoming invested in the drama of this season that leads us to commemorating the central event of the Christian faith: the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus....
Blog, Can We Talk? Rant. Rejoice. Reimagine. The Psalms, Part 1: Psalm 8
The Book of Psalms has historically been the single most important book of the Old Testament for Christians. In the gospels, Jesus cites the Psalms more than any other book of scripture. Paul quotes them extensively, especially in the Book of Romans. Medieval monks...
