Deus Misereatur

  I’m a Presbyterian minister, which means I get to quote John Calvin with impunity. Therefore, I appreciate Calvin’s words in his introduction to the Psalms when he wrote: “this book [the Psalms] makes known to us this privilege, which is desirable above all others – that not only is there opened up to us familiar access to God, but also that we have permission and freedom granted us to lay open before him our infirmities, which we would be ashamed to confess before men” (p. xxxviii). That sentiment comes forth in a new, little 90-page softback “Psalms that Curse: A Brief Primer” penned by Sean McGowan, Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Tallahassee, Florida. It’s an easy-to-read manual, straightforward, devotional, and practical.   “Psalms that Curse” comes in fast, focused, and fastidious as it addresses several significant questions. It answers the question if the psalms that present “harsh language” and make us uncomfortable at times still have any rel...

What do you give someone to help them through seasons when they are smeared and railed against? Where do you point those who are fretting over the suffocating rise of evildoers in their life? The book of Psalms is a good start! And Dale Ralph Davis, one-time Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi, and pastor of several Presbyterian congregations throughout the years, has added another installment to his series on the biblical Psalter. In this newly published 224-page paperback “In the Presence of My Enemies: Psalm 25-37” Davis has amassed a short, scholarly, insightful and engrossing volume that aids readers to interact with these Psalms. The author joins hands with the sacred songwriter in beckoning us to employ our grittiest grief, formidable fears, principle praises and staunchest certainties as we pour out our hearts into the bosom of God. Older teens, twenty-somethings, tricenarians and beyond will find this a very approachable volum...

At three set points of the first half of the day, from 5.15 AM until about 1 PM, I have three devotional/prayer times. In all three the Psalms figure large; I use them sequentially at all three times. Also, during Terce (mid-morning prayers) I always use the Psalms from either the 1928 Book of Common Prayer , or from the King James Version – because I love the older, poetic language. It was during the mid-morning prayers that I came to Psalm 94. Whatever the reason, this Psalm resonated with me in a very enlivened way. It has nothing to do with the American elections and their results, but, rather, with our world, with the agony of so many and the abuse by so many: Fellow Christians in countless countries and conditions pressed down upon by war, poverty, brigandry and governmental atrocities; hordes of men, women and children confiscated and confined, to be used up (in slavery and for sex), and once used up, discarded into the rubbish bin of history (sometimes literally thrown aw...

The Psalter Reclaimed: Praying and Praising with the Psalms Gordon Wenham Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, IL 60187 http://www.crossway.org ISBN-978-1-4335-3396-9; $15.99; 2013. Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Michael Philliber for Deus Misereatur (4/13) Pondering the Psalms (4.5 stars out of 5) Over the years I have watched Christians use, and misuse, the psalms in various ways. Many voice an internal conflict about the appropriateness of using them, and several shy away from the Psalter almost entirely. Therefore I was delighted to read Gordon Wenham’s new 205 page paperback book, “The Psalter Reclaimed: Praying and Praising with the Psalms.” In this easy-to-read book, Wenham has pulled together several lectures he did over the years, and reworked them. “The Psalter Reclaimed” is a good introduction into reading the psalms in their canonical context, how it is correctly done, and the benefits of approaching the Psalter in this way. This work is mildly technical, but still very accessible...

Psalms for All Seasons: A Complete Psalter for Worship Joyce Borger, Martin Tel, John D. Witvliet Faith Alive Christian Resources 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49560 www.FaithAliveResources.org ISBN: 978-1-59255-444-7; $29.99; 2012. Reviewed by Dr. Michael Philliber for Deus Misereatur (3/13) Multifarious Psalter (2 stars out of 5) I am always delighted when the Psalms are returned to the Church’s active consciousness. The recent spate of breviaries, Psalters, and books of metered Psalms is a delightful change. And a good attempt at bringing the Psalter into usable form has been done with the "Psalms for All Seasons." This hardback edition is a joint venture of Brazos Press, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, and Faith Alive Christian Resources, and fills 1132 pages. “Psalms for All Seasons” uses all 150 Psalms, and then lumbers its way through various and multiple forms, from responsive readings, to metered Psalms for singing, to newer songs that ...