In Hebrew, the book of Psalms is called tehillim, meaning “praises.” (The picture above shows a book of Psalms in Hebrew.) It is generally assumed that these hymns of praise were meant to be sung as part of collective worship or individual devotions. The collection of psalms, or the Psalter, fluctuates between joy and sorrow, praise and lamentation, celebration and retribution. Overall, the psalms are an instrument through which to bring the spectrum of emotions shared by all God’s children in every space and time and lay it before God.

Read Psalm 117. This is the shortest of the 150 psalms. Notice that it follows a classic psalm structure:

First, hearers are invited to praise the Lord.

Second, they are given a specific reason for that praise.

Psalms enable communities to recall God’s saving acts throughout the history of their people. They also demonstrate the faith themes that sustain a community. Psalm 117 mentions steadfast love, referring to God’s covenant with God’s people, and faithfulness, a quality that the people of Israel count on. (God keeps God's promises!)

Read Psalm as a prayer. Think about Psalm 111 and prayer by asking these questions:

• An ancient Christian mystic (a person who claims to attain, or believes in the possibility

direct communication with the divine.) once said, “If the only prayer you ever said was

‘Thanks,’ that would be enough.” What do you think of that idea? How do you thank

God in your life?

• The psalm writers expressed powerful emotions such as joy and sorrow through their

poetry. How do you find healthy outlets for the many feelings you carry around inside of

you?

• How does attending worship offer a necessary place to express your feelings of

wonder and worry to God?

Let's see what you've learned!

If you're doing a makeup attendance sheet, please write your answers on the back or margin of your paper.

1. A psalm is . . .

    a. a tree.

    b. the flat part of your hand.

    c. like a poem or song.

    d. another name for the Old Testament.

2. The book of Psalms is . . .

    a. in the middle of the Bible.

    b. the last book in the Old Testament.

    c. the first book in the New Testament.

    d. a letter written by Paul.

3. Which of the following are not types of psalms?

    a. Hymns of praise.

    b. Prayers for help.

    c. Songs of thanksgiving.

    d. Directions for cooking palm branches.

4. Psalms were probably used for . . .

    a. testing ancient microphones.

    b. worship.

    c. the Apostles’ Creed.

    d. b and c.

5. The best way to read the book of Psalms is . . .

    a. as part of the worship service.

    b. when you are in a really good mood.

    c. when you are in a really bad mood.

    d. all of the above.

6. An acrostic psalm is . . .

    a. one about going across something.

    b. one about Jesus on the cross.

    c. one that follows a letter pattern.

    d. one about actors.

7. The shortest psalm is

    a. Psalm 23.

    b. Psalm 117.

    c. Psalm 316.

    d. Psalm 119.

8. The book of Psalms contains how many psalms?

    a. 23

    b. 70

    c. 150    

d. 316

If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, you can email Leisha at ltays@oursaviourslc.org