God’s Forgetfulness and God’s Face
True believers may, and do, experience times when they feel as if God has forgotten them. They feel as if the divine no longer takes interest in them. David felt this as well. He expresses this in Psalm 31 in…
Tag psalms
The Trinity Psalter Hymnal (2018)
Congratulations to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) and United Reformed Churches (URCNA) and Great Commission Publications on the new Trinity Psalter Hymnal (2018). I have only had my copy for a couple of weeks or so, but I want to offer a few quick…
A Psalm-Singing Resurgence
We are experiencing something of a Psalm-singing resurgence in our day. Resources abound online for people who would like to learn more about psalm singing. Churches are making strategic plans to train their members in singing the psalms. Blogs buzz with…
Considering Exceptions: Singing Psalms
Often, potential exceptions to the Westminster Standards take this form: “If the Confession is saying ‘x’, then I must state my difference with that section.” One particularly common example of this is found in WCF 21.5, which reads, If the…
The Hermeneutics of Lament (Part 3)
In this post in this short series, I offer a typology of interpretive approaches to biblical lament. The typology is rough, not comprehensive; my examples come from the “left,” “right,” and “middle,” from theological conservatives and liberals. But they have…
Psalm 19 and human flourishing
Human flourishing “Human flourishing” is a cultural catchphrase that can be overheard in the hallways of corporate America and in the institutions of public and private education. In recent days, human flourishing has served as a warrant for doctrinal and…
The Kingdom Theology of the Psalter – A Challenging Lesson for the Church in America
The language of royalty is pervasive in the Psalms. “Rule,” “king” and their cognates appear 98 times in the Psalms (and the figurative words “throne,” “rod,” or “scepter” appear 26 times). Kings govern their kingdoms via statutes or laws, and…
The Kingdom Theology of the Psalter – A Challenging Lesson for the Church in America
The language of royalty is pervasive in the Psalms. “Rule,” “king” and their cognates appear 98 times in the Psalms (and the figurative words “throne,” “rod,” or “scepter” appear 26 times). Kings govern their kingdoms via statutes or laws, and…
Lament: Self-Indulgent Whining, or Faithful Complaints? [Part 1]
Who likes a complainer? Complainers are unsettling to be around. Holiday meals ruined by laborious and endless complaints about how life has shortchanged them – the car that broke down too early, the college that should have given admission, the…