Item number three on our list of Seven Faith Practices is “read and study the Bible.” Each week we, as a congregation, will be reading one chapter from a book of the Bible. Currently, we are reading from the book of Psalms.
Psalms is a book of poetry with 150 chapters. The Hebrew title of this book means “songs of praise,” while the Greek title, Psalmoi, has come to mean “sacred songs sung to musical accompaniment.” The words of many beloved hymns and contemporary worship songs are taken directly from Psalms. The entire collection is thought to have been compiled over a period of a thousand years.
We will continue with our “one chapter per week” schedule. I hope you will consider joining us as we practice our faith!
The reading schedule is listed below.
Faith Practice #3 Reading Schedule...
(Book 5)
This group of psalms declares that God does answer prayer (107) and concludes with five Hallelujah psalms (146–150). In between there are several psalms affirming the validity of the promises to David (110; 132; 144), two collections of Davidic psalms (108–110; 138–145); the longest psalm, celebrating the value of God’s law (119); and 15 psalms of ascent for use by pilgrims to Jerusalem (120–134).
April 24 – Psalm 107
May 1 – Psalm 108
May 8 – Psalm 109
May 15 – Psalm 110
May 22 – Psalm 111
May 29 – Psalm 112
June 5 – Psalm 113
June 12 – Psalm 114
June 19 – Psalm 115
June 26 – Psalm 116
July 3 – Psalm 117
July 10 – Psalm 118
July 17 – Psalm 119
July 24 – Psalm 120
July 31 – Psalm 121
Aug. 7 – Psalm 122
Aug. 14 – Psalm 123
Aug. 21 – Psalm 124
Aug. 28 – Psalm 125
Sept. 4 – Psalm 126
Sept. 11 – Psalm 127
Sept. 18 – Psalm 128
Sept. 25 – Psalm 129
Oct. 2 – Psalm 130
Oct. 9 – Psalm 131
Oct. 16 – Psalm 132
Oct. 23 – Psalm 133
Oct. 30 – Psalm 134
Nov. 6 – Psalm 135
Nov. 13 – Psalm 136
Nov. 20 – Psalm 137
Nov. 27 – Psalm 138
Dec. 4 – Psalm 139
Dec. 11 – Psalm 140
Dec. 18 – Psalm 141
Dec. 25 – Psalm 142
Jan. 1 – Psalm 143
Jan. 8 – Psalm 144
Jan. 15 – Psalm 145
Jan. 22 – Psalm 146
Jan. 29 – Psalm 147
Feb. 5 – Psalm 148
Feb. 12 – Psalm 149
Feb. 19 – Psalm 150
The Book of Psalms, which is generally believed to be the most widely read of all the books in the Old Testament, is part hymnbook, part prayer book, part wisdom literature, and part anthology of poems that express the religious feelings of the Israelites throughout the various periods of their national history. The subject matter of the Psalms is astonishingly broad. On one hand, it proclaims praise and prayer for God Most High (Psalm 50:14), and on the other, it embraces human experience as intimate as lamenting a lost mother (Psalm 35:14). The Book of Psalms has a special significance for understanding the religious life of ancient Israel. The prophets and scribes provide some insight concerning what the Hebrews thought, but the psalms give the clearest indication of what the Hebrews felt. Here, we find a revelation of the hopes, the joys, the sorrows, the loyalties, the doubts, and the aspirations of the human heart.
The Psalms are of varying length (but most are pretty short) and there are a lot of them, however, we will continue with our ‘one chapter per week’ reading plan. Over the course of the next few years (150 Psalms!), we will discuss the different types of Psalms (lament, praise, worship, royal, etc.) and the different uses for Psalms. One suggestion is praying through the Psalms. Augustine of Hippo said, “If the psalm prays, you pray. If the psalm laments, you lament. If the psalm exalts, you rejoice. If it hopes, you hope. If it fears, you fear. Everything written here is a mirror for us.” As you pray the Psalms, you will learn how to pray in every season, whether rejoicing with those who rejoice or mourning with those who mourn.
