Preaching and Teaching the Psalms

Currents in Theology and Mission, August, 2007 by Kristin J. Wendland

Preaching and Teaching the Psalms. By James L. Mays. Edited by Patrick D. Miller and Gene M. Tucker. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2006. 176 pages. Paper. $19.95.

As one reads this volume, it quickly becomes clear that James L. Mays not only has a deep respect for the book of Psalms but also has lived with and prayed with the book of Psalms. Mays's writings, gathered by Patrick D. Miller and Gene M. Tucker, are organized into three parts. The first serves as an overview of academic psalm study, an excellent introduction for any student. Along with information regarding genre, form, context, and current trends within the study of Psalms, Mays addresses three recurring images found in the book of Psalms: creation, the human, and the reigning God. Mays examines each image's use in several different psalms as well as how these images were cited and used in the New Testament. A reflection on John Calvin's treatment of the book of Psalms provides a segue into the second section of the book.

In this second section, titled "Interpreting the Psalms," Mays provides exegesis of some of the psalms most widely used in worship. As he discusses the Hebrew vocabulary of these psalms, the use of imagery in them, and the possible contexts in which they were written, Mays continually seeks to discover how these psalms might intersect with the lives of today's reader. In his chapter on Psalm 51, Mays considers that for many the concept of sin, and thus its reality in the lives of many Christians, is outmoded. However, sin itself, whether recognized or not, is alive and well. Mays challenges the reader to not only consider the psalm as descriptive of David's life or of a former worldview but to reclaim it for today. Psalm 51, he suggests, does not solely describe someone who is sorry for committing sins, though this is certainly the case. It also describes who humans are in relation to God, that is, creatures in need of God's grace. This careful attention to both the context of the psalmist and the context of the reader, found in each of the psalms treated in this section, provokes the reader to consider the psalms from a variety of viewpoints

The first two sections build toward the third, in which the careful study and exegesis found in the first two sections inform proclamation. This collection of sermons on the psalms is a shining example of how Psalms, itself a book of prayer and liturgy, can inform preaching and bear God's gracious word to a hurting world. In his sermon on Psalm 13, Mays notes that agony and adoration hang together in this psalm, bringing words to what humans experience in their lives. It is a psalm to be prayed, he counsels, as one's life meets the good news of the gospel.

This book with its solid scholarship and eye toward faith practice is well worth reading and a great gift to all who seek to enter more deeply into the book of Psalms.

Kristin J. Wendland

Living Hope Lutheran Church

Ettrick, Wisconsin