The Book of the Psalms is a unique collection of the song-prayers of Israel. To study Psalms is to study prayer, ultimately to enter into prayer. The study will challenge participants to reflect on their own prayer and life experiences. 

 

Dare to expect a new world through the power of prayer. That is the challenge offered by Psalms for All Seasons. John Craghan says that by praying the Psalms, you will discover radical newness in your life as you align your heart with God's will. The psalms are prayers of both praise and lament. They fill us with confidence and consolation. They teach us to be thankful and wise.

 

Psalms for All Seasons explores fifty-five of the most beautiful psalms in the Bible. The author's deft analysis places these ancient prayers squarely in contemporary times. By examining the structure, vocabulary, and themes of the psalms, he engages each example as a stunning prayer for the twenty-first century.

 

This careful revision of the 1993 edition relies on the New American Bible, Revised Edition, and provides solid biblical scholarship to support the use of the Psalms in study and prayer.

 

John F. Craghan is professor emeritus of religious studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. He is North American editor for "Scripture in Church" (Dominican Publications: Dublin, Ireland) and is the author of numerous books, including And the Life of the World to Come and The Gospels of the Weekday Lectionary both from Liturgical Press. Craghan has lectured widely in the United States and Latin America. His chief interest is to make the best of biblical scholarship accessible to a wider audience.

Psalms I focuses on a selection of twenty-eight psalms divided into three categories:

• Psalms of Descriptive Praise

• Psalms of Trust or Confidence

• Wisdom Psalms

 

“Psalms of descriptive praise, also known as hymns, praise God for his ongoing, regular care of the world and humanity” (from p. 8 of the commentary). Psalms of trust or confidence reinforce the belief that the God who made and loves us will protect us in difficult situations. Wisdom psalms are an acknowledgment of God's justice in the right ordering of human affairs.

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This study has 7 sessions, incorporating an introductory session and 6 lessons. The study set includes commentary, “Psalms for All Seasons” (revised in 2013), by John F. Craghans and the Study Guide by Catherine Upchurch.

Psalms II focuses on a selection of twenty-eight psalms divided into three categories:

• Royal Psalms

• Psalms of Lament

• Psalms of Declarative Praise

 

The royal psalms reflect the belief in ancient Israel that the king was “anointed” by God (i.e. a messiah) to be “the instrument of God's concern for the people” (from the commentary, p. 79). Psalms of lament express the sorrow of the soul in distress and of the individual's and the community's need to turn to God in order to be healed or rescued. Psalms of declarative praise are prayers of thanksgiving that praise God for rescue or healing from dire situations.

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This study has 7 sessions, incorporating an introductory session and 6 lessons. The study set includes the Study Guide by Clifford M. Yeary. 

The Book of the Psalms is a unique collection of the song-prayers of Israel. To study Psalms is to study prayer, ultimately to enter into prayer. The study will challenge participants to reflect on their own prayer and life experiences. 

This Fall session for Scripture will be from Little Rock Scripture Study Program and will be a double session lasting 12 weeks. Each session will be 90 minutes promptly starting at 7:00pm in the Community Room. Be prepared if masking is required and socially distance if necessary.

 

Materials will be provided at the first introductory session. Cost is $25.00, which includes commentary and two study guides.

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All interested please contact: 

Chris Genge, 847-816-6840 (H) or 847-293-0710 (C), email: chrissyg51@yahoo.com