Introduction to the Book of Psalms

To open the Book of Psalms is to enter the world of God. To read the Psalms is to read the words of God and hear the words of these ancient people in response to this God who has graciously drawn them into an eternal covenant.

The Book of Psalms is one continuous conversation that ranges over many centuries--perhaps nearly a millennium--between the God of Israel and the people of Israel; or more accurately, the God of glory and this particular people who have been called to live life on the edge of glory as the people of God. There is no mystery to this conversation. It is all an embroidery of grace.

Modern day readers may find themselves caught in the nexus between personal experience and the desire to live a life of faith on the other. These will find a voice in the Psalms.

Ancient Israel strove to put their trust in the One God of All--in the face of myriad challenges throughout her long history. What we find here is a bold witness to their hard-won faith and confidence in the sheltering presence of the One God of All.

This is a message that is especially timely for people who may desire the deeper dimensions of life and faith amid the inescapable incongruities and anxieties of postmodern life.