Last week was our first week of Summer Sundays; throughout August we have a more relaxed style of church as our core family members take holidays, relax and recharge over the summer. During these Sunday’s we’ll be looking over the book of Psalms. So what are the Psalms about and why ae they so important to us today?

What Are The Different Types Of Psalms?

There are 150 psalms in the Bible and can be collated and categorised. Biblical scholar Hermann Gunkel’s system covers the following categories:

Hymns:

Many of the psalms are simple hymns or songs of praise. For example, Psalm 8 is a hymn that begins, “Lord, our Lord, / how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (verse 1).

LamenT:

These include songs that express sadness to God or complaints against God’s enemies. For example, Psalm 3 is a lament psalm that begins, “Lord, how many are my foes! / How many rise up against me!” (verse 1). Some complaint psalms sound quite negative, though they are set within a context of God responding in love or power i.e. Psalm 44:23–24.

Royal Psalms:

Several psalms were performed in the presence of kings or dignitaries. Psalm 18:50 states, “He gives his king great victories; / he shows unfailing love to his anointed, / to David and to his descendants forever.”

Thanksgiving Psalms:

These songs of thanks include both thanksgiving from individuals (such as Psalms 30, 32, and 34) and from the community (such as Psalms 67 and 124). One of the best-known thanksgiving psalms is Psalm 100.

Wisdom Psalms:

While many psalms discuss aspects of wisdom, certain psalms such as Psalms 1, 37, and 49 focus on the theme of wisdom, speaking of the fear of the Lord or offering words of wisdom.

Smaller Genres and Mixed Types:

Some psalms include a mix of types. Psalms 9, 10, and 123 are examples. Other psalms have only a small number in their category, such as psalms regarding the stories of Israel (Psalms 78, 105, and 106). The Songs of Ascent, written to be sung by worshipers on their way up to Jerusalem, also represent a smaller genre that includes mixed types (Psalms 120—134).

How Do I Even Read The Book Of Psalms?

Here’s a summary video that we watched last Sunday of the Psalms by the good old Bible Project. They also have a video that explains how to get the most out of the Psalms when reading them:

If you enjoy reading through the Psalms, you can check out some of the plans that go through the book on the YouVersion Bible App, namely the two below, and let us know how you get on:

• Summer In Psalms
• Praying In Psalms

In the meantime, it would be great to see you at our Summer Sundays, same time and place as usual: Rivergate Centre, 4pm.

We will continue to have Children’s Church as part of Summer Sundays, for primary aged kids, focusing on our Spy Files. Intrigued? See you on Sunday! Missed a week? Catch up at home, here.