My mission this summer, is to hear “Oh, I get it!” more than “…don’t get it!” as we experience the Psalms together.  I really want to learn, along with you, how to read, follow, sing, and pray the Psalms authentically.

Through the next 12 weeks of summer, I’m going to lead you through the most accessible guide available for the Psalms, How To Read the Psalms, by Tremper Longman III.  Tremper used to teach at Westminster Theological Seminary.  Now he writes and teaches from the delightful confines of Westmont College in Santa Barbara. (What that means is that probably every time you read what Tremper has written in biblical studies, the sun is shining and it’s at least 20C where he’s written it.)

What I’m going to do is pull one key principle from each chapter of TL3’s excellent book, and apply it to one of the psalms that we’re experiencing at Deer Park through the summer.  Here’s a snapshot of the little lessons to come:

1)   Getting the Genres straight

2)   Getting the Origins straight

3)   Getting the Context straight

4)   Heart of the Psalms:  Gospel

5)   Heart of the Psalms:  Soul

6)   What the?  Poetry

7)   What the?  Parallelism

8)   What the?  Imagery

9)   Love Songs

10) Sad Songs

11)  New Songs

I’m looking forward to seeing the distance between King David’s world and ours shrink.  In the process, I pray that the distance between King Jesus’ heart and ours would shrink also.

And though their tongues were dead I found I knew them all


In the hieroglyphs of quills and quatrain lines


Osiris, The fall of Troy, and Auld Lang Syne,


Kathleen Mauvorneen, Magnificat, Your Cheatin' Heart,


The chords of a covenant king singing for the Ark."

 Josh Ritter, my favourite folk singer-songwriter-guitarist-Idahoan, wrote these words in a song called "Bone of Song."  The background to the lyrics are intriguing.  For centuries, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics remained indecipherable until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone and the work of Jean-Francois Champollion.  The discovery resulted in a key that unlocked the hidden meaning to a previously mysterious language and the lost world that it represented.  What if something like that existed for all of the music that the human soul has ever produced?  Josh imagined that every musical note that has ever been composed is connected to a key that can unlock the deepest meaning to every song ever written.  From that imagination, he wrote "Bone of Song."

You can listen to the song here, for free, thanks to National Public Radio.  This particular performance of the song is my favorite.  It is a rare collaborative effort that Josh made with classical violinist, Hilary Hahn.  You'll find the song at about 14:30 in "Hilary Hahn and Josh Ritter together," and will enjoy what is simply one of the most beautiful songs you'll ever hear.

"The chords of a covenant king singing for the Ark."

When I heard the song first, I was struck by the phrase.  Here, King David is connected with other gifted songwriters.  David, "Israel's sweet singer," wrote, collected, sang and listened to song after song.  The man after God's own heart lived a soulful, masculine, passionate, and musical life.  I wondered about the deep human connection that the Psalms share with the songs of human history.  They unlock, as songs do, an identification with the common journey a man or woman travels through life.  They inform the reader’s experience of what it means to be wholly alive on earth.  Calvin called the Psalms, “An Anatomy of all the Parts of the Soul”; “…for there is not an emotion of which anyone can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror.  Or rather, the Holy Spirit has here drawn to the life all the griefs, sorrows, fears, doubts, hopes, cares, perplexities, in short, all the distracting emotions, with which the minds of men are wont to be agitated…”  Yes, the Psalms are distinctly human.

Yet, the Psalms are also uniquely divine.  They are, indeed, God’s inspired Word.  And so, the reader never remains the reader.  The singer never remains merely the singer.  All who experience life in the Psalms enter into worship.  To remain in the Psalms is to remain in the praise of God and the transformation of the soul.  These words not only unlock an identification with the common human journey, but also they unlock the meaning of the singer’s travels.  This musical meeting place in Scripture is where untouchable God and fragmented human souls are mysteriously together.  It is a place for people to touch and taste and see that God is real and there and good.

Here, in the collected “chords of a covenant king,” human beings are given the sole opportunity that only Holy Scripture gives, revelation.  Tremper Longman III writes, “The Psalms are such a divine-human encounter, and they find their actual setting within the formal worship of Israel.  As we read the Psalms, we are entering into the sanctuary, the place where God meets men and women in a special way.”  Paul Gerhard wrote, “The Psalter is a theatre, where God allows us to behold both Himself and His works; a most pleasant green field, a vast garden, where we see all manner of flowers:  a paradise, having the most delicious flowers and fruits;  a great sea in which are hid costly pearls:  a heavenly school, where we have God for our teacher:  a compend of all Scripture:  a mirror of divine grace, reflecting the face of our heavenly Father:  and the anatomy of our souls.”

This has been my experience with the Psalms.  King David’s playlist has become my default prayer list.  When I hunger for God and when I don’t.  When I am blown away with the joy of being human and being alive.  When I am discouraged beyond all playful prompting.  It does not matter what I have experienced in life, the Word of God in the Psalms has led my soul to worship and live more wholly.

I can’t wait to experience the Psalms with you this summer.

I and some of my friends are writing a series of Scripture mediations called “The Chords of a Covenant King:  A summer concert for the soul in the Psalms.”  If you can share the journey together with us at Deer Park on Sundays, it’ll be so great.  Or if your path intersects with ours by merely listening online, I’d love to hear from you.

Let the music of God’s Word be a pleasure!

"I heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord" - Leonard Cohen

I’m going to call it a Psalm 96 Sunday!

There was a newness of song to the Lord.

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!” I’m not talking about the new song that the youth band taught us, “Remain,” though I love that song. (Thank you so much, Youth band, and Julaine, for serving church family on Sunday!) I’m talking about a new day for the church in Red Deer.  I’m talking about a new joy in the Lord Jesus every new day that we submit to Him and declare His supremacy.  There was a distinct newness in the speech and conduct of a gospel-centred people yesterday.  Thank you, Lord, for giving us new mercies, new healings, new affections for You this week again.

The blessing of the Lord’s name was clearly the priority.

“Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.” From the Mother’s Day comments and video clip, to the Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre highlight, to Justin’s raw testimony to the work of God in his life, to the music, right to the heart of the message from Jesus in Revelation 2…  The name of the Lord being made central and famous and cherished WAS our priority together.  Knowing the Lord’s name is such a blessing to the whole world. It is good to make it central when we gather.  Thank you, participants in worship!

His marvelous works were declared without reservation.

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” In particular, I want to thank everyone for your applause and support for a risk-taking testimony.  I asked Justin to consider telling his church family specifically how Jesus has been at work sanctifying him.  With permission from his wife and family, he was courageous and humble enough, by God’s grace, to tell the incredible story of God’s grace in freeing him from the enslavement of pornography.  Thanks, Justin, for sacrificing your pride for the glory of God.

Thank you, God, that you are doing this marvelous work in so many men’s lives in the church!  As God get’s His men free and clean from besetting sins, by the Holy Spirit, the church is growing in it’s power and influence to move the gospel of Jesus forward in our nation!

There was a trembling before the Lord Jesus among his people.

“Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!” Very simply put, there was an increased trembling on Sunday.  It was exhibited in the responsiveness of people.  It was the most tangible movement of people’s hearts on a Sunday morning that we have experienced in months at Deer Park.  There were more men and women asking for help, prayer, an appointment to talk about an idea for ministry, than I have needed to respond to in many Sundays.  Praise God!  This is what it looks like when the Spirit of God is upon us, moving us to worship the splendor of His holiness, moving us to tremble in a spirit of repentance.

Thank you, God, for a Psalm 96 Sunday!  May we continue to joyfully tremble in Your magnificent presence, and the whole earth with us!

It’s hard to trust others with things of great value to us.

I remember lending my car to other students during college.  There were always more students without cars than with cars, and so I had this ideal in mind:

It’s not my car.  It’s really God’s car.  Therefore, anyone qualified to drive can borrow my car.

Well that ideal was much easier held as an ideal.  Reality was much tougher.  Cars that get borrowed sometimes get scratched, come back with less gas in them, and, worst of all, come back with empty, sloppy, paper cups and Burger King wrappers. 

I grew a lot of grace and generosity practicing that ideal of trusting others with something that I was responsible for.  Every time I entrusted someone with that beautiful, beige ’85 Chevy Citation, I felt vulnerable, but glad, and more and more free.  I was being transformed by the gospel reflex of entrusting to others something that was of value to me.  The change was taking place one risk at a time.

I think, thought, that no one was changed more in a single risky car-lend than my roommate in our 2nd year.  Regrettably, he had borrowed another student’s car one Friday night.  And, as is often the case at the intersection of Dewdney and Lewvan, was hit by another car.  Thankfully, there were only minor injuries to all the passengers. 

However, the car was totaled.  The student owner was obviously very disappointed.  My roommates’ confidence was destroyed.   He was determined not to drive again.

Well, the plan to “not drive again” was not going to work out.  He did have a girlfriend.  And so, one night, finally, with some date opportunity looming, I said, “Here, take my car.”  A friendly argument ensued.  It was the kind of argument that truth and grace always win.  He accepted my offer, and was back on track: confidence building again, a little more caution in the left turn lane than before, and, thankfully, super tidy about paper cups and wrappers.

Of course, this article is not about an old Chevy.  It’s about the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ’s supremacy over all and merciful sacrifice for men and women.

As a community of people indebted to Jesus and generously given the good deposit of the Word of God, I want to invest these 4 biblical reflections on the role of trust in our gospel crowd.  Please consider:

1)  Jesus entrusted men with the gospel.

By the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He alone had earned what no other man could ever earn:  the gospel story.  Jesus had alone come as the Incarnate Word of God, creator and sustainer of life, and offered Himself in the flesh as a perfect atoning sacrifice for a sinful humanity.  The gospel cost was too high for anyone else to pay.

And listen as Jesus entrusts the “good deposit” to several imperfect, unworthy men:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus Himself designs the foundation of gospel ministry with the gospel reflex of trust.  The gift of trust is intricately linked to the transference of the good news through the whole world through the whole age until Jesus comes again.   The gift of trust is also secured by Jesus who sees it through for the joy of those who are being saved by the good news.

2)  Gospel work is entrusted to men who are qualified by faithfulness to the gospel.

However, the gospel reflex of trust is exclusive in its nature by one qualifier:  faithfulness.  Listen to Paul’s charge to Timothy:

2 Timothy 2:1   You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,  2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Men entrusted with the gospel, in this way, are no ordinary men.  They are those who put their faith in the gospel itself.  In fact, the ability to teach others to live by the gospel demands that we trust it for ourselves first.

The gospel reflex of trust is seen here at two angles simultaneously.  We are found trustworthy to teach others the gospel as much as we are found to be trusting it ourselves.

3)  Entrusted men are transformed by the gospel.

This is the exponential joy of experiencing the entrustment of Jesus’ great commission, transformation.  Listen to Paul’s description of the Holy Spirit’s work in the entrusted saint:

2 Timothy 1:12b But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

To be entrusted with the good news of Jesus in the Word of God,

to trust it ourselves for life and godliness,

and to be obedient in passing it on to others

who will trust it and teach it too…

This is the context in which the Spirit of Christ is at His greatest work transforming men.  There is a pattern to follow by the sound Word of the gospel.  There is a character to grow in, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  There is supreme help and powerful protection in the Holy Spirit.

4)  No men are worthy of what they have been entrusted, in the gospel.

Lastly, remember that even qualified men, being changed by the gospel, are not worthy of what they have been entrusted.

The gospel reflex of trust is held together by a humility based on Jesus’ supreme work, promises, and provisions. 

It is the great value of what has been entrusted that compels the man to become faithful.

Therefore, to give trust to another in great commission work is a humble gospel reflex.

As your lead pastor, I want to thank you for bestowing your trust to me in local gospel ministry.  The entrusted responsibility to feed, to lead, and to serve you has changed me forever.  Through it God has made me listen more frequently, study more fervently, pray more deliberately, and laugh more deeply.

I am also writing to plead with you bestow generously of your trust when it comes to your spiritual leaders.  Please learn to trust well spiritual leaders like your spouse, your parents, your mentors and friends, the elders among you at Deer Park church, especially those who carry Board responsibilities for us. 

As pastors and overseers, we have received your trust with joy and sobriety these many months.  We know what it costs you to give it.  We also know how it feels to give leadership our trust and then face disappointment.  To give trust again is costly.  It puts us in a vulnerable position once again.  Therefore, to entrust is an enormous expression of mercy.  We thank you.  Your trust is transforming us.   In it God has made us more passionate to do what God asks us to, more patient to hear God’s will, and more cautious of our personal motives.

Your giving of your trust to local church leadership is, in the end, a healthy gospel reflex.  Thanks for flexing the gospel with us!

Warmly,

Carlin

Lead Pastor

Deer Park Alliance Church