I am not a theologian nor a biblical scholar. I am not a philologist, a linguist , a translator of ancient texts, nor an historian.

I am a person who has spent the past forty years struggling with the scriptures of Jewish and Christian tradition in an attempt to wrestle some relevant meaning and spiritual nourishment for today from these often profoundly difficult and obscure sacred texts.

I have frequently found myself confused  and frustrated by these writings. There are so many times, I wish the writers had been more clear, or that they had not said things or offered arguments that, in my context, I find offensive and upsetting. But I have tried to be respectful of these writings. They stand at the headwaters of a vast river of spiritual inspiration. They have enriched my own life and brought transformation and encouragement to multitudes who have taken the time to investigate them carefully, thoughtfully and openly.

In the interests of full disclosure, it would be less than honest not to admit that my attention to the biblical texts over the years has been, at best, selective. In my tradition our Sunday scripture readings are appointed for each week in a “lectionary” of readings. Part of the point of this lectionary practice is to attempt to liberate the congregation from the predilections of the preacher. But, the truth is that within the four readings assigned for any given Sunday, there is plenty of room for the preacher to avoid confronting the most difficult passages and to focus on those that seem more sympathetic to a contemporary sensibility. Of course, even the lectionary is selective. No matter how scrupulous a congregation may be in following the assigned cycle of readings, certain passages are lost on the cutting room floor in public worship.

At the heart of both Jewish and Christian spirituality, lies an often troubling series of texts known as The Book of Psalms. The poems that make up this “Book” have been analyzed, criticized, examined, chanted and prayed for centuries. In Christian tradition, they have been less often preached as a regular part of Sunday morning worship. They may be mentioned occasionally in study and worship. But few preachers I know have attempted to wade systematically through the Book of Psalms for reflection, inspiration and proclamation.

Jesus was a Jew. He was a devout, practitioner of his Hebrew faith. He attended temple and participated in synagogue worship.  Jesus is reported in the Gospels to have quoted from the Book of Psalms on a number of  occasions. Certainly, this is a book with which he would have been deeply familiar and from which he would have drawn spiritual nourishment.

It seems fitting that, as I revere both the Jewish tradition and my own Christian spiritual tradition, I should attempt to engage with the Book of Psalms in a deep way. But, the task is daunting.  

Many of the Psalms are attributed to King David, but any attribution of authorship is merely speculative. The attribution of these poems to King David was a common ancient technique of linking a piece of writing to a well known historical figure in order to lend authority to the words and confirm their divine authorship. But on historical linguistic grounds scholars believe that the Hebrew in which the Psalms are written bears the mark of a period much later than David lived.

The Psalms were all written anonymously, leaving the reader to approach the words in  a contextual vacuum. (nb: since the poet is not identifiable, I will address the author simply as “HP” for “Hebrew Poet”. It appeals to me that the initials HP are also my wife’s initials, as she is the inspiration for almost any wisdom I might possess in life. I will also refer to HP as “he,” as it is almost certain that all these poems were authored by a variety of men.)

The lack of identifiable context for the Psalms can be both a curse and a blessing. It is a curse if the aim of reading is to grasp what the original author actually meant. But, if the aim is to ponder the words seeking spiritual inspiration and wisdom, their anonymity and lack of historical context may be a gift. The truth they offer is universal; what matters is the application I take from them for my life. 

However, that does not mean that I surrender the Bible to any interpretation at all. There are readings of the biblical text that are more or less valid. And there are parameters that can help me discern what might be a more or less “valid” reading of a particular text. (cf “Proposal For Reading The Bible” https://bit.ly/3gjYJmm)

But I do not/cannot understand exactly what the original author intended by the words in these texts. I am not seeking to find an “authoritative” reading when I read the Bible. I am seeking personal nourishment, inspiration, guidance and wisdom for life.