Most of Scripture speaks to us; the Psalms speak for us.
St. Athanasius
Strong words are flying, passionate, desperate words; words in person, words through screens, words without end. Some of us talk too much, some talk too little, but we all need help with words. For what it’s worth, here’s where I started.
On Friday, March 20, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 916 points and the S&P 500 closed the day down 4.3 percent, making this the worst weekly performance since the 2008 financial crisis. On the same day New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the nation’s largest city is “now the epicenter of this crisis” in the U.S., with 5,151 coronavirus cases and 29 deaths. That night, as I usually do in a crisis, I turned to the Psalms, Psalm 4:8 to be specific:
In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
I posted the verse on the “feed” and “story” of my Instagram account. I labeled it “A Psalm for Sleep.” the next morning I posted Psalm 143:8, labeling it “A Psalm for the Morning.”
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
The promises of peace, safety, steadfast love, trust, and guidance were a balm to my soul. I have been posting Psalm verses morning and evening ever since. Obviously, there is nothing particularly unique about sharing Scripture verses on social media, but I’ve been taken aback by the amount of positive feedback I’ve gotten. I started this as a daily discipline, and I’m learning that rhythm-reading of the Psalms is transformative. Hearts follow habits.
During this process I discovered two time-tested Psalm resources: Athanasius’s letter to Marcellinus and Martin Luther’s “Preface to the Psalms.” Both emphasize that the Psalms give us our vocabulary, our Gospel grammar, so to speak. The Psalms teach us many things, not least of which is how to use words with God and one another.
Athanasius’s Letter to Marcellinus
Confused about how to interpret and apply the Psalms, Marcellinus requested the aid of his friend Athanasius (c. 295–373). The great Bishop of Alexandria responded with a warm, practical letter. A few excerpts:
In the other books of Scripture we read or hear the words of the saints as belonging only to those who spoke them, not at all as though they are our own.
With this book, however, . . . it is as if it is our own words that we read; anyone who hears them is pierced to the heart, as though these words voiced for him his deepest thoughts.
Most of the Scripture speaks to us; the Psalms speak for us.
Martin Luther’s Preface to the Psalms
After he received his doctor of theology degree on October 19, 1512, the twenty-eight-year-old Martin Luther’s first lecture series focused on the book of the Bible he memorized as a monk: the Psalms.
The Psalms might called a little Bible. In it is comprehended most beautifully and briefly everything that is in the entire Bible.
The Psalms show us how the hearts of the writers were toward God and of the words they spoke to God and every man. . . . What is the greatest thing in the Psalms but this earnest speaking amid these storm winds every kind?
Everyone, in whatever situation he may be, finds in that situation Psalms and words that fit his case, that suit him as if they were put there just for his sake, so that he could not put it better himself.
Let’s learn together how to use Psalm words.
Recommended Reading: Both of these books include the Psalm text and a short commentary and prayer based on the text.
A Place to Write 