Devotional
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Why do the Nations Conspire?
The Psalms as Psalter The Psalms have been called an anatomy of the soul. The reformer Calvin said, in the opening of his commentary on The Psalms, that: I have been accustomed to call this book, I think not inappropriately, “An Anatomy of all the Parts of the Soul;” for there is not an emotion… Continue reading
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Exodus 12: Six Facets of the Passover
1. The Right Time We often speak of the right time for something to happen. We do this when from an earthly perspective ‘things’ make sense and come together neatly. Sometimes this can, of course, be God acting providentially. Sometimes, however, we must face that fact that God’s understanding of the right time might differ… Continue reading
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Perceiving, Proclaiming and Partaking of the Cross
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and… Continue reading
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Jesus is Baptised — Mark 1:1–11
Introduction: Jesus in 4-D On the 28th August 1989 the band Depeche Mode released a song called Personal Jesus. I personally think it’s a great song. If you like 1980s music you might well agree. However, it does not make for good theology. In fact, it inadvertently acts as a critique of other bad theology.… Continue reading
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Mountains Will Tremble Before Him: Isaiah 64:1-9
What does this mean? (vv.1–3) Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! (64:1) Do you ever have moments when you just wish that God would intervene and make things right? I think we all do from time to time. It might be we just… Continue reading
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Regurgitating Jonah
Prologue The Book of Jonah is for children. We might not say so, but our actions and thoughts often say otherwise. It is most likely met in church and home as a story for children. As adults we are perhaps embarrassed by its improbabilities. We are however missing something if we dismiss this oddest member… Continue reading
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Palm Sunday: selah #2
Psalm 118:20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. (NRSV) This verse referred to the city gate of Jerusalem when this psalm was written and used in festivals. By the time of Jesus such festivals had been taking place for hundreds of years. Jesus was going to Jerusalem… Continue reading
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Palm Sunday: selah #1
Psalm 118:5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. (NRSV) The Bible is all about the relationship between God and people. Each one of us has a relationship with the living God—the one referred to as Yah in this particular verse.… Continue reading
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Born From Above—John 3:1‒17
What did the Pharisee see? Nicodemus is in the dark. The fact that Nicodemus visits Jesus at night was probably both a necessity—Nicodemus is fearful of what others may think—but it also resonates with the fact that Nicodemus is in a very real sense in the dark. We don’t expect a member of the… Continue reading
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Psalm 149—Singing a New Song in 2017
Purple Rain: 2016 2016 was by any standards a remarkable year. On two days I awoke to the opposite outcome to that which I had expected in a national vote – I was personally disappointed on both counts. This time last year no one would have predicted all of the big events on the world… Continue reading
About Me
This blog’s central aim is to explore all aspects of how the Psalter (the biblical psalms) functions as Scripture today.
To this end it will also include book reviews on the Book of Psalms and related topics.
Some posts will reflect more broadly on biblical interpretation or hermeneutics.
If you like what you see here and want to arrange for me to give a lecture, run a teaching event or a short retreat based around The Psalms then contact me so we can discuss how this might work.
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