Theopoetry(God's Psalm)

 

6.30.24

Hodgdon UMC

Psalm: The Book of Prayer

Do you pray? How do you pray? Do you know how to pray? The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, and He gave them the Lord's Prayer. However, long before that, God taught us how to pray through the Psalms, which is essentially the Bible's prayer book.

The Psalms, a collection of 150 prayers and hymns, are divided into five sections and were written by various authors, including David, Asaph, Solomon, Moses, the sons of Korah, and other music directors from the time of Moses (around the 15th century BCE) to the post-exilic period (after the 6th century BCE).

Even though they were written by humans, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” God inspired the psalmists to write these prayers and taught us how to pray through them.

Amos N. Wilder called the Psalms "Theopoetry," or God's Poetry. Two weeks ago, I preached on “My Psalm” through Psalm 23. Today, I want to offer a different perspective. The Psalms have a dual nature; they are poems inspired by God and, at the same time, dedicated to Him. As one poet said, “Poetry is not something you write, it’s something you get from God.” God put His words in the psalmists' mouths and allowed us to pray like them. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in "Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible," “Lord, teach us how to pray,” encouraging us to pray with the Psalms.

Do you pray? How do you pray? Do you know how to pray? Some of you might not pray because you’ve been hurt or believe that God doesn’t answer your prayers. Maybe you prayed for a loved one's healing, but they passed away, leading you to stop praying. Some of you might be too gentle to share your sorrow, grief, or confusion, not wanting to vent your tangled emotions to God. Others might not have the energy to pray because you're so depressed. Some of you might want to pray but don’t know how.

David wrote 73 of the 150 Psalms, but many more are related to him through his son Solomon and his music directors. David integrated the Psalms into one unified collection and exemplified how to pray regardless of circumstances.

The Psalms include various types: hymns or songs of praise, communal and individual laments, thanksgiving, wisdom, and Messianic prophecy. Broadly, they can be categorized into praise and lamentation. David prayed when he felt both God's closeness and His absence, teaching us to pray no matter our situation.

 

• When you can’t pray, pray like Psalm 13: "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?"
• When you want to meditate on God’s words, pray like Psalms 1, 19, and 119: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
• When you want to pray like Jesus, pray Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
• When you want to confess your sin, pray Psalm 51: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."
• When you rejoice in forgiveness, pray Psalm 32: "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."
• When you seek deep trust in God’s guidance and provision, pray Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
• When you want to pray what God wants to hear, pray today’s scripture, Psalm 18: "I love you, Lord, my strength, my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so I shall be saved from my enemies."

David wrote the Psalms to God, always addressing Him directly. Even when starting with lamentations and anger, he ended with praise and hope. Psalm 18:1-3 is a beautiful example of such a prayer.

Fanny Crosby

Have you ever heard of Fanny Crosby? Born on March 24, 1820, she lost her eyesight at six weeks old due to an eye infection and medical ignorance. She accepted her blindness as God's will, writing, “Blindness cannot keep the sunlight of hope from the trustful soul. One of the easiest resolves that I formed in my young and joyous heart was to leave all care to yesterday, and to believe that the morning would bring forth its own peculiar joy.”

Crosby became a mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer, and one of the most prolific hymn writers in history, penning over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs. Her hymns, including "Blessed Assurance," "To God Be the Glory," "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior," "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," "Rescue the Perishing," and "Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross," are sung worldwide. Through her blindness, Crosby saw God's heart and heard His voice more clearly, making her life a testament to Theopoetry, God's Psalm.

Theopoetry in my life

Today’s scripture, Psalm 18:1-3, is my father's favorite Bible verse. He read the Psalms every morning and encouraged me to do the same. As a child, I was too busy with a one-year Bible reading plan to understand the depth of the Psalms. However, adulthood and its hardships taught me the importance of these prayers.

Reading the Psalms brought me sympathy and comfort from David’s words. When facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, God allowed Victor and me to read the same Psalm, providing us strength and guidance. When I struggled with depression, I listened to the Psalms, and the Holy Spirit counseled, advised, and lifted me from despair. When shaken and unsure of my identity, I attended a Spiritual Formation Retreat in Arizona. Bishop Hee-Soo Jung said we are all created as singer-songwriters, with our own song placed in us by God. He encouraged me to write poetry, and since March 2022, I have been writing poems. Though not a professional poet, I know God places His words in my heart and brings them out, offering a perspective beyond my own.

I will have two surgeries in my 40s; one was thyroid cancer surgery last November, and the other is for a cyst on my adrenal gland in two days. Reflecting on my health issues, I see these surgeries as God’s gifts, prompting me to stop, think, rest, and restart anew. God is writing His Theopoetry in me.

Yesterday, I saw a picture on Facebook from when Victor and I moved to Houlton with two little ones ten years ago. I wrote, “We are grateful to be here for ten years in Houlton. We didn't have something that we used to have, but God has provided everything we need! Three more children, church families, friends, school, beautiful nature, and a lovely small-town atmosphere! ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want’ (Psalm 23:1).” This confession wasn’t from me; it was God writing His Theopoetry in me.

Theopoetry in Our Lives

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). Many people accused Paul and demanded recommendations, but Paul said the Corinthian church was his recommendation, a letter written with the Spirit of the living God, Theopoetry, God’s Psalm to him.

Do you pray? How do you pray? Do you know how to pray? We can learn the heavenly language through the Psalms. Even if we can't initially confess like David or those who wrote beautiful hymns, if we believe in Theopoetry, God’s Psalm, and pray like them, someday that will become our confession. If you feel God’s absence, you can read the Psalm, and it will be your prayers someday.

I believe God is writing His poetry through our lives as He did with David. We are His letter, story, song, and poem. When we see a beautiful view of nature, we can praise God with our song. When we meet friends and family during the 4th of July and summer gatherings, we can share our faith as Theopoetry. Amen.