December 1998 Issue

Preaching from the psalms takes great homiletic skill. When I see a sunset, I don't want it explained to me. To provide me with a scientific explanation about the myriad of colors I see would ruin the moment. When I go to a museum to peruse fine works of art, even abstract art, please don't tell me what it means. Art, for me, is less to be analyzed and more to be experienced. I listen to Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach for the pleasure the music brings, for the emotions it evokes. I'm not sure I always know what the music means, but I know it causes me to feel.

I think that's how we should approach the psalms for preaching. The psalms portray the depth of the human encounter with God. In their lines we hear words of despair: "By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion" (Ps 137:1). Some psalms offer a word of comfort: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Ps 23:1). Others provide a word of hope: "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth" (Ps 121:1-2). Some psalms speak out of the intensity of existential pain: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions" (Ps 51:1). The extent of the emotions portrayed in the psalms gives us a hint about how they should be preached.

The psalms are not records of history, though they are certainly grounded in the history of Israel and often recall God's working in that history. The psalms are not codified laws, though they reflect the covenantal relationship between Israel and God. The psalms are music of faith—like sunsets, and fine art, and classical music—less to be explained and more to be experienced. That is not to say that there is not a place for critical analysis of astronomical phenomena, of art, of music, or of scripture. But, for example, for a preacher to explain the meaning of Psalm 23 can only rob it of its beauty and pathos. A colleague once said to me that psalms are not meant to be preached. . . just read. Well, I wouldn't go so far.

As you prepare your sermon on Psalm 111, remember that it is still the Christmas season. That context provides a rich backdrop for a sermon that praises and gives thanks to God. Read the text several times and decide what you think the author was attempting to accomplish with this psalm. Notice I didn't say look for what the author means. Remember, meaning is often elusive in emotive forms of literature. Instead, look for the function of the text; that is, What does the text do? Such is the hermeneutical approach I take to evocative literature (literature that draws heavily on the emotions). You always know something about the function of a biblical text because it does something to you when you read it. Help your hearers experience that sense when you preach. What does Psalm 111 do?

One sermon strategy would be for you to look at each verse of the psalm and discover where it addresses your congregation's needs and issues. For example, verse one deals with both individual and corporate praise and thanksgiving. What are you thankful for as 1992 comes to a close? What can your congregation voice to God as a word of praise and thanksgiving? For what are they grateful? The more particular you are with your answers, the better. Sermons packed with vague generalizations seldom speak to modern people.

Verse two exalts God's great works. This refers to God's action in and through the events of the Exodus. Where has God been working in the contemporary church? What are God's works in your ministry setting? Help your hearers see the presence of God in their everyday lives.

Not every verse of the psalm speaks to everyday issues. Do not force a contemporary analogy where none exists. But where there is, you will enable the psalm to intersect your congregation's complex life situation. This is the primary goal of biblical preaching.

Another strategy would be to write a modern psalm using Psalm 111 as the framework. This could be done as simply as rewriting the psalm using modern language and images or as complex as using Psalm 111's themes but writing verse that is totally of your own creation. Your creativity and imagination would have to be put into full play to do this. Not all preachers have these gifts. But I have heard some wonderful new approaches to preaching in recent years. Perhaps you have similar talent and have been looking for a way to be creative. Remember that your sermon is always the servant to the biblical text.

Craig A. Loscalzo