The Old and the New

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made;     let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Old Testament scholar, Walter Bruggeman, wrote that the Psalms mirror the seasons of our lives.  There are times when God is in heaven and all is right in the world.  We understand who we are and our place in the order of things.  Dr. Bruggeman called Psalms written during these times, Psalms of orientation.

Psalm 6:3. My whole body is completely terrified!         But you, Lord! How long will this last?

Then something happens and our world is changed – a loved one dies, we lose a job, a medical diagnosis is bad news, a pandemic shuts down the world around us.  Psalms written during a time such as this are called Psalms of disorientation.  We wonder where God is and how this could have happened.  This is when we cry out to heaven “How long will this last?”  How long will we be sad?  How long will we be afraid?  How long will we be anxious?  How long will we...continue reading