“…Not a lot of people know the book of Psalms well at twenty-five. This is because the book of Psalms resonates with people who have had a lot of experiences. You have to have quite a lot of different experiences under your belt before you resonate easily with a lot of the things that are said in the book of Psalms: lament, loss, shame, death, triumph, the exaltation of informed and godly God-centered praise, and prophecy anticipating what is still to come.” If instead you have a very limited experience, most of these things just sounda bit over the top or a bit extravagant or even alien to you.” (Carson, The God Who Is There, 86)
What is your experience with the Psalms? I am looking to hear from people in all age ranges. Has your appreciate of the Psalms grown over the years? Are there any under twenty five that would disagree with Carson?
Talk to me…
I grew up as the daughter of a Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) pastor who was a chaplain in the Army. As an RP, psalm singing was what happened in church. But as a military child, we attended the Protestant services on base, which didn’t sing the psalms. I grew up singing them at home in family devotions.
Given my background with the Psalms, I disagree with Carson in that I don’t feel as though they are extravagant or alien. I would agree that, as a 23 year old, I cannot empathize with the author, as I haven’t gone through most of his experiences. I’m sure the Psalms with grow richer as time goes on, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy them right now.