Come Learn Rest Ministries

Our work in praying the Psalms is somehow to bring the stylized, disciplined speech of the Psalms together with the raw, ragged, mostly formless experience in our lives.  ~Walter Brueggemann, Praying the Psalms

This year I have read several books about praying the psalms and have attempted to practice doing so.  This pilgrimage included the unexpected adventure of even memorizing some of them.  In doing so, I have received the gift of having verses of these poems stored in my heart ready to be prayed and even applied during those raw and ragged moments of life.

As I begin to reflect on the pilgrimage of advent, Psalm 111:9 is at the forefront of my ponderings:

He sent redemption to his people;                                                                                                                                                                                    he has commanded his covenant forever.                                                                                                        Holy and awesome is his name!

Despite its original intent of describing the deliverance of God’s people from Israel and being read during the Passover celebrations, I cannot help but consider it a foreshadowing of what we experience as we celebrate the birth of our redeemer!  Indeed God’s own Son became flesh and dwelt among us giving his people a new covenant of grace. 

While waiting expectantly for the coming of our new born King, may you and I form an advent experience praise, for indeed holy and awesome is his name!