“How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” is a hymn of longing and spiritual ascent. It is a paraphrase of Psalm 84 and began in the ancient Hebrew practice of pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Let Us Keep the Feast: A Commentary on the Pascha Nostrum
The world God made is a world of rhythm and rhyme. Seasons change and come again before leaving us once more. There is a predictable stability in the constant diversity that God has made, something C.S. Lewis once brought out in his masterpiece The Screwtape Letters. As his fictional demon once put it, God has…
Let Us Sing Unto the Lord: A Commentary on the Venite
Augustinian monk-turned-Magisterial Reformer Martin Luther once called the Psalms a miniature Bible. It was remarked that a Christian could find his entire life experience on display in them. This has been found true throughout the ages, and it is one of the many reasons Archbishop Cranmer thought it fit that Christians should journey through the…
Psalms and Prayers for Times of War
How can we pray in times of war? Sadly, this question is always relevant because, on this side of eternity, war is always with us. Jesus himself reminds us that, before his second coming, there will be “wars and rumors of wars” and that “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matt. 25:6-7),…
My Songs Extol Thy Name: Thomas Sternhold and English Psalmody
Thomas Sternhold is the founder of English psalmody and the inventor of the metrical form at the base of English hymnody. Little known except in histories of church music, Sternhold’s contribution is now better understood, thanks to the pioneering work of scholar Beth Quitslund. Sternhold is commemorated on August 23, or at least he would…
Psalms and Prayers in the Storm
When hurricanes, tornadoes, and other storms come our way, we naturally become afraid. These forces are so much stronger than we are, and we tremble in awe and fear for our lives and those around us. During these times, we can find comfort in the Lord of all creation, who not only has spoken out…
Jesus and Psalm 22: Sorrow and Satisfaction
When Jesus was crucified on His Cross, the last words He spoke before he died are extraordinary examples of what was in His heart. Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” This is one of the most passionate and intense moments in the entire Scripture—the Son of God crying out…
The Psalm on the Cross: Learn More about Psalm 22, Christ’s Song of Sorrow and Victory
Psalm 22 is a pilgrimage from the depths of pain and suffering to the final proclamation of victory. Jesus knew the entire psalm by heart and understood the psalm as a prophetic depiction of his own death but also a prophetic declaration of hope and victory at the end. The Psalm on the Cross is…
Did God Forsake Jesus? Take A Closer Look at Psalm 22
“My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” These were the dying words of Jesus as he hung on the cross on Mount Calvary. But what did He mean by them? These words are read as part of the “Seven Last Words of Jesus from The Cross”. And they raise some very important questions….
COVID–19 and the Death of Death
Death is on people’s minds these days, whether they want it to be or not. According to a recent report by White House science advisors, there is a chance that between 100,000 and 240,000 people will die because of the Coronavirus. In the face of such a staggering number of fatalities, what each of us…
