Psalm 1

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

This week we began a new Bible study on the Psalms. We began with Psalm 1 (a very good place to start.) That psalm was also the text for Sunday's sermon so those who were at Bible study went to the head of the class on Sunday morning. 

A version of Psalm 1 from the Scottish Psalter, is the first hymn in our Book of Praise. So we really are starting at the beginning.

We are using a study guide, Psalms - Prayers of the Heart, written by Eugene Peterson. He's maybe best known for his translation of the Bible called The Message. In our small group discussion we used various translations including The Message,  the NIV, the English Study Bible and the Good News Bible. 

For many of us, the language of the King James Version of the Bible is deeply rooted in our memories and brings comfort to our hearts. For study purposes, though, it is useful to read the same passage in different versions. Just the change of one word can bring out a whole other meaning. e.g. one translation of the first line of Psalm one reads "happy  are those. . .," while another reads "blessed is the man." The Message uses "How well God must like you—" The Scottish Psalter sings "That man hath perfect blessedness, Who walketh not astray."

"Happy" and "blessed" are both useful translations but there is no English word equivalent of the original Hebrew.  This is but a small example of how study of the Scripture can enhance our understanding and remind us that -- unless we can read Hebrew and Greek -- we are always reading through the lens of a tranlator.  

If you really want to delve deeply into translations, the website biblegateway.com has sixty-two versions of the Bible available with the click of a mouse.    

This week we move to lesson two of our study, and Psalm 2. One of the advantages of studying Psalms is that each one can stand alone. So, if you skipped last week, there is no reason you can't join in this week. There is a choice of class time, Wednesday at 10:00 am or 7:00 pm -- or go to both.                                                                                                                    

    Psalm 1 as a hymn.