Description
Psalms are poems, and as such, they appeal to our emotions, imagination, and aesthetic sense. But that appeal is muted in sermons that force them into a homiletical mold better suited to didactic material. In these pages, students and seasoned preachers alike will find proven strategies for preserving the “poemness” of the psalms when preaching these matchless texts. Sample sermons are included to allow readers to see these strategies in practice.
Table of Contents
Series Introduction
Author’s Preface
Introduction
For Further Study
Chapter 1: Genre
A More Excellent Way
The Affective, Imaginative, and Aesthetic Concerns of the Psalms
For Further Study
Chapter 2: Image
Strategy 1: Grow the Sermon from the Psalm’s Imagery
Strategy 2: Speak in Pictures
For Further Study
Chapter 3: Moves
Strategy 3: Follow the Logic of the Poem
Strategy 4: Renarratize the Psalm
For Further Study
Chapter 4: Poetics
Strategy 5: Use Poetic Devices to Recreate the Psalm’s Rhetorical Effects
Strategy 6: Explicate the Poem
Strategy 7: Make Judicious Use of English Poetry
For Further Study
Chapter 5: Words
Strategy 8: Pay Attention to Words
For Further Study
Chapter 6: Orality
Strategy 9: Practice an Oral Delivery that Helps Carry the Poet’s Meaning
Strategy 10: Read the Psalm Well
For Further Study
Chapter 7: Emotion
Strategy 11: Preach the Emotion of the Psalm
For Further Study
Chapter 8: Context
Strategy 12: Preach the Psalm in Its Literary Context
Strategy 13: Plan Other Aspects of the Worship Service to
Strategy 14: Preach Psalms on Special Occasions and in
For Further Study
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Preach All the Psalms, Preach Whole Psalms
Preach All the Psalms?
Preach Whole Psalms?
Appendix 2: Sample Sermons
“Trust,” Psalm 131: Thomas H Troeger
“Desiring God,” Psalm 84: Ken Langley
“Wait for the Morning,” Psalm 130: Ken Langley
Select Bibliography
Subject Index
Index of Psalms Discussed
Endorsements
“This well-researched book is, to use a classical homiletical image, a ‘jewel.’ Kenneth Langley takes the genre of psalm and turns it in the light, allowing each facet to flash with brilliance. In his hands, the psalms glisten with new and exciting preaching possibilities. Every preacher will gain new insight for psalm preaching from this fine book.”
— Thomas G. Long, Bandy Professor Emeritus of Preaching, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, author of Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible
“Langley’s work is a must-read for the preacher planning to expound a psalm or two (or a hundred and fifty). Chock-full of tips and strategies, all delivered to the reader in an amicable and avuncular tone, this tome will make you want to preach a psalm next Sunday! Take and read … and preach!”
— Abraham Kuruvilla, Senior Research Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministries, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX
“In How to Preach the Psalms, Kenneth Langley gives today’s preachers exactly what we need: fresh homiletical ideas on an important topic for our preaching ministries. We already sense how wide the gap is between the depth that is present in the Psalms and the shallowness that is present in our attempts to preach them. This book will not only help us close the gap; it will also challenge us to go wider and deeper as preachers.”
— Jared E. Alcántara, Associate Professor of Preaching, Baylor’s Truett Theological Seminary, author of The Practices of Christian Preaching
“For years I’ve used Ken Langley’s various materials on the psalms in all my masters and doctoral courses. Now, pastors and students everywhere are fortunate to have his work in complete and published form. Ken has the depth and insight to write a book on preaching the psalms. In addition to being a scholar and teacher, he has been a preaching pastor for decades. In this book, he leads us through fourteen genre-sensitive strategies for preaching the psalms, showing how our sermons can capture, not only their meaning, but also their emotion. His footnotes, and ‘For Further Study’ citations at the end of each chapter, offer rich resources for anyone wanting to delve further into a topic. As you read through the book, you’ll find yourself filing notes of Ken’s discussions of various psalms, thinking, ‘Whenever I preach this psalm, I’ll want to read this page again!’ This is a fine and helpful book!”
— Don Sunukjian, Professor of Preaching, Talbot School of Theology
About the Author
Kenneth J. Langley (DMin) is senior pastor at Christ Community Church in Zion, IL. He has served as president of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and is currently adjunct professor of homiletics at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and Jennifer have seven children and eleven grandchildren.
