Going Deeper: Psalms of New Orientation
Hello all!
This past Wednesday night we continued our series on the Psalms by looking at the Psalms of New Orientation. These are the Psalms that give voice to the seasons of life where God rescues us out of the darkness and brings forth renewed passion and love for him. These Psalms help give believers the words to celebrate and share God’s salvation. Psalms of New Orientation give voice to a kind of faith that has been strengthened through a season of refining. Whereas Psalms of Orientation describe an almost naive sense of optimism that some might say is ignorant of the pain the world can often bring, Psalms of New Orientation glorify God on the other end of pain/suffering with a new perspective.
Most of our worship songs are similar in style to Psalms of New Orientation. We do a lot of singing about God’s rescuing and his saving. For this reason Psalms of New Orientation can be discouraging for those in a season of disorientation. Imagine, for example, someone having recently experienced a traumatic loss coming to church just to listen to everyone else singing “You have turned my mourning into dancing.” That can be tough for those still in the middle of their mourning as they wonder “why hasn’t God done this for me?” Despite this potential frustration, if those experiencing a season of disorientation can approach these Psalms of New Orientation with an open heart they can be encouraged. This is because the Psalms of New Orientation point us towards a God who, as Lamentations 3:31-33 reminds us, does not leave his people in their suffering forever. God is a God who saves, and these Psalms both remind us of and help us express that truth.
For students and families interested in going deeper with the Psalms of Disorientation, here are some things you can do either individually or as a family:
1) Meditate on and pray the Psalms of Disorientation. There are dozens of examples of these kinds of Psalms. More Psalms fall under this category than any other. Some examples include Psalm 30, 34, 40, 65, 66, 124, 129 and 138. You can do either of these things on your own or as a family together. Meditation may sound complicated, but it simply means to focus one’s mind. To meditate on these Psalms simply make an effort to focus your mind on the words of the Psalms. Read through it slowly and intentionally, taking careful notice of the meaning of each word/sentence. The Psalms can also be prayed, which simply means that instead of reading the Psalms to learn something, you are reading them to God as prayers to him.
2) Take time to reflect on God’s salvation. As a family, share your testimonies with one another. Talk together about what God has done for you and the pits that he has pulled you out of. Take time to watch youtube videos of others sharing their testimonies. I am Second is a great organization that produces high quality testimony videos of Christian celebrities.
3) Pray for revival. These Psalms of Orientation describe a state of revival that many of us long to experience. Perhaps you aren’t in a place where you can earnestly pray the words of these Psalms. If that is the case then you can still pray that you would experience the things described in these Psalms.