Invitation to Psalms: Participant Book: A Short-Term DISCIPLE Bible Study

by Michael Jinkins

Participant guides daily study and preparation for discussion in the weekly group meeting. The expectation for daily study will be no more than thirty minutes.

Psalms
10 sessions, 60-90 minutes

Make a deeper connection to the world of the Psalms so that these well known scriptures can help you give voice to all aspects of our human experience---joy, faith, uncertainty and sorrow.

During two weekly video segments, experience a varied presentation of individual psalm texts, including dramatic reading, music, dance, and images. Listen to insights into specific psalms presented by one of two biblical scholars through an informal, roundtable conversation format.

Ideal experience for adults who are interested in the practice of prayer and worship and would like to connect prayer practice with Scripture. The study is accessible for adults with little prior Bible experience.



Word of God, Words of Prayer
The Prayer Book of God’s People
Praying the Psalms
The Language of the Heart
A Geography of the Imagination
A Theology of the Imagination
Lament and Praise
Grace and Repentance
Love and Wrath
Hallelujah and Amen


Michael Jinkins is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He serves as Dean of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where he is also Professor of Pastoral Theology. Michael is the author of eleven books, including In the House of the Inhabiting the Psalms of Lament (Liturgical Press, 1998), Invitation to Theology (InterVarsity Press, 2001), and Letters to New Pastors (Eerdmans, 2006).

136 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

Reviews

[Rusty del Norte · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of books about the Psalms out there. How this one ranks is somewhere in the middle. The book is good for a group study & is dependent on one to read the passages in Psalms in order for it to make sense. But as a solitary good, it lacks a great deal of depth for the advanced learner.

Overall, it was OK.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously, one of the best Bible studies I have ever done. It gave me such an insight into prayer. The way the author groups the Psalms and comments on then and structured the reading was really meaningful. Highly recommend.

[Mary Ellin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite Bible study book. Long assignments, not enough commentary, especially not enough commentary before the assigned readings - commentary-then-readings would have improved my understanding. I think this might be the first Bible study book I’ve read that I would not recommend.

[Steven Bullmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can tell the author, Michael Jinkins, loves the Psalms. And his love for them was infectious as I worked through his study book. For as many times as I've read the Psalms before, he opened new ideas and feelings to me. I especially benefited from his emphasis on praying the psalms, not just studying the psalms. And his explanation of the cursing psalms was so helpful in making sense of the psalms that curse enemies with all kinds of nasty things. I would recommend this study to anyone. My only regret is that Jinkins didn't take us through all the psalms, or at least more than he did. We re-read many psalms two, three, even four times, while never touching on almost half of them. Still, it's a very good study.

[Clara · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a workbook, this stinks. The groupings quickly became far-fetched and the questions were inane. It would have been better to use the morning/evening practice from early in the study and chunked historical and ancient practice information with each grouping. The attempt to elevate the material further than that is just agrivating. For example, at one point, the study had me reading the same psalm three times in one week. It would have been more enriching to compare the one with others of similar purpose, history, or style.