The Psalms: the Prayer Book of Jesus Paperback – March 30, 2019

When Jesus Christ walked the Earth as the Son of Man, what kind of prayer book did he carry? Most likely he possessed the Psalms, most of them written by King David a thousand years before Christ was born. If he didn't have actual scrolls, he had them all memorized, like song lyrics.J.W. Gregg Meister presents this simple but powerful premise and then offers the proof to back it up. When Jesus prays in the New Testament, he often quotes the Psalms. He uses them as guidance, as comfort, and to teach, updated so they carry his message of salvation.The most famous quote is when he is dying on the cross and cries out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” which is directly from the 22nd Psalm.Meister reminds us that David’s life is the most thoroughly described human life in the Bible. He was a shepherd, warrior, leader and king. His life was full of battles, family drama, and palace intrigue, and like an ancient world Bruce Springsteen, David wrote a psalm about every incident in his life.Meister gives us the meaning behind the lyrics: in one psalm, David is defeated and hiding in a cave – in another psalm he’s facing his son in battle. I work in Los Angeles as a TV producer, editor, and writer, and I love learning the stories behind the stories, and the stories behind the songs – and this book reveals all that.As David struggles to make sense of his dilemmas, we might struggle to make sense of our own. Like in his parables, Jesus used good stories to help enlighten us.David did not write every Psalm, however. Writing a prayer in the form of a song is as old as Judaism probably, and one of the most powerful is Psalm 90, attributed to Moses. It’s a psalm of frustration with God and his power, and how inconsequential we are to him. It ends with a moment of realization, that turns into a plea, requesting that God “establish his work in our hands,” so our lives have meaning and direction.

This is an extremely valuable book about Psalms--the book of poetry in the Bible that is unquestionably better known than any of the other books. But it can be read in an unquestioning way. Meister's book will stimulate a lot of discussion about the psalms themselves and what they mean for us today. The author has a striking background to bring to his writing: a superb education at Williams College, Princeton Seminary, and degrees in radio and television from San Francisco State University and in Communications from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout 50 years of ministry, he has been a parish pastor and a producer of videos for educational, church, and spiritual use through his company Interlink Media. In this book, he "reads" a dozen psalms through the eyes of Jesus and the proclamation of the New Testament. And yet, because of family ties, he is very aware of and sensitive to the faith of the Jewish community. Thus, this book is not only a resource for understanding the Christian faith more fully and deeply, but also an interfaith source for understanding brothers and sisters in faith. The book contains the text of all twelve psalms and questions for individual meditation and/or group discussion. It is sometimes difficult to find excellent material for Bible study by adults. Meister's study fills the gap for at least a couple of handfuls of psalms everyone should know and understand, but do not.

If like me, you attended Sunday school and were exposed to Bible stories, but pursued a secular life with the gnawing feeling you neither know them well nor their historical context, Pastor Meister’s book focusing on the Psalms is an enlightened read. Psalm 23 read at every grandmother’s funeral turns out describes the shepherd from the sheep’s point of view! And our 1950s frenzy to put In God We Trust on every bill, coin and building has its roots 3000 years ago in the psalms written by King David. A blend of theology, literary analysis, historiography (there are footnotes!), and autobiographical experiences make this book a rewarding journey for the faithful and secularists alike.

Gregg Meister lives these words of David and feeds upon Scripture as naturally as he breathes. With a strong Christian background, still he brings to all people a belief in the universal appeal to all of us of the life and writings of an extraordinary man who was the apple of God's eye. David becomes Everyman. And Gregg, who is the product of generations of believers, makes the vents of 3,000 years ago as current as today's headlines. There is nothing new under the sun--but there are new, fresh ways here of appropriating the immense depth and breadth and richness of the Psalms for our own lives, enabling us to praise the Lord at all times too. Well worth a read, but equally valuable for devotional and study group purposes.

Skillfully weaving threads of Jesus’ own prayers with the Psalms that nurtured his childhood, this series of reflections helps readers deepen their own prayer lives. With the psalmists, J. W. Gregg Meister enables us to pick up our past, however “spoiled;” he reminds us of our blessed present; he inspires us to have hope for our future. Meister’s volume provides a format of questions for introspection as well as group discussion. Questions begin with “What leads you to this book?” and include “What are three things you have done that you would like to survive as ‘monuments’?” Whether on your knees in prayer or engaged in study with others, you will want to turn and return to the power of these 13 Psalms.

Meister’s reflections offer rich insight into the story of the Psalms and the depths of their spiritual meaning. He leads us into a fresh understanding of why the Psalms are so essential to Christian faith. And he provides guidance on how we too can call on their power, as Jesus did, to help us face life’s pressing challenges. His thoughtful inquiry offers an invaluable opportunity to expand one’s grasp of the meaning of the Psalms and our individual practice of Christian prayer.First rate!