Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness [Paperback]

Nan C. Merrill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2001

Every commentary on the Book of Psalms has had to face the issue that many of these prayers commemorate and celebrate wrath and vengeance. What is needed is not ingenious exegetical rationalization of ancient texts, but the kind of transformation into a work of piety and art that is provided here.Addressed are the needs of a world seeking to counter individual and societal injustices by a global peace born of personal peace through prayer and practice. In short, here is the Book of Psalms recast in the light of the continuing revelation and evolution of the authentic religious spirit of the scriptures.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Merrill, the editor of Friends of Silence newsletter, has led retreats, worked with inner-city parishes, and been involved with prison ministry for many years. She has reworked the Book of Psalms in a loving, contemplative manner, which betrays none of the book's original vigor or essence. Rather, in a mode that is fresh and eloquent, Merrill's psalms evoke that deep sense of reverence and soul-stirring dialog with the divine that is often eclipsed by the fear of divine wrath in the original. Merrill has carefully crafted these verses to rekindle for contemporary readers the timeless mystery of divine love, using language that is not constrained by gender or judgment. Highly recommended for all libraries.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Merrill has reworked the Book of Psalms in a loving, contemplative manner, which betrays none of the original vigor or essence. Rather, in a mode that is fresh and eloquent, Merrill's psalms evoke the deep sense of reverence and soul-stirring dialogue with the divine that is often eclipsed by the fear of divine wrath in the original. Highly recommended."--Library Journal

"Merrill allows the Psalms to be something new, fresh, contemporary, and yet still themselves."-Walter Wink

"In Nan Merrill's re-visioned Psalms, familiar words, rhythms, and conventional meanings provide new insights and intuitions for our times."-Meinrad Craighead

"The very liveliness of the Psalms causes us to want to say them in our own language. Nan Merrill has done this marvelously, and I'm grateful for this labor of integration and love."-Madeleine L'Engle

"…[an] excellent companion for morning and evening prayer…[Merrill] has retained the vigor, eloquence, and personal relationship with the Divine that is found in the Old Testament songs, while at the same time adding new insights. The result is a collection of dialogues with God that speak to modern men and women on a personal level." - Clare Boehmer ASC; Review for Religious

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 311 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826410456
• ISBN-13: 978-0826410450
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her treatment opened new insights into the Psalm's truths, November 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness (Paperback)

I concur fully with the following summary: From Library Journal:  Merrill, the editor of Friends of Silence newsletter, has led retreats, worked with inner-city parishes, and been involved with prison ministry for many years. She has reworked the Book of Psalms in a loving, contemplative manner, which betrays none of the book's original vigor or essence. Rather, in a mode that is fresh and eloquent, Merrill's psalms evoke that deep sense of reverence and soul-stirring dialog with the divine that is often eclipsed by the fear of divine wrath in the original. Merrill has carefully crafted these verses to rekindle for contemporary readers the timeless mystery of divine love, using language that is not constrained by gender or judgment. Highly recommended for all libraries.  

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book got me through a terrible time, March 30, 2005

By 

sarahbellum (MA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness (Paperback)

About two years ago I got the shock of my life when what I thought was appendicitis turned out to be cancer. As soon as I woke up from the anesthesia and learned the truth I knew I needed to reconnect with God at a level I never had before. I have always loved the Psalms but they seemed a little too far from my experience in my situation. Then I found this book.

It is a wonderful recasting of the Psalms in a way that opened my heart and my soul to the love of God in exactly the way I needed. When you are going through cancer treatment, one of the hardest things to deal with is fear. It can easily take over your spirit. This book recognizes that fear is a bigger enemy to most modern people than invading Philistines are. It also makes the reader think about God in a new way by avoiding a lot of the titles for God that we all have heard so many times they have become meaningless, and recognizing that God's very nature is love.

If you are suffering through a difficult time, or know someone who is, this book is a valuable help. I have found such comfort in it in some of the scariest times of my life. I can't recommend it highly enough.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Merrill's psalms serve as a healing, peaceful, restful balm, June 28, 2000

By 

Gary Egeberg - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness (Paperback)

I have been a fan of Nan Merrill's book, Psalms for Praying, since it first came out in hardcover edition. I recommend it in the list of suggested reading in the back of my book, The Pocket Guide to Prayer. I also highly recommend it at the various prayer workshops I faciliate. As I have spent time with her rendition of the psalms, I have repeatedly discovered a timely phrase to help me prayerfully rest in God's abiding peace and experience God's love more fully. Just today, in fact, the phrase from Psalm 38, "Be my strength and uphold me," is one that has provided a resting place for my troubled spirit and served as a healing balm. I am grateful to Nan for interpreting the psalms in such a way that I, and I suspect many others as well, are able to re-connect with the One who desires that we come away for a while and rest peacefully in God's tender embrace.