Thursday, March 20, 2008, Part 1

IDEA: A psalm puts into words an experience of our lives.

PURPOSE: Listeners can have the experience of actually writing a psalm.

I. You can appreciate and understand Hebrew parallelism and structure by trying to compose it.

First, gather your thoughts for the psalm.

Jot down a recent experience you've had that made you think (anything from a shattering disappointment to a moment of ecstasy; it can be a problem, a question, the meaning of life, the haunting fear of failure, etc.).

Now reflect on that experience or question—its meaning, implications, etc.

Quickly jot down your thoughts and meanderings. Don't worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Write furiously, as if you're writing in a diary.

Now you have the raw materials for trying out the Hebrew style of poetry.

Note the last phrase you wrote and begin by making one short statement. It can be a why question or a burst of honest confession.

With the first line down, now you have three choices for parallelism: you can repeat the same idea in different words; you can say just the opposite; or you can add to the thought.

This second line may suggest a third line, using the same or a different parallelism. Before long, you'll have five or six lines—enough for the first stanza. 

Now decide whether you want to bring in a new voice or person (such as your conscience speaking), or whether you want to continue the original thought further in some form of progression. Continue until you have a second stanza, then a third, etc.

Simply begin. Let your mind go free. Start with one line. The rest will flow easily. Be absolutely honest.

Send us the psalm you've written. We can't read it on the radio and we'll send you a copy of [Discovery House Publishers' book on psalms].