The Psalms and the Life of Faith August Sermon Series

The Psalms have been treasured as the prayer book of the Bible and world spirituality for three-thousand years. This worship series on the Psalms moves through a selection in a way which reflects how the life of faith is actually experienced—from stability to crisis, and then through to new life. Join us throughout the month of August as we explore the life of faith as patterned by the Psalms in prayer, music and in song.

Psalm 1: “The Two Ways” with Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee, Sunday, August 2th

The first Psalm opens the whole book by affirming that there is a trustworthy, though surprising “Way” to live life abundantly.

Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee is the recently appointed Butler Chair professor of preaching and biblical interpretation at Vancouver School of Theology. Jason is an ordained minister in the Methodist Church USA and joins us all the way from North Carolina where he pastored Boone Methodist Church.

Psalm 113: “Psalms of Orientation” with Rev. Ryan Slifka, Sunday, August 9th

Psalm 113 affirms that life and the world are good, reliable and stable. The world is shot through with the divine and a place of awe and worthy of deep reverence.

Psalm 69: “Psalms of Disorientation” with Rev. Ryan Slifka, Sunday, August 16th

The psalms of disorientation admit that life is not as well-ordered as a simple naïve faith may pretend.

Psalm 27: “Psalms of New Orientation” with Rev. Ryan Slifka, Sunday, August 23rd

Psalms of new orientation see that life in the world is not safe, and is filled with heartache and danger. Yet, these Psalms trust in a brighter tomorrow based on past experiences.

Psalm 148: “Living in Praise and Trust” with Ingrid Hartloff Brown, Sunday, August 30th

The psalms as a whole are not meant primarily to be sung in worship. Rather, we are invited to come to worship in order that we might sing the songs in daily life. We may live lives of deep courage, conviction and hope in the face of life’s troubles.

Ingrid Hartloff-Brown was formerly Associate Pastor at Eagle Ridge United Church in Port Coquitlam, and is a candidate for Ministry in the United Church of Canada