Writing With the Psalms A Journey in New Thought

For the writers of the psalms, God was an entity "out there" somewhere. God was to be approached with humility, fear, and obedience. Many of the psalms are poignant appeals for God's intervention, because their authors faced difficult circumstances of war, illness, betrayal, spiritual distress, and sin. There are also many psalms that address God's goodness and majesty and rule over all creation. Some psalms are written as descriptions of a life well lived in the service of God. Some ask God for the healing redemption for a faithful servant who may have strayed.Unity and New Thought teach me that God is within me, and that I do not need to reach out to the heavens to contact God. Unity also teaches me that I have a personal responsibility for the way I behave and live. When interpreting the psalms with these two factors in mind, their language becomes more inner-directed, and more of a search for that "still, small voice" within each of us.

Lynn Murphy Mark is a retired nurse, teacher, and now an immigration specialist. Her 46 year career as a nurse gave her a broad understanding of human nature. After studying and journaling on the Psalms for years she gained a deep appreciation for their relevance in today's world. Several years ago she joined a Unity church and studies Unity teachings and New Thought concepts. With over 1,300 pages of journal entries for all 150 psalms the idea of "translating" the psalms using metaphysical concepts turned into a book. Each psalm is followed by her reflections from the journal entries.