Worship - Lesson 12

Psalms and Suggestions

Background Information for the Teacher

Objectives:

  1. The student can sing musical versions of psalms and express their meaning to God.
  2. The student can make useful suggestions to those who plan congregational worship which will help all to engage in more effective worship.

Preparation:

  1. Have Bibles for all.
  2. Have pencils/pens for all.
  3. Make a card bearing the citation of scriptures you want read and hand them to people in advance.
  4. Have copies for all of a sheet headed “Suggestions for Making Our Worship More Pleasing to God.”
  5. Have people prepared in advance to read the psalms and the songs.
  6. Have the quiz sheets ready to hand out.

Theme:

Many of the psalms express thoughts which we should express to God.

Lesson Plan for Conducting the Class

Introduction: (5 minutes)

  1. Welcome visitors by name. Check roll. Make announcements.
  2. Give quiz over last lesson and then discuss the answers.

Learning Experiences: (40 minutes)

  1. Q: What book in the Bible might be called a song book? (Psalms.) We are going to start our class today by reading some psalms and then singing a song based on that psalm. One of the best known psalms is Psalm 23. Someone will read this psalm. Think of David as a shepherd and knowing how a shepherd takes care of the sheep as this psalm is read. The shepherd saw to it that his sheep were never in want. He led them from green pasture to green pasture. He took them to still water because he knew they could not drink from rough water. He led them carefully where they should go. Even when they were in places where their enemies could get to them, the shepherd protected them with his rod and staff. He poured oil on their heads to care for wounds. From all of this the psalmist concludes that God will supply them fully with goodness and mercy and take them home to be with Him forever. Read psalm 23. Now let’s sing this psalm. The Lord’s My Shepherd.
  2. Now turn to Psalm 25. As we read, notice all the things David says he has because of his relationship with God. Read Psalm 25:1-9. Now sing “Unto Thee O Lord.”
  3. Many of the psalms are expressions of God’s greatness and power. Read Psalm 8:1. Our worship will grow as our understanding of the greatness of God grows. If we think of Him as powerful and majestic, we will worship Him with a greater sense of awe and respect. Now let’s sing “How Majestic is Your Name.”
  4. Read Psalm 46:1-11. Think of all the ways the psalmist says God protects. Sing “Be Still and Know.”
  5. (Hand our sheets of paper titled—Suggestions for Improving Worship at Our Congregation.) We are handing each of you a sheet of paper. Now that we have spent several weeks studying worship and participating in it together, we would like to see what suggestions you might have for helping our congregation to worship more effectively in our corporate worship. Think of ways in which you have benefited from things we have done in this class. Think of how we could make our assemblies more conducive to effective worship to God in the singing, the prayers, the Lord’s supper, the giving, the reading and explanation of God’s word. Your suggestion may have to do with the planning, the leading of worship, the conditions in the building, or any other way in which you think we could worship God more effectively. I’ll give you a few minutes to write down your ideas. We will forward these to those who plan our worship. You may or may not wish to sign your sheet. (Pause for about 6 minutes while people write. Judge how long to wait by how many have quit writing.)
  6. Now look at Psalm 100 and open to the song “All People that on Earth Do Dwell.” We will read a verse of the psalm and then a verse of the song. Notice how the hymn does not follow exactly the words of the psalm but how the author of the song weaves the thought of the psalm into his song. Now someone will read the first verse of the psalm followed by a reading of the first verse of the hymn. Now someone will read verses 2 and 3 of the psalm followed by verse 2 of the hymn. Now someone will read verse 4 of the psalm followed by verse 3 of the hymn. Finally, verse 5 of the psalm and verse 4 of the hymn. Now let’s sing the song.

Application:

  1. Read Psalm 121 and read the hymn Unto the Hills. Note the similarities and be prepared to sing it at the next class meeting.
  2. No quiz next time.

Evaluation:

  1. How well the group sings psalms with a comprehension of their meaning.
  2. Discussion of Psalm 121 next class period.

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