by Ray Waddle
Upper Room Books, $14
Reviewed by Jane Hines
At first I thought
I would say that this book about the Psalms is as timely and interesting
as the morning newspaper, because it’s written by a first class
journalist, Ray Waddle. But actually, I think this book is better than
that.
If you are reading at the breakfast table, you can
choose the latest news about wrecks, murders, economic trends, and bombings
in the Middle East, all on the front page of the paper. Or you can read
a psalm and a commentary every morning just to enjoy the fresh phrases
and original ideas in this book by Ray Waddle, newspaperman. Or you can
read the newspaper and then read the book just to improve your chances
of having a better day. Or read this book at night instead of having dessert.
It might be helpful to start your day with this
comment on Psalm 85: “And so two vast spirits seek each other —
the human heart and the spirit of the Lord God. This goes to the center
of the secret narrative of each day.”
Or consider Psalm 1 as Waddle does: “And I
sit there, still as a tree despite the stress of an ordinary Tuesday,
and think from a place where the smoke has cleared and creativity and
refreshment stir.”
Waddle’s comment on Psalm 2 includes this:
“Every day the stage of mind and heart opens on the possibility
of God — sometimes remote, other times vivid and hot to the touch.”
Every psalm from one to 150, gets talked about in this wonderful book.
They come alive and seem to be written about what’s happening now.
Ray Waddle was religion editor at The Nashville
Tennessean for 17 years. For the past two years, he has written a
column and several feature stories for Presbyterian Voice on
a regular basis. He teaches a writing class at Vanderbilt Divinity School,
where he received a master’s degree in religious studies before
joining the staff of the Tennessean.
On the back cover of Ray’s book, Will Campbell
has written: “If there was to be a down-to-earth book on the Psalms,
Ray Waddle is the one to do it. Lovers of the Psalms are beholden to him.”
Ray Waddle and Will Campbell will both be appearing
at the 16th Annual Synod Communications Seminar in Brentwood, Tennessee,
April 26-28. The public is invited to these events at no charge. For details,
see story on page 7 of this issue of the
Voice.
 
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