Forgotten Songs: Reclaiming the Psalms for Christian Worship

by Ray Van Neste; Richard Wells

Publisher:

B&H Books

, 2012

Overview

Many in the church have forgotten the Psalms. They may still be read, but the rich history of using them as the backbone of Christian worship (from the earliest days of the church until the 19th century) is unknown. For some the thought of praying or singing the Psalms, alone or with others, is entirely foreign. In this we are out of step with our forebears in the faith; we are an oddity in the history of the church and duly suffer for it.

Drawn by the rich spiritual depth produced in so many who have invested themselves in the Psalms, Forgotten Songs seeks to reclaim the content in various areas of worship. This book first examines biblical and historical foundations for the use of the Psalms in worship. The Old Testament and New Testament are revisited noting the nature and purpose of the Psalms and how they were used. Examples of the Psalms being employed by the Church Fathers and throughout the Reformation are also explored.

The second section of the book examines specific ways of using the Psalms in our worship today. These aren't abstract ideas or suggestions but are examples from the personal and corporate lives of individuals who have been significantly impacted by the Psalms. From group singing of the Psalms, to praying Psalms publicly and privately, to pastoral care and the place of lament, Forgotten Songs will help others remember to actively use the Psalms in their own worship lives, individually and corporately.

Contributors include such academicians and authors as Craig A. Blaising, Douglas Bond, Randall Bush, Jack Collins, Chad Davis, J. Michael Garrett, James H. Grant, Jr., James Richard Joiner, Ray Ortlund, Leland Ryken, Calvin Seerveld, Justin Wainscott, and John D. Witvliet along with editors Ray Van Neste and C. Richard Wells.

Key Features

• Helps worshipers rediscover how the Psalms provide language for difficult emotions alongside rejoicing.
• Cover topics like singing Psalms corporately, private devotion with Psalms, lament, pastoral care, and how the Psalms shape emotions and theology in both public and personal worship.
• Explores both the scriptural and historical role of the Psalms—how they were used in the Old Testament, in early Christian worship, and through the Reformation

Contents

Section 1: Biblical and Historical Foundations

• Words to Grow Into: The Psalms as Formative Speech - John D. Witvliet
• Always Alleluia: Reclaiming the True Purpose of the Psalms in the Old Testament Context - C. John Collins
• Ancient Songs and Apostolic Preaching: How the New Testament Laid Claim to the Psalms - Ray Van Neste
• Prepared for Prayer: The Psalms in Early Christian Worship - Craig A. Blaising
• Biblical Poetry in a Postbiblical, Postpoetry World - Douglas Bond
• Delighting in Doctrine: Word and Worship in Psalm 1 - Ray Ortlund Jr.

Section 2: Practice

• How I Introduced Psalm Singing to My Church Without Getting Fired! - James H. Grant Jr.
• Reclaiming the Psalms in Pastoral Prayer: A True Story - C. Richard Wells
• Reclaiming the Psalms for Private Worship - Leland Ryken
• Why We Need to Learn to Cry in Church: Reclaiming the Psalms of Lament - Calvin Seerveld
• Performing the Psalms: Reclaiming the Psalms for Corporate and Communal Worship - James Richard Joiner
• The Cry of the Heart and the Cure of the Soul: Interpreting the Psalms for Pastoral Care - C. Richard Wells
• The Psalm of the Cross as the Psalm of the Christ - C. Richard Wells
• Conclusion - C. Richard Wells

Appendices

• A Modern-Day Psalmist Looks at the Psalms: An Interview with Marty Goetz
• Songs to Be Sung: Examples of New Metered Psalms for Singing by Randall Bush, Chad Davis, and Justin Wainscott
• Resources for the Recovery of the Psalms in the Life of the Church: A Bibliographic Essay - J. Michael Garrett

Product Details

• Title: Forgotten Songs
• Authors: Ray Van Neste, Richard Wells
• Publisher: B&H Books
• Print Publication Date: 2012
• Logos Release Date: 2012
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• ISBNs: 9781433678394, 9781433671784, 1433671786, 143367839X
• Resource ID: LLS:9781433678394
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2026-01-09T20:54:15Z