The Psalms and the pursuit of Truth

It often occurs to me that the most objective part of the Old Testament we can connect with is the Psalms. Throughout history, critical or potentially subversive comment on society, government, politics and religion has been most likely to be deemed acceptable through the Arts. Want to pass heartfelt comment in an acceptable manner? Particularly in an authoritarian country? Go under the radar. Sleight of hand- write a pop song, a poem, slightly tongue in cheek and oblique. The band “Pussycat Dolls” are a good example of this in modern Russia, the poet Bimal Nibha in Nepal and famously Ai Weiwei in China. To my mind, the Psalms are in this way perhaps the most objective comment we can access on the way ancient people connected with God. Art offers a vehicle for expression which is often more palatable, and this more genuine. 

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It has always been a matter of great concern for me that the God of the Old Testament would seem to be entirely different from the God of the New. Paternalistic, authoritarian and controlling, condemning and expecting. Not as comforting as that of the- perhaps more maternal, loving God we read of in the New Testament. And yet Jesus absolutely fulfilled the prophecies from the Old Testament, the New Testament only stands on the shoulders of the ancient books of the Bible- and exists to fulfil them. 

Historians will always remind you that any source must be carefully evaluated, with analysis of authorship, provenance, context and purpose. It is important to remember that the Old Testament was compiled/shared and written over a vast period of 5000 years, with clear intent. It aimed to amalgamate details of a shared past to provide a collective identity to sustain a people in transition. The Jewish race, a religion without a homeland, cast adrift without governance. It offered rules and advisories, and a collective historical foundation which the Jewish people could identify with. 

As an historian that raises significant concerns in accessing the fundamental information contained within. Add in the lenses repeated translations layer on top of the intent and you have a melting pot of subjectivities. Tough for any Biblical scholar, let alone a lay person! None of this makes the content less relevant of course - it just takes the diligence required to access it up a level. It requires us to keep our senses alive as we apply the criteria of historical source analysis. Immersing ourselves in the content still holds value- but we should proceed with caution- and apathy. Here I am not referring to apathy in the laid back, “do nothing/feel nothing” sense we understand it in the West. I am referring to apatheos the Greek word which means the removal of prejudice and judgement- it’s more a reference the need to empty your mind of pre-conceptions to fully engage with a text in a less subjective manner. 

Of course much of this is true of the New Testament. Translated, written after the event(s) and with clear purpose other than objective recording. But the fact it was written closer to our own time, and that sections such as the Gospels offer (at times) corroboration and context helps enormously. And any challenges accessing the Truth contained within either section of the Bible is where a personal connection with God can help. 

In his theological work "On First Principles", Origen describes the human mind as endowed by God with a natural desire to know truth and the causes of things, and affirms that pursuing this truth brings real benefit and spiritual advantage rather than being idle or purposeless. Connecting with God is by definition the pursuit of Truth, since God is the source of Truth. But we can only ever access God’s Kingdom from our personal, human position & perspective, objective knowledge of the Truth that is God's is never fully possible. However, it is the intention to access it, and the pursuit of it which offers Christians enlightenment and purpose. This is why reading the Bible, thinking about it and opening yourself to its content is THE most important part of study, NOT the end conclusions. The pursuit of Truth is the pursuit of God as God is Truth. (Psalm 1 below)

To focus on God thus means in our human sense that we see or notice our ‘universe’ more objectively; but to do this we need to quiet our preconceptions, our human "passions" as Rowan Williams described in his book "Passions of the Soul". The noise of humanity, our natural instincts, judgements and preconceptions cloud our view and inhibit our understanding. The pursuit of Truth is therefore the desire to witness more of God's creation. This journey will alter our perceptions and this offers a greater awareness of His Kingdom. We are 'awakened'; our universe literally shifts. This is what it means to enter His Kingdom, and follow His path. Connecting with God in this manner however requires quiet and stillness, and practise. Something I for one am not particularly skilled at! 

Which brings me back to the Psalms. Because contained therein are the attempts of others to follow this path - this journey. We can learn a great deal from their meditative ponderings on the world in which they lived, their human state and the workings of God. Their uncensored attempts to record their efforts to seek enlightenment can perhaps provide us with more access to the Truth and God’s Kingdom than any other part of the Old Testament. Revered as works of beauty they largely escaped the masks of intent and purpose, and as such offer a true insight into the ancient people’s relationship with God. 

The word psalm comes from the Greek psalmos, meaning a song sung with the accompaniment of a stringed instrument, and reflects the Hebrew mizmor, a term used for sung prayer. From the outset, then, the Psalms are intended not simply to be read but to be voiced, heard, and embodied through music and rhythm. This musical origin helps explain their enduring place in Christian worship: the Psalms invite repetition, meditation, and emotional expression, allowing prayer to be shaped as something lived and experienced rather than purely intellectual. The Psalms sit right at the heart of Christian faith and practice. They function as the Bible’s main prayer book and hymn book, linking the worship of ancient Israel with the prayer life of Christians today. They speak honestly about the whole range of human experience – from overwhelming joy to despair, anger, and grief. Whatever life throws at us, the Psalms give us language to bring it before God making space for lament, doubt, fear, and anger, showing that none of these emotions are off-limits to God. They reassure us that God can cope with our honesty. The Psalms therefore encourage a way of life rooted in reflection on God’s word, the pursuit of Truth mentioned above. Psalm 1 in particular points to meditation and attentiveness as a means of shaping character and grounding faith in God’s ways. 

Psalm 1 reads like an invitation into a way of life. It sits at the very entrance to the Psalter for a reason: it teaches the reader how prayer, worship, and relationship with God are meant to take shape. 

Happy are those 

who do not follow the advice of the wicked, 

or take the path that sinners tread, 

or sit in the seat of scoffers; 

The psalm begins by slowing the reader down. It frames faith as a matter of orientation and attentiveness, encouraging discernment about what we absorb, imitate, and dwell among. Worship here starts with attention and choice. 

The heart of the psalm comes next: 

but their delight is in the law of the Lord, 

and on his law they meditate day and night. 

This is one of the clearest biblical descriptions of meditative prayer. “Meditate” here doesn’t mean analysing or mastering the text, but lingering with it – returning to it repeatedly, letting it shape thought, imagination, and desire. Prayer becomes less about speaking and more about dwelling. 

The image that follows deepens this sense of quiet rootedness: 

They are like trees planted by streams of water, 

which yield their fruit in its season, 

and their leaves do not wither. 

Growth here is unforced and unhurried. Fruit comes in its own time. The psalm suggests that a life grounded in God’s word leads naturally to stability, resilience, and life-giving presence – not through effort, but through sustained closeness to God. 

For Christian worship and prayer, Psalm 1 offers a framework rather than a script: 

• Prayer as attentiveness rather than constant speech 

• Worship as formation over time 

• Faith as rootedness, not performance 

Read alongside Psalm 63, a Psalm of prayerful, meditative worship, the two psalms speak to each other: Psalm 1 describes the shape of a life oriented towards God, while Psalm 63 shows what that life sounds like when it breaks into prayer. 

Psalm 63 is a Psalm of prayerful, meditative worship, widely used in Christian worship and prayer because it combines adoration, longing, and quiet attentiveness to God in a very meditative way. Psalm 63 is traditionally understood as a prayer spoken in the wilderness, and that sense of stripped-back, focused attention on God runs all the way through it. Rather than asking for lots of things, the psalm dwells on being with God.

O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; 

my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, 

as in a barren and dry land where there is no water. 

This opening sets the tone for Christian prayer: God is addressed directly, desire is named honestly, and prayer begins with longing rather than words or action. It’s prayer as attention. Later, the psalm moves into reflection and remembrance: 

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, 

beholding your power and glory. 

Because your steadfast love is better than life, 

my lips will praise you. 

Here worship grows out of contemplation. The psalmist reflects on who God is, and praise follows naturally. This is why the psalm works so well liturgically: praise isn’t forced, it flows from awareness of God’s presence. The most explicitly meditative moment comes here: 

I think of you on my bed, 

and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 

for you have been my help, 

and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. 

This is prayer that continues beyond formal worship into stillness, memory, and inner reflection. God is not distant, but close and protective, inviting trust and rest. Why Psalm 63 works especially well for Christian worship 

• It models prayer that begins with desire for God, not self-justification. 

• It balances praise with quiet reflection. 

• It encourages prayer as something that happens throughout life, not just in church. 

• It fits naturally with Christian ideas of abiding in God’s presence. 

Read together, Psalm 1 and Psalm 63 offer a complementary vision of Christian prayer and worship. Psalm 1 provides the framework for a meditative life with God, presenting prayer as sustained attentiveness through delight in and meditation on the law of the Lord “day and night.” Its image of the tree planted by streams of water suggests a spirituality rooted in patience, stability, and formation over time. Psalm 63, by contrast, gives voice to what such a life sounds like in prayer: a direct, intimate expression of longing, praise, and trust in God’s presence. The psalm’s movement from desire to contemplation, particularly in its night-time meditation on God, embodies the interior life Psalm 1 commends. Together, the two psalms show Christian prayer as both a way of life and a lived relationship – shaped by attentiveness to God and expressed in honest, meditative communion.

Ultimately, the Psalms encourage Christians into a deeper relationship with God, offering raw experience and emotion whilst providing support for those who seek enlightenment today.

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Postscript - writing this post has been quite a journey in itself, one which I am still on! The analysis of the two psalms above has only been possible thanks to the scholarship of others, I can't take credit for the scaffolding on which my analysis is based. This reading follows established interpretations of Psalm 1 as an introduction to a meditative life shaped by Torah (Mays; Brueggemann), read alongside Psalm 63 as an expression of lived, embodied prayer (Bonhoeffer; Augustine). I am still reading...