In this workshop, we approach the Psalms with the assumption that reading them is more like having a conversation with other people than analyzing an object or mining for jewels. The shift of perspective makes it more difficult to keep the Psalm at arm’s length and opens us up to being influenced and changed by the voices we hear speaking to us. During the workshop, we will have the opportunity to read and meditate on individual psalms, and we will discuss questions such as: “Why is there poetry in the Bible?” “How do we read the poetry of the Psalms?” “What am I doing as I read and listen to the speakers in the Psalms?” “What is the speaker doing to me as I listen to him?” “How do we meditate on the Psalms?” “How can we teach others to use the Psalms for their own spiritual growth?” It is hoped that our time together will bring us closer to each other as well as closer to our Lord, who speaks to us in and through the Psalms. (3.0 CEU)