Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

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‘Heart of a Psalmist’ , by Dr. Giovanni Traettino

Reflecting on the “divine appointments” that have enriched me and left their mark on my life, I real- ize that my encounter with Mike Herron has been one of the deepest and most important.

It was he who introduced me to the revelation and the experience of a freer and more joyful expression of praise, a deeper and more intimate worship. I shall always be grateful to him for having transmitted to me an experience that has become a vital and irreplaceable part of my life. In Heart of a Psalmist we have the “ripened fruit” of a life of worship. I found myself looking at an inter- pretation of the Psalms which, as well as being deeply in tune with the New Testament and solidly Christ- centered, I discovered was also intensely autobiographical. The book of Psalms, used by Christians down through the centuries in their prayer and worship, has now become his! It has become his special place of identification with Christ. The references to his own life story are unmistakable. I was reminded of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible. In a style that sometimes touches poetic heights, he shares with us the distress of a worship leader ex- iled from the public expression of worship and the struggles of his battle to overcome discouragement; the terror of his descent into the abyss of a sinful heart and the cry of a broken man from the labyrinth of a bewildered and troubled conscience; the struggles of his renewed search for the lost oasis in the desert and his rediscovery of freedom from the torments and pitfalls of life. Everything, without excep- tion – joy and pain, suffering and healing, defeat and triumph, cross and resurrection – is turned into wor- ship! In short, through a narrative rich in color and emotion, he reaffirms his intense passion for worship and his outstanding sensitivity as an interpreter as, Psalm after Psalm, taking us by the hand, he leads us back to the Throne and helps us to rediscover the secret of the Source – in every season of life, and with the heart of a psalmist!

A book to savor in every believer’s daily meditations and a rich source of inspiration for worship lead- ers, Christian workers and pastors.

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