"This website goes along with Psalm Readings Activity Book 1, where I have turned Psalms from the Bible into questions. By simply answering the questions you have written your own psalm. For more details see an Example Of The Psalm Exercise. Click on Psalms People Have Written to see the Psalms I have used and read people's own versions.

Now that Psalm Readings has been available for 2 years, increasing numbers of people are using it to lead small groups, or as part of church services. See Psalm Readings Leaders to read some feedback.

My very grateful thanks goes to The People Who Made Psalm Readings Possible.

I am building up a list of Artists Interpreting The Psalms Today. I would be pleased to hear of any examples!"

The following article was written following one man's experience of the annual Psalm Readings weekend.

AMMERDOWN PSALM WRITING COURSE

A few weeks ago I went on a Residential Weekend at Ammerdown to experience a Psalm Writing course. I did not know what to expect, so it may seem paradoxical to say it exceeded my expectations but it did.

The Course trainer was Sarah Fordham, and she was helped organisationally and musically by Paula Dickson. These two bright young women are members of the Ichthus Christian Fellowship, which I had not heard of before the meeting; however, the workshops were anything but denominational. There was a rich spread of Christian traditions, including two retired C of E ministers, a Catholic, more evangelically based denominations, and myself, a Quaker attender. It was great to be able to share and discuss the Psalms together to gain insight, inspiration and creative vision.

Sarah has developed a unique approach to the Psalms. Her booklet (which course participants receive) is called a 'devotional and worship resource', and that is exactly what it is. What is brilliant about it is its simplicity. She enabled a very diverse group of people to come together and write their own psalms. This was quite magical. Everyone achieved! In my own case, over the weekend, I managed to write five 'psalms'. The booklet gives a structure as to how to do this and gives sixteen Psalms as model examples. One massive bonus of this approach is that one can take it away and continue after the course, which is certainly what I have done.

Two other important points need to be made. First, that the process she employs has I think three very direct application: one, that one is primarily engaged in an act of worship in attempting to emulate the Psalms for the Twenty-First Century; second, that one is also potentially engaged in creating literature; and thirdly, perhaps as important as the other two, the process is definitely a powerful form of personal therapy inevitably, issues come out either to yourself or if you choose within the group.

The other important point, which perhaps amazed me most, was what happened with the Psalms we had written. First, whilst on the course a booklet of our work was produced by Paula great recognition for all writers. But better still on the Sunday morning, Sarah and Paula constructed a 90 minute Sunday service based on our work and readings from the Bible (Paula did her great guitar and singing bit too). I have to say this was a fantastic experience it created real community and involvement. I guess I have to say that my favourite form of service is the good old Quaker silence but, if I had to do anything else, this would be it; outside the Quaker tradition I found this the best service I have ever experienced. And I would strongly recommend Quakers to get her in to work with them perhaps one Sunday even to have a change. I believe those who NEVER speak just might with this worshipful process!

So, my thanks go to Sarah and Paula for a great experience. I hope others will look out for her course, or better still get her down to work with their group.

James Sale, Attender, Bournemouth Friends, March 2007, published in Bournemouth and Swanage Monthly Meeting News and Views magazine for June/July 2007