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Pastor Peter Feenstra

Peter Feenstra was ordained as Minister of the Word in 1986. A 30-plus year veteran of gospel ministry, Pastor Feenstra has consistently served congregations in the northern portion of southern Ontario. Over the years he has served on various federation church committees, attended many general synods, and served on the board of our Seminary (CRTS). Gifted with clarity and a pastoral touch in writing, Rev. Feenstra has published several books including an explanation of the Canons of Dort (Unspeakable Comfort, 1997), a commentary on the book of Amos (You Only, 2004), a volume of meditations (Unseen Footprints, 2012) and most recently a primer on Reformed worship (Come Let us Worship the LORD, 2017).

There’s one more thing you should know about brother Feenstra: he has a very active sense of humour as the above photo demonstrates:)!

In this interview, Pastor Feenstra opens up about the joys and challenges of working on Christ’s Psalms, Our Psalms.   Enjoy!   Peter Holtvlüwer

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PH: Let me start by thanking you for your contribution to Christ’s Psalms, Our Psalms. Besides being invited, what drew you to participate in this project?

PF: First of all, thank you, Peter, for coaching me along and assisting me over the hurdles that I encountered!  You were encouraging me from the starting block to the finish line of this project.

I don’t recall any specific reason compelling me to participate. I was convinced that a Study Resource on the Psalms and an accompanying book of meditations (i.e. the Devotional) would serve teachers, pastors and others well, in studying and grasping this valuable part of the Old Testament.

After previously working on several books I was not only intrigued by the conceptual idea you initially presented but I was also looking forward to working on a publication with other colleagues. Unfortunately, and most likely the fault is mine, I had little contact with the other contributors.  I am looking forward to reading their submissions.

PH: Which particular Psalms did you work on? There was some (limited) choice in psalm assignments – was there anything special about this group for you?  

PF: I worked on Psalms 103-107. These psalms are rather lengthy. Once again I can’t say that there was a particular reason why I made these Psalms my second choice. I am glad I was able to spend some “quality time” with these psalms, since it forced me to look at aspects in them I might have otherwise skimmed over, giving them a passing glance, and never taken the time to discover.

PH: One of the key things you were asked to find were legitimate connections to Jesus Christ in each psalm. How did you find this task (difficult or…)? Did your psalms present any distinctive difficulties in this respect? Did you learn of any connections to Christ that were new to you?

PF: The emphasis is rightfully on the word “legitimate.” I found it to be most challenging to let these psalms speak their own Christology without me interfering with the intentions of the Holy Spirit.  Recognizing that Jesus is on every page of the Old Testament (and every Psalm) comes with a rather large caveat: I was very leery of imposing on the text some forced or artificial connection to Christ.  Having stated this, however, I must say that these Psalms confronted me in multiple ways with the wonder of God’s amazing grace in Christ.  Psalm 103, for example, has us fix our gaze upon the “benefits” that come to us through Christ, in whom we have forgiveness of sins, and removing our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.

Amazingly the Psalms not only speak of Christ but they draw him and his church together into one voice and song. Even as Jesus is the worship leader singing his own songs, He draws us in so that every Christian can pour out their hearts and souls with the words of the Psalms and know that they will be heard for Jesus’ sake. The Psalms shape how we relate to God; Christ and his people are immersed in the Psalms.  One of the things that always give me a sense of awe and wonderment is the manner in which the Scriptures speak of the cosmic significance of Christ. Psalms 103–107 are no exception, particularly what we find in Psalms 104 and 107 draw us to his work in creating and sustaining all things. Jesus is so much more than the lover of our souls.

PH: You are a full-time minister with plenty of demands on your schedule. How did you manage to work on CPOP alongside of your regular work? Did you encounter any special challenges? What sorts of things did you do to help you complete the assignment?

PF: As you well know, Peter, getting the work done on these Psalms became, quite unexpectedly, a real challenge for me. I received the assignment just before we were called to a new church. The work was initially put on hold as I made the transition to our new church family. The responsibility of preaching, teaching and getting acquainted with a new congregation was all that I could handle.  The “unexpected” challenge came shortly after our arrival in our new surroundings.  I went through an extensive period of anxiety and some other related health issues. I couldn’t get myself to do much work on the Psalms. It always appeared to be an insurmountable mountain. Interestingly, working on a separate publication on Reformed Worship gave me the confidence and ignited the spark which brought back enthusiasm for Christ’s Psalms, Our Psalms. In the end I was greatly comforted by the words of Psalm 103 that repeatedly turned my attention away from myself to “bless his holy name.” Working on these psalms had a very personal side-benefit. It led me to the “healthy self-talk” of Psalm 103.

PH: How many hours (on average) did you put into each psalm?

PF: I honestly have no clue how many hours I worked on these psalms. There were times that it seemed like a quarter century! 🙂 I preached on all the Psalms except one (Psalm 104); that in itself would have taken about 20-25 hours per psalm. Besides that, my consistory gave me several extra weeks at various points to work solely on the Psalms. I also spent a considerable amount of time on these psalms during pulpit exchange weeks.

PH: Tell us about one of the most interesting or surprising things that you learned in working on your psalms.

PF: The Word of the Lord is full of pleasant surprises. Each time I discover something I didn’t know or that I am rediscovering, it puts a smile on my face and makes my heart rejoice. When I unearthed some of these gems and treasures in the psalms I worked on, I often felt compelled to tell others about it. It is my prayer that this joy might be infectious, and that through the Study Resource and the Devotional, others may be led to rejoice in the Lord. One of the things that stood out for me was the marvellous way in which each of the psalms brings praise to the Lord. These psalms not only speak of God’s faithfulness and love in their content but also in their structure. They are woven together like a beautiful tapestry.

PH: How did the study of the Psalms impact you personally?

PF: This was an intense study and it took more out of me than I had expected or anticipated.  Yet the result was delightfully enriching, as I came to hear the voice of my Master, Jesus Christ, speaking in the Psalms.

PH: How do you think people in your church might use either CPOP’s Study Guide or Devotional? What benefits do you see in this material for ordinary Christians?

PF: I could see both parts of CPOP being used by members of our congregation.  I can foresee that the biggest interest will be in the meditations; my hope is that the meditations will serve as a springboard to get members interested in studying the book of Psalms in their Bible Study groups.

PH: Thank-you for taking the time to answer these questions. Did you wish to make any other comments about this project that might interest our readers?

PF: Martin Luther once described the Psalms as: “The Bible within the Bible”—the Scriptures in miniature.  How true! The book of Psalms which he and other reformers held dear has emboldened God’s people to proclaim his glory and confess His name to the nations.  As Reformed people we have an ongoing appreciation for the Psalms as they play an important role in our worship. I pray that through this project God’s people may gain a deeper appreciation for the Psalms to sing, read, and pray through them – quite simply, that we be immersed in them in order to profoundly shape how we relate to God.

**Fini**