Introduction to the Psalms

How do 21st century Americans use poetry written 2500 years ago for the Jewish community? What about songs written for kings or how do we sing psalms that were written about Jesus? What do we do with Psalms that ask God to do terrible things to people and their babies? If we are going to learn to sing and use the Psalms in worship we need to have a solid understanding of the different kinds of Psalms as well as an understanding of how to interpret and apply them to our lives.