Excerpt

The precursor to this volume identifies the author as a modern Brother Lawrence with a contemporary practice of the presence of God. John continues his frequent visits with God with songs of praise and thanksgiving as he identifies the ideas and life styles, which separate us from our creator.

Dr. Etheridge practiced family medicine in Corpus Christi from 1955 to 2000, when the symptoms of Parkinsons Disease became so troublesome that he gave up the practice of medicine and began writing and doing volunteer jobs at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.

In early 1994, after a conference at Laity Lodge, a Texas hill country retreat center, he began writing psalms as a Lenten discipline. The conference leader had been an expert on the Psalter of David, and in the course of the weekend she challenged the group to write a psalm. John accepted the challenge, and found a new way to pray and build on his relationship with God. He shared his psalms with his family and close friends who were impressed, and urged him not only to persist but also find a way to have them published. The good people at TEMPLEGATE PUBLISHING COMPANY agreed with the family and friends, and in November 1996 THE PSALTER OF JOHN was published. All were delighted with the overall appearance and layout of the book, and felt that Templegate had done a wonderful job. John was overwhelmed with the reception the book received in this community and dumbfounded at the reception it received outside his close circle of family and friends. The ink wasn't dry on the first printing when his Rector, Ned Bowersox, was pushing him to start writing again. The Doctor went back to work and since he still talks to God as if He were his best friend, it wasnt long before Psalter II was well underway. The problems they talk about have not changed that much, but the reader may notice the effect the major illness on the author.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since Epiphany 1997. The day of infamy September 11, 2001 disrupted everyone. Johns personal catastrophes included colon cancer, bilateral cataract surgery, and Parkinson's Disease, which interrupted his work also. During Lent 2003 he resumed his writing and Psalter II was finished and is now ready for publication. One of the editors observed that this volume was not as joyous or carefree as Psalter I, and that may be true. The songs of praise and thanksgiving, which are the primary elements expressed in Psalter II and Psalter I, are generated by real life, and the life circumstances were not as joyous and carefree at the time Psalter II was written.

Another unpleasant occurrence was the death of Johns old friend, Hugh Garvey of Templegate Publishing Company who was responsible for the very handsome, first volume of psalms, The Psalter of John. He lost his battle with cancer in January 2003.

Here then is The Psalter of John II. Hopefully you will find it helpful in your quite time, and bring you close to your God and Creator.