Psalms

Paul Westermeyer (sacred music guy from Luther Seminary) calls the Psalms "the hymn book of the church", but there's so much in there that I personally wouldn't want to be singing about. Monastics often read through all the Psalms either every week or every month, so there's something cool there right? Well, I find myself in the unenviable position of thinking that a whole lot of the Psalms are kind of whack, which is a pretty un-cool and unpopular thing to say. However, they (like all scripture) are strong enough to withstand scrutiny, so I go on without fear. SO, I'm reading 5 Psalms in the morning thinking that I'll be totally absorbed into their poetic beauty and gorgeous lament. Yeah, that's there for sure but buried in a whole lot of Psalms about how God's favor will bring the military defeat of the Psalmist's enemies, and how these enemies apparently spend all their time planning strategy for the ruin of this poor guy. I realize that the covenant with Israel and the political reality therein is just a bit different than the current state of the US, but I'm not sure that the Religious Right shares this understanding. The RR need only look to the Psalms to bolster their certainty that the US has "Most Favored Nation" status in the eyes of The Almighty. This takes a bit of hubris.
Perhaps another way of reading the bits about enemies and defeat and whatnot, would be to think of our pride and selfishness as being the enemy which plots against us and the Psalms as a plea for God's help in our struggle with self.

Comments

[Ruth]

Hi Nadia - I hear what you're saying about the Psalms; I'll look there for comfort or some wise word and get violence and pleas for God to take out those who've spoken against the psalmist. But I also think the Psalms have a chameleon quality. One Psalm that will leave me completely cold in the light of day, will go to the core of me in the dark of night. Psalm 22 - "I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death." This doesn't say much to or about me 99% of my life, but the times I'm in the other 1% of my life, these words name the fear like nothing else, and remind me that I'm not the first human to experience these depths. The Psalm comes alive then, and slips away from me as my life eases up.

As a Presbyterian M.Div recipient, I'm grateful to have studied Greek and Hebrew - so I'm all for getting back to the fullness of the original language. But I also like some paraphrases, especially Nan Merrill's "Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness." She works with an overarching theme (wholeness) and recasts the Psalms in that light - a whole new reading. You might like . . .

Peace,
Ruth