Nov
10
2009
Integrating the Psalms into Congregational Life
Some congregations recognize the value of incorporating the Psalms into their worship services, but aren’t really sure how to do it. Our church has taken up the suggestion of Pastor Justin Childers and having been reading aloud a psalm per Sunday. But obviously more could be done.
I appreciate the thoughtful way that Christ the King Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC (pastored by Elliot Grudem) has sought to make the Psalms an integral part of their worship lives, both corporately and individually.
Bruce Benedict, their Director of Worship and Community Life (and who blogs at Cardiphonia), has put together resources for the church on the Psalms of Ascent. Each worship service has focused on a particular Psalm of Ascent. They composed original liturgies, congregational readings, old and new music, original artwork (on the bulletins), and preached a sermon on the Psalms. Devotional guides were prepared for adults and children; their community groups studying the Psalm, and they had Steve Brown recorded a reading of each one of the Psalms.
You can find all of the resources for this on their website.
Other congregations should feel free to utilize any and all of these materials.
6 Comments
Good post, JT.
My $.02 as to how to incorporate Psalms into congregational life: There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Look at the Book of Common Prayer. The Anglican lectionary and liturgy are steeped in the Psalms, and all the services — Morning and Evening Prayer and Holy Communion — include responsive Psalter readings.
As you speak of integrating the Psalms into congregational life it would be impolite if I did not make people aware of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America which has been singing the Psalms, a cappella, as their primary means of musical worship for over a hundred years. Their college, located in Beaver Falls PA, was founded by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America in 1848. I went to the school as a young believer, was introduced to singing the Psalms, complained about it sometimes, but would be very remiss if I did not praise the reading of the Psalms now. They are not a simple history book, I will so bold as to say that God has given us specific instructions on how to pray to and praise Him. And they are so profoundly contemporary they will bring tears.
This Anglican says amen to David. More christians need to lear how to sing the Anglican chants of the Psalms. That way you can sing the actual text of any Bible translation, and not have to change the words to fit a meter. These articles will explain chanting a bit better, here and here
It’s tough to get at first because that way of singing is so foreign to most people these days, but it is so worth the effort.
Honestly, as an Evangelical pastor, grown up non-liturgical, I have very little idea, outside of reading them, of how to use the Psalms in worship. I feel wayyy out of touch with the full counsel of worship options. My fairly obvious roadblock is that, in English, Psalms don’t rhyme like hymns. So how can they be sung? I have often wondered how the Jews sing them, since I’m pretty sure they don’t rhyme in Hebrew, either. Since I read music and play guitar and have sung in choirs I consider myself “pretty musical”. I have put Psalm 100 to a personal tune which helped me memorize it nothing flat. And I still remember it, and the tune after 22 years.
So, for all those reasons, I want to sing Psalms, but haven’t been able to. I feel like a liturgist caught in a Hymn-and-gospel-tune singing world.
I look forward to reading Justin’s and Evan’s links.
And, any other help you can direct me to.
Thanks
Pastor Terry Johnson of Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, GA, has this available:
http://www.amazon.com/Trinity-Psalter/dp/1884527078/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257917440&sr=8-1
It’s a small paper back Psalter, and you can sing many of the Psalms to very familiar hymn tunes. Our church uses it, along with old hymns, and new contemporary hymns as well. A good mix :)
At the church I go to here in London, we are in the habit of singing a Psalm at every service, and on Sundays, we have a Psalm as our first Scripture reading as well as sung. Must say it’s a truly edifying practice…