Reflections on the Psalms C S Lewis Scripture & Second Meanings - 3/28/2012

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1 Lord, open our lips, And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Reflections on the Psalms C S Lewis Scripture & Second Meanings - 3/28/2012 Overview Before we move into the exercise of cross-referencing Psalms to New Testament passages, it is worth taking a quick look at Lewis view of scripture. Basic Tenets: Lewis never regards any narrative unhistorical simply on the ground that it includes the miraculous having found no philosophical grounds for the universal negative proposition that miracles do not happen However, he does not view the every sentence of the OT has historical or scientific truth. Acknowledges the human element in story telling (and re-telling), redacting and canonization, but sees all as being guided by God s hand and compelled by God for God s purposes. OT consists of a variety of literary examples (chronicles, poems, moral & political diatribes, romance) but all in service of God s word, if not all in the same way (prophets wrote with purpose, chronicles recorded history and the author of Song of Songs might not even have expected to be published ) The total result is not the Word of God in that every passage is impeccable. It carries the Word of God and we receive the word not as through encyclopedia or encyclical but by steeping ourselves in its tone or temper and so learning its overall message. We are not given a neat tidy package either in the written word, in Jesus himself (an elusive teacher at best) or in St. Paul (Lewis wonders why God, after giving him so many gifts, withheld that of lucidity and orderly exposition.) Reaching the Voice of God through the totality of the Psalms (even the cursings), Lewis gained something not possible through systematic exegesis a view of the light from the shadows. OT has value to us because of its value to Jesus (journey to Emmaus) A view on Second Meanings (Psalms found in NT) Three ways to view prophecy (as in prevision, not as in truth telling) not being used as Evidence of Christianity; Evidences are not our subject 1. A holy person explicitly states a certain creature exists in the universe, which is later discovered on a remote planet. According to Lewis, this is prophecy in the strictest sense. [prevision/prescient] 2. An unscientific writer of fantasies invents a creature for artistic reasons, which is later discovered. This is writer s luck. [imaginative] 3. A great biologist, illustrating the relation between organisms and their environment invents a hypothetical animal in a hypothetical environment. Insight and knowledge led to his invention so, upon its discovery he is not surprised, but recognizes it. [deductive/inductive] Plato imagined a righteous man treated by all around him as a monster of wickedness. He is talking about the fate of goodness in a wicked world which was perfectly illustrated by the Passion. He didn t foreshadow this because he was lucky, but because he was wise. One other point of view to consider before we look at the working out of Psalms in the NT is the idea of Prospective vs. Retrospective. As the Psalmists wrote out of their daily, lived experiences were they being used to create second Christian meanings (for generations of proof-texters) and/or as Jesus experienced the Hebrew scriptures poring over them, delighting in them, writing them on his heart was he preparing a rich database that would serve him (and other NT writers) in his current life.

2 Review Psalms/NT Handout QUESTIONS: How is our reading of NT scripture influenced by our point of view (prospective/prophetic; retrospective/assimilative)? How does your experience of the psalms/scripture change if we move away from the idea of looking for evidence? Do you think David and other psalmists were writing for future retellings? Do some of the psalms have a personal flavor (like having your love letters published?) What examples do we have of pulling scripture (or other writings spiritual, historical or other) into the narrative of our lives? During this series, what was exciting, challenging, new, disturbing?

3 Excerpts from Psalm 22 a cry of anguish and a song of praise My God My God My God My God [interlude] My God, Why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from me? Why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from me? The assembly of the wicked has enclosed me, the assembly of the wicked has enclosed me. Be not far from me, trouble is near. Be not far from me, there is none to help. Be not far from me, far from me. O come, O come, Emmanuel. They have pierced my hands and feet, my hands and feet. They have pierced my hands and feet, my hands and feet. They have pierced my hands and feet, my hands and feet. They pierced my hands and feet but You, O Lord, Be not far from me: O my strength, hasten to help me! I will declare your name in the midst of the assembly I will praise You. For the kingdom is the Lord s, the kingdom is the Lord s, And none can keep alive his own soul. Why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from me? Why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from me? Help me!

4 Psalm 22 notes Although a very appropriate setting for a Lenten series, this movement was part of a larger work, Requiem. The following are excerpts from various program notes from the composer, Brad Ellingboe. I wrote the piece during a sabbatical I took during the Fall semester of I was about 3 weeks into the sabbatical when the events of 9/11 took place. I paused in my work for a week or so, to debate what effect, if any, those events would have on the shape of my piece. Ultimately I decided to proceed as originally planned, for I came to the conclusion that death is always with us, as is the promise of the Gospel. The first half of the Requiem climaxes in Movement 4 with the chorus nearly screaming the question Why Have You Forsaken Me? (from Psalm 22), which portrays the confusion, frustration and anger that often accompany the loss of a loved one. The first half then closes with the fifth movement, a setting of The Lord s Prayer - that most perfect of prayers - extending the hope that, despite our loss, things will work out. My setting of The Lord s Prayer actually pre-dates the writing of the Requiem, and I decided to use it as the centerpiece, both literally and musically, of this larger composition. Musically, its motive of tonic/leading tone/fifth is found throughout the Requiem, and structurally the movement ends the first half of the piece. Thus, if movement 4 is the nadir of our emotions ( My God, why have you forsaken me? ), then praying this most perfect of prayers in movement 5 provides the antidote. The Requiem s 4th movement very effectively communicates not only the foreshadowing of Jesus last words, but also expresses the depth of grief at the loss of a loved one and takes us through the emotional continuum of chaos (the strident beginning chords) through agitated, angry questioning ( why have you forsaken me ). Ellingboe inserts a nod to the incarnational solution with O Come Emmanuel, followed by a conscious musical expression, punctuating They pierced my hands and feet which relaxes into to the solid, lyrical bedrock ( I will declare your name in the midst of the assembly I will praise You ) and the overshadowing lead into his 5 th movement (The Lord s Prayer) with the phrase again from Ps 22 For the kingdom is the Lord s. The emotional turmoil is not over, but the fury of the storm has abated to an exhausted, wearied reprise of why have you forsaken me ending in the wispy, weary-worn Help me. We can easily imagine Jesus own roller coaster as He recalled and repeated these words read, studied and sung often during his formation and into adulthood. Let us enter into this Psalm with the full breadth of our emotional experiences. PSALM 22 Note the interlude at the beginning of the Psalm. Lots of space between first words and beginning of choral piece. Think of our conversation about intimacy & silence. Sometimes there are no words, but when the words DO come they come with passion & power.

5 Pay attention to the pierced my hands and feet there s an underlying part that was intended to replicate the sound of nails being driven. Remember Lewis musings on you like praise? If you do this, I will praise you during the melodic piece I will declare one of the sweetest, richest parts. Most of this section is in harmonies, see how it comes together in unison at the end on the word You Think of the musical interludes as Selah in the psalms and use it as a time to reflect on what was just sung. At the end for the kingdom is the Lord s do you think Jesus might have been influenced by this part of the psalm when he gave his disciples the way to pray Thy kingdom come as well as in so many of his parables about the kingdom? There is only one first time I ve listened to this a lot over the past 5 weeks in anticipation of tonight this is your first time..enjoy it. Psalms in the New Testament 2:1, 2 Acts 4:25, 26 2:7 Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5 ; 5:5 2:8, 9 Revelation 2:26, 27; 12:5; 19:15 4:4 Ephesians 4:26 5:9 Romans 3:13 6:3a John 12:27 6:8 Matthew 7:23; Luke 13:27 8:2 Matthew 21:16 8:4-6 Hebrews 2:6-8 8:6 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22 10:7 Romans 3:14 14:1c, 2b, 3 Romans 3: : Acts 2: :10b Acts 13:35 18:2b Hebrews 2:13 18:49 Romans 15:9 19:4 Romans 10:18 22:1 Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34 22:7 Matthew 27:39; Mark 15:29; Luke 23:35 22:8 Matthew 27:43 22:18 John 19:24; compare Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34 22:22 Hebrews 2:12 24:1 1 Corinthians 10:26 [28] 31:5a Luke 23:46 32:1, 2 Romans 4:7, 8

6 34:8 1 Peter 2:3 34: Peter 3: :20 John 19:36 35:19b John 15:25 36:1b Romans 3:18 37:11a Matthew 5:5 38:11 Luke 23:49 40:6-8 Hebrews 10:5-7 41:9 John 13:18 41:13 Luke 1:68 42:5 Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34 44:22 Romans 8:36 45:6, 7 Hebrews 1:8, 9 48:2 Matthew 5:35 51:4 Romans 3:4 53:1-3 Romans 3: :22 1 Peter 5:7 62:12 Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:6 68:18 Ephesians 4:8 69:4 John 15:25 69:9a John 2:17 69:9b Romans 15:3 69:21 Matthew 27:34, 48; Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36; John 19:28, 29 69:22, 23 Romans 11:9, 10 69:25 Acts 1:20 72:18 Luke 1:68 78:2 Matthew 13:35 78:24 John 6:31 82:6 John 10:34 86:9 Revelation 15:4 88:8 Luke 23:49 89:10 Luke 1:51 89:20 Acts 13:22 90:4 2 Peter 3:8 91:11, 12 Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:10, 11 91:13 Luke 10:19 94:11 1 Corinthians 3:20 94:14 Romans 11:1, 2 95:7-11 Hebrews 3:7-11, 15, 18; 4:1, 3, 5, 7 97:7 Hebrews 1:6 98:3 Luke 1:54

7 102:25-27 Hebrews 1: :17 Luke 1:50 104:4 Hebrews 1:7 105:8, 9 Luke 1:72, :10 Luke 1:71 106:45 Luke 1:72 106:48 Luke 1:68 107:9 Luke 1:53 109:8 Acts 1:20 109:25 Matthew 27:39 110:1 Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42, 43; Acts 2:34, 35; Hebrews 1:13. Compare. Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; 16:19; Luke 22:69; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12, 13; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22 110:4 Hebrews 5:6; 6:20; 7:17, :9a Luke 1:68 111:9c Luke 1:49 112:9 2 Corinthians 9:9 116:10 2 Corinthians 4:13 117:1 Romans 15:11 118:6 Hebrews 13:6 118:22, 23 Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10, 11; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:4, 7 118:25, 26 Matthew 21:9; 23:39; Mark 11:9; Luke 13:35; 19:38; John 12:13 132:5 Acts 7:46 132:11 Acts 2:30 132:17 Luke 1:69 135:14a Hebrews 10:30 140:3b Romans 3:13 143:2b Romans 3:20 146:6 Acts 4:24; 14:15

8 Look down, O Lord, from your heavenly throne, and illumine this night with your celestial brightness; that by night as by day your people may glorify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen. Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace. Lord, you now have set your servant free to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see: A Light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God. The almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us. Amen. An Order for Compline (Bold indicates spoken in unison) The Lord Almighty grant us a peaceful night and a perfect end. Amen. The angels of God guard us through the night, and quieten the powers of darkness. The Spirit of God be our guide to lead us to peace and to glory. It is but lost labour that we haste to rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of anxiety. For those beloved of God are given gifts even while they sleep. Let us confess our sins to God. We have wounded your love. O God, heal us. We stumble in the darkness. Light of the world, transfigure us. We forget that we are your home. Spirit of God, dwell in us. GENERAL THANKSGIVING Let us bless the Earth-maker, the Pain-bearer, the Life-giver, let us praise and exalt God above all forever. Lord, it is night. The night is for stillness. Let us be still in the presence of God. It is night after a long day. What has been done, has been done; what has not been done, has not been done; let it be. The night is quiet. Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,

9 all dear to us, and all who have no peace. The night heralds the dawn. Let us look expectantly to a new day, new joys, new possibilities. In your name we pray. Amen. O God of love and mercy, grant us, with all your people, rest and peace. Amen. Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor: Eternal Spirit, living God, in whom we live and move and have our being, all that we are, have been, and shall be is known to you, to the very secret of our hearts and all that rises to trouble us. Living flame, burn into us, cleansing wind, blow through us, fountain of water, well up within us, that we may love and praise in deed and in truth. May the Almighty God grant us forgiveness of all our sins, and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. PSALM 22 setting from Ellingboe s Requiem Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 Thanks be to God. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; For you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth. Keep us, O Lord, as the apple of your eye; Hide us under the shadow of your wings. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. During interlude of Requiem Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lord, hear our prayer; And let our cry come to you. Let us pray. Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.