THE PSALMS for WORSHIP OTHER PASSAGES of the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS used as the PSALM for the Day and as LITURGICAL SONGS The Book of Psalms contains wonderful prayers, exalted poems of praise, and deep expressions of longing and distress. No wonder these songs have been included in worship; they give us the words we need as we come into the presence of God. However, usually these psalms are not treated like the other Readings in our worship. The congregation doesn t just hear the psalm; they take part in an antiphonally reading of it. So the I in the psalm now becomes me. The we becomes our congregation. The people of God becomes the church. The Lord God becomes the Triune God as revealed by Jesus. Because these psalms are used this way by a New Testament Christian congregation, I am presented with some problems. But I don t want these problems to stop me using these wonderful psalms. I want to be able to get fully involved with them antiphonally. I want them to be my psalms. That s why I have written the following adaptions of them. In doing this I have been mindful of: The antiphonal construction I have taken pains to maintain the parallel repetition that is such an important part of the poetry of these songs. This repetition allows the psalms to be spoken antiphonally. It allows the pastor and congregation to present the message of the psalm together and to each other. It allows us to proclaim the faith we share. The language and verbal images But it is difficult to take up a psalm as mine when it uses words I don t understand, or images that have no real connection to me. What s more, I need to understand all this as I am reading it, right there in the worship service. Although thinking about the meaning of the psalm later might help me next time it crops up in worship if I remember my thoughts! But that doesn t help to make it a vital part of my worship this time. So I have tried to make the language and the images of the psalms relevant to life now. Whether I have done that well, is, of course, another matter. The emotion in the psalm It can be difficult to make a psalm mine when it is expressing a pain, a sorrow, a joyful praise, a confident faith, or some other emotion, that I am not feeling at the moment. Now, I don t want to ignore that psalm just because the writer is going through a crisis, a high point, or a life changing moment, that s outside of my experience at the moment. Nor do I want to force other worshippers to take on their lips emotions that they can t relate to in that time of worship. So for a psalm like that I have given a second version called Interacting with the psalm. I have adapted the psalm by letting the pastor present its message. He in effect becomes the psalm writer. The congregation s lines allow them to react to the emotion, or the faith, expressed in the psalm, as they try to understand it or take it in. Doing that may allow the congregation to discover that perhaps the psalm does speak to them. The setting of the psalm Some psalms are embedded in a particular event or situation (like the enthronement of a king), or in an Old Testament Jewish practice (like animal sacrifice), or a belief (like God s permanent choice of them as a nation). These settings for psalms do not apply in our New Testament faith. So, if I am going to use these Old Testament psalms they require a re-interpretation that moves them into the closest New Testament setting. The traditional solution of just taking on the Glory to the Father, and the Son... does not, it seems to me, move the psalm into the setting of New Testament faith. I have included brief introductory comments for these psalms, to explain a little about why and how I believe they can be re-interpreted. I guess I should consider the possibility that you may want to use these versions of the psalms in your worship services. So let me assure you that s fine with me. Go ahead. You may want me to suggest some words of acknowledgement. So how about: This version of the psalm by Neil Stiller, 2016. www.stillersite.wordpress.com Neil Stiller (www.stillersite.wordpress.com) Oct. 2017 (I imagine revisions will appear every now and then as field-testing demands changes, and as folk like you give me the gift of your criticism and suggestions.)
EXODUS 15:1b-11, 20-21 This is the song of praise the Children of Israel sang after their Exodus crossing of the Red Sea on their way to the Promised Land. The only situation I can think of when we as New Testament people could use a song like this would be as we anticipate the victory God gives us over death. So I have re-interpreted (and shortened) this song to fit this context. In the second version (interacting with the psalm) I have retained the original context. The congregation reacts to the worship leader as if he/she is one of the Israelites who has just crossed the sea. P: I am singing praise to the Lord. He has won a glorious victory. C: He has defeated the powers of sin and death. P: The Lord is a powerful defender, and he came to our rescue. C: He is our God, he deserves our praise and worship. P: The Lord fights for us. C: He is the mighty God. P: When sin and death came to overpower and destroy us, C: He overpowered them; he destroyed them. P: You, Lord, have awesome power. C: No one, Lord, can stand against you. P: When you unleash your awesome power C: everything is destroyed and consumed. P: In the words and deeds of your Son C: lies all your mighty power. P: Sin and death thought they had won when they nailed your Son to the cross. C: They boasted about their victory. P: But you raised your Son to life C: and sin and death found they had no power at all. P: There is no one like you, Lord. C: No one can ever match your awesome, glorious deeds. P: Join me in singing praise to the Lord. He has won a glorious victory. C: He has defeated the powers of sin and death. Interacting with the psalm P: I am singing praise to the Lord. He has won a glorious victory, by throwing horse and rider into the sea. C: So he destroyed your enemies? P: The Lord is a powerful defender, and he came to our rescue. C: And that s why you are praising and worshiping him! P: The mighty Lord fights for us. C: How did he rescue you? P: He threw Pharaoh s chariots and army into the sea, and the waves covered them. C: He drowned the whole army? (P facing altar) P: You, Lord, have awesome power. No one can stand against you. C: I don t think I want to face up to his power. P: When you unleash your awesome power everything is destroyed and consumed. C: Though to be there and see it all would be quite an experience. P: You just blow on the water and it obeys you, standing up like a wall. C: God did that so they could escape, didn t he? P: Our enemies said, we will follow them and wipe them out. C: But then he blew again, and they were wiped out.
P: There is no one like you, Lord. No one can ever match your awesome, glorious, deeds. C: Not if he does things like that. P: Join me in singing praise to the Lord. He has won a glorious victory, by throwing horse and rider into the sea. 1 SAMUEL 2:1-10 This is Hannah s prayer following the giving of her son, Samuel, to the Lord under the care of Eli, the priest. P: I rejoice in the Lord, for he has greatly blessed me. C: He has given me victory, and his rescue of me gives me great joy. P: The Lord alone is holy, there is no one like him. C: No one offers the protection he gives. P: Boasting is out of place, words of pride are inappropriate; C: for the Lord knows everything, and only his judgment counts. P: The might of the powerful is dashed to pieces, C: the weak are given strength. P: Those who were well fed are forced to beg for scraps, C: those who were hungry have plates piled with food. P: The barren woman has a big family, C: while the mother of many children is desolate and alone. P: The Lord brings both death and life, C: he lets people die, and he restores them to life. P: The Lord sends both poverty and wealth, C: he humbles people and lifts people up. P: He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from their distress, C: he gives them dignity and honour. P: For the Lord is in control of this world, C: it runs according to his will. P: He protects his faithful people, C: but evil doers stumble around in darkness. P: It is not one s own strength that gains the victory, C: for the Lord has the final say. P: The mighty God will reveal his power over all the earth, C: the Lord will judge the whole world. P: He will give strength to his people, C: and victory to his chosen ones. PSALM 51:10-12 These verses are commonly used in orders of service as an Offertory P: Create in me a new pure heart, God; C: and give me a new inner spirit of faithfulness to you. P: Do not throw me out of your presence, C: or take your Holy Spirit from me. P: Give me once again the joy that your salvation brings,
C: and nourish me with a willingness to obey you. PSALM 116:12-14 These verses are commonly used in orders of service as an Offertory P: What on earth can I give back to the Lord C: in return for his amazing goodness to me? P: I will charge my glass with the wine of his rescue C: and drink a toast of worship to my Lord. P: I will keep all the promises I have made to the Lord, C: my congregation will witness my obedience. ISAIAH 12 P: The time is coming when you will say: I give you praise, Lord. C: For although you were angry with me, you relented, and brought me comfort. P: Yes, God is my Saviour. I will trust him, and not be afraid. C: The Lord himself is my strong defender, he brought me rescue. P: Joyfully you will draw water from his well of salvation, saying as you do it: C: Give praise to the Lord. P: Tell everyone what he has done, C: Let them know the great things he does. P: Sing praises to the Lord for his glorious actions, C: So the whole world will know about him. P: Shout it out, sing with joy, all you chosen people of God, C: for how awesome is the holy One who lives among you! LAMENTATIONS 3:19-26 P: My suffering and pain is always in my mind, C: and that makes me tearful and depressed. P: But there is also something else I can t forget, C: and this gives me hope. P: The unfailing love of the Lord is always there, C: his compassion never stops and never ends. P: Every morning there it is. C: How limitless is his faithful love. P: I remind myself that the Lord is always there for me, C: and I can place my trust in him. P: The Lord is good to those rely on him, and reach out to him for help. C: It is good to wait quietly and patiently for the Lord s rescue.
LUKE 1:46-55 THE SONG OF MARY (The MAGNIFICAT) This psalm of praise is Mary s response to the news that she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of God. It is very similar to Hannah s response as she hands over her son, Samuel, to serve in the temple (1 Sam. 2:1-10). Both women praise God for the wonderful and unusual ways in which he works and achieves his purposes. When we use these words in our liturgy we are recalling the birth of Jesus and expressing OUR praise at the amazing ways in which God works. So this song of praise is (or can be) used as the psalm during the Advent season a very appropriate use. It is also used in the Vespers (evening) order of service. In the first version I have omitted (if that s the right word) Mary from the psalm and placed me (and you) in there instead. I have brought the psalm into the present allowing us to share the joy Mary experienced and the reason for it. In the second version I have stayed in the past. I have let Mary express her joy and I have reacted to what she is saying, trying to understand what she is going through. P: I can t hold back my boundless praise for the Lord, C: I am absolutely filled with joyful adoration for God my Saviour. P: He knows I m just an ordinary person, C: yet he has made me feel like I m the most important person in history. P: The almighty God has done great things for me C: (I find it hard to even say his awesome name.) All: He has given ME a new birth made me his child! P: He reaches out to envelop his chosen people in mercy, C: year after year, century after century. P: He steps in to perform marvelous, miraculous deeds C: the proud find their scheming and planning brought to nothing, P: those with influence and power are tipped off their pedestals, C: people of no account are given a new sense of self-esteem, P: the poor and destitute are showered with blessings, C: and the rich find themselves with nothing. P: He always helps his chosen people, C: never forgetting to show them mercy. P: He kept his promises of mercy in the past, C: and he will continue to do that forever. Interacting with the psalm P: I can t hold back my boundless praise for the Lord. I am absolutely filled with joyful adoration for God my Saviour. C: So what has happened? P: God knows I m just an ordinary person, yet he has made me feel like I m the most important person in history. C: Come on, tell me exactly what happened. P: The almighty God has done great things for me (I find it hard to even say his awesome name.) C: What great things? P: He has chosen me, Mary, to be the mother of the Saviour, his Son! C: Wow! Are you sure? P: Look, he reaches out to envelop his chosen people in mercy, year after year, century after century. C: And he has chosen you? P: Don t look so amazed. Don t you remember what happens when God steps in to perform
marvelous, miraculous deeds? C: Remind me. P: The proud find their scheming and planning brought to nothing, those with influence and power are tipped off their pedestals, C: That s right! And people of no account are given a new sense of self-esteem. P: The poor and destitute are showered with blessings, and the rich find themselves with nothing. C: So it s not surprising that God chose you! Well, it is; but maybe it shouldn t be. P: He always helps his chosen people, never forgetting to show them mercy. C: But to be chosen to give birth to his Son...! P: He kept his promises of mercy in the past, and he will continue to do that forever. C: Fancy God keeping his promises by choosing Mary! Makes you wonder whom he may choose next for some unlikely task. LUKE 1:68-79 THE SONG OF ZECHARIAH This is Zechariah s prophecy following the naming of his son, John the Baptist. He speaks about God s grace in sending the Saviour, and the task given to John to prepare the way for Jesus. When we use these words in our liturgy today we certainly don t understand this prophecy as Zechariah s contemporaries did as a future event. We are looking back recalling God s grace at work in John the Baptist, and expressing our praise for God s actions in history. This song of praise is used as the psalm during the Advent season a very appropriate use. It is also used in the Matins (morning) order of service. In the first version I have reinterpreted this psalm in a way that I can take part in today. I am expressing my praise to God for keeping his promises to his people, past and present and future, in the coming of Jesus. In the second version I have stayed in the past. I have let Zechariah express his praise and joy. And I have imagined the people of his day reacting to what he is saying, trying to understand his call to praise. P: Praise the Lord, all God s people, praise our God. C: He comes again and again to his people to rescue them. All: Praise him for his greatest rescue, achieved by his Son, the Saviour of the world. P: The coming of this Saviour was God s solemn promise to his people, C: His coming was announced by prophet after prophet. P: The Saviour would be a descendent of his chosen people, they said, C: he would rescue his people from all who wished them harm. P: The time came when God kept his promise. C: He acted in mercy, staying true to the covenant he had made with his people, P: the covenant guaranteeing rescue to Abraham and his descendants, C: so God s people could freely serve and obey him all their lives. P: Zechariah s son, John, became known as the prophet of the Most High God, C: for he came just before the Saviour to prepare the way for him. P: John came to tell God s people about his greatest rescue, C: the rescue brought about by the forgiveness of sins. P: This is the rescue granted by our loving and compassionate God, C: who shines from heaven like the sun. P: He shines on all those living in the darkness of death, C: revealing to them how to live in peace.
Interacting with the psalm P: Praise the Lord, all God s people, for he is coming to rescue us! C: Well, I wouldn t say no to some rescue! P: But this is a really special rescue, it s his gift of ultimate freedom! C: Tell me more. P: He is sending his promised Saviour, the one announced by prophet after prophet. C: The one we ve been waiting for? P: Yes, the descendent of our people, bringing rescue from all who wish us harm. C: I ve heard all this before, and nothing has happened. P: But now God is showing us his mercy, now he s going to keep his promises. C: Dare I begin to hope? P: He is being true to the covenant he made with us, the covenant guaranteeing rescue to Abraham and his descendents. C: The Saviour is really coming? P: We can look forward to freely serving him and obeying him all our lives. C: How can you be so sure about all this? P: My son, John, will become known as the prophet of the Most High God, he s going to announce the Saviour and prepare the way for him. C: Your son, who is not even crawling yet? P: He has been chosen to tell God s people about God s greatest rescue, the rescue brought about by the forgiveness of sins. C: That s the rescue God promised long ago. P: This is the rescue granted by our loving and compassionate God, who shines from heaven like the sun. C: I want so much to believe you. P: He shines on all those living in the darkness of death, revealing to them how to live in peace. C: Do I dare to believe you even to join you in praising God? LUKE 2:29-32 THE SONG OF SIMEON (The NUNC DIMITTIS) This is Simeon s song of thanks following his involvement in the presentation of the baby Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem. We use his words in our liturgy today as a Post Communion song, and in the Vespers (evening) and the Compline (end of the day) orders of service. P: Lord, you have kept your promise to me, your servant; C: please let me go now with your blessing. P: You have allowed me, with my own eyes, to see your salvation, C: which you have prepared in such a way that everyone can see it. P: It s a light revealing your salvation to people of all nations, C: and bringing honour and thanks to your chosen people.