October 2008

Psalms (Edgar Swann)

Archdeacon Edgar Swann

There has been much discussion over the last while about the use of psalms in our church worship. Congregations often find Anglican chanting very difficult, and as it has declined in use, the singing of psalms has declined with it.

This is a great shame. The psalms are a vast treasury of the expression of a great range of human emotions and experiences, both at the personal level, but especially of the community of God's people. psalms can be used in various ways: they can be said or sung with a response, they can be sung to very simple tunes.

The psalms are a vital part of our worship tradition, and need to be rediscovered. No Parish Eucharist should be celebrated without the psalm set for that day, and indeed, should always contain the Old Testament reading as well. The Ministry of the Word is impoverished without them.

Many commentators have classified the psalms under various headings and sub-headings depending on the content. I prefer to simplify them under five main headings:

(i) Hymns

Jewish worship often expresses sheer joy in worshipping God, who is worthy of worship because he is God. One such psalm is our Venite, Psalm 95, which is a hymn calling God's people to worship. Other psalms of this type would 145 to 150. Some were obviously sung by pilgrims, for example, Psalm 122, which begins: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go up to the house of the Lord. Others, such as 47, 93, 95 to 100, and 150, were used at particular times, and for festivals, etc.

(ii) The Communal Lament

These were used in times of national affliction or disaster, times of defeat in war, or in drought and the failure of crops. Examples are 44, 74, 79 and 80. They tend to follow a pattern of an appeal for fasting, penitence and prayer. There is a call for God's help and often a reference to His past goodness.

(iii) Royal psalms

The king had an important role in the life and worship of Israel, and some of the psalms show this clearly. Psalms 2 and 110 were probably written for the accession of a king to the throne. Psalm 45 is obviously the occasion of a royal wedding. Psalm 18 celebrates victory over his enemies. The psalms are often interpreted Christologically.

(iv) Individual Lament

These often take the form of an acknowledgement of sin and a cry to God for help. Sometimes there is the imagery of being overcome by the waters of the underworld or the clutches of death. Often there is a reference to sickness. Psalms 3, 5, 6, 7 and 42 are examples, but the best known one is Psalm 51, known as Miserere, written by David after the Bethsheba affair. It is traditionally used in the Litany of Ash Wednesday.

(v) Individual Songs of Thanksgiving

These are often accompanied by an offering in gratitude for some benefit received. It sometimes refers to an affliction, and how a prayer to Yahweh elicited a response. Examples are Psalms 30, 32, 34, 62 and 116.

It is impossible to deal with the vast ambit of the psalms in this short article. Any good commentary will go into more depth. There is a tremendous treasury here for public and private devotion. The psalms demonstrate a very simple theology: to know God is to praise Him and to obey Him is the essence of life. The psalms are sheer praise, and an implicit faith in Yahweh. They demonstrate an awareness of our moral obligation, implicit in the worship of Yahweh, and the observance of His law. But above all they are full of the joy and thanksgiving which was so much an element of Jewish worship.

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