Interesting Experience with Psalm Singing

[brightlights]

So I have the privilege to serve as the worship leader of our church. Lately I've been discovering the Psalms in a more in-depth way and also the long tradition in the reformed world of singing the Psalms. There's all kinds of good psalters out there and even some contemporary versions of the Psalms.

So I had it in mind to start introducing Psalms into our worship. My hope was to eventually do one Psalm every service (we do five songs altogether). I knew that this might be stretching, even shocking for some folks because the Psalms contain lots of prayers that we don't relate to or might even make us uncomfortable (lament, imprecation, etc...). And it's not just that there are imprecatory Psalms. Most psalms - even the most positive ones - contain some line of lament or imprecation. But I was ok with this fact. In studying the Psalms one thing I've learned is that we, as American Christians, don't know how to pray and worship very well. We don't know how to lament or to cry out for justice, for instance. I thought the Psalms could help us get more balanced.

My Pastor has been supportive in theory of introducing Psalms. But it seems that every Psalm that I've selected so far (2, 3, 6, 25) has been struck down due to these uncomfortable lines.

I'm a candidate for ordination and just a green horn, so I've got a lot to learn when it comes to pastoring. But I've been kind of perplexed and discouraged by the resistance I've received in this area. It makes me wonder if it's worth it to try to strike out in this direction.

What are your thoughts on this issue?

 

[John Hyperspace]

I believe this is in the right direction. Why people would choose to sing extra-biblical songs in worship when they could be singing biblical songs is, questionable to say the least. But I don't find it at all surprising that it would be resisted.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I'm not Reformed, so please excuse me for butting in, but your title interested me. And as a Protestant, I was deeply appreciative of sung Psalms. We once had a traveling young minister come to our assembly for a while who was working on putting Psalms to music, and I loved his work.

I can't speak to what your pastor might be troubled by. We (Orthodox) pray all the Psalms. But we have the understanding of such things like calling for killing being in reference to our sins, or temptations to sin when they are "little". If that makes sense. But without a lot of guidance by the pastor (and even with) I can understand he might be made uncomfortable with singing them in worship (though I admit that I don't agree with barring the Psalms ... IMO the thing to do is educate people, not bar them from being exposed to them - and I don't mean to criticize your pastor there as though he's doing something so strong as that - I'm speaking of a general principle, not attacking a person).

Anyway, how does he feel about Psalms of repentance? And there are certainly those of adoration and praise.

While I would NEVER suggest editing the Psalms to make them more palatable, if you can't have any of them accepted outright, how about pulling together verses from various ones to make your songs? That is less an ideal, perhaps, for prayer, but is acceptable for song, I think.

Just a couple of minor suggestions. I actually really wanted to say that I admire such an effort.

God be with you!

 

[sdowney717]

Politically correct psalm singing in the church now?
Why not sing or read the Koran in the church, which was in the news recently, singing about How Christ was not the Son of God. See the great apostasy is coming into the church and must be so to fulfil the word of the Lord.
But we can separate ourselves from that. God tells us to come out from among them and be ye separate, that is separate yourself from heresies.

 

[AMR]

You may find this useful:

Book of Psalms for Worship – Windows Apps on Microsoft Store

And see this:

https://www.facebook.com/