“Blessed, O blessed, I say
are those who walk upon a path whose steps are
firmly planted on your eternal law,
For in that word they find their joy,
their meditation day and night,
and do not wander far to take the counsels of the worldly wise.”
—Psalm 1:1 Ancient Songs Sung Anew by Lynn Bauman
When I was growing up and going to church in the little white church
by the side of the lake,
we sang a Psalm to begin every service of worship.
Later we would read a Psalm responsively, giving voice to praise, lament and glory.
I absorbed the Psalms, the songs of my soul.
I love them.
I have two favourite Psalm books.
Ancient Songs Sung Anew: The Psalms as Poetry, translations by Lynn Bauman.
He says: “The Psalms are an invitation to pray everything we know, feel, and experience as human beings: every emotion, every aspect of the affective level of our being can be a valid subject for prayer.” (p.18)
Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness, written by Nan Merrill. Her eloquent renderings of the Psalms invite contemplative prayer. Here is her translation of the beginning on Psalm 23:
“O my Beloved, You are my shepherd,
I shall not want;
You bring me to green pastures
for rest
and lead me beside still waters
renewing my spirit;
You restore my soul.
You lead me in the path of goodness
to follow Love’s way.”
Praying the Psalms isn’t always lovely. To truly engage them, we need to struggle mightily with language, with their worldview and disturbing images of violence.
It takes study, soul struggle and meditation, day and night.
And that is walking the path of wisdom called for in Psalm 1, verse 1.
The Psalms give voice to praise, lament, anger, gratitude, and longing. Which emotions or experiences most easily become prayer for you?
Psalm 1 speaks of returning again and again to the wisdom of sacred words. Is there a Psalm, line, or prayer that has stayed with you over the years?
Not every Psalm feels comfortable to pray. What helps you stay with a sacred text even when it challenges or unsettles you?
You might want to write your own Psalm. What is your Psalm today: a line of praise? a line of lament? a line of hope?
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