Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness
I’ve had a really hard time with the Psalms for a while now. Some of them are fantastic but others turn my stomach. For example:
O G‑d, how I wish you would kill the wicked!
How I wish violent people would leave me alone!
They say wicked things about you;
they speak evil things against your name.
O Yahweh, how I hate those who hate you!
How I despise those who rebel against you!
I hate them with a total hatred;
I regard them as my enemies.
Ugh…
While I get that this is a reflection of the poet’s heart (and our hearts at times), it just bothers me to read that in my Daily Prayers, especially when I don’t feel that way (which is a lot of the time). Furthermore, if my intention in my prayers is to move beyond those feelings, to be more like Christ — that is, to be loving and forgiving all — saying them in my most intimate times with the Beloved is very upsetting to me.
However, last weekend at the Grace Garden Yoga Retreat, I stumbled upon a book by Nan C. Merrill, Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness. Merrill refreshes the Psalms in a way that left me feeling...I don’t know...free? Joyful? Hopeful? There was a sense of, “Yes! Exactly!” when I read through the first part of this book. They conveyed a lot of what I feel but don’t know quite how to express it. The beauty of the way she refreshed these ancient songs and poems moved me. I’ve copied a few examples below.
~~~
Psalm 8
O Love, my Beloved,
How powerful is your Name
in all the earth!
You, whose glory is sung in heaven
by the angels and saints,
Who with the innocence and
spontaneity of a child,
Confounded those who are mighty
and proud,
You quiet the unloving and fearful.
When I look up at the heavens,
at the work of Love’s creation,
at the infinite variety of your Plan;
What is woman that you rejoice in her,
And man that you do delight in him?
You have made us in your image,
You fill us with your Love;
You have made us co-creators of
the earth!
guardians of the planet!
to care for all your creatures,
to tend the land, the sea,
and the air we breathe;
all that You have made,
You have placed in our hands.
O Love, my Beloved,
How powerful is your Name
in all the earth!
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.
Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow and
of death,
I am not afraid;
For You are ever with me;
your rod and your staff
they guide me,
they give me strength
and comfort.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of all my fears;
you bless me with oil,
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will
follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the heart
of my Beloved
forever.
Psalm 25.16ff
Turn to me, O Holy One, and envelop me
with your love, for
I am lonely and oppressed.
Relieve the block in my heart
that keep me separated from You;
See all the darkness within me;
fill it with your healing light.
Look at my pain and all my fears;
they shut out love and life.
Protect me and free me;
let me not live as unworthy,
for I would make my home in You
May integrity and wholeness fill me
as I dwell with You,
O Loving Presence.
O Beloved, as you renew me,
redeem the nations,
That we on earth may unfold
your Plan.
Psalm 27.4-6; 11ff
One thing have I asked of Love,
that I shall ever seek:
That I might dwell in the
Heart of Love
all the days of my life,
To behold the Beauty of my Beloved,
and to know Love’s Plan.
For I shall hide in Love’s heart
in the day of trouble,
As in a tent in the desert,
Away from the noise of my fears.
And I shall rise above
my struggles, my pain,
Shouting blessings of gratitude
in Love’s Heart
And singing melodies of praise
to my Beloved.
…
Teach me to be love,
as You are Love;
Lead me through each fear;
Hold my hand as I walk through
valleys of doubt each day,
That I may know your peace.
I believe that I shall know the
Realm of Heaven,
of Love, here on Earth!
Wait for the Beloved,
be strong with courage
of the heart;
Yes! Wait for the Beloved
of your heart!
Beautiful words reflecting my heart and longings. I will be ordering me a copy of Psalms for Praying and I’ll be using it in my Daily Prayers. I hope you do too.
~~~
Br. Jack+, LC
~~~
* Good News Translation (GNT); Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society.
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