Psalms, Prayers of the People and our Prayer Link
“While we pay homage to the power and the presence of the past we might all too easily forget the continuing link of the English Church with the Benedictine life. It was Cranmer’s genius to condense the traditional monastic offices into the two Prayer Book offices of Matins and Evensong (and Compline) . . . It is hardly too much to claim that the Benedictine spirit is at the root of the Anglican way of prayer, as both clergy and laity have been nourished by the daily recitation of the psalms and the regular reading of the Scriptures.” Seeking God: The Way of Benedict by Esther de Wall
The first part of this lesson will be a discussion of the Psalms and their ongoing inclusion in the Eucharist and the Daily Office of the Church. The Psalter (the collected Psalms) is the oldest hymn book of the Church. It was also the hymn book of ancient Israel and continues to be a basis for the worship of the people of Israel today. It is the largest book in the Bible and the New Testament quotes from it more than 75 times. Although King David is given credit for writing many of the psalms, it is thought, from examining their structure and language, that there may have been as many as 5-7 authors.
The Psalms were prepared as part of the corporate daily worship in Israel’s temple, but some of them are best used for private worship. They were also part of the people’s daily lives. All of them lead people to worship God. Some of them are laments, while others are blessings and curses, and others sing God’s praises and give thanks for God’s activity in the worshippers’ lives. The authors wrote songs that run the complete range of human emotion from cries of help, to anger, regret and praise and exultation for God.
In the 1962 BCP on page xlix you will find that some portions of the Psalms are omitted. In our 1985 BAS beginning at page 700 there is an extensive introduction to the history and use of the Psalms. (Borrow a book and return it when you have digested it.) Some portions of the Psalms are still omitted in our modern lectionary that assigns the readings for the day. I believe that rather than ignoring or omitting bits we don’t feel comfortable with, we should study them as we should the rest of the Scriptures, within their context and situation of the day. Just as we should not ignore those parts of us we don’t like, we need to listen to our hearts and offer them all up to God in prayer.
The point is that the Psalms are a part of our ancient tradition and are to be read through repeatedly. Cranmer included them in our ongoing liturgy, so that we might incorporate all that is worshipful and beautiful into the repetitions of our days. Similarly, the beauty, wonder, praise and challenge found in the Psalms should be part of our daily offering to God. The offering of the beauty, wonder, praise and challenge when offered to the Holy One changes us and assists us in becoming more aware of God’s actions in our own lives.
For the second part of this lesson, I want to expand on our understanding of the Prayers of the People and the Prayer Link. The Prayers of the People are just that and if anyone needs a guide to lead them there is a series of Litanies beginning on page 110 of the BAS. These are helpful for supplementing the prayers we use for community, the church and the world and they reflect the changing moods of the Seasons of the Church.
The Prayer Link is a wonderful way to pray for people for special reasons. It is also suitable when a person or persons would, for various reasons, rather not have their name or names read aloud in the community. People who wish special prayers for themselves or others may ask June Kaiser to put their prayer request on the Prayer Link list. The information given to June is confidential and only given to those people on the Prayer Link list who are actually doing the praying regarding that particular request. People who requested prayer may occasionally be called to confirm that the situation requiring prayer still exists. The prayers associated with the Prayer Link are not necessarily as complex as the Prayers of the People and are more specific to the needs of those who have asked for them. I have also been asked about how long should we continue to pray for the soul of those who have passed on to be with God. I think that one year, at the most, is probably appropriate. In other traditions six weeks is considered sufficient.
Just an aside, the Book of Psalms is the one book in the Bible where God is blessed more than anyone else.
Thanks be to God.