Ed Walsh
Puritan Board Senior
Greetings Pilgrims,
Recently, at a small group meeting, my pastor told me for the second time that he was Psalms inclusive--not exclusive. This second time was too much for me and prompted this letter. I only sent this to my elder because I respect him highly, and because I didn't think the pastor would appreciate it. Also, you will understand the letter better if you know my pastor's custom when he is about to read the Scripture. After announcing the chapter and verses he always starts by saying, "The Word of God."
I sent the following letter on December 31, 2019, and so far I have not received an answer. I changed the two names in the letter to my own.
Dear Elder Eddie,
I wrote this with Pastor Walsh in mind, but I am pretty sure he would not like to receive it. So, I'm sending it to you, my friend.
I sing the Psalms alone, for I have no one like-minded to sing with me. Words fail me to describe the experiences I often have. I usually make up my tunes though sometimes I use some of the canned songs that come with the Scottish 1650 psalter.app. BTW - the 1650 is not just a paraphrase. (see brief history) It is more of a translation than a paraphrase. In some ways, it surpasses the rather unsingable versions in the various Bible translations. They were songs, and a faithful rendering should consider that as part of the task of the translator.
The Psalms are the Word of God or, more specifically, the very heart of Christ. Isaac Watts, for example, thought many of them unfit for Christians. Thus, Watts' paraphrases.
Really? I have not found it so. Often, I am brought to streams of tears, other times to rapturous "joy unspeakable and full of glory." Sometimes I sing the pure Word to the author; (Psalms 100:2) other times, He sings to me (Zephaniah 3:17), yet other times, I sing with Jesus (Hebrews 2:12) the high praises of His God and my God. (John 20:17) I finished triumphantly with Psalm 150, so this morning I started over with Psalm one and two. Psalm one is drenched with Christ and His perfections as the only perfect man, while the second Psalm predicts His glorious march to victory over all of Creation. I experience fellowship with the Three Persons more in the Psalms and the adlib songs and rhymes that spring from my lips with my mind, heart, and body lost in wonder and praise for the One who is above all blessing and praise. (Nehemiah 9:5) The stunningly beautiful God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Sometimes after coming to near exhaustion, I feel almost like the man Paul knew (wink wink) who "was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Don't worry. That's never really happened.
Try to do that with, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, as we all play pretend that we are back there in maybe 168 B.C. hoping for the Messiah to come while enduring great suffering under Antiochus (IV) Epiphanes. Who gave the Church the liberty to make up historical fictions to praise post-Great Commission victor and Savior of the world Jesus Christ, who now has received all power in heaven and earth from His almighty Father. Shouldn't the words of songs of praise speak the truth? We hear of angels singing. No, they don't. At least not in Scripture.
Songs by their nature are more likely to be remembered that sermons. Shouldn't they be therefor held to the same standard of doctrine? Just imagine if you went to a church where the opening prayer, without any forewarning, started with the theme of O come, O come like this. Dear God, when will you send the promised Messiah? We are mourning in this dreadful exile. Disperse the gloomy clouds of this night and remove death's dark shadows. We are suffering from Satan's tyranny. etc. amen." And then proceeded with the sermon. Anyway, you get what I mean. I think the original untranslated Latin would get just as much emotion stirred as the English translation. (For you Eddie)
Pastor Walsh, you have said now twice to me that you are Psalm inclusive. I've been coming here for a while now, and I have yet to hear a true Psalm sung. I may have missed it on one of the weeks I was not at worship. I know there are a few paraphrases in the front of the hymnal, but they are far from Scripture. I am glad to sing them, but which one would you announce thusly, "Now let us all sing together Psalm one. This is the Word of God."
I even knew someone that was offering to supply the Church with the new Trinity Psalter. But as the months passed, it became apparent that the idea met with little enthusiasm. So, the offer was withdrawn.
[Not in original: That someone was me and they were the ones that never got back to me]
Personal Note:
Singing many of the hymns is tedious work for me. I am always reading ahead and correcting and changing the words that were poorly chosen--the theology. Occasionally, I give up entirely and turn to the Psalms in the back of the hymnal to redeem the time.
Anyway, these are some of the thoughts that I started to write in messenger until it got too long.
That's all for now.
In Christ,
Ed
Recently, at a small group meeting, my pastor told me for the second time that he was Psalms inclusive--not exclusive. This second time was too much for me and prompted this letter. I only sent this to my elder because I respect him highly, and because I didn't think the pastor would appreciate it. Also, you will understand the letter better if you know my pastor's custom when he is about to read the Scripture. After announcing the chapter and verses he always starts by saying, "The Word of God."
I sent the following letter on December 31, 2019, and so far I have not received an answer. I changed the two names in the letter to my own.
=======
Dear Elder Eddie,
I wrote this with Pastor Walsh in mind, but I am pretty sure he would not like to receive it. So, I'm sending it to you, my friend.
I sing the Psalms alone, for I have no one like-minded to sing with me. Words fail me to describe the experiences I often have. I usually make up my tunes though sometimes I use some of the canned songs that come with the Scottish 1650 psalter.app. BTW - the 1650 is not just a paraphrase. (see brief history) It is more of a translation than a paraphrase. In some ways, it surpasses the rather unsingable versions in the various Bible translations. They were songs, and a faithful rendering should consider that as part of the task of the translator.
The Psalms are the Word of God or, more specifically, the very heart of Christ. Isaac Watts, for example, thought many of them unfit for Christians. Thus, Watts' paraphrases.
I. Watts - "it must be acknowledged still, that there are a thousand lines in it which were not made for a Church in our Days, to assume as its own: There are also many Deficiencies of Light and Glory…"
Really? I have not found it so. Often, I am brought to streams of tears, other times to rapturous "joy unspeakable and full of glory." Sometimes I sing the pure Word to the author; (Psalms 100:2) other times, He sings to me (Zephaniah 3:17), yet other times, I sing with Jesus (Hebrews 2:12) the high praises of His God and my God. (John 20:17) I finished triumphantly with Psalm 150, so this morning I started over with Psalm one and two. Psalm one is drenched with Christ and His perfections as the only perfect man, while the second Psalm predicts His glorious march to victory over all of Creation. I experience fellowship with the Three Persons more in the Psalms and the adlib songs and rhymes that spring from my lips with my mind, heart, and body lost in wonder and praise for the One who is above all blessing and praise. (Nehemiah 9:5) The stunningly beautiful God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Sometimes after coming to near exhaustion, I feel almost like the man Paul knew (wink wink) who "was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Don't worry. That's never really happened.
Try to do that with, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, as we all play pretend that we are back there in maybe 168 B.C. hoping for the Messiah to come while enduring great suffering under Antiochus (IV) Epiphanes. Who gave the Church the liberty to make up historical fictions to praise post-Great Commission victor and Savior of the world Jesus Christ, who now has received all power in heaven and earth from His almighty Father. Shouldn't the words of songs of praise speak the truth? We hear of angels singing. No, they don't. At least not in Scripture.
Songs by their nature are more likely to be remembered that sermons. Shouldn't they be therefor held to the same standard of doctrine? Just imagine if you went to a church where the opening prayer, without any forewarning, started with the theme of O come, O come like this. Dear God, when will you send the promised Messiah? We are mourning in this dreadful exile. Disperse the gloomy clouds of this night and remove death's dark shadows. We are suffering from Satan's tyranny. etc. amen." And then proceeded with the sermon. Anyway, you get what I mean. I think the original untranslated Latin would get just as much emotion stirred as the English translation. (For you Eddie)
Veni, veni, Emmanuel
Captivum solve Israel
Qui gemit in exilio
Privatus Dei Filio
Captivum solve Israel
Qui gemit in exilio
Privatus Dei Filio
Pastor Walsh, you have said now twice to me that you are Psalm inclusive. I've been coming here for a while now, and I have yet to hear a true Psalm sung. I may have missed it on one of the weeks I was not at worship. I know there are a few paraphrases in the front of the hymnal, but they are far from Scripture. I am glad to sing them, but which one would you announce thusly, "Now let us all sing together Psalm one. This is the Word of God."
I even knew someone that was offering to supply the Church with the new Trinity Psalter. But as the months passed, it became apparent that the idea met with little enthusiasm. So, the offer was withdrawn.
[Not in original: That someone was me and they were the ones that never got back to me]
Personal Note:
Singing many of the hymns is tedious work for me. I am always reading ahead and correcting and changing the words that were poorly chosen--the theology. Occasionally, I give up entirely and turn to the Psalms in the back of the hymnal to redeem the time.
Anyway, these are some of the thoughts that I started to write in messenger until it got too long.
That's all for now.
In Christ,
Ed