Pierre Pidoux’s edited volume, Le psautier huguenot du XVIe siècle: Mélodies et documents, contains a fascinating lectionary for singing through the entire Psalter in the course of 25 weeks, or approximately half a year. This was used in Geneva during the 16th century. I am unaware of any Reformed denomination, at least in North America, prescribing such a pattern for its congregations. Note that it presupposes two sunday worship services and a wednesday “day of prayers.” When I was a child, our church congregation had a midweek prayer meeting. This chart makes it clear that such a gathering has historical precedent. The reference to the second ringing of the bell may arouse curiosity nowadays given the lack of bells in most contemporary church buildings. Click on the image below to bring it up in a larger and more legible format.
My question is whether it would be in order to revive the use of this or a similar lectionary to ensure that the entire Psalter will be covered on a regular basis in the church’s liturgy. It is worth at least serious consideration.
May 26th, 2010 | 5:45 pm | #1
So that works out to 2-4 Psalms per service, 1 or 2 at a time, in 3 services per week? That would be doable for many contemporary American congregations already accustomed to liturgical Bible readings of a chapter or so in length. It is about how many Psalms are recited at a time in those 1928 Prayer Book Anglican parishes selecting their Psalms for Morning and Evening Prayer from the Lectionary, rather than the monthly cycle.
If it worked in Geneva, there may not be good reason to toy with it, but why the jumping around? And, if you’re going to jump around, is that truly a Calvinist approach, or is it papistical? [I mean that as a sincere question, not accusatory.] Why not just start at Psalm 1 and divide the Psalter in 150 segments (2 Sunday morning, 2 Sunday evening, 2 mid-week, over 25 weeks) of more equal length than David set up? If you’re going to jump around, I think it would be better to tie the Psalms with other aspects of the Church’s yearly or semesterly liturgy.
May 27th, 2010 | 8:46 am | #2
John Witvliet has written on this topic in Worship Seeking Understanding: windows into christian practice (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003). See especially chapter 9, “The Spirituality of the Psalter in Calvin’s Geneva,” pp. 203-229, where he discusses such matters as which psalms were given priority in the translation and versification process. (Hint: they weren’t the psalms of praise!) I believe here also is where he treats this lectionary. (I don’t have the book in front of me, so I’m going on memory.)
May 27th, 2010 | 8:48 am | #3
By the way, I found all this by way of George van Popta’s blog: Singing through the psalter. A friend of mine has posted an English-language version.
May 27th, 2010 | 3:10 pm | #4
I am always interested in your posts on the Psalms. Even though I come from a different tradition than you do, I think the book you mentioned by Witvliet sounds informative, and I would like to check it out. I have only been regularly reading the Psalter for a short time–as I have mentioned before–but I find myself finding more grounding in my faith now that I am familiar with certain Psalms and when I recognize the topic of the Psalm in my daily lectionary reading. I am becoming more familiar with some of the “Suffering Servant” Psalms because my lectionary has readings for those Psalms on Wednesdays and Fridays. In addition, I am enjoying some of the Psalms in the 100s that detail the early history of the Jews. Now that I have read the Pentateuch these Psalms make a lot of sense! Truly there are so many riches in Scripture, but you already know that!
May 28th, 2010 | 3:26 pm | #5
Alison, it’s wonderful to hear from someone for whom the Bible is still so new and fresh. I myself was steeped in the scriptures from early childhood, yet each reading brings fresh insights. I don’t think it’s possible ever to have enough of them.
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