We’re looking forward to our planning meeting on Monday evening (May 7, 7 pm) at the Bangas. This second post on the topic offers information that we hope gets the wheels turning in preparation for our time together.
The Psalms are the church’s prayerbook. Calvin said that the psalter provides us with an anatomy of the soul. In other words, within its 150 chapters the full range of human emotion finds expression. Our hope for this series is that we not only deepen our appreciation for this prayerbook but that we develop a fully understanding of our own soul.
As mentioned in the last post, we chose psalms that represented a range of the various types or groupings of psalms. Opinions differ as to what is the best way to group psalms and where a particular psalm may fit, so there may be things to quibble over in what follows. Our primary concern is that you get a general idea of how a particular psalm likely functioned within the Hebrew community. In doing so, we hope that it sparks ideas as to how it might function in our worship together.
The links in our descriptions take you to the Christian Resource Institute’s site. We know little about this outfit but that their material cites many of the same scholars we depend on for studying the psalms.
PSALM 8 While it does not begin with a call to praise, this psalm qualifies as a hymn.
PSALM 19 Given the gear shift in verse seven, some have argued that two psalms were stuck together to create this one psalm. The first six verses read like another hymn. In the second half, it reads more like a torah poem.
PSALM 24 There are three quite distinct sections composing this psalm. It may serve as a kind of processional liturgy as pilgrims approached and then entered the city gates for a religious festival.
PSALM 25 This psalm has been classified as an individual (as opposed to a corporate) lament. However most laments give the impression of having been composed in the midst of some dire circumstance. We get less of a sense of that here in that it’s (nearly) an alphabetical composition– the first letter of the first line starts with a, the first letter of the second starts with b, and so on. So, while still qualifying as a lament, it would seem that this psalm sought to serve as a model for prayer.
PSALM 36 Again we have a psalm that defies easy categorization. (Who picked these things?) At first it resembles a wisdom psalm. It reads a bit like Proverbs or Ecclesiastes, instructing us on how to live wisely. In the last section we hear an underlying anxiety asking God to rescue the psalmist. In that sense, it resembles a lament.
PSALM 46 Like psalm 24, this psalm likely served liturgical purposes. This one fits among those called “Zion song.” which isn’t about Zion so much as about the God who manifests himself in Zion. We can imagine a psalm like this being used when God delivered the city from attack.
PSALM 90 You may begin to wonder what sort of mood we were in when we selected our psalms in that hear again we have a lament. It had less to do with our mood than the fact that laments are in fact the largest category of psalm. This one differs from the others in that, rather than an individual voice, this one speaks in the collective. It’s a communal lament.
PSALM 116 We end our list on a high note with a thanksgiving or todah psalm. In this instance it is the voice of an individual offering praise and thanks for personal deliverance from some harrowing experience.
Part of what we will be doing on Monday evening is looking at various ways these psalms have been set to music. We drew these from Psalms for All Seasons. The introduction to that volume points out that each musical setting provides the psalm not just with a melody but an interpretation or commentary on the psalm. This is worth noting given that a number of our selected psalms fall into multiple categories. Is it possible that the different settings of the psalm reflect one categorization over the other? Are there, say, versions of psalm 36 that sound more lament-like and others more like a love song to torah?
We’ll have copies of the music available again this Sunday. (Those of you who took one last Sunday already and wondered, “Was Jeannette drunk when she photocopied these?” The answer is “No, Mark did them. Twice. Sober.”)
In March, David and I were asked by the journal Perspectives to review Psalms for All Seasons: A Complete Psalter for Worship, a project of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. We’ve discovered that, by Complete, they don’t simply mean that it contains a musical setting for each of the 150 psalms. In fact, the book presents four or five different ways a given psalm might be rendered for worship. An ancient rendition of a particular psalm may followed by a contemporary treatment and then a non-Western interpretation, plus a couple of ways of reading it in worship.
We figured the best way to review such a book would be to actually use it in worship. So we thought we’d have a series on the Psalms starting in June. Not only that, we’d like you to help us plan that series.
It won’t be a near three-year series covering each of 150 psalms. We’ve narrowed it down to nine psalms in nine weeks. The psalms we selected not only represent a good range of the “types” of psalm but, taken together, provide opportunities to cover a range of liturgical functions– calls to worship, confession, etc. They are psalms 8, 19, 24, 25, 36, 46, 51, 90, 116. (I feel like a coach posting the cuts on the locker room wall. “Sorry, 88. I hate to kick you when you’re down, but we have enough laments. Try again next year.”)
All are welcome to attend our planning meeting– especially youth who participated in planning the Mosaic service. Since part of this is to help evaluate Psalms for All Seasons, we want to extend a particular invitation to those who’d be interested in looking over the selections related to these psalms in the book. There will be a packet available this Sunday at church.
The Calvin Women’s Chorale is an honor choir, open by audition to female students from every class and discipline. Founded in 2001 by Dr. Pearl Shangkuan, the Calvin Woman’s Chorale has already performed at festivals throughout Michigan. The Women’s Chorale sings at the annual Fall Music Festival, the Festival of Lessons and Carols, and presents a full concert each spring. In 2005 the Calvin Women’s Chorale toured the East Coast for 10 days in March, and following that tour the choir released its debut recording, Music Down in My Soul. In 2007 the Chorale spent 3 weeks in May on an Interim tour to South Korea, China and Los Angeles, CA.
They will be performing at the South Bend Christian Reformed Church on Friday, March 30, at 7:30 PM. No tickets are needed, the event is open to everyone.
Harpeth Rising is a group of four classically trained musicians. They bring their training and distinctive sound to the genre generally classified as Americana. They’re a little bit bluegrass, a little bit folk, a little bit classical and whole lot of original. The band is a violin/fiddle, ‘cello, banjo, and percussion (largely hand drums).
This band is a slightly different genre and sound than what Subkirke often has. For one thing, they will be a lot less amplified, and will make excellent use of the very good acoustics in our room. Here is a good example of how they sound:
It promises to be an interesting evening – even if it starts a little late (music starts at 8:30). At least the next day is Saturday, and you’ll be able to sleep in. Bring a friend; hope to see you there!
In year’s past, in addition to voting on the budget, we’ve held a vote regarding the slate of council nominees, and it was a source of some confusion. Rather than being an election per say, it was simply a vote of affirmation. If you had no reason to question the suitability of the nominee for the office they were nominated for, you were to vote in the affirmative.
Now, as you’d expect, the vast majority of ballots come back with all nominees affirmed. Inevitably, however, there are a couple of ballots which didn’t. So we were left with the question: what do we do with them? In other words, was this ballot an indication of someone’s reservations about the nominee? Or was it simply an indication that the voter had misunderstood the process and was just indicating a preference for the other candidate? There was no way we could know.
The Administrative Council has gone back and forth on this matter for the last few years (at least). We decided last year that we would no longer include this vote as part of the process. The only meaningful way in which we can hear and address concerns someone may have with a nominee is a conversation between the person with the reservation and either a pastor or an elder some time before the vote. By no means do we want to shut down opportunities to express concern, we simply want to enable people to do so in a way that honors and addresses those concerns in a meaningful way.
If you have any questions about this decision please contact a member of the Administrative Council–myself (Pastor Mark), Pastor Paula, Mary Vanderkam, Linda Hanstra, Chris Brinks-Rea, or Ruth Engbers. Joel Gabrielse who is on the AC had not come on board at the time of the discussion.
This will be Frontier Ruckus’ third trip to Subkirke. They have developed a fan base here in South Bend, especially at Bethel College. We’re happy to have them back! They are excellent in concert – very fun to watch, and they incorporate a large varieties of instruments, including banjo and musical saw (have you ever seen someone play a saw with a violin bow? It’s a fun thing to watch!). NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series did an interview with the band that you can see here:
CMT describes the band like this:
Frontier Ruckus is a roots-based band from East Lansing, MI that incorporates elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, country, blues, and jazz into their lyric-driven songs. The band was formed by singer/songwriter Matthew Milia and banjo player David Winston Jones while in high school, and became a three-piece with Eli Eisman on bass. Milia then went to Michigan State University and Jones went to the University of Michigan, but instead of disbanding Frontier Ruckus, they expanded the band, adding Ryan “Smalls” Etzcorn on drums, Anna Burch on harmony vocals, and multi-dimensional musician Zachary Nichols on horns, singing saw, and melodica. All three additions were recruited by Milia in East Lansing.
The band recorded a six-song EP in 2006 entitled I Am the Water You Are Pumping, which was self-released. Five of those songs appeared again in 2008 on the band’s first full-length album, The Orion Songbook, which was released on Quite Scientific Records and named for Orion Township, a Metro Detroit suburb. Eisman left the band around the time of the album’s release and was replaced on bass by Burch. The following year, Frontier Ruckus released The Orion Songbook as a double vinyl on Lower Peninsula Records with Way Upstate & the Crippled Summer, Pt. 1, another six-song EP, appearing as the fourth side. That same year the band was signed to Ramseur Records, a North Carolina-based label, specializing in folk and roots music.
Tickets are available at http://subkirke.com, or talk to David.
Listening to the above video, it is clear that this is a band that thinks carefully about its art. They put things together well, and keep the levels down on much of the instrumental work, pushing the vocals into the foreground. Music that you’re supposed to listen to the words? Amazing. Here are a few reviews of the band from bigger sources:
…There, by the heat of a wood stove, they became Breathe Owl Breathe and honed their sound—a wild rumpus of harmony and rhythm—and named their debut after its birthplace. While some peers have reveled in reinvigorating the old, weird side of Americana, the band’s flare for pop-addled melodies flips the contemporary folk aesthetic, eschewing freakiness in favor of charm. It’s a dynamic built on coupling clever arrangements with lyrical whimsy.
- Ashley Melzer, Paste Magazine, June|July 2010
…They carry the tendencies of such a natural feel and an under-the-sun mood that makes them seem like they are ready to eat, ready to handle. There are coos, the kinds of sounds we’d associate with owls – fittingly enough, and there are breaths that are turned into other outbursts that we’d be perfectly alright hearing out in the woods, surrounded by nothing but a darkness filled with all kinds of sounds whose origins are mysteriously concealed. Middaugh and Moreno-Beals spin splendidly together, yoking these achingly beautiful attitudes about the countryside dealing with the corruption of the ever-encroaching urban expansion, as well as a sense that there’s something wearisome about all of the thinking about it to soft-sung words of prettiness. Middaugh sings, “She turns to me on the drive and says, “This city is alive,” and he means the sighs and the groans that are heard. These are the signs of escape that seem obvious and they sound like still-life, holding its pose for us to gander at, for Breathe Owl Breathe to paint us through.
- Sean Moeller, Daytrotter, April 2010
I can’t wait to hear them in our sanctuary. They’re going to sound great. I hope to see you there, too!
The band that is opening is called Elephant Micah. It’s just a guy and his guitar, and he’s quite good, too:
24 of pieces of art that explore the story of “The Father and His Two Sons” will be on exhibit at South Bend CRC for six weeks beginning September 23.
Larry Gerbens collected the pieces of this exhibit and enjoys speaking to different groups about the collection and its significance. Dr. Gerbens will speak about the art and the biblical story at our September 25 adult church school gathering. Each work of art visually interprets the parable of the Prodigal Son, a story that has inspired artists for centuries. Themes such as greed, regret, repentance, forgiveness, jealousy, reconciliation and self-righteousness can be seen. Well known artists included in the collection range from Rembrandt to Tissot to Thomas Hart Benton.
Following a successful career as an ophthalmologist, Gerbens became more and more interested in art and artists. He says, “I have come to love working with artists and encouraging their artistic gifts in the commissioning process.” Larry and Mary Gerbens, a Grand Rapids, MI couple began collecting the work in 1984 after Larry read “The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming,” by Henri Nouwen. The Gerbens donated the works on The Father and His Two Sons to their alma mater, Calvin College, in 2008. Calvin now makes the collection available free of charge for temporary exhibitions in galleries, museums and various institutions, including churches.
The entire collection may be previewed on Calvin College’s website: http://www.calvin.edu/centerartgallery/collection/prodigal/
Families are the strongest faith influence in the lives of kids and teens! That’s why Faith Alive (CRC publishing) developed this for church blog users especially for busy parents and caregivers, or others who play an important role in kids’ lives (like stepparents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles). It’s full of fun, faith-building ideas, articles, and devotions to use at home!
Devotions Don’t Have to Follow Dessert
If you’re one of those on-the-go families who have a hard time pulling off regular family meals, you don’t have to give up on family devotions.
There’s nothing “magic” or sacred about the after-dinner time slot. In fact, when your kids have full stomachs and a whole evening of activities ahead, their attention spans aren’t likely to be at their peak. So give yourself permission to find a time for family devotions that works for you and your kids.
Maybe it’s bedtime, when things are slowing down (if kids think talking with you about God will delay their bedtime, you might be surprised at how chatty they’ll become). Maybe it’s Sunday afternoon or Sunday evening. Or right before kids leave for school in the morning—sending them out the door with God on their mind could be a great way to start the day.
Try different options until you hit on the best time for your family to connect with God and each other. You just might discover longer attention spans, quieter moments together, and deeper insights.
Praying with Preschoolers
Prayers like “Lord, bless this food, for Jesus’ sake, amen” are great for getting preschoolers in the habit of praying regularly. But as your child grows, her prayer vocabulary should grow too. Here are some creative ways to make prayer a part of your preschooler’s life:
Prayer jar: One mom created a prayer jar for her preschool daughter to use. Here’s how. First, simply write prayer topics on slips of paper. (Be specific and concrete: instead of “Bless all the sick people” write “Please help Grandma’s hip to heal.”) If your child is old enough to help brainstorm the prayer topics, work on it together. Put the slips of paper in a jar with a mouth wide enough to get your hand inside. When it’s time to pray, ask your child to choose one or more slips from the jar, and pray for those items together.
Simple refrains: To involve the whole family, adults and older children can introduce prayer topics (“Lord, please be with the people in Somalia who don’t have enough food to eat”) and young kids can respond with a refrain like “Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayer.”
Prayer circle: Sit on the floor or around a table. Hold hands, and have each person at the table say one thing he or she is thankful for. End with a simple song of thanks your whole family can sing.
Praying with Elementary School Kids
When life is crazy, as it often is with young kids, we sometimes forget that God is right there, ready to help—anytime and anywhere! Here some are ideas for praying with elementary school-age kids:
Stop, Drop, and PRAY: During battles and worries, stop what you’re doing, drop everything, and talk to God. During one awful day, Mom sent Marissa to her room three times—the last time both were in tears. After a few minutes and a good cry, Mom calmly entered Marissa’s room and said, “Marissa, we’ve had a rough day. I think we need to pray. They held hands and prayed together for patience, good humor, and forgiveness.
Popcorn Prayer: One person begins and ends the prayer, pausing in the middle so that others may “pop” in and pray, like popcorn kernels popping in the pan. This prayer style is great for families or groups that include shy kids.
Clockwise Prayer: At dinner, in the car, or in the living room each person prays for the person to the left. If there’s time, reverse order and pray again.
Moving Prayer: While you’re on a walk or in the car, silently pray for the people you pass. Or make a list of people you see, and then pray for them aloud when you get home.
Prayer Planner: Write down family prayer requests and needs in a planner, calendar, or smartphone. Don’t forget to thank God for answered prayers!
Praying with Teens
When it comes to teens, the same person may appear at your devotional time each day—but not the same personality! Use the following ideas to help make your devotional time more of a blessing than a battleground.
Engage everyone. Invite each person to read a portion of Scripture aloud. (Accept the fact that your teen may intentionally read in monotone.) Or have one person read the narration of a Scripture story while others read the words of the characters in that story. You can also take turns reading a psalm one line at a time so that it sounds like it’s being read by one voice.
Ask open-ended questions that require more than one-word answers. Some examples: What do you wonder about this story? Which person in the story can you relate to the most and why? Where did you see God in that story? Listen to teens’ perspective and let them know you appreciate their insights.
Get creative. Find unique ways to spend time with God. Consider creation and what God is doing in culture as you view and discuss a talk from www.Ted.com together. Watch and listen to a praise song on YouTube; better yet, ask your teen to find one that the family can watch! Pray out loud with your teen before he or she starts a new job and when handing over the keys to the car.
Be open to discussion. Christian parents want their kids to have a deep faith, one that moves beyond black-and-white answers, one that they can hold on to when life gets tough. In order to do that kids need to make the faith you’ve been passing on their own. Don’t panic when they have questions or express doubts. Resist the temptation to lecture your teens or tell them what to believe. Be honest about your own questions—and your faith that God knows the answers.
On September 15, Ben Sollee is coming to Subkirke. We have been trying for nearly two years to host him, as he seems to be a particularly good fit for our venue. He focuses on acoustic sounds, and has a fine ear. He is a classically trained ‘cellist who brings his ‘cello training and skill as well as his excellent voice to Indie Rock. Watch for example, this video of him performing “Teach Me,” live at the Bonnaroo Music festival.
Sollee’s interest in music is more than just as an occupation. He sees art and life as intertwined. This is from his biography:
Ben Sollee wants you to experience all the beauty and banality that life has to offer. It’s a serious request, and his enthusiasm is genuine. Armed with a cello, Sollee is canvassing the country, sometimes by bicycle, imploring folks to rediscover the connections between music, art, film, dance, their community, and personal relationships.
These factors ultimately translate to the mindset and making of Ben’s new project – Inclusions. Beyond bridging genres and demographics with earnest, dynamic songwriting and passionate performances, Ben Sollee seeks to intertwine his music with art and life.
The concert, on September 15 at 8:30 PM, promises to be very exciting. Hope to see you there!
We figured the best way to review such a book would be to actually use it in worship. So we thought we’d have a series on the Psalms starting in June. Not only that, we’d like you to help us plan that series.
