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The Psalms and the Life of Faith

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Having read and/or perused, Finally Comes The Poet, Israel's Praise, The Prophetic Imagination, I decided to wade thru the waters of W.B.'s "out of the depths" of The Psalms And the Life of Faith! Chapter One is remarkable for 81 footnotes, most from Westermann, Wink, Ricoeur, Gunkel, Heschel, Buber and Barth.

W.B. favors writing, speaking, thinking in pairs: "creation and Israel, sun and moon, prisoners and widows, loss of certitude and loss of power... On the one hand, the faithful power of God destabilizes, puts us at risk... On the other hand, the faithful power of Yahweh makes new and leaves us with abiding astonishment, healing, forgiven, restored..."

Skipping over chapters to Pastoral care in the one he describes, Covenanting as Human Vocation... "distinct from a narrowly based psychology or counseling, means nurturing persons... into a fresh metaphor that holds the possibility of making all things new!" (What a magical wordsmith!)

This description of Pastoral care illustrates W.B. as having researched Paul Tillich's Theology as basis for Pastoral Care. He most likely is familiar with the marvelous stories of Fred Craddock, Abraham Heschel and Martin Buber. All of the above are related qualities for good pastoral care. I am so convinced of W.B.'s genius for writing, teaching, thinking, preaching, relating, that I look forward to the possibility of auditing his fall class in the Prophet Jeremiah.

Hopefully and Imaginatively, Chaplain Fred W. Hood

INTRODUCTION

Concerned with the role that the Book of Psalms plays in the lives of worshipping Christians, Walter Brueggemann critically examines this text from several perspectives. Of these perspectives I am struck mostly by two which I will discuss in this paper.

"THE COSTLY LOSS OF LAMENT"

Brueggemann observes that the psalm of lament played a critical role in the spiritual lives of the Israelites. However, contemporary congregations lose the spiritual benefit of these psalms as they employ them neither regularly nor as an expression of their life challenges; hence the psalms become a casual text in their spiritual pursuits. Brueggemann believes that the congregation acquires a "loss of life and faith" when these psalms are not a part of their corporate experience. I find this an interesting notion and wonder which congregations lead him to this belief.

Not that I have worshipped in a statistically significant number of churches, but I have worshipped in enough traditional African-American congregations to render an exception to Brueggemann's belief. In fact, I avoid worshipping in such congregations precisely because of their emphasis on hymns of lament. These hymns do not necessarily come from the psalter, but they are of the same tone and I find them depressing.

Conversely I have also worshipped in churches that thrive as a part of the praise and worship movement. From this movement, traditional devotion and singing of hymns have been replaced or reduced by more joyous songs that focus on praising and worshipping God rather than focusing on needy human conditions and the cries for God to fix them. If these praise and worship focused congregations help to inform Brueggemann's assertion, I agree with him. These congregations fail to evolve spiritually by denying themselves the opportunity to move along a natural, authentic continuum within their relationship with God. It is not realistic or healthy for the only life experiences that they share with God to be ones of obedience and celebration.

While I can think of important exceptions to consider, overall, in this society that avoids suffering and pursues quick remedies, the tendency of most congregations probably is not to embrace the psalms of lament for the same reasons I avoid the traditional churches that emphasize them. This lack of their use in corporate settings either has to do with a sense of acquiring better lifestyles and a true lack of suffering that would not necessitate such an expression in worship. Or the congregants are not connected (numbed) to their suffering or wish to keep it private, not sharing it with their church families. The full answer probably lies within a combination of all these reasons - plus more.

"BOUNDED BY OBEDIENCE AND PRAISE: THE PSALMS AS CANON"

Most beneficial to me in this reading is Brueggeman's address of studying the psalms as one holistic work rather than just one psalm or a group of them with similar themes. Viewing the book as canon offers important insights that can greatly benefit a group of believers in their spiritual journeys.

Brueggemann almost harshly criticizes Psalm 1 as an unrealistic platform of faith on which a Christian should not stand. Yet I find this psalm realistic for a new believer. This is the psalm of a recently professed, newly baptized faith, which is quite simplistic. The interior of this book represents the growth of the believer as s/he struggles to overcome life's obstacles and maintain faith in God's side of their covenant. Then Psalm 150 with its unfettered praise offers a representation of a believer at the end of a faith journey when all that has occurred up to that time is resolved via acceptance and praise of God is full to overflowing.

Brueggemann's contribution here is almost invaluable. By presenting this perspective he invites Christians to a more honest dialogue of faith with God. The psalms, particularly the psalms of lament, give its readers permission to cry out to God in anger, despair, and disappointment with assurance that one's relationship with God will remain in tact in the end. By studying this book as a canon we can worship and live lives of faith more holistically, knowing that where we begin we will not necessarily end and can be more assured with the twists and turns in between commencement and conclusion.

CONCLUSION

While I disagreed with some aspects of Brueggemann's hermeneutic, finding these portions limiting and narrow in scope, my disagreements pale in comparison to the value that I witness from his assertions that cast fresh perspectives on the Book of Psalms. These assertions can free a worshipper and her/his congregation to walk with God more fully and honestly. The psalms can become more than beautiful readings. They can become a trusted, empathic companion along life's journey.

Reviewer: Candi Dugas, M.Div., is a D.Min. student at Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, GA) and the author of Bootlicked to Balanced: Healing the Mind, Freeing the Spirit.