Psalms and prayers and the like

Ah, damn. I had this post written up about the Psalms, but I left it in the notebook in my dorm room. Basically, the one for All Saints Day was really quite disturbing. Not having been to Scripture Study in ages, singing it on Sunday was the first time I'd seen it.

149:5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.
Yeah, okay, with you so far...
:6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
...okay, I guess?
:7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
--wait, what?
:8 to bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron,
whoa whoa whoa, what the hell are we singing?!
:9 to execute on them the judgment decreed.
NOPE.
This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!"
THIS IS ONE "HONOR" I COULD DO WITHOUT KTHX

No, seriously though, Psalmist what are you even doing. There's something terribly surreal about hearing a congregation sing words like that in unison, accompanied by organ, without pause. Like... guys? Guys? Anyway. I'm rather glad to, at this point in my life, have the understanding that these were written by a fairly large number of people over a long period of time, and are not the inerrant word of God directly inspired and literally true in every particular. I sent an email back the the awesome dude who runs Scripture Study asking how we're supposed to get past that kind of discordance, if there's some sensible and reasonable Episcopal explanation, or we just sort of... continue to delight in the paradox of faith. He indicated the latter.

'kay, then.

17:3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress.
17:4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.

That's from this week's. I cringe for entirely different reasons. Yeah... my mouth transgresses, alright. If you test me, you will find all manner of wickedness and folly and transgression. I may have avoided the ways of the violent, but I have not walked in the paths of the righteous, either. I think maybe some of the psalms are more honest and emotional than others - but that's songwriting for you.

The post I had written concluded with a few verses from one of the ones I particularly liked, and the prayer that's been floating around my head for a couple weeks now, but I don't remember the former. Lord, let my mind be strong to see the truth, and my hand quick to record it; let my heart see what is right, and my voice reveal it. ...Oh God, please don't let me fuck this up.