by
Terrye McAnally
*I Narrative* (pages 40-44)
*Introduction*
In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells the community of disciples that he
understands their grief at the announcement of his pending departure and
promises to send the Counselor (RSV, NIV) or Comforter (KJV). The function
of this counseling/comforting Spirit is to:
convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning
righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more;
concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I have
yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the
Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will
not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and
he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me,
for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father
has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare
it to you. (John 16:8-15)
All of the conditions that the Spirit comes to address amount to separation
from God. As the disciples were to be separated from the physical presence
of Jesus so the psalmists’ congregation experienced the devastating grief of
separation from the presence of God.
The psalms of lament functioned in this way to bring a grieving community
into the presence of God in order to help them begin to make sense out of
the situation in which they found themselves. Unchanneled grief can
sometimes have the effect of making even reasonable people behave
irrationally and in community contexts can lead to expressions of mass
hysteria. The Korahite and Asaphite psalmists, inspired by the Sprit of God,
gave their community a means of channeling their overwhelming sorrow, making
sense of their circumstances and acknowledging their total dependence on God
for a livable future. Yet the focus is always less on the grief itself than
on the knowledge of the steadfast love of God who stands with us when we
grieve and ‘turn[s] our mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:11).
The introduction in the study guide can be somewhat misleading when it
focuses its opening list of ‘disasters” so heavily on the effects of the
forces of nature. For although communities can, and do, grieve over those
sorts of events, these psalms are reflective of calamities caused by people.
The psalmist and his community, steeped in _Torah_, would hardly have
lamented the absence of God in controlling the effects of nature as much as
in appearing to remove himself from the covenant relationship.
At the bedrock of the community’s self-understanding was the knowledge that
they were gathered by God whom they could trust when there was nothing else
in the world that was trustworthy, whom they could depend on when nothing
else in the world was dependable, who knew and shared their sorrow. God does
this because he is faithful to his word, because he has chosen to make
himself known in the world in particular ways through particular people,
because he willingly and lovingly accommodates himself to the needs of his
covenant people.
*Psalm 44 God Is Faithful to His Word*
Understanding the instructive nature of this psalm helps us also to see the
irony in the framing of its language. We can ask what insight is the
psalmist trying to convey as he gives voice to the thoughts of the people?
In the midst of catastrophe, human beings ask the question: ‘why must the
righteous suffer?” We are not always so quick to remember ‘there is none
that is righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10, quoting Psalm 14:3) As far as
the psalmist is concerned God is faithful, even while the people grieve.
Using the form of calling on God with the words of the people, the psalmist
helps the people begin to see the story and hear the words from God’s
perspective.
While, as the author states and the paraphrased text suggests, the people
‘believe they have been loyal to God” (emphasis mine) the language of
Deuteronomy 28:64 (verse 11) and 28:37 (verse 13) would have served to call
to mind the specifics of the covenant relationship. The psalmist
acknowledges that the chosen people of God ‘have [been] scattered among the
nations” and have become ‘the [object of] scorn and derision of those
around us”, and in doing so points the congregation to the whole of
Deuteronomy 28. Verses 1-14 set forth all the blessings that will accrue to
the community when it obeys God and carefully follows all his commandments.
Then at verse 15 they are told: ‘However, if you do not obey the LORD your
God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees . . .”
followed by a corresponding set of curses which would ‘come upon [them] and
overtake [them]”. Among those curses were the scattering of the people and
the scorn of the nations. Yet their neighbors and enemies expected to treat
them as though they were accountable to the world for the very name of God.
For the sake of the God of the covenant they were being killed by people who
had no fear of God themselves (verse 22).
The faithfulness of God is shown in pointing to the original statement of
the covenant. God can be trusted to keep his word, all his word, all the
time. If he can not be trusted to keep the parts of the covenant that we
don’t particularly like, can we then trust him to keep the parts we do like?
The people had claimed only one portion of the covenant to protest their
faithfulness and support their claim of innocence before God. They had
remembered God’s name and had not turned to the worship of idols. Yet they
knew that there was more to the provisions of the Torah than that.
These people had a selective memory when it came to the history of their
salvation. They had learned the story from their ancestors. God had acted
with strength to establish the nation in the land by subduing the previous
inhabitants. They had appropriated the faith story of their forebears in
their own generation, claiming its benefits for themselves. (verses 1-4)
Significant parts of the story had been left out, however. Why it took so
long to get there, all the grumbling and disobedience were ignored. As we
saw in Lesson 3 (pages 16-19), the psalms of remembrance record that even
when they didn’t deserve it God loved them and redeemed them. (Psalm 136 in
particular) We can make ourselves victims when we ignore the whole of God’s
word to us. Before we can heal we need to hear the truth about ourselves,
about our situation, and about God’s faithful ‘yearning to be gracious” to
his people.
The _Horizons_ author says that it is ‘fruitless to speculate about the
circumstances that occasioned this psalm”. However, it is precisely the
circumstance in which they find themselves that is the occasion for their
lament. They need to make sense of what has happened to them. Where is God?
Does he still love us? Are we still the people of his own choosing? If we
accept as logical the most commonly posited setting, the period surrounding
the exile, we can hear echoes of the language and descriptions of the
prophet Jeremiah. Through Jeremiah, God told the people the cost of
disobedience to the covenant and promised to redeem them when they turned
back to him.
The psalm teaches that even when we have had a part in shaping the
circumstances of calamity our shared grief is natural and appropriate. Even
when we are alienated from God we can cry out to him, and he will hear us.
The people of the psalmist’s congregation heard that just as they had been
humbled, so also they would be redeemed. The can express sorrow for the
circumstances of the nation and also for the distance that has come to lie
between themselves and God. They can depend on God in their hour of need
precisely because he has not capriciously set aside any part of the covenant
relationship for anybody’s convenience. As we trust God with our fear and
sorrow, we trust God to ‘rise up and help [and] redeem us because of [his]
unfailing love (verse 26). The help comes not in giving us back what we had
but in turning us back toward God.
*Psalm 74 God Is Known in the World Through His People*
For Christians, almost from the beginning of the first century church, it
has not been the case as it was in Israel and Judah that the national
identity and the religious identity were intertwined. The establishment
period from Constantine to the Reformation notwithstanding, Christians have
understood themselves to be a ‘colony of Heaven” often at the mercy of a
persecuting nation. For this reason, modern Christians will have difficulty
reading this psalm as one of ‘national humiliation”. We can readily
identify with religious persecution and the place of the familiar settings
of worship as factors of community life, however. We do see attacks on
church buildings, violations of worship and threats to believers as attacks
on the very being of God. Not a week goes by, it seems, that we don’t hear
the lament of those who see the decline of the place of faith in civic life
or the demolition of the fabric of the ecclesiastical community on every
level. At the same time we can acknowledge that the church can profit by a
spirit of humility. All of these circumstances can be lifted before God with
the confidence that he has a purpose for his people.
As God brought order to time and space in creation (verses12-17), he also
set his purpose for humanity in motion and continually provided for the
fulfillment of that purpose. ‘Before the foundation of the world”
(Ephesians 1:4) God chose to make himself known in the world through a
community set apart for that purpose. In the Temple he had provided the
people with a temporal setting for encountering God (verse 4) and
representing this unique relationship to the world (verse 2). As the
physical foundation of the Temple was undermined, would the foundation of
the special community also be compromised, upsetting the order of God’s
purpose? How could they know when no prophet spoke, no sign from God seemed
evident?
When foolish people mock God with curses and denials of his existence,
purpose and plan, the community can become discouraged (verses18 and 22). We
hear echoes of Psalm 53:1 and 14:1, ‘the fool says in his heart, there is no
God.”’ The word ‘fool” in this context does not mean stupid or unlearned,
but ‘impious and presumptuous”, ‘irreligious and churlish” (_Brown,
Driver, Briggs Hebrew/English Lexicon, _page 614). These are not people who
know no better, but those who have openly rejected God and have
intentionally set out to erase his influence in the world. The desired
effect of removing a people’s center of faith is to demoralize them. One
supposedly crushes a people by crushing the source of their spiritual
grounding (verse 8).
The psalm encourages the community to be confident in the sovereign purpose
of God who leads his people whatever their circumstance. The psalmist asks
God to ‘have regard for his covenant” (verse 20), helping the people
understand that their God was present from the creation of the world and
through the creation of the covenant people. When there was no nation God
lived with them in a tent, leading them toward his purpose by ‘fire and
cloudy pillar”. God had made his name dwell in the praise of the people
long before there was a dwelling place for him on Mount Zion (verse 2).
Ultimately God’s name is known by the way the worshipping community lives
its faith, even in sorrow. Crying out to God affirms that there is One who
hears and can be expected to act.
*Psalm 80 God Saves His People*
It is interesting that the _Horizons_ author did not wish to speculate about
the circumstances of Psalm 44 when there were a number of clues in the text,
but is quite willing to develop a circumstance for this one when there is
less to go on for an interpretive context. Thus the paraphrase (page 42)
does not seem particularly useful as a substitute for the plain language of
Psalm 80 itself.
The psalmist’s congregation has reached the point of recognition that they
can not save themselves. They must depend completely on the One who ‘sit[s]
enthroned between the cherubim”, calling to mind the Ark of the Covenant
and the mercy to be found in the Divine Occupant of that seat. The Psalm
acknowledges that God alone can repair the rift that seems to exist between
himself and his people (verses 2b-3). We do not reconcile ourselves to God;
God reconciles us to himself (II Corinthians 5:19).
Their prayers no longer seem to ‘work” for them. Nevertheless, it is to God
whom they pray trusting that he does hear and will answer at last.
They acknowledge God as the source of their physical and spiritual
nourishment. The unleavened bread of the exodus, the manna in the
wilderness, the Bread of the Presence in the temple were all fine; the bread
of tears is not so great. Yet they know that better food will come when the
relationship is restored. The true and living bread which is yet to come
(John 6:26-39) satisfies; the living water replaces the large measure of
tears. The restoring power of God is also the nourishing power of God.
Reading the description of God’s tender care in planting the vine (verses
8-11) and of the vineyard’s subsequent destruction (verses 12-16) the reader
is reminded of Jesus’ words, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches.” The
student would do well to read John 15:1-8 along side these verses from the
psalm.
*Conclusion*
A reading of Romans 8:28-39 makes clear that God has a response to the
lamentations of his people. While the final paragraph of the study guide
(page 43) alludes to this text as it has been appropriated into _A Brief
Statement of Faith,_ the full meaning of Christ’s atoning, reconciling death
and resurrection is given as the joyful coda to the psalms of lament in the
verses of Romans which set the stage for our confidence. It is the Apostle
Paul’s affirmation of the role of the promised Counselor in his own life and
in the life of the Christian community.
*II Definitions and Questions to Ask*
Lament The most common definition of lament across several English
dictionaries is an expression of grief or sorrow. Most Biblical citations of
the word specify the reason for the grief but not a remedy. Often people
need an outlet for their grief even more than they want help for the
presenting problem. It is important to keep this in mind for this study
because communities, no less than individuals, need to know that God is
present in our sorrow.
Maskil As Terry Schlossberg wrote in the supplement for lesson 3, the maskil
is a psalm of instruction, so it is appropriate to be attentive to what the
psalmist intends to teach. To take this one step further, the _Brown,
Driver, Briggs Hebrew/English Lexicon_ (page 9668) shows that the root from
which the word comes means ‘insight” and ‘understanding”. These poems were
composed for the purpose of giving insight and understanding to the
community who heard them. The purpose is not necessarily to bring comfort,
but to help the community make sense of what is happening to them.
Myth The classical understanding of myth, from the Greek _muthos_, meaning
story, is of a story that forms a basis of communal identity. Modern
rationalism rightly finds much that is fanciful or heroically embellished in
ancient mythologies, but to say the stories are ‘fictitious” as the study
guide does implies that there is no underlying truth in them. A better word
might be ‘fictionalized” along the lines of the modern concept of a
‘docu-drama”, since myth is intended to explain truth. Holding myth in
tension with history (page 41) in this way belies the historical events that
undergird the essential truth of the story.
Public memorials in general (see question 3, page 41) tell us next to
nothing about God’s active presence in the midst of calamity; rather they
focus our attention on human efforts to hear only the best and most heroic
parts of our communal story. In particular, I find the suggestion that the
Viet Nam Memorial represents ‘our most eloquent national lament” because it
still has the power to divide rather than unite, and because it directs our
attention away from God and toward our human propensity for setting up
monuments to ourselves. Most particularly, it doesn’t have any place in the
discussion of the community’s worship life of Psalm 74 as suggested in the
leader’s guide (page 45).
Question 4 makes the rather bold assertion that ‘our worship places do not
hold the religious significance of the Jerusalem Temple”. Any place God is
worshipped is significant, even a storefront. Just ask the people who
worship there. Yet even this seems a contradiction to the correct
understanding (narrative, page 41) that ‘their faith was in God, not the
Temple”. It would be good to note here that communities grieve over the
necessary dissolution of dying congregations or pastoral relationships; over
the end of traditional programs; over the loss of beloved members by death
or transfer; over internal congregational or denominational strife; over
violations of church property by theft or vandalism as well as over
‘destruction . . . by arson or natural disaster”.
*III Suggestions for Leaders (page 45)*
A. Ahead of Time
Follow the instructions in the first paragraph of this section in the study
guide. Include in your preparatory reading this supplemental guide. The
_Horizons_ guide is correct in assuming that you will not have time to do an
activity for each psalm, so there certainly won’t be sufficient time to give
attention to both activities for any one psalm. You will need to choose
carefully what best fits the timetable and style of your group.
Read John 16 in its entirety and be ready to relate portions of this chapter
to the psalm texts as each one is studied.
The instructions in the second paragraph need to be amplified to include not
simply ‘disaster articles” but articles that describe how communities
expressed their grief together. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, while a
valuable resource for practical aid and an opportunity to bear witness to
God’s providence, is not an adequate stand-in for the communal expression of
sorrow by those affected.
If you decide to use the paraphrase of the portion of Psalm 44 on page 41 as
recommended in the leader’s guide, you should get a copy of _The Message:
Psalms _by Eugene Peterson. The omitted text represented by the dotted line
is important to include in this discussion.
If you choose the supplemental activity related to Psalm 80, ask a musical
person in the group or in your church to compose a simple tune for the
refrain of Psalm 80:3, 7 & 19 that can be easily taught and sung a capella.
Ask your choir director or a soloist to serve as a cantor for this part of
the lesson. If such a resource is not available take some time to learn the
refrain portion of the setting of Psalm 80 called _O Hear Our Cry, O Lord
_(PH # 206). A familiar hymn tune that fits the meter may also be chosen.
B. Leading the Lesson
Alternate Opening Prayer List on the newsprint the concerns for church,
neighborhood, and nation expressed by the group. Then gather them in prayer.
O Lord our God, mighty Shepherd of your flock: we long to be in your
presence when the turmoil of the world shakes our confidence and brings
us sorrow. We have known your wonderful care in the stories of the
faithful ones before us and in our own times of grief. Today, Lord, our
hearts are sore when we think of the needs of our community. Shine the
light of your face upon us and bring your redeeming power to the world.
Especially, we pray that you would act to . . . (here mention briefly
the concerns on the prayer list). Giving all these cares into your
loving and faithful hand, we pray now that you would teach us to depend
solely on you for our comfort as we hear and learn from your word; even
your Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
In the opening exercise as suggested by the study guide, the newsprint list
and the related questions imply that our security comes from things and
plays into the notion of the material world as the source of our ability to
withstand the devastating effects of communal calamities. It also asks for a
feeling when a thoughtful reaction would better get at the psalmists’
intentions. However, this exercise can be a good catalyst to discussion if
it is redirected. Ignore the list of articles to be ‘rescued”. Instead, ask
the participants to say whom they would call in the face of tragedy. Why?
What would they say? What would they expect to happen as a result of those
calls? Is there anyone they would not ask to call? Why not? List the
responses in two columns on the newsprint. Later as the lesson progresses
they can compare these responses to the description of the problem and the
relief sought in the texts. Read John 16:13-15, 20 aloud to the group.
Activity for Psalm 44 — The exercise related to Psalm 44 may be used from
the study guide if the amplification of the selected articles was made
during your preparation (see paragraph 2 of section A above), or try the
following supplemental activity.
Supplemental activity for Psalm 74 — Read the whole psalm, giving
particular attention to verses 4-8, as the study guide suggests, and verses
18-22. Refer to the narrative information in the study guide and in this
supplement. What else is at stake for this community besides the loss of
their worship space? Why is the invasion of the worship space a mockery to
God? Why is a source of grief for the whole community? Discuss current
examples of how Christian congregations are ‘invaded” by the world around
them. How does this psalm speak to those circumstances?
Supplemental activity for Psalm 80 — Teach the group the simple refrain you
prepared in section A of this supplement. Ask the cantor to chant the Psalm,
pausing at the refrain verses, or divide the group in four parts. Let the
first group read aloud verses 1 & 2, the second group verses 4-6, the third
group verses 8-13, and the fourth group verses 14-18. At verses 3, 7 & 19
the entire group will sing the refrain. Let the group discuss the value of
singing their grief in a liturgical setting. What does the music of the
worshipping community teach us about God’s healing presence in our times of
sorrow and loss?
C. Closing
In the event of future calamities, how can what you have learned in this
study help you witness to the presence of God in the midst of sorrow? How do
these psalms help move us from grief to joy?
The leader in summarizing the lesson should give a list of the other texts
in this supplement for students to copy down and read at home between
sessions.
Select from among these alternate closing hymns:
_God the Omnipotent_ (Hymnbook, # 487)
_God of Our Life _ (PH, # 275)
_The Battle Belongs to the Lord _(Maranatha! Praise Chorus Book, p.
268)
Pray in sentence prayers around the circle as you are led by God’s Spirit,
with the group leader closing.
D. Between Sessions
Walk back through the lesson and the additional scriptures given in the
closing time (see section C). How did God answer these prayers of lament for
the people of Israel? How does he answer the prayers of our communities?
In addition to the instructions in the study guide, you might write a letter
to the communities involved, pointing them to these psalms and assuring them
of God’s presence in the midst of their grief. If the situation is nearby
suggest to your pastor and session that your church invite the community to
a service of worship where you might share what you learned about Psalm 80.
Ask members of your group to lead in the reading/singing of it as you did
when you studied the lesson.