On a tangent - for the EP practitioner - is it allowable to sing portions of the Psalms or must the entire Psalm be sung?

If all is required or a portion is allowed - what is the basis of practice?

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-JD

Greetings,

Psalm 119 is broken up into 25 selections in the maroon Psalter of which two selections are alternate renderings of portions already covered.

The basis for the practice - doing things decently and in order for those things not specifically regulated. The singing of Psalms is a required element of worship. Which tune we use and which portion is a matter of circumstance.

Matt

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Matthew Glover
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia

Thanks, Matthew - did not know if there were some definitive treatise out there I did not know about.

So - it is a circumstantial matter on how much of a Psalm must be sung.

Who determines how much, or little, of a Psalm is appropriate?

In our sitution, the minister ultimately decides and it would be driven by the theme of the sermon or service.

For example, we may only sing a certain number of stanzas from a Psalm arrangement, or the whole arrangement depending on how well the text fits the overall theme. Where a Psalm is broken up into multiple arrangements covering different parts he may direct us to sing both arrangements as one. If the metre is the same you can use the same tune. In other instances you would pause, then start the next section using a different tune - this doesnt happen very often in practice though.

With respect to which tune we use, the precentor may offer suggestions on alternate tunes to the default one in the Psalter usually before the service, but it happens during the service too sometimes. The suggestion is offered to the minister who has the authority and unless they want to lead the singing they almost always go with what the precentor suggests

Matt

Er, that's 24, it only goes up to X -- or is it different in Australia?

There is moderate division among Psalm-singers as to whether it is necessary to sing the entire Psalm or not, with the proponents of that view in the minority. I hold the position that whenever possible it is better to sing the entire Psalm, but it is not an absolute necessity, especially on longer Psalms such as 18, 78, 22, or 89. Psalm 119 is rather a special case, actually, because divisions within it can be deduced from the Scripture text, and it actually appears intended to be broken up.

__________________
[b]Timotheus, servant of the Lord[/b]
[(Timothy Merkel - Ellicott City, MD - Trinity Reformed Presbyterian Church)]
[i]Ye who are the warriors of God
And of the law of God
Hope in God, believe in God,
And in God you shall ever triumph[/i]

Thanks, guys - I am actually considering writing some Psalm based songs, just wondering what the basis of practice was/is.

Yes, in Australia we can't count properly - well I can't anyway You're right X would be the 24th letter of the alphabet !

Matt

Psalm 119 is divided in the Hebrew text, as most of you know, into 22 sections, the first verse of each section beginnging with a common letter, working through the Hebrew alphabet. So, the first section is called "Aleph", and the first word of each of the 8 verses which comprise this section begin with the letter "aleph". Beyth is next, gimel following, etc. until we arrive at tau. 22 sections, each 8 verses with a common alphabetical beginning, totalling 176 verses. At our Church we sing each of these selections one at a time in its entirety, 8 verses at a time, when we sing through Psalm 119.

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Rev. Todd Ruddell
Pastor, Christ Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCGA)
Wylie, TX
www.christcovenantreformedpc.org

Our best marks can contribute nothing to our justification, ...that is proper to faith. Faith cannot lodge in the soul alone, and without other graces; yet faith alone justifies before God.--G. Gillespie