Ping.
The ELW psalter is at the heart of dissatisfaction with the book. The BCP/LBW version has been rewritten, expurgated, one may say, to avoid calling God by masculine pronouns. The principal way this is accomplished is to turn all the psalms into second-person address, “you” instead of “he.” This has been variously defended as the objections came in. It was said that many people had wanted to pray the psalms and this new form facilitated that by making them prayers, ignoring the long tradition beginning in Judaism of praying the psalms in the existing biblical form. It was then said that the new form facilitated singing, ignoring the Anglican practice of choral evensong and the principal glory of the Anglican church, Anglican chant. The Leaders Edition attempts to diffuse the continuing objections by noting that “[t]he 150 psalms presented here use a version intended for common sung prayer and proclamation, rather than a translation for study.” When one who cares about study and scholarship is referred elsewhere, one becomes suspicious of the product. Should the church use in its liturgy something that does not stand up to scholarly examination?
As always, thanks for the ping. I don't have anything of substance to add, but I don't want to let this opportunity pass without passing along some good news.
Here in Rochester there is a Lutheran church downtown. It's ECLA and healthy, i.e. right thinking, from what I can observe. The priest is an energetic man and the vitality of the congregation is palpable. During the winter months they have a liturgy in German.
There is hope, L, so do fight the good fight, but don't lose hope. With Jesus all things are possible, and sometimes when I pray I recognize the paltry quality of my faith by the absence of joy and true reliance.
Remember, a revolution often makes the most noise just before it expires.
Thanks for the ping!