Sunday, August 17, 2008

Perhaps It Does Need Some Translation....

My Best Beloved came home from church today (she had gone to her parish, and I had supplied elsewhere), and commented, “The words of worship need to make sense to the people worshipping.”

I answered, “That’s the primary argument for periodic revision of the Prayer Book.”

“Yes,” she said, “but you wouldn’t rewrite the Psalms.” I agreed that, while the translation for the 1979 Prayer Book was original for that book, the basic text would not change. “So,” she said, “much of the language just doesn’t make sense to us. I almost lost it when I heard in the Psalm,


'1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *

when brethren live together in unity!

2 It is like fine oil upon the head *

that runs down upon the beard,

3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *

and runs down upon the collar of his robe.'


“All I could think,” she said, “was, ‘God, that’s a household nightmare! Who’s going to clean up that mess?’”

4 comments:

bls said...

The servants, of course.

(It's good to be king. ;-) )

Fr. Aaron Orear said...

Try that psalm when your name is Aaron...

Marshall Scott said...

bls: I suppose, but it's not something I've experienced personally.

Oh, Aaron - I can only imagine....

Fr. Aaron Orear said...

We had giggles in the sanctuary on Sunday, and "witty" comments at coffee hour. Sigh.

On the other hand, one of the morning psalms for the feast of the BVM advised, "O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield," which does lend one a certain cache.