The Psalter Search

Trying to find a good Psalter is such a pain...

As I continue work on various liturgical projects, I continue to lament the lack of a halfway decent, contemporary English, Psalter that is worth anything.

My preference, to this day, remains with the 1963 Grail Psalms... but getting permission to use these Psalms in a local-use liturgical book has been a nigh-on-impossible three year journey that I am pretty much on the verge of abandoning. (Of course, the use of the Grail would also be a bit of a personal comfort... as I grew up on a diet of the Grail in the Roman Liturgy of the Hours.) The Grail is, of course, not without its faults... but for my money, when Psalm 4, 91, or 141 is sung, I only want to hear the Grail.

My translation of choice for public proclamation of the Scriptures, the New Living Translation (Second Edition) has the advantage of being well-laid-out for chanting, but its verbiage is awful when it comes to trying to sing... right from the very first verse...

"Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in
the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night."
Psalm 1: 1-2 (NLT)

Compare this to the Grail:

"Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night."
Psalm 1: 1-2 (Grail)

Another entrant could be The Liturgical Psalter that was used in various Church of England publications; most notably in The Alternative Service Book 1980. It has been placed into (essentially) a public domain status by the copyright holders (see: http://www.aquilabooks.co.uk/noframes/psalms.htm#1). Psalm 1 fares better here:

"Blessed is the man
who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly:
nor followed the way of sinners,
nor taken his seat amongst the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord:
and on that law will he ponder day and night."
Psalm 1: 1-2 (TLS)

This winds up sounding pretty good... but fast forward to Psalm 23 (among others) and the fact that it is accurately translated begins to matter far less than the fact that the Psalm sounds awful.

We tend to forget, but the Psalms are poetry, hymnody... and they deserve a better effort than they seem to be given these days. Pardon my side-rant... back to my main point.

For chantability and accuracy, the ESV is actually a really good option (though I might get concerned about the use of two differing translations of the Bible in use in a parish setting).

"Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night."
Psalm 1: 1-2 (ESV)

So, is there anyone out there in the blogosphere with a better idea for a local liturgical psalter? I'd particularlly like to hear from folks who are using Psalters on a daily basis.

Inspiring Words from Christians in Palestine

Recently, while searching for a totally unrelated item, I came across the website the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hope in Ramallah, Palestine (or, if you insist, Israel). In it they were discussing their worship services... and I find it interesting to read what they wrote (added emphases are my own):

Worship services are held each Sunday morning at 10:30 am, and Sunday School is held at 9:30 am in the parish hall. Even during occasional times of curfew imposed by the Israeli military, the Lutheran church bells ring announcing worship and people come to pray. A curfew is the total closure of a town, a time when people are forbidden by the Israeli soldiers to leave their homes. Pastor Ansara and the Lutheran church members have decided to hold worship services regardless of a curfew. People leave their homes to sing, pray, hear God’s Word and partake of the Sacraments in the church.

Organ and Tissue Donation II

In response to my post yesterday concerning Organ and Tissue Donation, I received an interesting comment. I posted it, somewhat reluctantly, but wish to actually expound upon why I don't believe that the suggestion made in the comment is appropriate.

Dave Undis is the Executive Director of LifeSharers, a Nashville, Tennessee based organization that promotes an idea of prioritized donation on the basis of the recipient's donation status (i.e., if they are or are not a donor). His comments follow, with my comments interspersed:

Over half of the 98,000 Americans on the national transplant waiting list will die before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate about 20,000 transplantable organs every year. Over 6,000 of our neighbors suffer and die needlessly every year as a result.

I agree with Dave; as a proponent of Organ and Tissue donation, I definately am not thrilled that so many people do not elect to give the gift of life. That being said, why do people choose not to donate? In fact, how many people have truly rejected donation? Simply asking "Do you want to be an organ donor" at the license branch isn't sufficient. We need education. We cannot blame those who do not know about donation for going to their graves with their organs.

There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage -- give organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die. Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors.

I doubt it. People use the same justifiction to support captial punishment. The United States executes, per capita, the largest number of criminals in the western world, yet we have one of the highest violent crime rates on the planet. People won't have a clue about this idea - just as many have no real clue what donation is all about. Then, they will find out about it and it will be too late.

It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.

Again, what about a lack of education and knowledge? You are going to have to do better, Dave, in convincing me that this is a good idea. Until there is effective, universal education on this issue, your plan makes no sense. It excludes people who have bought into the lies about donation (i.e., they take organs from black folks and kill them and give them to white folks... or... if they know I am a donor, they won't try to save my life). Look at the country we live in, Dave... do you REALLY think we have the knowledge in this nation to make your dream a reality? I don't. Also, I am not willing to write off those who are ignorant of donation, just as I am not willing to write off God's gift of eternal life among those who have never heard of Christ. To do so would be, in my mind, a betrayal of my Christian principles.

So, in short, Mr. Undis, thanks... but no thanks. Our Organ Donation system is flawed, needs help, and could stand to use a massive infusion of people... but it works far better than singling people out because of a lack of knowledge or because they have been taught all their lives that Donation is one group's way of being a modern-day succubus off of another group.

When and if (and I do mean if) the United States passes a presumtive consent law concerning donation (you are a donor unless you opt out) then it will make sense to classify people based on their conscious decision to opt out of participating in the system. Until then, I am absolutely uncomfortable with any move to restrict donation in the fashion that LifeSharers suggests.

Organ and Tissue Donation

April is Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month in the United States. In my local health-care facility, we are celebrating this week with programs intended to raise awareness among our staff. I wanted to take a moment, though, to share the donation message here on the blog today.

Organ and Tissue Donation is an imperative in our society today. Thousands of people are on the waiting list for hearts, lungs, livers, kidneys, skin, cornea, valves, bone, and other donations that they need to either improve the quality of their lives or to simply survive.

Each of us can make a difference by signing up to be an organ or tissue donor, and by making your choice known to your family and friends. In many states, you can make your wishes known -as I did - by designating your donation decision on your driver's license. You can also register on the Internet with the donation registry for your home state. A listing of these registries can be found at http://www.organdonor.gov/

For those outside the United States, consult your local health department or medical facility for full information on how to become an organ donor.

Please join me in making a commitment to Organ and Tissue Donation in this month, and share in putting out the message about the urgency of donation!

Those Lying, Cheating Politicians Have Done It Again (Updated)

Just when you thought that President Bush and the good folks in Congress were trying to help you out...

You've all heard about the tax rebate checks we are supposed to get, right? Let's take a moment to check something out here... according to dictionary.com, the principal definition of the word rebate is: "a return of part of the original payment for some service or merchandise."

Did you catch that? A return of the original payment.

Thus, we should be getting back money we have already paid in income taxes, right? Wrong.

Instead, we are getting an advance, which is defined (in this context) as: "to supply or pay in expectation of reimbursement". Yea, that's right... just like at any payday loan shop, you will be paying it back. Don't believe me? CNN has a wonderful article on it right now (click here to read the article).

Do you want to know the worst part of this? President Bush and Congress did their very best to bamboozle the American public. Not one wisp of the fact that these were to be advances that had to be paid back next year ever entered into the public discussion (at least not that I heard) until after the bill had passed and was sent to the president.

President Bush wants me to spend the money that I'll be getting. Fat chance. My money is going into a savings account.

And people wonder why I think politicians fall in to two categories, less evil and more evil...

And no, to all my readers who will again beseech me to vote... why vote when this is the best you can get.

Update: CNN has posted a follow-up article (link) which states that we won't have to pay back anything we get, even if it exceeds the refund we will get next year. It would have been nice if that had been specified in the original article, but all this means is that a lot of people won't be getting refunds next year. So, friends, you are still paying for it on the backside, just not as harshly as it initially looked from the earlier article. I suppose we can breathe a small sigh of relief... right?

Anglican-oriented Books for Sale

As some of you may know, I spent a few years in a Continuing Anglican Church body. As I have recieved an offer on my old house and I am moving into a smaller place, I am getting rid of a lot of my books. Most of them went to the local Half Price Books store, but I have a few that may be of special interest for those Anglophiles in the blogosphere.

1) The Altar Service Book for the 1892 Book of Common Prayer
This is a duplicate copy (I had mine rebound and will hang on to it), and it is in fair condition. Binding is a bit worn and the pages have browned a bit, but all the text is still legible. Someone tried adapting it to use as a 1928 Altar Book, but I removed all of their paste-in's (they are inside the front cover). Book was printed in either 1907 or 1917. Black and White text.

2) The Altar Service Book for the 1662 Book of Common Prayer
The binding has a bit missing, but the previous owner managed to cover it pretty well. Pages have darkened very, very slightly. This copy includes the Revised Lectionary from 1923. Black and Red die-printed. An excellent find.

3) The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (hand sized edition)
In fair condition. Black and White hardcover (red binding).

4) The Collects of Thomas Cranmer by Barbee and Zahl
Excellent condition, includes dust jacket. Meditations on the Sunday and Holy Day collects of the Book of Common Prayer.

5) The South African Rite and the 1928 Prayer Book by Hinchliff (Alcuin Club Phamphlet XVII). Paperback. Topic obvious.

6) Sermons Preached in Saint George's by Rainsford
Hardback collection of Sermons.

7) Notes on the Round Table Conference, Fulham, 1900 by Dimock.
Hardcover in good shape. Book is about the Ritualist Controversies. Specifically this book delves into the Doctrine of Holy Communion and its Rutual Expression.

8) Lambeth Conference 1948: Encyclical Letter from the Bishops together with Resolutions and Reports.
Paperback in fair condition.

9) The Renewal of Anglicanisim by McGrath
Paperback. A Hopeful Vision for the Renewal of Anglicanisim

10) The Life of Thomas Cranmer by Maaynard.
Hardcover with Dustjacket. Unique. Includes Catholic Nihil Obsthat and Imprumatur.

I will also soon have avaliable:

One blue chasuble and stole
One violet chasuble, stole, and maniple

If you have questions on any of these items, please contact me via e-mail.

All proceeds go into my funds to purchase new Eastern vestments.

Microsoft Word 2007 - Guh!

Well, I just got a new laptop computer. I have been without one for over a year, and have been looking forward to getting one for some time. I find laptops to be far more comfortable for me than desktop units. It's a nice enough unit, and I am starting to get used to the Windows Vista interface, but...

I'd like to have a conversation with the programming genius at Microsoft who (re)developed the Microsoft Office platform - specifically Microsoft Word 2007.

Let me tell you, I am going to have to entirely re-learn MS Word from the ground up. To make matters worse, many fonts that were native to Word in the past are now totally gone - meaning that an extremely long Liturgy Book I had been busy editing now needs to be entirely reformatted to take a new series of fonts into account.

I have never been so displeased with a word processing application in my life.

It's been a decade since I last used Corel WordPerfect with any regularity... but I just might look into it again now. I may not be a computer programmer, but I have never felt stupid when using a computer before. Tonight, I throw up my hands in disgust and admit it... right now, MS Word 2007 owns me.

Fire on the Altar

Three posts today, three title links. Hrm...

Anyway, on Saturday morning a fire was set on the Altar of Immaculate Conception Parish in Auburn, Indiana, following a break in where several offices and classrooms were pillaged. An undisclosed amount of money was also taken.

The interesting thing is that this is not being investigated as a hate crime.

Artificial plants were covered with an accelerant, set on the Altar, and lit on fire... and its not at least a candidate for investigation as a hate crime?

Disc Golf Video

Pursuant to my previous post, here is a video that introduces you to disc golf.

Disc Golf...

How do you go to the links and play eighteen without a ball or clubs? Simple... you head out and play disc golf.

Disc Golf, sometimes called Folf (short for Frisbee(R) Golf) is played with a set of flying discs (not Frisbee(R)s) in much the same manner as regular golf. You take your first shot from a tee (usually concrete, rubber, or dirt) towards a pole-hole a bit of a distance away.

The distances are shorter than in ball golf (with holes being measured in feet instead of yards) but it can still prove to be an experience that gets you all the excercise you need in a day.

Here in the Indianapolis area, I have played on two courses, Brookside Park and the course at the Avon Town Hall. Kristen and I plan to hit the course at George Washington Park on Friday night.

This afternoon, I played eighteen at Brookside Park. There were a pretty good number of golfers out playing, and almost all of them were quite friendly. The low cost of equipment (one could, in theory, play with a single disc... though different discs are designed to do different things) makes Disc Golf one of the most egalitarian sports out there.

I actually birdied a few holes, made par on several, but on the whole its too early for me to be keeping score. Right now the fun and excercise is enough for me. Let me share a bit about my experience today.

I got a really good shot off the first tee, but cut my second shot too close to the woods. After catching a tree-branch, my driver went deep into the woods. I took solace in knowing that I wasn't alone. While looking for my driver, I found two other drivers (and I called their owners... one had just been lost the day before!) in the underbrush. I hope the owners of those drivers don't care, but I played out my round with their drivers in my bag.

Anyway, my best hole of the day was my first birdie, #5, thanks to the best approach shot I have ever thrown in my life (It was my third round and I took up the game last Friday... that kinda puts it in perspective).

I was starting to get a bit discouraged around #9 and considered packing it in and heading home... but my walk to the tenth tee calmed me down. I really picked up my long and midrange game from #10 through #14, with fatigue and a touch of dehydration hitting around the fifteenth hole. My longest drive of the day was on the tenth hole...

By the time I got to the bowl (a large depression on the west side of the park) I was just plain getting tired and sloppy... all I wanted was to refill my water bottle and lay down... but I trooped through.

IndyParks has done a pretty crappy job of providing for maps at this particular park... and I would offer the very serious complain that there are no places to sit down between holes (with the exception of around 5 and 7, where basketball court benches are avalaible).

Well, that's my little trek for today...

Major Site Update In Progress

As you may have noticed, I am in the midst of a major site overhaul today. Hope to have it completed with in the next 24 hours.

Back from Vacation

As many of you may know, my vacation was tied into my wedding to my new bride, Kristen. We (literally) tied the knot on Saturday, June 30th in Indianapolis, and spent the following week on our honeymoon in Tennessee.

It was good to be away, but it is also good to be back. Thanks to all those who have sent their greetings along on this happy occassion, and thank you for your prayers!

Officially On Vacation

Well, all... I am officially on vacation as of now...

Enjoy the next week and change, and I'll see you back here in the second week of July.

In your charity, please pray for me and my bride as we travel over the next week or so.

Welcome

In the past, I have made various and sundry attempts to keep up a blog. I haven’t always succeeded. Okay, in reality, I haven’t succeeded at all. So – as they say – here we go again!