Censored Lectionary – Psalm 79
I wrote a post today for my wife’s devotional list that refers to the boundary line between the [tag]lectionary[/tag] reading, Psalm 79:1-9 and the rest of the Psalm.
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This kind of censorship is not new. I remember years ago that the Church of England Morning Prayer service included Psalm 95, the Venite – but in the copies of the service we used the part from the middle of verse 7 to the end (ironically the part quoted in Hebrews) was bracketed as “optional”, and this part was never sung in my church. I guess the vicar didn’t believe in God testing his people, nor perhaps his people hearing his voice, so we stuck to the comforting parts like “we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand”.
I’ve noticed this before as well. It also happens with Psalm 137. I’m not always opposed, though I find it interesting that there are parts of the Bible that we don’t feel comfortable reading in church. Of course, I could nominate a few passages myself!