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This year’s Lent course explores the Psalms, the so-called songbook of the bible. The Psalms are songs of the soul. Through a series of engaging talks, we will consider their place in Christian spirituality and their value as a resource for personal and corporate prayer. All are welcome to these sessions, which will incorporate time for questions and discussion, and end with the beautiful service of Compline. A traditional choral service interspersed with short addresses, Compline dates back to medieval times drawing on prayers of ancient Sarum rite.Mondays, 7:30-8:30pm, North transept, followed by Compline at 8:40pm in the Quire
10 March
You show me the path of life (Psalm 16:11)
Introducing the Psalms: The Psalms as Poetry
The Very Revd Dr Mark Oakley, Dean of Southwark
The Psalms are a treasure trove of hymns and prayers that express a wide range of human emotions, from joy and gratitude to sorrow and repentance. In this introductory session, Dean Mark Oakley, will introduce the Psalms, explaining their background and place in the scriptures, and why they are vital to our faith. He will speak about how they work as poetry, and help us towards a deeper understanding of how our appreciation of them as poems can help us pray.
17 March
Ashira l’Adonai b’hayai: I will sing to the Lord all my life (Psalm 104:33)
The Psalms in Jewish Worship
Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand, Director of Leadership and Learning, Pears Foundation
In Jewish tradition, it is impossible to go through a day without encountering the psalms. From the “warm-up” psalms recited in Hebrew as preparation for morning prayer, to the joyous psalms sung (again in Hebrew) to accompany the carrying of the Torah around the congregation, psalms play an important role in Jewish prayer. But they also appear outside the synagogue service including: prayers before bed, prayers for the sick, prayers before a burial, the wedding ceremony, and psalms as part of daily Torah study. Led by Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand, this session will explore all of these aspects, as well as giving a chance to experience the Jewish musical traditions that go back to the Temple in Jerusalem.
24 March
O come, let us sing unto the Lord (Psalm 95.1)
The Psalms in Anglican Worship
John Challenger, Assistant Director of Music and Jacob Costard, Organ Scholar
In this session, John Challenger and Jacob Costard will explore the origins of psalm-singing in Anglican worship and the evolution of the musical backdrop to which these ancient texts are set. In considering elements of the psalter and the daily practice of singing the psalms, join us to reflect on the centrality of the psalms to our liturgy and to consider what it might mean for those who sing to pray twice.
31 March
Let death come hastily upon them, and let them go down quick into hell (Psalm 55:16)
What should we make of the angry Psalms?
Canons Ed Probert and Kenneth Padley
This session explores the visceral emotions we often feel towards others, ourselves and God, and to which many Psalms give voice. How honest should we be about these feelings – in private prayer or even in public worship? How should Christians read Scripture when it is filled with fear and fury?
7 April
Into the place of dragons (psalm 44:20)
The Devotional Use of the Psalms
The Rt Revd Andrew Rumsey, Bishop of Ramsbury
In this session, Andrew Rumsey will consider the use of the psalms in creative and devotional practice. Drawing on his experience as an author and songwriter, he will explore the potential of the Psalms as an imaginative spur for ideas, lyrics and prayers. This session offers a personal reflection on the creative potential of the psalms in both spirituality and popular culture.
The series will conclude with a special service of Compline on Tuesday 15 April, with a series of short addresses led by the Dean, the Very Revd Nicholas Papadopulos, on verses from the psalms prayed by Jesus when he was dying on the cross
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Salisbury Cathedral, The Close,Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
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