Presbyterian Church in Ireland to premier new suite of Psalms – Considering Lament

A newly composed suite of Psalms, ‘Considering Lament’ based on the experiences of victims and first responders during the Troubles is to be launched by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI).

Entitled ‘Considering Lament: Psalms of protest, pain and hope’, the suite of eight psalms and accompanying liturgies, has been written and composed by Rev Dr Karen Campbell and her husband David. Performed for the first time on 26th March at a special public service in PCI’s Assembly Buildings in central Belfast, the evening is an opportunity to sing through the newly composed psalms, which are also a congregational resource that can be used by local churches.

Explaining the background to the commissioning and the writing of the psalms, Dr Campbell, who is a former minister of two County Antrim Presbyterian churches, said that it had been a privilege to have been asked to be part of the project. “It has been a special honour to accompany people in their pain, listen to their stories and make sense of suffering through the lens of scripture. The Psalms of Lament provide honest words to speak before God when our own words fail us.”

“The Psalms of Lament are rarely sung within our worship services. Perhaps it is because the language is so strong and could be misunderstood as expressing unfaith. Yet, these psalms allow space to express disappointment, betrayal, anger and hurt at others, before God and even at God. Sometimes this is the most hopeful action, and by recovering the practice of lament, it gives space in our worship for marginalised voices to speak their pain to God and reconnect with the God who is ever compassionate and loving.

“I hope that it will also be a time for musicians, singers, organists, and music directors from our congregations to join us and receive a free copy of the words and music that will hopefully enrich the worship in our churches. You can book your place via the PCI website at www.presbyterianireland/events,” Dr Campbell said.

Considering Lament is part of a decade-long project undertaken by the all-Ireland denomination which led to the 2019 publication of the book ‘Considering Grace: Presbyterians and the Troubles’. The book is a collection of the experiences of 120 Presbyterians who through their stories tell of how they coped with loss and tests of faith during the Troubles. Including ‘critical friends’, the book also sought to assist the Church to examine its own history and reflect on its pastoral response to its members during that time.

Dr Campbell continued, “The book was an exceptional piece of work in allowing the voices of those who had suffered extreme loss to come to the fore. Considering Grace also yielded up questions of how a denomination continues to support those who have encountered the most extreme form of loss and suffering. It was important to continue this work by reconvening the eight regional focus groups across Northern Ireland as part of the process. Each psalm represents the work of one focus group. The words in the songs come from phrases used during the focus groups who in the end had final editorial control. It was important this project was victim centred in every way. To everyone who took part and brought their experiences, vulnerability, and honesty to the project, I want to say a huge thank you.”

The focus groups took place in Armagh, Ballymena, Bangor, Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, and Dungannon, while two took place in Omagh, which also drew people from Enniskillen. Each group studied a Psalm of Lament from the Book of Psalms that matched the experience of the place. The project was also expanded to reflect the experience of the nationalist community and young people growing up during the peace process in the shadow of the Troubles.

As Dr Campbell explained, “In County Armagh, for example, the threat of ambush was particularly real during the Troubles, so we looked at the ambush psalm, Psalm 64. The group helped shape the sentiments of the psalmist’s sense of ambush into the words of the song: ‘Their perfect ambushed words – were a snare to me…hide me from conspiracy.’

“In towns where there were still open wounds that were connected to feelings of injustice, Psalm 82 resonated, calling God to rise and act in justice. Then there were softer places that had been relatively sheltered from the Troubles. Here we looked at Psalm 39, which spoke of walls of silence that caused so much pain and uncertainty.”

Dr Campbell continued, “Having studied the psalms together, David and I went away to write the music and prayers that captured the essence of each one, with the groups refining and editing later. Local artists and musicians performed the Psalms of Lament, which were recorded by the well-known producer, musician and teacher of traditional music, Kenny Qua, in his south Armagh recording studio. They were then mixed and mastered by Get Real Audio in Bath.

“On the night we will sing these psalms together, and in addition to a team of musicians guiding us through the singing, there will be stories from different focus groups identifying the sound of reconciliation in the midst of the deepest of wounds. After the launch, the songs and liturgies will be available for download on the PCI website.”

Considering Lament is a project of PCI’s Council for Public Affairs through its Peace and Reconciliation Panel. In conjunction with the Council for Congregational Life and Witness, the Panel was chaired by Rev Dr Tony Davidson, the retired minister of First Armagh Presbyterian Church, the Panel also commissioned Considering Grace.

“Considering Grace was a seminal undertaking for PCI, as we wanted to examine our history pastorally and offer what emerged for the benefit of the denomination, the wider church, and the common good. Seven years on from the publication of the book, and a decade from the start of the project, the journey continues in a way that I hope takes us further along a path of healing,” Dr Davidson said.

“Each of the psalms in Considering Lament is very different in form and style, and builds on the huge respect that there is in Irish Presbyterianism for the singing of psalms, as for centuries they have been sung in our churches. They can be expressive, enabling us not only to praise God, but to cry out to him when life doesn’t rhyme anymore.”

Dr Davidson continued, “While I hope that this initiative gives victims and survivors a way of expressing their emotions and trauma before the Lord, which is a very biblical thing to do, they are also very counter cultural, as there is an aspect to modern Christianity today that says we should always be happy. In our current context, there is also space for lament, especially lament that can point us to the hope that we have in Christ.

“On behalf of the Task Group, and the Council, I want to thank Karen and David, and everyone who made Considering Lament possible, especially those who contributed directly through the focus groups. I also want to place on record our deep appreciation to those whose funding made Considering Lament possible. This includes the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Reconciliation Fund, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Benefact Trust, the Irish Council of Churches, Josh at Get Real Audio, and Dr Stephen Quay, who covered the mixing and mastering of the music, I would also like to thank Kenny Qua, who recorded the psalms for us,” Dr Davidson said.

With booking through Eventbrite, free copies of the Considering Lament, complete with music, will be available on the night. The link to Eventbrite can be found on the PCI website at www.presbyterianireland/events.