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NEW: Ask Pastor Sophie!
Abstract: Pr. Sophie offers advice on matters of theology and Lutheran etiquette. This week: Psalm 16!
Pr. Sophie Fortresson has graciously consented to answer questions from our readers and offer advice about matters ranging from theology to Lutheran etiquette. Send your question to pr_sophie@lutheranconfessions.com.
Dear Pr. Sophie, I was preparing the worship folder at my church for the sixth Sunday after Pentecost (July 1), and when I read the Psalm (Psalm 16), I thought, "Whoa, that's pretty racy stuff, maybe I should warn Pastor or the assisting minister or somebody." But the phone rang and things got busy and I never got the chance to tell anybody to be careful with that psalm. Why do they put suggestive stuff like that in the lectionary? And what is a parish administrator supposed to do?
CP
Dear CP, Pr. Sophie thinks you must worried about the last line of Psalm 16: in your right hand are pleasures forevermore, and perhaps you're concerned that modern ears can't hear that without thinking about masturbation. Pr. Sophie encourages you to keep two things in mind. First, how people hear the Word is not up to you, it is up to the Holy Spirit. There is no need to clean up the language of scripture to protect modern listeners from double entendres. These, too, can be tools of Spirit. Second, not everyone is right-handed.
