The Injustice of the Revised Common Lectionary

This Sunday we have another example of how the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) sanitizes the Bible. In Psalm 36, Dixit injustus, only verses 5-10 are to be heard by the congregation. 

5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, *

and your faithfulness to the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,

your justice like the great deep; *

you save both man and beast, O Lord.

7 How priceless is your love, O God! *

your people take refuge under the

shadow of your wings.

8 They feast upon the abundance of your house; *

you give them drink from the river of your delights.

9 For with you is the well of life, *

and in your light we see light.

10 Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *

and your favor to those who are true of heart.

 That sounds so sweet. The pewsitters will never know the real context of the Psalm because they won't hear the introduction, 

1 There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked; *

there is no fear of God before his eyes.

2 He flatters himself in his own eyes *

that his hateful sin will not be found out.

3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; *

he has left off acting wisely and doing good.

4 He thinks up wickedness upon his bed

and has set himself in no good way; *

he does not abhor that which is evil.

And they won't hear the conclusion,

 

11 Let not the foot of the proud come near me, *

nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.

12 See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness! *

they are cast down and shall not be able to rise.

Important warnings are lost by these edits, and that is to the detriment of the pewsitters, most of whom will never in their lifetime hear the full messages and as a result will not know to heed their calls.

Now that is an injustice.

Shame on you RCL.