Reviewing Andrew's Translation

[Christina]

Shlama Khati Christina,

You make an interesting point. I did not necessarily intend AENT for straight liturgy reading, but on the other hand, it seems to be happening anyway.

My editor Shali just sent me this a few days ago:

Akha,

Guess what! Bill and I went to a funeral in Denver yesterday (an old guy we sometimes went to pray with at his nursing home, died) and his son used the AENT to read from during the service!

I was just elated! And to think I had a hand in that awesome thing. Hee-hee. I am positively giddy.

Shalom,
Shali

And Baruch tells me AENT was used liturgically at Pesach seders in Jerusalem.

This cool <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/happy.gif" alt="" title="Happy" /><!-- s --> , glad to see that the Netzarim are already starting to make use of the Peshitta liturgically and in Jerusalem during Pesach, awesome <!-- s:onfire: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/onfire.gif" alt=":onfire:" title="On Fire" /><!-- s:onfire: -->

My concern though for the next step is not so much nice flowing English hymnal stuff (although that has value) but in setting up Semitic-rooted liturgy from the Peshitta to be sung in Aramaic as Hebrew prayers are sung in shul now. We have been looking even at the Qurbana of the COE and how they do this, but at a very prelimininary level. Peshitta Siddurs, Matzors and the like though are probably inevitable.

Yeah the CoE's Qurbana Qadisha is probably the best starting point, as their liturgical use of the Peshitta is the oldest. Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to check out the liturgical practices of the other churches which also use the Peshitta & Aramaic for comparison.

For the nice flowing English, the Revised English Bible would make a good guide, it's IMO the most elegant English translation since the KJV, but then it's British so I guess that's to be expected.