Why do you do that?! - Why Only Ordained Clergy May Preside at the Eucharist

Among those who come from a “free church” background, the question of why Holy Communion can only be administered by a priest or bishop in Anglican churches comes up frequently.  I will attempt to answer the question from all three “streams” of the Anglican Tradition (the evangelical commitment to Scripture, the charismatic sensitivity to the Spirit and the catholic concern to remain in line with “that which has been believed at all times, everywhere and by all).  I will begin first with the Scriptures.  

In 1 Corinthians St. Paul tackles a whole host of issues in this rather dysfunctional congregation.  In chapter 11 Paul has to say to them, “But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.”  He is talking about their gathering together for communion.  They are not maintaining any form of “order.”  Some have nothing to share while others are getting drunk with excess.  This Paul cannot “commend” them for.  Rather, he chastises them and he summarizes his instruction on the topic with this injunction, “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat [the Body and Blood], wait for one another.” (1 Cor. 11.33).  Later on in the letter, Paul has to confront these same believers about the way their exercise of spiritual gifts is also disordered.  Here again, there is chaos, and here again Paul gives concrete instruction on how to overcome the chaos, leaving off with these words, “But all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14.40).  Clearly Paul has in mind an orderly church where proper conduct is valued and where everything (both the exercise of spiritual gifts and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper) is done in an orderly and “right” fashion.  

In his letter to Timothy, Paul will give similar instructions about the preaching, teaching and proclamation of the gospel.  He says, “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2.2).  Here there is a clear understanding of a personal passing on of apostolic teaching and apostolic authority.  Again, this reveals the New Testament concern for order within the Church.

The New Testament talks about 3 distinct offices within the Church which are variously tasked with the duties of eldership, oversight and service.  It is no coincidence that within the life of the Church these have become known as “Holy Orders,” the bishops (overseers), presbyters/priests (elders) and deacons (servants) of the New Testament.  The Church has always understood the role of the overseer and presbyter both as being charged with these tasks of safeguarding and passing on the apostolic teaching and preaching AND along with it, safeguarding the orderly celebration of the Lord’s Supper.  So, presbyters (or bishops when they are available) are the only ones in the Church who are authorized to celebrate Communion, because only by their oversight can they ensure that the Supper is celebrated according to proper order and with the right spirit and understanding of the Apostolic teaching surrounding the sacrament.  In the early church, and to this day in Eastern Orthodoxy, every duly ordained priest was/is given an antimins which is embroidered with the signature of the bishop so that the faithful can be assured that the Eucharist that this priest leads is being celebrated reverently, in order and under the authority of the apostolic authority of the bishop.  Similarly, in Western churches this is why traditionally the bishop’s chair can be found in every parish church, located somewhere near the altar.

Likewise, seeking understanding from the “charismatic” stream we know that in the life of the Church, the presbyters and bishops are those servants of Christ who have been anointed by the Spirit with the laying on of hands and prayer for these rather specific tasks.  We uphold firmly the priesthood of all believers.  But we also know that Paul talks at length about the varied nature of the gifts that God gives to the Church.  Not all members of the Body are eyes, or ears or hands (cf. 1 Corinthians 12).  The Body needs every member’s participation and ministry in order to be whole, but not every member carries the same roles, rights or responsibilities.  It is the God ordained (that is why we use that term) and Spirit empowered and anointed task of the clergy to preside over the Table.

Which leads finally to the “catholic” understanding of the matter.  In the Creeds the Church has always affirmed that She is not only one, holy and apostolic (as we have understood it above - safeguarding and adhering to the apostolic teaching) but also that She is “catholic.”  This term comes from a Greek phrase consisting of two words kata - meaning “according to”, and holon - meaning, “the whole”.  So at it’s root, catholicity means “according to the whole.”  In the ancient understanding and practice the church was an ecclesia catholikos - a gathering (that is what the word church/ecclesia literally means) according to the whole.   In the ancient Church, according to the whole, was understood as a tangible expression of the eschatological (meaning, looking toward Christ’s second coming and the final ushering in of His Kingdom) gathering together of all of Gods people, expressed concretely in the present around the Eucharistic Table.  

The Eucharistic prayer of the Didache (c. 100 AD) instructs the Celebrant to pray, “Just as this loaf was scattered all over the mountains, and having been brought together was made one, so let your Church be gathered from the ends of the earth in your Kingdom.” From this Greek Orthodox theologian John Zizioulos concludes, “It was a clear indication that, although the catholicity of the Church is ultimately an eschatological reality, its nature is revealed and realistically apprehended here and now in the Eucharist.” (emphasis mine).  

What this means is that the Lord’s Table is not meant to be something celebrated in a “private” or “intimate” setting in the first place.  This was one of the great advances of the Protestant Reformation - recovering the understanding that a lone priest uttering the words of the Mass by himself in a chapel somewhere overthrew the Lord’s intention for His Supper.  The Supper is for all of God’s people to come together around God’s Table to remember AND to proclaim and even, as much as is possible in the present, embody and enact the coming Kingdom in and through the public celebration of the Eucharist.  In order to embody the greatest possible wholeness of the Body, as many of the Orders of the Church as possible should be involved in the Eucharistic celebration.  In other words, just as the Supper’s intention is overthrown by being celebrated only by a lone priest, so too it would be overthrown by being celebrated by only a group of laity together without the presence of a priest (and preferably a deacon, and of course the bishop if he is available).   

So we see from the concerns of St. Paul in the Scriptures, from an understanding of the diversity and unity of the Spirit's gifts and from the catholic understanding and practice of the church why only those ordained for the task can be allowed to preside over the Eucharist. It is a matter of New Testament order, Spirit given anointing for the specific task and in keeping with the catholic faith and practice held “at all times, everywhere, by all” as an eschatological proclamation of Christ’s coming Kingdom.  

Why do you do that?!

The Ember Days

Well, as promised in my earlier post on Rogation Days, I owe you an explanation of the Ember Days.  There are four sets of Ember Days, corresponding to the four seasons of the year.  The winter Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in the 3rd Week of Advent.  The Spring Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in the First (full) Week of Lent, the summer Ember Days, begin tomorrow as the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (are you seeing  the pattern here) of the first week in Pentecost.  And the Fall Ember Days will be (you guessed it) the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following September 14th (The Feast of the Holy Cross).

The specific origin of the Ember Days is not exactly known.  They were never observed in the Eastern Orthodox churches so they are strictly associated with the Christian West.  Sources are fairly clear that in England the observance of these days originated with Augustine the first Archbishop of Canterbury. So it doesn't get much more Anglican than that!

The Ember Days were set aside as special days of prayer and fasting.  According to Pope Leo (ca. 400) the idea was to carry spiritual discipline and the Law of Abstinence into every season of the year.  The Days have also been deemed particularly appropriate for scheduling ordinations.  As such they have traditionally carried a particular significance for the ordained ministers of the Church and those in the formation process.  It is not unusual for bishops to require their ordination candidates and sometimes even their clergy to write them an Ember Day letter to share their growth, struggles and overall progress in the formation process.

As with all of the observances of the Christian Calendar, the root idea is to remind ourselves, and proclaim to the world, that our God is a God who is sovereign over time.  Our days, weeks, months and years are all under the watchful care of the Eternal One.  And as always, days of prayer and fasting are set to remind us that we are not controlled by our need to produce wealth or feed our stomachs.  "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well."

Why do you do that?!

Rogation what?! 

So, what are the Rogation Days?  These are the three days leading up to the Feast of the Ascension (always Thursday in the 6th Week of Easter).  The name comes from the Latin rogate (long o, short a, short e) which means, "ask ye" or in contemporary English, "y'all ask."  Traditionally these are days of prayer and even fasting making supplication to God for seasonable weather, rain and a bountiful harvest during the Spring season of planting.  

That these days remain a part of our liturgical calendar (despite the fact that a good number of us no longer live our lives tied to the agrarian cycles of planting and harvest) is a reminder that the Church still takes very seriously the mission of all believers as a Kingdom of Priests unto God.  To pray for planting and harvest reminds us that it is our priestly duty to make intercession for all spheres of society.  Often we can get caught up in focusing our prayers narrowly on our own needs and the needs of those immediately around us.  But through myriad ways, the Rogation Days being only one example, the Church calls us to participate with Christ in making intercession for every aspect of our society and our world.

We'll talk about the Ember Days some other time.

You Believe What?!

In light of my recent sermon from Revelation 5 I thought I would re-post this on an Anglican approach and understanding of the role of the Saints.

Lex Orandi Lex Credendi (the law of prayer is the law of belief)

One of Anglicanisms favorite sayings is that as we pray so we believe. If you want to understand the Anglican theology of baptism or Eucharist, start by reading through the baptismal and eucharistic liturgies. This principle is also seen in Anglicanism's approach toward the Saints.

Do you venerate the saints?

There is another good question that I get all the time. Anglicanism recognizes a lot of the "official" saints of the Church and even marks their feast days. We celebrate All Saints Day in November as one of the principle feasts of the Christian year. Yet, you claim to be Protestant?! Explain yourself. And so to answer lets take a look at the following prayer and see what it teaches us about Anglicanism's balanced approach toward the Saints.

"Leader: The righteous live forever more;

Response: Their reward also is with the Lord.

Leader: O God the King of Saints, we praise and magnify thy holy Name for all thy servants  who have finished their course in thy faith and fear, for the Blessed Virgin Mary, for the  holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles and Martyrs, and for all other thy righteous servants;  and we beseech thee that, encouraged by their example, strengthened by their fellowship,  and aided by their prayers, we may attain unto everlasting life; through the merits of thy  Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." ~ From the Scottish Book of Common Prayer

Note a couple things right off: First, this prayer begins with Scripture, reminding us of the promises of Psalm 37 and the words of Jesus about our reward in Heaven. As always, Anglicanism holds Scripture as THE final authority in questions of belief. Note also that the prayer is not addressed directly to any saint, but rather to God the King of Saints. God is glorified in his people both living and dead and it is ultimately to Him that all our praise is due and to Him all our prayers addressed. He is the source of all good things and so we give Him all thanks for the gift of godly examples.

But then note how the prayer goes on from this foundation, it recognizes the reality of that very first statement, the righteous do live forevermore. They are in fact still living in the very Presence of God before his throne. And as such, we can look to their example of godly living. How many of us benefit from reading the writings and biographies of these great men and women of faith. We can also recognize that the Church is one Church comprised of both those who are here now as well as those who have gone before, one Church in Heaven and Earth. As such we know that when we bow our heads in prayer or when we join together in the words of a hymn or the liturgy, we are praying with all of the "Angels and Archangels and all the company of heaven" (ie the Saints) who forever sing their hymns and pray their prayers before the Father. We really do have fellowship with these and that thought should inspire joy and hope in us. And finally we recognize that they are always praying and worshipping around the throne, so why should we not expect that the members of the Church at rest should not be praying for us the members who are still fighting the good fight here? I have often heard it said, if you go ahead and ask your brother or sister at church to pray for you, why wouldn't you want a brother or sister who has been fully sanctified and who stands face to face with the Father praying for you? In the Revelation we see the prayers of the saints going up from under the altar of God just like incense. Who are they praying for? Certainly not themselves. They have no needs. I believe it is more than reasonable to assert that they are in fact praying for the faithful who have not yet departed - you and me. And that is a very encouraging thought indeed. One which we should pray and thank God for.

And finally, we note once again that all this is done through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. All prayer is offered in Jesus' name because he is our Great High Priest. All the work of salvation that we and the saints in Glory have experienced comes to us because of him. Our prayers, and theirs are only acceptable because of Him. Even the saints themselves are only acceptable because of the work of Christ that has made them so.

So, there you have it. The Anglican approach toward the saints. They are there. They encourage us through example and through prayer. And their lives are lived only to the Glory of God the Father and His only Son Jesus Christ our Lord, through the Power of the Holy Spirit.

You Believe What?!

Entering Reverently into Holy Mysteries.

In the Anglican Calendar (along with all of Western Christianity) we are now wrapping up the first week of Advent, the season of preparation, making our hearts ready to celebrate the coming of Christ at Christmas, as well as to prepare to greet him upon his return at the Last Day.  As we enter more deeply into this season I thought it a good idea to publish the Exhortation.  This Exhortation appears in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and it is recommended to be read occasionally in public worship, especially in penitential seasons.  So, as we seek to prepare our hearts this Advent, consider what this Exhortation calls us toward.

"Beloved in the Lord: Our Savior Christ, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood as a sign and pledge of his love, for the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of his death, and for a spiritual sharing in his risen life. For in these holy Mysteries we are made one with Christ, and Christ with us; we are made one body in him, and members one of another. 

Having in mind, therefore, his great love for us, and in obedience to his command, his Church renders to Almighty God our heavenly Father never-ending thanks for the creation of the world, for his continual providence over us, for his love for all mankind, and for the redemption of the world by our Savior Christ, who took upon himself our flesh, and humbled himself even to death on the cross, that he might make us the children of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, and exalt us to everlasting life. But if we are to share rightly in the celebration of those holy Mysteries, and be nourished by that spiritual Food, we must remember the dignity of that holy Sacrament. I therefore call upon you to consider how Saint Paul exhorts all persons to prepare themselves carefully before eating of that Bread and drinking of that Cup. For, as the benefit is great, if with penitent hearts and living faith we receive the holy Sacrament, so is the danger great, if we receive it improperly, not recognizing the Lord’s Body. Judge yourselves, therefore, lest you be judged by the Lord. 

Examine your lives and conduct by the rule of God’s commandments, that you may perceive wherein you have offended in what you have done or left undone, whether in thought, word, or deed. And acknowledge your sins before Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life, being ready to make restitution for all injuries and wrongs done by you to others; and also being ready to forgive those who have offended you, in order that you yourselves may be forgiven. And then, being reconciled with one another, come to the banquet of that most heavenly Food. And if, in your preparation, you need help and counsel, then go and open your grief to a discreet and understanding priest, and confess your sins, that you may receive the benefit of absolution, and spiritual counsel and advice; to the removal of scruple and doubt, the assurance of pardon, and the strengthening of your faith. 

To Christ our Lord who loves us, and washed us in his own blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father, to him be glory in the Church evermore. Through him let us offer continually the sacrifice of praise, which is our bounden duty and service, and, with faith in him, come boldly before the throne of grace."

The liturgy as Christian response to evil and death...

Check out my post on the Christ Our Hope blog.  In it I explore the way the Christian liturgy (specifically in our case the Anglican liturgy) is an act of dissidence against the evil and death that our community has recently witnessed.

You Believe Whaat?!

So, what does the Anglican Church believe about the Holy Spirit?

This coming Sunday is the celebration of Pentecost, the Jewish Feast on which the Holy Spirit descended in Power upon the 12 Apostles.  In today's Church different sects and denominations hold widely differing views of the Spirit and His role in the life of the Church and the believer.  So where exactly does the Anglican Church stand on this important theological point?

Well, of course we need to first note that the Anglican Church stands in line with Christ's One Holy catholic (meaning universal) and Apostolic Church.  In the universal Creeds of the Church we affirm that we believe in the Holy Spirit and that He is the Lord and Giver of Life.  But what of his activity in today's Church?  Well, we cannot deny our story and what we have experienced.

In 1929 a discouraged English missionary to Rwanda named Joe Church traveled to Kampala, Uganda for a few weeks of respite.  While there Mr. Church searched the Scriptures and came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit that, “There can be nothing to stop a real outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Rwanda now except our own lack of sanctification.”[1] Church returned to his post in Gahini, Rwanda where he began to fervently pray for personal and national revival.  The Lord answered those prayers and within weeks Joe Church led a number of people through the process of conversion to Christ.  Additionally, many of the local Christians became deeply convicted that they were not loving and honoring their neighbors the way Christ would want them to. 

The result was a massive outpouring of repentance.  As the people repented the Lord continued to pour out the gifts of His Holy Spirit.  Not only were relationships healed but sicknesses and infirmities of all kinds were miraculously cured.  The tidal wave of God’s Spirit was unleashed.  This revival quickly spread like wildfire into Uganda and Kenya.  Thousands upon thousands turned to the Lord Jesus as Savior or returned from their wanderings to follow him as Lord.  This was a rebirth and indeed the dawning of a new chapter in the Church in Africa.  Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this revival is its lasting affect.  Even today most East Africans will trace their own conversion and the faith of their family to the Revival.  The Spirit is still surging through Africa, turning hearts toward God, healing and revealing Himself to the believers there.

This reality is a real challenge to the image of Anglican churches as stuffy, dead museums devoted to an antiquated tradition.  Certainly and sadly many churches in the West fit that description.  But across the globe Anglicans of many tongues, tribes and nations continue to experience the vibrant, enlivening, surging power of the Third Person of the Trinity.  We cannot deny our corporate experience nor the witness of saints throughout the ages who knew the transforming power of God.  We believe in the Holy Spirit!

---

[1] As quoted in the article, New Dawn in East Africa: The East African Revival, Michael Harper, Christian History and Biography, January 1986.

Why Do You Do That?!

Recently someone asked me a good question which I felt was worth sharing here.  She had apparently been having a conversation with an evangelical friend who was trying to make the case that liturgy is dry, dead and rote.  She asked me, "How do you, as a priest, approach the common opinion that liturgy is dry, repetitive, rote, and has no spirit (or Spirit) in it, and how can the church as a whole dispel that belief?"  So here was my answer:

The first, punky short answer I thought of was - have you been to our church?   Does it feel dry and rote?  
(For those readers who have not had an opportunity to worship at Christ Our Hope, Fort Collins you need to know that we are a very lively blend of traditional liturgy with upbeat contemporary music and lively extemporaneous prayer where you might encounter "hand raising" and even some people quietly praying in tongues - not generally dry, repetitive and lacking Spirit). 


But for a more serious answer I think we need to acknowledge a couple things.  First of all, every church has a liturgy.  Even "non-liturgical" churches have a liturgy.  Opening song, weclome, more songs, announcements, offering, a prayer, a long sermon, closing song.  That's a liturgy because these days most churches in America do exactly that week after week without much variation.  The point is every church has a liturgy, some are just better and more thought through than others.  And some, like ours, have more of a history and a deeper theological content than others.

Now, yes it is absolutely true that liturgies (all of them - even the Bible Church ones) can become rote.  How many times have you or I gone through the motions (sometimes literally) of a worship song or even a set of worship songs and get to the end and think - "wow, I can't even remember what I was just singing."  I was singing the words, maybe even had my hands in the air but my heart and mind were totally elsewhere and not engaged.  It can happen with familiar songs, it can happen with familiar prayers.

However, I believe, because I have experienced the fact that, when liturgy is engaged in such a way that the Spirit does come and enliven the hearts of the participants and therefore He moves and speaks in the midst of it, then the traditional, content rich liturgy of the Church has a positive, shaping affect on our hearts.  

There is a story from the sayings of the Desert Fathers (those are those proto-monks that fled the creeping mediocrity of the newly legalized Christian religion and sought God in prayer and contemplation in the Egyptian desert during the 4th century).  It goes something like this, a young monk came to a very wise and holy Father and began asking him all of these questions about how to lead a life of stillness and peace and prayer.  And the Father told him, "return to your cell (that is his monastic enclosure - probably a cave) and stay there, and your cell will teach you everything you need to know."  I think in the same way if we stay in the liturgy, the liturgy teaches us everything we need to know about worshipping God and living the Christian life.  The Liturgy teaches us to read and study the Scriptures, it teaches us the creedal center of the faith, it teaches us to respond to God in prayer, it teaches us to confess our sins, to make peace with our neighbors, to give thanks to God in all things, how to have communion with Him and finally how to go forth into the world rejoicing as his ambassadors of reconciliation.  The Christian liturgy sums up the whole of the Christian life and enables us to live those truths week after week.  

As for how we dispel the misconception - just keep worshipping in Spirit and Truth and inviting others to come and see.

That was my answer.  What are your thoughts?

Why Do You Do That?!

The Dog Collar

I recently attended a gathering of evangelical pastors in my community where the chairman of our group shared an encounter he had at a recent interdenominational pastors' prayer retreat.  He and some others were grilling an Anglican colleague about the clerical collar he unfailingly wears.  “Why do you wear the collar?  What does it represent?  Where did the tradition come from?”  These were their questions.  They are questions worth asking and symbols worth knowing.

Indeed the clerical collar is a very ancient tradition and it stems from the days of the Roman Empire when it was not uncommon for slaves to be seen wearing collars.  As barbaric and inhumane as that may sound to our sensibilities, for the clergy the collar became a symbol that we are slaves of Christ, servants of God and servants of His people.  This symbol has been traditionally worn  to remind the clergy that they are not their own, they were bought with a price and they should therefore honor God with the very members of their body (see 1 Corinthians 6.20).  In other words, it is a reminder of holiness. 

In addition, contemporary "dog collars" button at the back.  This too is symbolic.  It comes from the 19th and early 20th century when all men's shirts had separate collars that were often starched and then buttoned onto the shirt.  But for the clergy, instead of buttoning at the top of the front like a regular collar of say the average businessman's attire, they button at the back as a symbol that we have turned our back on the world in the pursuit of Christ.

That is the symbolism of the collar as far as I know it, the only other tidbit I would add is that if you ever wondered if they are uncomfortable...the answer is yes.

There's more on the soul...

... Over at the Christ Our Hope blog.  This week we explore the dynamics of the cycle of sin in the human heart (and more importantly how to gain the victory).  Come check it out!

Another new post...

...over here.

Understanding the Soul

Throughout Lent I taught a series at the parish I serve on the structure, dynamics, hurts and healing of the human soul. By popular request I have begun making the notes from those talks available on the Christ Our Hope blog. I will be releasing them slowly over the next several weeks (it takes a bit of work to edit them from my personal outline into actual readable text). If you're interested check out that other blog and look for the posts titled, "So I Have a Soul...Now What?!"

Triduum Sacrum

In her book, Worship Without Words, Patricia Klein observes that liturgical worship reflects the monarchy of the Roman Empire (and more importantly, the Kingdom of God) which was the hierarchical social structure which Christianity was born into. But monarchy is a concept that is often foreign to our modern, democratic paradigm. In the same way, in our word-based, information saturated age symbolism and mystery are often lost on us. So I have collected a few thoughts to help you interpret the liturgical actions of the days ahead. Some may be new to liturgical worship and these concepts may seem foreign. Others have been going through these liturgies for many years. Wherever you are approaching this week from, I trust that greater understanding will only enrich our corporate (and your personal) experience of worship.

The Triduum Sacrum (roughly meaning the 3 Holiest Days of Holy Week) are upon us, they are the apex of the liturgical year. Beginning tonight with Maundy Thursday and continuing through Holy Saturday (when the Great Vigil of Easter is held) we prepare for the greatest of all celebrations, Easter Sunday.

On Maundy Thursday (from the Latin mandatum, meaning mandate) we remember Christ’s final instructions to the 12, his demonstration of love and humility in the washing of their feet and the institution of the Sacrament of the Kingdom in the Last Supper. In

this service we will take time to wash one another’s feet in obedience to Christ’s words, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.”

After the service proper is complete we fade into silence and observe the stripping of the altar. This practice (like many in the Church) serves 2 purposes: first, it allows us to take down the Holy Week decorations in order to make way for those of the Feast which will soon follow. But secondly, it serves a symbolic purpose to strip away any vestige of a celebration and prepare for the starkness and desolation of Good Friday. The altar stands in the church as a symbol of God’s presence (this by the way is why the priest and servers bow in reverence when they approach it). As a symbol of Christ then it reminds us of his stripping and beating that occurred in the night watches between Thursday and Friday.

Accompanying the stripping of the altar is the setting of the watch. After departing the upper room Jesus went out to the Garden to pray and begged his companions to watch and pray with him. Thus on Maundy Thursday we end in silence with the opportunity for those who wish to remain and pray a while, watching with the Savior.

Good Friday is one of only two prescribed fasts within the Anglican calendar (Ash Wednesday being the other). On this day we remember all of the events that accompanied the sacrifice of the Son of God for the sins of the whole world. On Good Friday everything is done in solemnity, a symbol of the mourning each of us should have over the death of our friend and Savior, as it was our sins that drove him to this dramatic act of Atonement. The service begins with prayer as people and clergy alike enter in silence. As we focus on the Passion through the readings and the sermon, we also bring to the foot of the Cross all the needs of the world in prayer through the solemn collects (an old English word for prayers that serve to collect our hearts and minds and focus them on the particular intercession).

After this we have

the opportunity to focus with reverence upon the symbol of Christ’s suffering and death, the symbol which brings us life – the Cross. A cross is brought in and processed to the front of the church while the people sing anthems and hymns extolling the greatness of the Sacrifice. We receive Communion on Good Friday, but since a celebration seems inappropriate, we receive from elements that are consecrated the night before and held in reserve for this occasion.

As we come forward to receive Communion there is opportunity to pause (for as long as is necessary) before the cross, reverencing Christ and praying before it. Concluding with a prayer, the service ends as it began as we leave in silence.

Holy Saturday is the fulfillment of the ancient Jewish Sabbath. This is the day God once again rested from His Labor as our Lord’s body rested in the grave – his earthly work now complete. It should be for us therefore a day of rest and a day of anticipation. In stricter observances (such as the Eastern Orthodox) it is a day for continuing the Good Friday fast which is usually broken at sundown with the beginning of the Easter Vigil.

The Great Vigil of Easter is the first anticipatory celebration of the Resurrection. Traditionally begun after sundown (when the ancients accounted the beginning of the next day) the Vigil begins with the sanctuary darkened. The priest, other clergy and servers begin the service outside the sanctuary, pounding on the doors which are then opened, a symbol that through the Resurrection of Christ, the Gates of Hell were trampled and the Gates of Glory have been opened to all. The procession enters and declares:

Dear friends in Christ: On this most holy night, in which our

Lord Jesus passed over from death to life, the Church invites

her members, dispersed throughout the world, to gather in

vigil and prayer. For this is the Passover of the Lord, in which,

by hearing his Word and celebrating his Sacraments, we share in

his victory over death.

The Vigil then proceeds with the lighting of the Paschal Candle. A symbol of the new life in Christ; it will burn in the sanctuary now until the feast of Pentecost in 50 days. The candle is processed to the front of the sanctuary and then the celebrant sings the Exultet, and ancient hymn calling on all of heaven and earth to join with the Church in giving praise to God for the finished work of Christ. While this hymn is sung the entire congregation are welcomed to light their own individual candles from the flame as a sign that in Christ we too share in the newness of His resurrection life.

The service proceeds with an extended liturgy of the Word. In keeping with this night as a celebration of the Christian Passover, we remember. The readings trace the entire history of God's saving acts from the Creation of the World, through the Fall of humankind, The Flood, Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, Israel's Deliverance at the Red Sea and then several passages from the Prophets which turn our focus toward the Hope of God's ultimate redemption of His people in Christ. In our parish each of these readings is not only read by a narrator but artistically and theatrically interpreted to us to make the story ever fresh and resonant. Despite its length, children absolutely love this service and in many ways it is for them. Just as the father of the household recounts the saving acts of God each year in the Jewish Passover, so we as the community of Christ are recounting for our children and our children's children God's ultimate plan of deliverance.

After this we celebrate baptism as the Sacrament whereby one is covered by the Blood of the Lamb. In the absence of baptismal candidates we still pause to re-affirm our baptismal covenant, remembering that we too have been buried with Christ in His death and raised with Him who is our life.

After all of this anticipation it is finally time to celebrate the unveiled radiance of resurrection glory. The Celebrant shouts out the first Easter greeting, "Alleluia, Christ is Risen!" And the whole congregation responds, "The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!" And the first Eucharist of Easter proceeds; the fulfillment of the Passover meal where Christ endowed it with new meaning declaring, "This is my body...This is my blood of the NEW COVENANT" So we obediently partake in remembrance of all of His saving work as we have passed through these days of prayer, servanthood, death and now finally, resurrection. In our parish the Vigil is a great celebration filled with music, energy and by the time its all said and done, probably even some dancing.

In many ways Easter Sunday seems self explanatory. This should be the greatest celebration of the entire year. The church is decorated with color as a joyful contrast to the blackness of Friday and as a symbol of the new life that the resurrection of Christ has breathed into the world. This is the day that changed all of history! The death of Christ is fulfilled in His Resurrection as the Orthodox hymn proclaims, “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death!” Come ready to celebrate!

You Believe What?!

So what's with angels anyway?

Recently a friend who serves as a missionary in a mountainous region of Asia Minor recounted the story of a teammate who had to make a treacherous crossing from the remote village area where she was serving back to the capital city in order to catch a flight. The road was closed due to repeated avalanches and mudslides and no vehicles could get through. So she took a vehicle as far as possible on the road and then crossed the obstructed area of road (several miles) by foot until she could catch another ride in a vehicle waiting at the other end of the closed off section. This missionary reported that it was harrowing crossing through an area where the cliffs around her had so recently given way and where they could have again at any given moment. But, she reports that she had a sense the entire time of God's holy angels holding back the very rocks and debris and protecting her on her journey.

This got me thinking, in the contemporary West we do not think much about the angels of God. In fact, sadly when most Americans think of angels the image is usually something like this:

Can you envision these two holding back a landslide for you? Neither can I. The fact of the matter is that angels as they are presented in the Scriptures are generally arrayed as warriors and they inspire awe, fear-hinging-on-dread, and even at times the temptation to worship. The angels of God are ministering spirits and protecting warriors. Traditionally they are depicted more classically like this:

I love this particular depiction with its inscription of promise from Psalm 91. Angels are very real, very present though unseen. And so we can ask Almighty God for the protection and ministry of them. Thus I close with the following prayer from St. Augustine's Prayer Book (An "Anglo-Catholic" devotional supplement):

"O Lord our God, who orderest all things in Heaven and earth; we beseech thee, look upon us, toiling in this sinful world, and mercifully vouchsafe to refresh us by the protection and ministry of thy Holy Angels. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Why Do You Do That?!

Auricular Confession Part 2

Well, it has taken me longer to get back to it than I wanted. But as promised here is the text of the Office of Reconciliation that the American prayer book offers as a form for organizing auricular confession. Note first of all the directions given at the outset:

The ministry of reconciliation, which has been committed by Christ to his

Church, is exercised through the care each Christian has for others,

through the common prayer of Christians assembled for public worship,

and through the priesthood of the Church and its ministers declaring

absolution.

The Reconciliation of a Penitent is available for all who desire it. It is not

restricted to times of sickness. Confessions may be heard anytime and

anywhere...

When a confession is heard in a church building, the confessor may sit

inside the altar rails or in a place set aside to give greater privacy, and the

penitent kneels nearby. If preferred, the confessor and penitent may sit

face to face for a spiritual conference leading to absolution or a

declaration of forgiveness.

When the penitent has confessed all serious sins troubling the conscience

and has given evidence of due contrition, the priest gives such counsel

and encouragement as are needed and pronounces absolution. Before

giving absolution, the priest may assign to the penitent a psalm, prayer,

or hymn to be said, or something to be done, as a sign of penitence and

act of thanksgiving.

The content of a confession is not normally a matter of subsequent

discussion. The secrecy of a confession is morally absolute for the

confessor, and must under no circumstances be broken.

The Office itself begins like this,

The Penitent begins

Bless me, for I have sinned.

The Priest says

The Lord be in your heart and upon your lips that you may

truly and humbly confess your sins: In the Name of the

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Penitent

I confess to Almighty God, to his Church, and to you, that

I have sinned by my own fault in thought, word, and deed, in

things done and left undone; especially__________. For these

and all other sins which I cannot now remember, I am truly

sorry. I pray God to have mercy on me. I firmly intend

amendment of life, and I humbly beg forgiveness of God and

his Church, and ask you for counsel, direction, and absolution.

Here the Priest may offer counsel, direction, and comfort.

The Priest then pronounces this absolution

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has left power to his Church to

absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in him, of

his great mercy forgive you all your offenses; and by his

authority committed to me, I absolve you from all your sins:

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

Spirit. Amen.

The Priest adds

The Lord has put away all your sins.

Penitent

Thanks be to God.

The Priest concludes

Go (or abide) in peace, and pray for me, a sinner.

It is truly such a beautiful meeting on Holy Ground to enter more deeply into the mercy and grace of God.

Why Do you Do That?!

Auricular Confession, Part 1

As Anglicans we seek to cultivate a culture of confession. A General Confession is traditionally a part of all Anglican public prayer from Morning or Evening Prayer, to the Eucharist to Compline. But one blessing that few avail themselves to in our tradition is the option of auricular (or private or "sacramental") confession. I have offered this form of private confession throughout my ministry but it has not been until this Lent that a number of people have been taking me up on it. And I am motivated to write on it largely because of the power and the fruit I have seen in such a context.

Private Confession (for ease of the conversation, lets just call it "confession" from here on out and you'll know what I mean) takes pastoral care to a whole new level. Repentance is the basis of Christian healing and so the power of unburdening and hearing a personal word of direction, penance and absolution brings that healing on a level that I simply have not seen anywhere else in my ministry (or really in my life within the Christian Church). It is simply a shame that after the Reformation much of the Christian West did away with the practice.

In Anglicanism too for the first 400 years of our history Confession was a lost practice. Perhaps owing to the abuses of Late Medieval Catholicism (and its strong association with penances and indulgences etc.) it was informally rejected in favor of the forms of corporate general confession which, as I have noted, the Reformers made a part of every public service. But in the late 1800's as a part of the Anglo-Catholic revival which brought many of the more "High Church" practices and paraphernalia back into the life of the Anglican Church auricular confession was brought back by an obscure few.

This was not initially met with enthusiasm on the part of the broader Anglican Communion. Many saw it as crossing a line and diverging from the Anglican tradition and returning to Rome. But the champions of the practice appealed to the pastoral sensibilities that have always been innate to the Anglican churches. Even within the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (the theological standard of Anglican liturgies) there is a pastoral provision that when a minister visits the sick the sick person may make a special confession of his sins if, "he feel his conscience troubled with a weighty matter. After which confession, the priest shall absolve him." The proponents argued that the sense of auricular confession is plain, though the form (with the exception of the absolution) is not prescribed. There is nothing ungodly about a form or Office for making particular confession they argued. And so the practice began to make its way into the consciousness of the Anglican Church. Before long, the practice spread from pastoral application exclusive to the sick to all of the "sin sick" who are in need.

As a result, in several of the "modern" prayer books a form for confession is included. Still, true to our ethos of "reformed-catholicity" confession is offered as a pastoral option, never a mandate. In Anglicanism the aphorism goes "all may, none must, some should." As I said at the outset, based on my personal and pastoral experience probably more of us are among the some that should than what actually do.

So what exactly does confession involve? Well, the first thing is to make an examination of conscience. That is, to take a time of personal prayer, silently and uninterrupted to ask the Holy Spirit what things you need to bring to the priest and confess. Of course, some who come don't have to take more than 10 seconds to think on this one. Some are haunted by the memory of a word or action or a pattern of thought that they want to cast far from themselves. But others, especially those who decide to take on confession as a disciplined part of the maturation in the Lord will need to take the time to pray and ask for Divine illumination of those subtle sins that we have given into without even thinking twice about it.

The second step is to make an appointment with the priest. Some priests (like myself) make particular times available for confession especially in penitential seasons such as Lent or even Advent. Others may be "by appointment only." In either case most Anglican churches do not have the traditional Roman style "confessional booths". The priest may meet with the penitent in the sanctuary, both facing the altar or in some other designated place. Typically, to ease the mind and nerves of the penitent the priest faces away from him or her and both priest and penitent orient themselves toward a cross or some other symbol of the faith. The priest will don the purple stole, a symbol of his God-given authority to absolve penitents (purple being the color associated with repentance).

Anything that is said within the confessional stays within the confessional. Priests are held to the absolute strictest standards of confidentiality when it comes to confession. The Church of England's canons state, "if any man confess his secret and hidden sins to the minister, for the unburdening of his conscience, and to receive spiritual consolation and ease of mind from him; we...do straitly charge and admonish him, that he does not at any time reveal and make known to any person whatsoever any crime or offence so committed to his trust and secrecy." I have known more than one priest (self included) that would rather face the legal charge of obstructing justice than face the judgement of God for transgressing the sacred nature of confession. I always tell penitents when they come to me that after I pronounce absolution I will never again bring up whatever we have talked about. If they wish to pursue counsel on how to make life-changes or restitution I am happy to talk to them but I will never pursue it. The confessional is between the penitent and God with the priest as spokesman and witness and when we confess our sins they are truly put away from us as far as the east is from the west. I personally pray that when I remove my stole and leave the confessional that I will be stricken with holy amnesia and actually forget everything that occurred there. Most times that works. But I believe it is the holiness, the set apartness of that time and space and the confidence in the complete confidentiality of the act that encourages penitents to share and receive pastoral care on this deeper level that just grabbing a cup of coffee with your priest doesn't get you.

Well, I guess this is what I get for not posting for so long. This has become quite the lengthy missive. In Part 2 I will actually post the liturgy for the Office of the Reconciliation of a Penitent as well as talk a little bit about Penance as it is understood in contemporary Anglicanism.

You Believe What?!

All Saints Day

It has come to my attention that many believers who are new to the liturgical traditions of the Church may be unfamiliar with the Feast of All Saints. The tradition of commemorating those who have gone before us extends back to the very early days of the Christian Church. By the early 200’s evidence suggests that it was already common for local churches to celebrate and remember the martyrdoms of their various members, lauding them as examples of following Christ even unto death. It was not long however before there were indeed so many martyrs throughout the universal Church that remembering each separately became impractical (remember that Christianity was illegal for most of the first 400 or so years of the Church’s history), thus the Church began to condense its commemorations. By the early 700’s it would appear that November 1 was selected as a day to remember the examples of all those who have gone before.

In 807 Gregory IV extended the celebration from strictly the example of martyrs to celebrating the example of all the saints that have entered ahead of us into rest and glory. This was indeed fitting since the word that we translate as saints, hagioi, simply means holy or set apart ones. The New Testament applies this word to all of the faithful in Christ. Therefore it is appropriate to celebrate on this day not only those historically significant exemplars of the faith but ALL the saints, the holy ones in Christ who have entered into eternal joy.

The Feast of All Saints is a feast of the Resurrection. Thus the church is decorated in white and gold and baptisms are traditionally performed. As St. Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” At Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, the ‘firstfruits’. On All Saints we celebrate the fact that in Christ we all shall be raised to Life because we belong to Him.

The Church affirms in her ancient Creeds that we believe in the “communion of saints, the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting.” In the book of Revelation chapter 7 the Apostle John, peering beyond the veil that separates Heaven and Earth, sees a great host of white robed saints from every people group on earth worshipping before the Throne of God. Likewise the author of the book of Hebrews tells us that we are “surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” who are cheering us on in the race as we carry the baton of faith in our own day. Together, these texts affirm that while the souls of those who have died are awaiting their bodily resurrection upon Christ’s return, they have not ceased to exist but are still very much alive in the Lord, worshipping in His Divine Presence. Hebrews also suggests that they are apparently well aware of the trials and challenges of those of us who are following Christ here upon the earth and are therefore cheering us on. Thus we affirm in one of the prayers from the Burial Rite in the Book of Common Prayer, “For to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended; and when our mortal body lies in death, there is prepared for us a dwelling place eternal in the heavens”

So also we pray on All Saints Day, “Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.”

This Collect (prayer) for the day perfectly sums up all that we have said. All Saints Day is a celebration of the life beyond the grave that is ours in Christ. As we celebrate we affirm that all those faithful who have died in the Lord are with Him awaiting the consummation of all things at the coming of His Kingdom. It is also a day to recognize, remember and celebrate the example in Christ that these have set for us. With those thoughts in our hearts and minds it is my prayer that we can all enter into the Feast together as we affirm, “O God, in the multitude of your saints you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses, that we might rejoice in their fellowship, and run with endurance the race that is set before us; and, together with them, receive the crown of glory that never fades away.”

Sorry for the Silence

October has been a busy month here in Fort Collins. I apologize that I have not gotten anything up all month. Look for a new post shortly.

SPH+

Why Do you Do That?!

What is Confirmation anyway?

Last week we kicked off the Angli-whaat?! class at Christ Our Hope, the overview of Anglicanism that I teach every year which was the starting point for this blog. The class also serves as the only Confirmation/Reception class that we offer at Christ Our Hope. So while the class is open to anyone, those seeking Confirmation are required to attend.

Well, last week a very important question arose before I got into any of my prepared material. What is Confirmation anyway? So here is a brief posting on the foundation and practice of Confirmation. I will talk about Confirmation in three senses.

First and foremost Confirmation arose out of a pastoral need. As you likely know, in Anglicanism we baptize infants and young children of believing parents. But just because one was baptized as a child does not mean that as they grow and mature they will continue to walk in the faith. We all know plenty of "lapsed" or "backsliding" Christians. So, speaking into this need the Church in Her wisdom developed this service as an opportunity for those who were baptized at an early age to confirm their faith by making a mature profession of it. Thus the first act of Confirmation is an examination by the bishop who asks, "Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil? Do you renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?" In this way the candidate is able to confirm their faith in the Lord Jesus.

But there is a second sense to confirmation which comes with the laying on of hands by the bishop. It is a Confirmation of the Spirit's Power and Presence. We know of course that all those who are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. But we also know that the Spirit grants gifts and riches that take a lifetime to receive and learn. We are, all of us commanded to be baptized (the Greek, baptizo meaning to be immersed) with the Spirit. Confirmation is just another opportunity for the bishop as a minister of Christ to pray that the flame of the Spirit would be kindled and rise up in the heart, life and ministry of the individual who is being confirmed. It is a confirmation and a calling forth of the Spirit's Power.

And finally, along with this Spirit-kindling comes an empowering and a commissioning of the individual as a member and therefore a minister of the Body of Christ. All of us are ministers. All who have the Spirit have received gifts that need to be shared with the Body and with the World. So Confirmation in this third sense means the bishop is confirming the candidate as a qualified minister of Christ's Gospel.

So there you go. Confirmation in three senses. It was a good question. Are there any others?