Anglican Identity: The Catholic Heritage of Anglican Christianity

 Earlier this week, I posted a reflection on Reformation influences on Anglicanism. Now, let us turn to the Catholic heritage of Anglican Christianity. While some interpreters have downplayed ways in which the Protestant Reformation has affected Anglican belief and practice, others have downplayed or ignored the catholic aspects of Anglicanism. The Anglican heritage is distinctive, and it is not merely another strain of 16th-century or modern Protestantism.

The same considerations of English and Anglican history that show Reformation influences also show efforts in the English Church to maintain and continue Catholic tradition. This catholicity manifests itself in various aspects of Anglican belief and practice. Here is a list of several characteristics.

1. Scripture is interpreted through Christian tradition.  While Anglican teachers have affirmed the primacy of Scripture, they have also tried to interpret the Bible in ways compatible with the early church fathers, the ancient councils, the ecumenical Creeds, and the core beliefs affirmed by Christians in all places and times.

2. Anglicans have maintained liturgical worship and prayer. The Prayer Book tradition is rooted in Western Church history with some influences from the Eastern Church. Anglican Offices, Sacraments, and particular prayers are mostly derived from ancient sources. Anglican calendars are based on historic Roman and Western European patterns.

3. While influenced by the 16th-century emphasis on the read and preached Word, Anglican worship has remained sacramental. Although there have been differing explanations of how the Sacraments work, Anglicans have viewed Baptism and Holy Communion/Eucharist as real means of Christ's saving and strengthening grace. And despite some differing terminology and views of their importance, the five so-called lesser sacraments have continued among Anglicans.

4. Orthodox Anglicans have maintained the historic male orders of ordained ministry: bishop, priest, and deacon. At times, this has been challenging, especially maintaining the apostolic episcopate. During the Reformation, the English Civil War, the spread of Anglicanism around the world, and the rise of liberalism/modernism, it would have been easier to adapt other forms of ministry (as some Christians have done). Nevertheless, many dedicated Anglicans have striven to maintain the ancient catholic orders of ministry.

Through these four key characteristics (and perhaps some others), orthodox Anglicanism has continued to be Catholic. The Reformation influences in our history have not destroyed catholicity. We are not bound by Lutheran, Reformed, or contemporary Protestant theologies. The core of the ancient faith can still be found among many Anglicans. Ignoring this aspect of Anglican history is spiritually dangerous. For Anglicans to be true to our identity, we should honor and maintain our basic Catholic heritage.

Anglican Identity: The Reformation Heritage of Anglican Christianity

 In late October, many Christians observe the beginnings of the sixteenth-century Reformation. For several reasons- historical, theological, and liturgical- many Anglicans do not join these commemorations. As in some other ways, Anglicans are "special." Over the last two centuries, some Anglicans and non-Anglicans have debated the character of Anglicanism. Some interpreters have tried to downplay the ways in which the Protestant Reformation has affected Anglican belief and practice. 

However, an honest look at English and Anglican history shows that glossing over the Reformation's influence distorts the reality. Such an interpretation of Anglicanism did not arise until the 1840s and has not been accepted by most Anglicans or by most non-Anglicans. Historically, Anglicans of different perspectives, Roman Catholics, and various Protestant observers all have understood the Books of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles as rejecting certain Roman Catholic tendencies (both official and unofficial). Recognizing these facts does not mean that Anglicans despise all ancient or medieval catholic traditions. However, it does mean that Anglicans share the general Reformation rejection of certain aspects of medieval, Tridentine, and modern Roman Catholicism. In other words, in some sense, Anglicans are Protestant.

So what does this mean for modern Anglicanism? The traditional Prayer Books and the Articles of Religion reflect enduring Anglican principles. Anglicans are not bound by the understandings of the Roman Church, at popular or official levels, in the sixteenth century or in the twenty-first century. Rather, Anglican allegiance should be first to Scripture, then to ancient Christian tradition and its Creeds, and thirdly to sixteenth-century formularies. Anglicans believe in the primacy of Scripture, grace, and faith. Ignoring this history is not realistic. For Anglicans to be true to our identity, we should honor some aspects of our Reformation heritage.

Trinity XXI- John 4:46-54

The Gospel for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity comes from John 4:46-54.  A "nobleman" (probably an official for the Herodian family in Galilee) approaches Jesus. He wants Jesus to come and heal his critically ill young son. Our Lord's first response is to remark on the excessive desire for outward signs among the Galileans (probably including the official). Jesus wants the man and others to have a deeper faith. So, He does not go with the official; He simply assures the man that his son will be healed and live. The official accepts Christ's promise. The child is healed, and the official and his household come to faith in Jesus.

God's healing power and grace work through Jesus Christ in many ways.  In this example, our Lord makes a striking point. He notes the excessive human dependence on signs and wonders. Of course, Jesus Christ does perform many signs and wonders, and they are a real and important expression of His work. However, humans tend to concentrate more on dramatic externals than on the underlying essentials: the power of the divine word and the need for faith. In this healing, Jesus simply offers a word of promise.  To this word, the official responds in faith. This encounter teaches us that God in Christ can use various means to reach out in His grace. We simply need to heed our Lord. We need to have faith in Christ and His word.

St. Luke/ Trinity XX

 This year the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist falls on the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. On traditional prayer book calendars, the feasts of gospel writers or evangelists are major feasts.  So this week we focus on this important early Christian.

Luke was a Gentile Christian, maybe from Antioch in Syria. He was a friend of St. Paul, and was a physician (Colossians 4:14). In the Book of Acts, he was with Paul at Philippi in Macedonia, and a few years later went with Paul to Jerusalem. When the Romans arrested the Apostle, Luke stayed near him in Palestine, and later went with him to Rome. This faithful companion stayed with Paul when other friends scattered in different directions (2 Timothy 4:11).

Luke wrote a significant portion of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke was probably the only Gentile Christian among the New Testament writers and appears to have been well-educated. He had a classic Greek style and seemed to be a reasonable thinker who made special effort to learn and organize historical facts.

Luke' personality may be reflected by some of the emphases of his Gospel. The Gospel according to St Luke has been called the Gospel of Mercy. Luke emphasizes Jesus' compassion and patience with sinners and the suffering. He shows special interest in Samaritans, lepers, tax collectors, soldiers, public sinners, uneducated shepherds, and the poor. 

Today we remember and give thanks for St. Luke, and we hope to follow his good qualities. Like him, may we be characterized by dedication to truth, loyalty to Christian friends, and compassion for all- especially, the weak, the poor, and the sick.

Trinity XIX- Ephesians 4:17-32; Matthew 9:1-8

 At first glance, the Epistle and the Gospel for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity share the theme of walking. In the Epistle from Ephesians 4:17-32, the Apostle Paul speaks in a figurative way of walking; it is pursuing a certain way of life.  He exhorts his readers to live faithful and holy lives befitting those joined to Christ through the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel selection from Matthew 9, Jesus heals a paralyzed man and enables him to walk physically.  

Yet, on closer examination, the deeper theme that connects the Epistle and the Gospel is not walking but forgiveness. In Ephesians 4:32, the Apostle points out that living a Christian life is rooted in the divine forgiveness that comes through Christ. Likewise, in Matthew 9:2, Jesus heals the paralyzed man by first forgiving his sins. The scribes or scholars of the law react negatively because they believe that only God can forgive sins. In one sense, the scribes have a point. Ultimately, forgiveness or pardon for sins comes from God, and Jesus has the right to forgive sins because He is God the Son incarnate. With Christ's incarnation, a new era has begun. He is divine grace personified. The good news of divine mercy and forgiveness of sin is fully proclaimed by Jesus. 

Later in the Gospels, Jesus Christ commissions His disciples, His Church, to continue His gracious work. The Apostles and other disciples are the living Body of Christ in the world, and Christians have continued to proclaim forgiveness through Word and Sacrament. Grateful for God's mercy toward us, we share His message of mercy and forgiveness with others through our words and the ways we live.

Trinity XVIII- Matthew 22:34-46

The Gospel for the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity is from St. Matthew 22: 34-46. This selection contains two short conversations between Jesus and the Pharisees. Both conversations show ways in which Christ both continues and transcends the Old Testament. In Matthew 22:34-40, we see the basic principles of the Law. Jesus, like some other teachers, finds the purpose of the Law in two great commandments: to love God above all and to love one's neighbor. These two commandments summarize the principles of the Hebrew Scriptures, and Jesus embodies both kinds of love in His person. His public ministry manifests His application of these basic principles in various situations. 

In the second part of the Gospel selection, Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus points to His fulfillment of the Old Testament. He applies rabbinic methods of interpretation to Psalm 110. Jesus implies that He is the Messiah (or the Christ). He points out that the Messiah is unique. He is far greater than His ancestor David. In fact, this interpretation implies that Christ shares divine majesty. This powerful claim will continue to be developed in the rest of Christ's earthly ministry and throughout the New Testament. Jesus is both a great teacher and the greatest descendant of King David. Yet, He is much more: He is God the Son incarnate, the unique mediator and redeemer!

Trinity XVII- Ephesians 4:1-3; Luke 14:7-11

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity highlights the trait of humility. The Epistle from Ephesians 4:1-6 exhorts believers to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called." The Christian way of life is based on the divine call to believe in and follow Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 4:2-3, this way of life embodies humility, patience, and loving forbearance.

The second part of the Sunday Gospel, Luke 14:7-11, also teaches about pride and humility. Our Lord has noticed how people try to claim the best places at dinners. He responds with a short parable encouraging humility. Christ summarizes the point in Luke 14:11, “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

This principle certainly applies in social life, but more importantly, it has deeper moral and spiritual implications. It applies to self-righteousness and spiritual pride. All of us tend to feel superior in some ways. At times, we all confuse our personal wishes or preferences with faith or with holiness. Ironically and sadly, sometimes Christians can be proud of being humble.

So we always need to seek God's grace to pursue a delicate balance. On one hand, we should be people of strong convictions who hold fast to Scripture and our religious heritage. We need to keep pursuing high standards of doctrine, worship, and morality. On the other hand, we must avoid exalting ourselves or being arrogant. We need to be humble before God, in our relationships with other Christians, and even in respecting the human dignity of non-believers. True humility is an attitude rooted in the Gospel. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ was humble without being weak in His convictions. He always spoke the truth in love. But we often struggle to keep strength and humility, truth and love, in the right balance. As sinful creatures, we make mistakes in the ways we express them. Nevertheless, with divine help, we keep looking to Jesus and praying for grace to grow in Christ-like humility.

Trinity XVI- Luke 7:11-17

 The Gospel for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity is from St. Luke 7:11-17. This selection contains a miracle that exemplifies our Lord's compassionate work. Jesus restores the son of a widow from the village of Nain to life. Of course, there is compassion for the young man whose life has been cut short. However, in this case, Christ's compassion seems to be focused on the woman. Her situation is especially desperate. The young man is her only son, and she is already a widow. In first-century society, her situation is especially vulnerable. A widow's loss of her son means that she is being left alone, without livelihood or protection. In compassion, our Lord uses His divine power to raise the young man and restore him to his mother. 

We should also notice the crowd's reaction to this impressive miracle. Their first reaction is fear because they sense that overwhelming divine power is at work in Jesus. They merely call Him a prophet, but they sense His uniqueness. Then, they glorify God for Christ's work. Thus, although Christ's compassion is important in itself, Jesus' act of mercy points beyond itself to divine power and rule. He can even conquer death. (In this and other Gospel miracles raising the dead, the victory over death is only for a time; later, Jesus' own resurrection will be an eternal victory.)

In Jesus of Nazareth, the kingdom of God comes into the world in powerful new ways. As we notice the mercy and compassion of God in Christ, let us also notice the presence of divine power. Jesus Christ is unique. He conquers sin, death, and evil, and His divine work calls for appropriate responses. God's power and presence in Jesus Christ call for awe and praise. The divine work of Jesus Christ should lead us to gratitude and faith.

Ember Days of Autumn- Luke 4:16-21

This Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday are the traditional autumn Ember Days (after the feast of the Holy Cross on September 14). The traditional Ember Days are days of fasting and prayer near the changes of the four seasons. These days seem to have originated in Rome during the third century, and they may have been established as Christian days of fasting in contrast to pagan feasts near changes of the seasons. Gradually, the observance spread throughout the Western Church, and in the early Middle Ages, the days also became associated with ordinations. Until liturgical revisions of the 1960s and 1970s, Anglican, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic calendars included Ember Day prayers. However, as newer calendars made them optional, the Ember Days practically disappeared in many places. 

Among the general prayers, the 1662 Book of Common Prayer contains two Ember Day prayers for those about to be ordained. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer has an additional general prayer for the increase of the ministry and a set of Ember Day propers. The Collect for the Day focuses on increasing the number of candidates for ministry. The Gospel from Luke 4:16ff is about the beginning of Christ's public ministry in Nazareth. The 1962 Canadian BCP includes propers for each set of Ember Days. The autumn theme focuses on Christian labor.

Seasonal days of prayer and fasting are certainly appropriate. It is also fitting that we pray for sound vocations to ordained ministry, especially in societies where clergy and church membership are aging. The Church always needs candidates with sound spiritual, moral, and mental qualities to pursue ordination. Those already ordained also need the Church's prayers that they may fulfill their vocations in a godly manner.

Trinity XV- Matthew 6:24-34

 The Gospel for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity is from St. Matthew 6:24-34. The reference to God's provision is appropriate for late summer/early autumn, the beginning of the harvest season, but it implies much more. It points us to divine providence and mercy in all its expressions. All creation depends upon God for existence and survival. He watches over and cares for wild plants and the least birds. How much more must He care for human beings, especially for His faithful people! 

Divine providence also implies other points. An important result of God's care is His expectation of a faithful response. This expectation appears in the first verse of this Sunday's Gospel. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus says, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." God's grace comes first, but human beings must respond. We must choose: either we serve God, or we serve material wealth and possessions. We can not have two top priorities, and if we try, life becomes filled with irreconcilable conflicts. 

Divided loyalties remain an ongoing issue in human life. When people are prospering, they tend to become greedy to increase profits or comforts. When they are facing economic uncertainty, people tend to become anxious or grasping just to maintain minimal standards. In both cases, materialism tends to push loyalty to God and His eternal values aside.

Yet, our passage also contains beautiful images of what life can be like when human beings put God first and trust in Him. Christ points us to examples from nature. Even birds and wildflowers, which only live briefly, are cared for under divine providence. So faithful human beings should find comfort and joy in life. Earthly life may be fleeting, but God cares for us and gives us what we need. And as believers, we trust that when our allotted time here is complete, God will grant us even greater spiritual solace. Therefore, let us cast aside faithless anxieties. We must reject the idolatry of mammon or materialism. Let us place God's kingdom and His righteous standards first. Then life becomes truly meaningful.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary- 8 September

 Since the Elizabethan Prayer Book of 1559, the Nativity or Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been included as a "black letter day" or minor commemoration on some Anglican calendars. Although we have no real historical information about her birth, we know that it occurred and that she played an important and holy role in the story of redemption. So it is certainly appropriate to think of the Blessed Virgin in a special way today and to give thanks for her birth, life, and faith. In the words of Luke 1:28:

     And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. (KJV)

Trinity XIV- Luke 17:11-19

The Gospel for Trinity XIV is from Luke 17:11-19. This selection is the second in a row that shows a Samaritan in a positive light. Last week, the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 15 showed a Samaritan's compassion to the man who had been robbed and beaten. This week, the positive example is a Samaritan leper who shows great gratitude.

As Jesus passed through a village on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem, He healed ten lepers.  Of the ten, only one, a Samaritan, responded by glorifying God and thanking Jesus. Christ noted the man's identity, and then "he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole"(17:19).An outcast Samaritan, who had also been a contagious and disfigured leper, becomes a great example of faith in God and in Christ.

The Samaritan's identity makes a significant point. Not only can a despised person exemplify good moral behavior, but such a person may also exemplify great religious faith. And faith is the ultimate issue. Regardless of all other human characteristics, faith in God through Christ is the core of a person's identity. Faith and a grateful response are more significant than physical health, nationality, or membership in a certain religious group.

Whether thinking of other people or ourselves, we should think of attitudes toward God rather than obvious external characteristics. The primary focus of a person's identity should not rest in worldly traits such as appearance, physical health, nationality, or denominational affiliation. We should ask ourselves whether we are humbly faithful and grateful to God for His work in Jesus Christ. For it is such faith that determines who we really are.

Trinity XIII- Luke 10:23-37

The Gospel for the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity is from Luke 10:23-37 and includes the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. That parable is important, and it encourages compassion and true neighborliness. We always need to grow in such virtues.  However, this time, let us focus on the lawyer whose question leads to the parable in Luke 10: 25-29. The lawyer recognizes the principle of two great commandments, but he wants to justify himself and his views.

Jesus and the lawyer, along with many of their contemporaries, agree on the two great commandments: love God and love neighbor. However, the key difference is in their attitudes. For Jesus, the Law is a helpful guide with spiritual and moral purposes. The Two Great Commandments encourage worshipping God and caring for other people. For the lawyer and other legalists, the emphasis is on the details of rule-keeping. Instead of concentrating on inner motivation, the legalist views the commandments as a checklist for self-congratulation and self-justification. So, Jesus tells a parable that shows good attitudes and actions may be found even among people who don't follow all the rules (such as Samaritans).

This is still a warning for Christians. We know basic commandments, and we can probably check off some rules we have followed. But we should consider our attitudes and opportunities to show mercy. Let us watch our motives and attitudes, and repent of our failures. We must honor the principles of divine Law, and through divine grace, we must seek to apply those principles with sincerity and compassion.

Trinity XII- Mark 7:31-37

The Gospel for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity is from Mark 7:31-37. Like the collect for the day, it emphasizes divine mercy and grace. It is a miracle of the healing of a deaf-mute. This miracle takes place in the Decapolis, a region east of the Jordan. In the first century, this region had both Jewish and pagan Greek-speaking inhabitants. This circumstance points to the significance of Christ's ministry for all people. The healing of a deaf-mute of unspecified national origin suggests that divine grace is for all peoples. This healing also points to Christ's fulfillment of Messianic prophecies (Isaiah 35:5 and Ezekiel 24:27). So this fairly simple Gospel passage points to two profound themes: 1) the universality of divine mercy and grace, and 2) the arrival of the Messianic kingdom in the person of Jesus Christ.

Trinity XI- Luke 18: 9-14

 The Gospel for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity is from Luke 18:9-14 and emphasizes God's mercy toward humble and penitent sinners such as the tax collector. Frequently, when human beings think of divine power, we tend to focus on creation, amazing miracles, extraordinary natural phenomena, or divine judgments against sin. We can certainly see manifestations of divine power in such things, and we should appreciate them. However, today's Gospel points us in a very different direction. Although God's creative work and His justice are notable expressions of His power, His grace, pardon, and mercy are even more powerful. We see this same emphasis in the opening words of the traditional collect for the day. Those words are "O God, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity...." 

Like both the Pharisee and the tax collector, we are all sinners in one way or another. All fallen human beings deserve judgment and separation from God. Nevertheless, God is loving and merciful, and if we are open to His grace expressed in Jesus Christ, then we can humbly repent, receive divine mercy, and be justified or set right with God. God's great power is chiefly expressed through His love, mercy, and compassion! For all of us, that is certainly the Gospel, or Good News!