The Best Part of Christmas

Of course, the great celebrations of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are beautiful and impressive. They emphasize the majestic and glorious aspects of the Incarnation. The Prayer Book feasts of St. Stephen, St. John, and Holy Innocents highlight important realities and theological themes.  They remind us of sacrifice, martyrdom, and divine love incarnate. Yet, for me personally, the other days of the Christmas Octave often seem to be the best part of Christmas.

As the year closes, the bustle has diminished, eating a lot is no longer expected, and the Daily Offices and Eucharists can embody a quieter sense of devotion and joy over the Birth of our Saviour. In Morning Prayer, the antiphon still calls us to adore Him. The Te Deum embodies the Creed in a powerful and wonderful form of praise, and the Benedictus has even greater meaning in retrospect than it did before the Nativity. In Evening Prayer, we think of the holy night. The Magnificat has a new and deeper application as we think of the Blessed  Mother with the Holy Child, and the Nunc Dimittis points us to true peace in Christ's light. In the Eucharist, the daily repetition of the Christmas Collect and the Proper Preface for Christmas drive home the true significance of the celebration, and the Gloria in Excelsis seems more than ever the song of the angels. The message of divine grace and love enters into our hearts more strongly.

There are indeed many lovely and important aspects of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the Octave, and the Twelve Days. There are pretty carols, candles, vestments, flowers, and greenery. There are important themes and great services. I am not denying or ignoring the role of those things. Yet for me, these quieter times of devotion help to elevate a sense of divine joy above mere holiday merry-making. May the good tidings of great joy of the Saviour remain with us past the Octave and into the New Year. Christmas is not over; its true significance is just beginning to sink in- and it should continue to come into our hearts again and again throughout the church year.

Misuse of the Word "Worship"

As many contemporaries talk or write about church, they like to use the term "worship." However, as I look at what they mean by the word, I realize that they do not mean what I and any literate English-speaking Christian of the last several hundred years would mean. Among some people, worship is no longer a theological term but a musical style.

So what does "worship" mean?  Although there were some archaic meanings about general worth, the predominant idea is a religious expression of devotion to God. Such devotion to or worship of God is both an internal attitude and an external activity. Historically, common private and public expressions of worship have included Scripture reading, prayers of various kinds, the Sacraments, psalms, hymns, creeds, sermons, spoken meditations, and silence. Among traditional Christians of varied persuasions, worship has usually referred to formal or informal liturgies, rites, and orders of divine service.

Unfortunately, this traditional application of the word "worship" has been overwhelmed in some recent expressions of Christianity. Thus, many people no longer seem to have Scripture reading and prayer in mind when they talk about worship. They don't seem to include private devotions. In fact, they don't seem to include even historic hymns. In their mass market view, some poorly informed people only seem to have in mind certain recent varieties of music that involve electronics, guitars, and percussion. Furthermore, when some people speak of a "worship leader," they seem to mean a musical director, a song leader, or a band leader. This is contrary to traditional Christian terminology where the worship leader is an ordained minister or in some situations, a layperson. And although music has long-standing importance in Christian worship, the heart of Scriptural worship has been and remains Bible readings and prayers.

So what? Isn't the difference just a matter of semantics or word usage? Perhaps, at times, but I fear that often a more serious change in doctrine is involved. Our understanding of worship involves our whole understanding of Christian faith and church life. The heart of worship must remain our devotion to almighty God through Holy Scripture and prayer, and the primary worship leaders are not musicians but ordained pastors and their lay assistants in Word and Sacrament.

The Irony of Easter Week

Alleluia. The Lord is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Many churches, clergy,  and parishioners make a great effort at Lent and put even more into Holy Week. Many provide lovely Easter Vigils, moving early Easter Eucharists, enjoyable parish breakfasts or luncheons, and impressive music and flowers for the main Easter Sunday Communion. Unfortunately, by midday on Easter Sunday, we often seem physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausted. So the rest of Easter week, we seem to crash. Even if we have a few weekday services and provide Communion for some shut-ins, we seem to have run out of steam.

I understand the feeling, and even after decades in ministry, I have no easy or obvious solution. Yet, the fact is that Easter Week should be filled with spiritual rejoicing for individual believers and the local body of believers. We should be freshly inspired by our Lord's Resurrection. So even if the institutional church needs a little pause to catch its breath, let us remain focused on our risen Lord in our thoughts and prayers. Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!

St. Ignatius of Antioch- February 1

On some calendars, February 1 is the date in the Western Church for commemorating St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch.  Besides being third bishop of Antioch, Ignatius was an early Christian writer, sometimes called an apostolic father. He was martyred in Rome around 107 A.D. Although perhaps a little too zealous for martyrdom, the example of Ignatius and his writings provide a strong witness to faith in the redemptive work of Christ and to the importance of the Lord's Supper.

He also speaks of bishops as the leaders in the churches, and some later thinkers have emphasized his comments on this topic. However, one should note his historical context. When speaking of bishops, Ignatius is not referring to the imperial administrative system for the church which developed long after his time. In his context, Ignatius views a bishop as the chief pastor in a town who exercises leadership over his official assistants (the presbyters and deacons). He sees a bishop as a pastoral authority who can help defend the local church against tendencies toward schism and bad teaching. So Ignatius does not give blanket approval to the pretensions of all who have claimed the episcopal title over the centuries. Instead, he asserts the role of the pastor in proclaiming and defending the apostolic faith.

So today we remember Ignatius as a faithful Christian and as a pastor. He was an important early witness on the Eucharist, the apostolic faith, and the pastoral role. Let us join in giving thanks for this faithful pastor, teacher, and martyr.

Pre-Lent or the "Gesimas"

This year the Pre-Lenten season comes very quickly after Epiphany, and thus this mini-season really does fulfill its purpose of reminding us that Lent is approaching. This is the time to start thinking about our Lenten disciplines for this year. On what areas of our moral, devotional, and spiritual lives do we need to focus? What are some practical activities that can help us on our Christian journeys? How can we experience our faith more deeply?  How can we use the time between now and Holy Week to appreciate those days in a renewed way? Now is the time to begin contemplating such questions. Let us not wait till Ash Wednesday and give some automatic response based on previous years.

Prayers for Life

On this anniversary of the blanket legalisation of abortion in the U.S., let us continue to pray that the culture of life may triumph over the culture of death. We remember all victims of senseless and selfish violence, the victims of murder, the victims of terrorism, the victims of religious persecution, the victims of euthanasia... And most of all we remember the innocent victims of abortion.

Here is a prayer included on the Anglican Priests for Life site:

O Heavenly Father, we pray this day for the children of the world. We pray that Thou wilt protect, guide, and provide for those children who are unwanted, unloved, abandoned or abused. We pray for those children who have been left unguarded by being orphaned. We pray for those most in peril, the unborn. Spare them, O Father, from the dangers of disease and drugs, an uncaring mother or father, but most of all from an untimely death at the hands of another. Replenish Thy Church, O God, with a fruitful offspring so that the Church may resound with the joy of their small voices that will one day turn to prayer unto thee, O Lord. Amen

[Source: Fr. Sack OSF, Louisville, Ky.]

Epiphany Journey- Matthew 2

Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian observances along with Good Friday, Easter and Pentecost. The word “epiphany” means “appearance” or “manifestation.” The day and the season are associated with several manifestations of Jesus Christ. In particular, in the Western Church tradition, we think of the manifestation of the Christ Child to the Gentile Wise Men in St. Matthew 2.

There are several ways to approach this account, but this year, I have been thinking about the story of the Magi as a journey of hope, faith, and love of God. It shows a faithful response to the Savior of the world, and there are three broad aspects to the journey of the Wise Men: 1) seeking a Savior, 2) learning the message of Scripture, and 3) meeting, worshiping, and serving Christ.

These aspects of their journey can also be applied to our journeys or pilgrimages of faith. First, like the Magi, most Christians are Gentiles who seek the Jewish Savior. God reaches out to us and gives us signs in creation that can help lead us. Our world is still filled with struggles between light and darkness, good and evil. And like the Magi, we still long to see goodness. Such a longing, such a hope, can start us on the way to see Jesus.

Secondly, although our natural human hopes can point us in the right general direction, we need more specific guidance. Like the Wise Men, we must also learn about God’s plans from the Bible. The Savior is not a philosophical abstraction. He fulfills the message of the Hebrew prophets. He is the personal Incarnation of God’s eternal Word. He is the One who comes as the babe of Bethlehem, grows in wisdom and stature, and later is crucified and rises from the dead at Jerusalem.

Thirdly, like the Wise Men, we must come into Jesus’s presence in humble adoration and faith. We rejoice to find Him and worship Him. We offer Him our best, knowing that He offers us more than we can ever give Him.  We refuse to cooperate with evil forces that oppose Him. We seek to do His will in this world, and we follow our way in life, continuing to praise Him.

Sometimes, our journeys for Christ may seem long or difficult. Just as the Magi faced hardships, trials, and threats from evil along the way, so do we. But like them, we have faith that every encounter with Christ- in Scripture, in daily experience, in the Sacraments- makes the journey worthwhile.