Palm Sunday?

Most contemporary Christians, even those who do not use many rituals/ceremonies,  know the Sunday before Easter as Palm Sunday. And on the first day of the week before Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection, the Gospel account of people praising Jesus and waving or strewing palm branches (in Matthew 21 and other places) is lovely and meaningful. As believers, we certainly think that Jesus was the Christ and deserved to be honored as a king coming in peace. So reading the Palm Gospel is appropriate, and there is nothing inherently wrong with having a few leaves of palms or other tress in commemoration.

Unfortunately, there are problems associated with this day from the first century onward. The crowd that praised Jesus did not really understand or appreciate Him. Five days later, some of the same people may have been yelling "crucify him."
In addition, from about the 8th century, the medieval church got carried away with the ceremony of the Palms. It became more and more elaborate, and in the popular consciousness overshadowed the more ancient liturgical emphasis of the Passion Gospel. So it should not be surprising that in 1549 Archbishop Cranmer tried to shift the emphasis. The ceremony of the Palms was abolished, and from then through 1662, Anglican Prayer Books simply called the day "The Sunday next before Easter." Even the American revision of the Book of Common Prayer in 1928 remained subdued in calling the day "The Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday."

Over the years, it seems that we have seen a repeat of the medieval developments. Ceremonies, palm leaves, music, and processions have become more and more widespread and elaborate. And in many Anglican and other churches, these cute rites have come to overshadow the Scriptural, ancient Catholic, and Reformation emphasis on Christ's Passion. While there are positive elements in observing Palm Sunday, one can see why Cranmer felt obliged to abolish it.

Too Much Lent?- or Not Enough?

In a previous post, I spoke of some basic Lenten devotions, and certainly Lent is an important time of preparation. Observing this season devoutly can help us commemorate our Lord's crucifixion and resurrection more deeply. Yet, sometimes I wonder about our observances. In our parishes, we often have special services, more people at Wednesday night studies with simple meals, extra devotional booklets,  etc. I don't deny the the devotional and disciplinary value of such observances. Each one of them can be good and useful.

However, sometimes we may overdo them. The Lenten schedule may lead us to exhaustion or to a jaded feeling. And at times, we seem to be seeking merit before God just as much as the medieval church did. Furthermore, we sometimes seem to expend so much time and energy during Lent that we have little left for Easter and the season commemorating the Resuurection. So as we approach the last two weeks of Lent, let us assess our seasonal devotional life. If we have been lazy, then it is a good time to dedicate ourselves to new efforts. And if we have been hyperactive and bordering on works righteousness, let us calmly focus on the meaning- which is what God has done in Christ, both His atoning suffering and death and His gracious offer of new and eternal life.

Lenten Devotions

There are many devotions around for Lent. Some of them are good or useful. Yet, I never quite understand the fascination with some of the exotic options that abound. Those who follow the church calendar and a lectionary, and who say traditional Christian prayers do not really need to go searching for novel approaches. There are already various possibilities available.

One can do a full or abbreviated Morning and Evening Prayer. And those who do not have the time or understand all the rubrics for the standard offices could read a Psalm and/or New Testament lesson from the daily lectionary and use traditional prayers in the morning, at noon, or in the evening. The traditional collects for Ash Wednesday or other days in Lent could also be used appropriately on any day in Lent. Finally, the Great Litany makes an excellent corporate or personal devotion during Lent.

So personally, I don't need a new book of contemporary Lenten meditations, especially those that ignore the Christian liturgical and devotional heritage. The Prayer Book is rich and scriptural, and it is adaptable, especially in personal devotions. So even if you use some other devotions to stimulate your thoughts, I urge reference to a traditional Prayer Book for the basics.

Epiphany- A Time for Reflection on the Light

Of course, Epiphany is one of the oldest observances of the Christian calendar. It is certainly older than Christmas which receives so much attention in both religious and secular circles. Now Christmastide has ended. Only a few of us still have any Christmas decorations out, and most of those will be put away today or this weekend. Yet, as in the early centuries of the Church, this is still a good time to reflect upon the varied manifestations of the light of Christ: His Nativity, the manifestation of the Saviour to the Gentile Magi, His trip to Jerusalem at age 12, and the beginning of Christ's public ministry at His Baptism. In all these events, the glory and light of the eternal Word made flesh shines in sin-darkened world. May His light shine in our lives in this new season!

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!

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 lest we 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.

St. John Apostle and Evangelist (Christmas I)

Today is the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. John is certainly an important New Testament person and writer. He was the son of the fisherman Zebedee, and younger brother of the Apostle James. John, his brother James, and Simon Peter were often together and seem to have been the disciples closest to our Lord. In fact, John himself is usually identified as the beloved disciple to whom our Lord, while on the cross, entrusted His mother.

John may have been the youngest of the Twelve, and as hinted in today’s gospel, despite hardships, imprisonment, exile, and threats to his life, John was the only Apostle to survive to a truly old age and die a natural death. Because he lived so long, John provided the strongest personal connection between the first and second century churches. He also wrote the Gospel and three epistles that bear his name and probably also the Revelation or the Apocalypse.

St. John clearly deserves to be remembered and honored. But why today? Why is his day placed so close after Christmas Day? The Church seems to have had three reasons for this choice. First, in the early centuries of the Church, several commemorations that stressed something about the foundations of the Christian faith were placed on the calendar right after the celebration of Christ’s Birth. Secondly, having several important Christian celebrations during the pagan winter festivals of late December gave believers a positive distraction from surrounding pagan celebrations.

The third and most important reason for remembering St. John on the third day of Christmas is that John’s writings contain several themes associated with Christmas: light, life, love, truth, and the glory of the eternal Word, God the Son, revealed in human flesh. The Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke tell us some details about Christ’s Birth. The Gospel of St. John and his letters emphasize the doctrinal meaning of the Nativity. Thanks be to God for the apostle John and even more importantly, thanks for the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Christmas 2015

In the midst of our Christmas festivities, let us pause to meditate on the meaning of our celebration. To do that, let us focus the announcement of the angel to the shepherds. St. Luke 2:10 says, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

The angel’s message “I bring you good tidings” translates two Greek words which could also be translated as “I announce good news to you” or “I proclaim the gospel to you.” So the announcement of Christ’s Birth is the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel. His Nativity is an integral part of the whole story, the entire Christian message. This birth cannot be isolated from all that Christ means.

This good news is “of great joy.” Despite all the humility and suffering that will be part of the story, it brings a deep and lasting happiness, an inner blessedness. And the joy is open to all people. The lowly shepherds are merely the first chosen to hear. They are humble representatives of all God’s people.

Christmas brings us a similar message. The deliverer that we have longed for still comes through the work Spirit in Word and Sacrament. This is really good news- tidings of great joy. However, the joy is not to be confused with external worldly happiness. Whether we have a great external celebration with lots of people, gifts, and food  or we just have a simple and small observance, let us focus upon what God does- how He sends His Son, the eternal Word, to become flesh and dwell among us. Glory to God in the highest!

Advent

Over the years, I have written varied comments on Advent. There have been general posts on the background of the season and on particular days and scriptural passages. This time, I would like to focus on the general purpose of the season in Christian devotion.

Advent is above all a season of spiritual preparation as we contemplate the ways that Christ has come, keeps coming, and will finally come among His people. We should use Advent wisely to think about spiritual subjects such as sin, judgment, forgiveness, prophecies,  promises of redemption, and grace coming in the person of the Christ, the Anointed One of God.

As Christians, we need to be awake, watchful, and prayerful at all times. We should not allow moral failings, earthly worries, or spiritual lethargy to draw us away from spiritual readiness. Yet, given our fallen human nature, we do tend to become forgetful and lazy. So the Church has incorporated reminders in our worship. In general and personal confession, in corporate prayers, in sermons, in Holy Communion, and in private devotions, we are repeatedly called to wake up and persevere. And in two major seasons of the church year- Advent and Lent-, we have reminders to wake up, watch, and prepare for new encounters with God in Christ.

So Advent is intended to be a spiritual wake up call. It is not quite as somber as Lent, but neither is it a time for premature holiday celebration. As we meditate upon the Scriptures, we should not rush ahead to the Nativity stories. We should consider a variety of Old Testament passages about the fallen human condition and the need for redemption., about the longings and hopes of Israel, and about God's promises to save all penitent and faithful people. We should also consider the many passages in the New Testament which exhort us to be ready for Christ to come among us anew. During Advent as always, we are to await Him with vigilance and constant prayer. May we all think on such things in this season and be open to new manifestations of divine grace in our lives.

All Saints Day- 1 November- Jude 3-4

Since a period of renewal of faith in my mid-twenties, All Saints Day has been important to me. It is a time to emphasize the Christian heritage passed down through the centuries. During this week, we think of all those Christ would call "blessed"; we think of all those made saints or "holy ones" through the Holy Spirit in Holy Baptism.

Although it is not an official reading for All Saints Day, I always recall the third and fourth verses of the brief Epistle of Jude- " Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

From the times of the Apostles onward, false teachers have crept into the Church, seeking to corrupt the Christian message in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes. This infiltration has been especially strong in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. So more than ever we should heed St. Jude's exhortation to "contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Of course, faith is an attitude, but it also has specific content. The Faith has been revealed and passed on once and for all. It is enduring and unchangeable in its basic essentials. Its doctrine is embodied in Scripture, clarified by the ancient Fathers, and summarized in the ancient catholic Creeds. The appropriate behavior that flows from this Faith is summarized in the Ten Commandments, the Two Great Commandments, in lists of the gifts of the Spirit, and in lists of Virtues. In worship, this Faith is expressed in historic liturgies, especially in Baptism and the Eucharist.

On this All Saints Day, let us honor all the saints by following their lead and contending for the Faith that they have passed on. In a fallen world, especially in a decadent age, there are many false teachers, and we need to make special efforts to retain and pass on our godly heritage.

The Three Days

The Three Days from the evening of Maundy or Holy Thursday to Easter morning commemorate events at the heart of the Christian message. They are also themes at the heart of Anglican Liturgy and Doctrine. From the meaning of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper to the centrality of the Cross and Resurrection, the commemorations of these days bring an intense focus that reminds us of Christ's work for our salvation. This focus is important for sincere Christians of any tradition; for an Anglican, this focus should bring home the reality that our heritage is truly evangelical, that is, gospel-based. Thanks be to God the Father, and praise to our risen Lord Jesus Christ!