A week ago Rev. Jeffrey MacDonald, a minister in the United Church of Christ (author of “Thieves in the Temple: The Christian Church and the Selling of the American Soul”) sent a IMO very timely warning in the New York Times. He writes about the increasing demand for church services to be entertaining. Particularly, he is focusing on the effect of this on the vocation of church leaders.
I remember meeting a priest who had overhead projection during his services and sermons: photo images, words, video clips – there was always the expectation that each time there would be something different, something new. He was going around during the week making videos, editing, photo-shopping. When I met him he was up to more than 20 hours of his week working on his visual presentation. The community, when I joined them for “worship”, was passive, sitting in comfortable seating watching the presentation as if they were in a theatre. I advised/warned the priest. But he could see no way forward. Sadly, he had a breakdown and left. You can also imagine the issues as his successor took on the leadership of this community.
Commodification of the gospel and spirituality so often appears to happen surreptitiously, without the slightest reflection. People use selling, and particularly entertainment-selling, language and concepts in relation to church, services, and even denominations, without appearing to stop for a moment to reflect whether in doing so they are actually destroying the gospel they think they are presenting.
The focus can be on numbers, and not God. And if that isn’t idolatry, I don’t know what is. Alongside numbers there very quickly develops a focus on the leader, personality cult. Communities seek a particular “niche” market. Denominations are even presented as different styles for different preferences – as if they are alternative supermarket chains.
On a not-unrelated but slightly different tack, growing, vibrant communities can actually conceal the lack of real growth. A community can appear to be evangelising while, in fact, numbers are there because they just got bored in the other Christian community they were attending. Numbers are not of new Christians, but of Christians moving around. Their community of origin was maybe never helped to provide real nourishment for the long haul, or maybe they themselves never realised that constant excitement is not really what worship is about. One Pentecostal church I knew took the risk of analysing their large, vibrant, youthful congregation. They were shocked to discover their average congregant stayed for 18 months, and when they left they went nowhere else. I’ve been looking over some of our diocesan statistics sent to us in preparation for synod. One of our most “successful” communities has a weekly attendance of about 500. This past year they have only had one adult, and six infant baptisms.
A couple of days ago I asked the question in relation to Sunday’s readings: Does the gospel really imply that nagging God works?
I just want to briefly spend time with part of the readings, Luke 11:5-8. I translate this, pretty literally, but trying to keep some English sense:
5 And he said to them, “Who among you (Τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν) will have a friend, and come to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves (of bread)
6 because a friend of mine has arrived from a journey to me, and I do not have anything that I will set before him.’
7 And that one within, having answered, may say, ‘Do not cause me troubles; already the door has been shut and my children are with me in the bed; I am not able to get up and give you (anything).’
8 I say to you, even if he will not give to him, having arisen, because he is a friend of him, yet because of the shamelessness of him (ἀναίδειαν αὐτοῦ), having arisen, he will give to him as much as he needs.
Τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν is used to mean, “imagine the unthinkable” (cf Luke 12:25; 14:5, 28; 15:4; 17:7). Then the story is set in a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean village, an unexpected person arrives, and the mores of hospitality means that this person will be provided with good food, the best, and more than the person would require. I have experienced this personally.
The story presumes the host either does not have good enough, or quantity enough, or both. The person turns to a friend. Key words in what follows are “ἀναίδειαν αὐτοῦ”.
ἀναίδειαν means “shamelessness” or “impudence” in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, all classical references, and all usages in the early church. A “negative” word. But it has often been translated, incorrectly (IMO), as “persistence”. There is, you will have noticed, no actual persistence in the parable, the friend outside only asks once. Shame is a central motivator in this culture.
αὐτοῦ (of him). It is not clear to whom this refers. (a) Is the shamelessness a reference to the friend indoors? A positive use of “shamelessness” where the one indoors is avoiding dishonour. (b) Is the shamelessness referring to the friend outdoors asking? In the usual negative sense.
First century peasants lived precariously, hand to mouth. Here we have a story where the village looks to be in a hazardous economic situation that the original hearers would immediately identify. The person has gone beyond asking kin for help, to friends. And hospitality is foolishly extravagant, resulting in great vulnerability. This is the kind of generous hospitality acted out in the meals of Jesus, and ultimately in his death (also recalled/relived in a meal).
This parable of three friends reads a bit clumsily, even in the Greek – friendship in that context and in ours is possibly a wonderful image to explore in our relationship with God as a metaphor alongside father in this gospel reading.
This site offers a good variety of tools to access the original texts even for those with limited to no original language skills.
Antipodean internet responses to the Church of England report A Mixed Economy for Mission (PDF) have been falling over themselves with unalloyed fervour and praise. Certainly there is much of value in this and its earlier report, Mission-shaped Church (PDF). But anyone who has previously seen the church’s enthusiasm wax lyrical about a new “solution to current issues” has probably seen the disappointment as those addicted to moving from novelty to novelty move on to the next big thing.
Please note that this balancing post is not in the context of phobia for the new. No one who spends time on this site I think would fairly accuse me of being a reactionary conservative. I am a strong advocate for an internet presence (this is the most-visited Christian site in New Zealand, Liturgy is the second-most-followed twitter page from New Zealand), I firmly encourage new monasticism, I thrive on insights from emergent and missional approaches, etc. I am enthusiastic about fresh expressions of church and see nothing ultimately sacrosanct, for example, in the inherited parish system. But just as such words as “evangelical”, “orthodox”, “liturgical”, and even “Christian” have been hijacked and are often no longer usable, so I can see this may happen to “fresh expression”.
So, to balance the praise, here are some points I hope that will encourage us to pause before we plough headlong into this latest salvation of the church. It has been well said: organised religion looks for new programs, healthy spirituality looks for new people.
Fresh expressions and liturgy
One of my strongest fears is that “fresh expression” will be used, by some, as merely another excuse to abandon the liturgical life of the worshipping community. Liturgy has often not been tried and found wanting; liturgical study, training, and formation of individuals and communities has, in many cases, been found difficult and left untried. Also, in some practice, the focus seems to be so much driven by an anxiety about shrinking and aging communities, that anything appears to be appropriate as long as it reverses those trends. This shifts the focus from God and the gospel. We may not just be throwing out the gospel baby with the inherited bathwater, but, in changing from a bath to a lounge suite, we may miss our primary purpose.
I immediately bristle when I see “vocations” used to refer solely to church positions (page 3 Mixed Economy). Such a non-missional perspective makes me alert to read what follows with great care.
A community I know speaks of their commitment to the rite Thanksgiving of the People of God (p404ff in the New Zealand Prayer Book, the most recognisably Anglican rite for anyone from anywhere in the Anglican Communion), with the complete Revised Common Lectionary, as being so rare that if there is any finance being offered for this they will apply as being a Fresh Expression.
The word “liturgy” does not occur at all in Mixed Economy, and the word “worship” occurs only incidentally.
The ‘common core’ strategy underlying Common Worship is helpful. It emphasizes patterns and structures instead of giving detailed and prescribed texts. If church planters are trained in the overall structures and patterns of Christian worship, then they should be trusted with the freedom, together with their new congregations, to develop culturally appropriate liturgy from below. This approach will help discourage the cloning of patterns of liturgy and of church in new areas of mission.
p117 Mission Shaped Church in chapter 6 some methodologies for a missionary church – patterns of worship
I totally endorse the above paragraph. In theory. Central to liturgical renewal was the shift from – the meals-on-wheels, instant-services, frozen-centrally, reheated-locally, 1662 BCP style, to – locally cooked meals:
Services in The Book of Common Prayer have often been likened to “meals on wheels.” They were centrally prepared, and then warmed and dished up locally. One began at the beginning of the service, reading most of it until one reached the end of it. Services in A New Zealand Prayer Book are more like “frozen peas,” or maybe a basket of groceries and a recipe book. A core of essential material is provided with some further resources, other content is added locally. Many will be surprised that the obligatory material from any of the eucharistic liturgies (pages 404 510) takes only about six minutes to recite. Most of the rest of the service is locally chosen. The quality of the meal is now much more dependent on the local “cook”! (Chapter 1 of my book Celebrating Eucharist)
My fear is, however, based on my experience that so, so many leaders have continued the “meals on wheels” approach, but merely with new, different texts. It appears that many, many worship leaders are not being “trained in the overall structures and patterns of Christian worship” to enable them to “be trusted with the freedom, together with their new congregations, to develop culturally appropriate liturgy from below.”
Fresh expressions and diversity
Chapter 1 in Mission Shaped Church – changing context sets the tone:
“‘One size fits all’ will not do.” p12 Mission Shaped Church (cf. Foreword of Mixed Economy)
“No one kind of worship can attract, much less hold, a major proportion of the varied population of this country.” p13 Mission Shaped Church.
The traditional, inherited model has always encouraged the meeting of people with similarities: Sunday school children, youth groups, women’s groups, etc. But there is a trend amongst some now to have that as the only or primary experience. To press the point, this approach would have a worshipping community consisting of and geared towards eg. car mechanics; no: white, male, car mechanics aged 25-35, with the likelihood that the 28 year old white male car mechanic pastor, in spending time preparing the service and sermon is alienated from his community because he is no longer sufficiently involved in car mechanicing!
Contrast this pressing of the approach, with the following quote:
When we gather around the table and break the bread together, we are transformed not only individually but also as community. We, people from different ages and races, with different backgrounds and histories, become one body. As Paul says: ‘As there is one loaf, so we, although there are many of us, are one single body, for we all share in the one loaf.’ (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Not only as individuals but also as community we become the living Christ, taken, blessed, broken, and given to the world. As one body, we become a living witness of God’s immense desire to bring all peoples and nations together as the one family of God.” (Bread for the Journey, Henri Nouwen)
I conclude this reflection with this important question: Is the primary goal of our worship to attract people into church? Or is the primary goal to worship God?
How much scripture was read in your church community last Sunday?
If you go to a synagogue, for thousands of years they have systematically read through the scriptures. Some part of the readings may form the basis of a sermon, but the readings do not have a narrow “theme” – those listening can allow God, through the scriptures, to address them individually in their own particular context and situation – which may be very different from that of their neighbour.
A significant Reformation principle was that each person had the right and obligation to listen to God through the scriptures without the need of an intermediary. That same insight has been picked up in the Roman Catholic Church through the Second Vatican Council.
How much scripture was read in your church community last Sunday? Recently I reminded readers here of the early church practice to “read from the scriptures and from the writings of the apostles for as long as possible.”
Nowadays, many Christian communities, who claim to stand in the Reformation tradition of a personal relationship with God through individuals being encouraged to have an “unfiltered” access to the scriptures actually in their services only use the scriptures as chosen by the preacher. The preacher chooses what is read. And only what is preached about is read. This encourages a culture, not of individual access to the scriptures, but the scriptures are to be mediated by another, by a preacher, or authorised teacher. The scriptures are reduced to illustration points for the sermon – and often they are verses chosen jumping around the Bible, rather than reading through the scriptures as written – in context, as part of a larger work.
Those who follow the lectionary, last Sunday read 2 Kings 5:1-14 or Isaiah 66:10-14; then Psalm 30 or Psalm 66; Galatians 6:1-16; and Luke 10:1-20. About 70 verses of scripture – give or take a few possible variants. Done well, that could be a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes of listening to the scriptures as individuals in community. Yes – with some effort you could make the Isaiah text connect to the Gospel text, but generally these are different texts read for their own sake. If God does not connect with you in your particular situation in one of these, there is the hope that God will make that connection in another. If God does not connect with your community in your particular situation in one of these, there is the hope that God will make that connection in another.
How does this compare to your experience last Sunday?
From the Documents of the Second Vatican Council:
“All Scripture (both Old and New Testament) is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproving, for correcting, for instruction in justice that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work.”
Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Section 11 (2 Tim. 3: 16 & 17)
“The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God’s word and of Christ’s body. …For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life. Consequently these words are perfectly applicable to Sacred Scripture: “For the word of God is living and active” (Heb. 4:12) and “it has power to build you up and give you your heritage among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32; see 1 Thess. 2:13). Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Section 21
“This sacred Synod earnestly and specifically urges all the Christian faithful… to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the excelling knowledge of Jesus Christ. For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ…And let them remember that prayer should accompany the reading of sacred Scripture, so that God and man may talk together.”
Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Section 25
The Shroud of Turin has gone on display from April 10 to May 23. This is the the most examined artefact on the planet.
The shroud is a fascinating example of a dialogue between Science and Religion/Faith. The shroud cannot be used to prove the resurrection or faith. On the other hand, I am of the opinion that the 1988 carbon dating test (which resulted in dating the shroud to between 1260 and 1390) is not conclusive. From a scientific point of view, looking back on it, that test clearly does not stand up to appropriate rigour. A further issue is the inability of current technology to replicate anything like the shroud’s image.
I have purchased Ian Wilson’s new book, and started looking at it, but have not read far enough to make a proper review – but certainly I know it will be a quality read.
The History Channel is showing a documentary and a download will be provided. I am looking forward to watching that.
Archbishop Poletto of Turin has said it well:
It is quite clear to all that our Christian faith is not based on the shroud but on the Gospel and the teaching of the Apostles. However, the displaying of the Shroud is an occasion to help the faithful meditate, pray and contemplate on the mystery and extraordinary suffering of Christ. There is no mathematical certainty that the Shroud is indeed the cloth in which Our Lord was wrapped. This can only come from scientists and historians, if it is possible at all. However, it is also true that all attempts to imitate or recreate it artificially have failed and it is certainly not something which was manufactured.
I think it not inappropriate that this blog-post is put up on the day when Christians, East and West, proclaim the gospel John 20:19-31. Further info at the Shroud of Turin website.
The Exsultet (Exultet) can be a good source of reflection during the Easter Season. The Exsultet originates from some time between the fifth and seventh centuries and is the traditional Western Rite hymn of praise intoned by the deacon during the Easter Vigil after the procession with the Paschal Candle.
Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!
My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.
Deacon: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Deacon: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Deacon: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam’s sin to our eternal Father!
This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.
This is the night
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.
This is the night
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!
This is the night
when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.
This is the night
when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.
What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.
O happy fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!
Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!
Of this night scripture says:
“The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy.”
The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!
Therefore, heavenly Father,
in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church’s solemn offering.
Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.
(For it is fed by the melting wax,
which the mother bee brought forth
to make this precious candle.)
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!
May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.
Exsúltet iam angélica turba cælórum:
exsúltent divína mystéria:
et pro tanti Regis victória tuba ínsonet salutáris.
Gáudeat et tellus, tantis irradiáta fulgóribus:
et ætérni Regis splendóre illustráta,
tótius orbis se séntiat amisísse calíginem.
Lætétur et mater Ecclésia,
tanti lúminis adornáta fulgóribus:
et magnis populórum vócibus hæc aula resúltet.
[Quaprópter astántes vos, fratres caríssimi,
ad tam miram huius sancti lúminis claritátem,
una mecum, quæso,
Dei omnipoténtis misericórdiam invocáte.
Ut, qui me non meis méritis
intra Levitárum númerum dignátus est aggregáre,
lúminis sui claritátem infúndens,
cérei huius laudem implére perfíciat.]
[Vers. Dóminus vobíscum.
Resp. Et cum spíritu tuo.]
Vers. Sursum corda.
Resp. Habémus ad Dóminum.
Vers. Grátias agámus Dómino Deo nostro.
Resp. Dignum et iustum est.
Vere dignum et iustum est,
invisíbilem Deum Patrem omnipoténtem
Filiúmque eius unigénitum,
Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum,
toto cordis ac mentis afféctu et vocis ministério personáre.
Qui pro nobis ætérno Patri Adæ débitum solvit,
et véteris piáculi cautiónem pio cruóre detérsit.
Hæc sunt enim festa paschália,
in quibus verus ille Agnus occíditur,
cuius sánguine postes fidélium consecrántur.
Hæc nox est,
in qua primum patres nostros, fílios Israel
edúctos de Ægypto,
Mare Rubrum sicco vestígio transíre fecísti.
Hæc ígitur nox est,
quæ peccatórum ténebras colúmnæ illuminatióne purgávit.
Hæc nox est,
quæ hódie per univérsum mundum in Christo credéntes,
a vítiis sæculi et calígine peccatórum segregátos,
reddit grátiæ, sóciat sanctitáti.
Hæc nox est,
in qua, destrúctis vínculis mortis,
Christus ab ínferis victor ascéndit.
Nihil enim nobis nasci prófuit,
nisi rédimi profuísset.
O mira circa nos tuæ pietátis dignátio!
O inæstimábilis diléctio caritátis:
ut servum redímeres, Fílium tradidísti!
O certe necessárium Adæ peccátum,
quod Christi morte delétum est!
O felix culpa,
quæ talem ac tantum méruit habére Redemptórem!
O vere beáta nox,
quæ sola méruit scire tempus et horam,
in qua Christus ab ínferis resurréxit!
Hæc nox est, de qua scriptum est:
Et nox sicut dies illuminábitur:
et nox illuminátio mea in delíciis meis.
Huius ígitur sanctificátio noctis fugat scélera, culpas lavat:
et reddit innocéntiam lapsis
et mæstis lætítiam.
Fugat ódia, concórdiam parat
et curvat impéria.
O vere beáta nox,
in qua terrénis cæléstia, humánis divína iungúntur!¹
In huius ígitur noctis grátia, súscipe, sancte Pater,
laudis huius sacrifícium vespertínum,
quod tibi in hac cérei oblatióne solémni,
per ministrórum manus
de opéribus apum, sacrosáncta reddit Ecclésia.
Sed iam colúmnæ huius præcónia nóvimus,
quam in honórem Dei rútilans ignis accéndit.
Qui, lícet sit divísus in partes,
mutuáti tamen lúminis detrimenta non novit.
Alitur enim liquántibus ceris,
quas in substántiam pretiósæ huius lámpadis
apis mater edúxit.²
Orámus ergo te, Dómine,
ut céreus iste in honórem tui nóminis consecrátus,
ad noctis huius calíginem destruéndam,
indefíciens persevéret.
Et in odórem suavitátis accéptus,
supérnis lumináribus misceátur.
Flammas eius lúcifer matutínus invéniat:
ille, inquam, Lúcifer, qui nescit occásum.
Christus Fílius tuus,
qui, regréssus ab ínferis, humáno géneri serénus illúxit,
et vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Easter Vigil Exultet (cathedral of Nice in France, 2008)
Rejoice, all creation!
Let the heavenly chorus sing!
Jesus Christ, our light, is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendour, the light of Christ will warm our autumn night. Christ has conquered!
Glory fills you! Darkness will vanish for ever!
Rejoice, O church of God! Exult in glory! The risen Saviour shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy. Echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!
The Lord is here. God’s Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to God. It is right to offer thanks and praise.
It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices we should praise you the eternal God, and your First-born, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
For Christ is the true passover lamb who at this feast has set your faithful people free.
This is the night when you saved the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea on dry land.
This is the night, when the pillar of fire brought light to your wandering people.
This is the night when all who believe in Christ are delivered from gloom, and are restored to grace, and grow together in fullness of life.
This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave.
Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth and we are reconciled with God!
Therefore, Holy God, in the joy of this night, accept our evening sacrifice of praise, your church’s solemn offering.
Accept this Easter candle, a flame divided but undimmed, a pillar of fire that glows to your honour, O God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven and continue burning to lighten the darkness of this night!
May the Morning Star find this flame still burning among us. Christ is that Morning Star, who rises to shed your peaceful light on all creation.
Christ is now alive and glorified with you for ever and ever. Amen.
Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
O Universe, dance around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the victorious trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in glory, revealing the splendour of your creation,
radiant in the brightness of your triumphant King!
Christ has conquered! Now his life and glory fill you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice,O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Saviour, our Lord of life, shines upon you!
Let all God’s people sing and shout for joy.
Or Alternatively, the Introduction could be sung by the whole congregation to a tune of the metre 10.10.10.10 using the following form. Note: not all tunes of 10.10.10.10 metre are suitable.
All Sing, choirs of heaven! Let saints and angels sing!
Around God’s throne exult in harmony!
Now Jesus Christ is risen from the grave!
Salute your King in glorious symphony!
Sing, choirs of earth! Behold, your light has come!
The glory of the Lord shines radiantly!
Lift up your hearts, for Christ has conquered death!
The night is past, the day of life is here!
Sing, Church of God! Exult with joy outpoured!
The gospel trumpets tell of victory won!
Your Saviour lives; he’s with you evermore!
Let all God’s people sound the long Amen!
The minister continues
The Lord be with you All and also with you.
Lift up your hearts. All We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All It is right to give thanks and praise.
It is right and good that with hearts and minds and voices
we should praise you, Father almighty, the unseen God,
through your only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who has saved us by his death,
paid the price of Adam’s sin,
and reconciled us once again to you. All [Glory to you for ever.]
For this is the Passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb of God, is slain
whose blood consecrates the homes of all the faithful. All [Glory to you for ever.]
This is the night when you first saved our ancestors,
freeing Israel from her slavery
and leading her safely through the sea. All [Glory to you for ever.]
This is the night when Jesus Christ vanquished hell,
broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave. All [Glory to you for ever.]
This is the night when all who believe in him are freed from sin,
restored to grace and holiness,
and share the victory of Christ. All [Glory to you for ever.]
This is the night that gave us back what we had lost;
beyond our deepest dreams
you made even our sin a happy fault. All [Glory to you for ever.]
Most blessed of all nights!
Evil and hatred are put to flight and sin is washed away,
lost innocence regained, and mourning turned to joy. All [Glory to you for ever.]
Night truly blessed, when hatred is cast out,
peace and justice find a home, and heaven is joined to earth
and all creation reconciled to you. All [Glory to you for ever.]
Therefore, heavenly Father, in this our Easter joy
accept our sacrifice of praise, your Church’s solemn offering.
Grant that this Easter Candle may make our darkness light.
For Christ the morning star has risen in glory;
Christ is risen from the dead and his flame of love still burns within us!
Christ sheds his peaceful light on all the world!
Christ lives and reigns for ever and ever! All Amen.
All things came into being through the Word now made flesh
John 1:1-18
This is the Christmas Day gospel reading. The earliest occurrence I can spot is in the Würzburg Evangeliary of the mid-seventh century. Maybe you know an earlier Christmas liturgy mention?
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being
4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”)
16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
A year ago I wrote a blog post about the launching of the Codex Sinaiticus website. I am now delighted to be able to announce that, along with the International conference currently being held at the British Library, all the manuscripts we have, held at four different locations, are now available to us online.
This uncial manuscript of the Greek Bible, written between 330-350, is one of the most important books in the world. It includes the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. Its heavily corrected text is of outstanding importance for the history of the Bible and the manuscript – the oldest substantial book to survive Antiquity – is of supreme importance for the history of the book.
694 pages of Codex Sinaiticus are held in the British Museum in London. Eighty-six pages in the University Library in Leipzig, in Germany. Parts of 12 pages are in the National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg. 24 pages and 40 fragments remain in St. Catherine’s Monastery where all these parts were originally held.
Originally, it contained the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) as well as the complete New Testament, and included the Epistle of Barnabas, and portions of The Shepherd of Hermas.
Recently a blog post from New Zealand’s Bible Society CEO got me thinking. Rev. Mark Brown says that “research shows a majority of Christians don’t regularly attend church and stated that the usual solution of attempting to make church attractive is only part of the answer.” His sources include the National Church Life Survey and the Gallup Poll. What interests me is what definition of Christian is being used in such research?
Let me say at the outset – clearly one can be a Christian and not attend church. Some are not able to attend.
Let me also say, so there’s no confusion, that it’s clear that, as part of being a Christian, there is a personal response to the good news appropriate to the stage one is in one’s life.
Let’s also be clear that “church” is not primarily the building. “Church” is the Christian community, the body of Christ – the church building is there to stop the church (the Christian community) from getting wet and cold when it gathers
But I wonder if behind the definition being used in this research is a presupposition that one becomes a Christian individually and then “goes to a church” seeking support for the individual’s Christian journey. The Christian community, in this view, is little more than a support group for the individual. The individual may not find a group supportive enough and may find more individual support on TV, the internet, or reading alone,… From this approach one would not be surprised to hear “a majority of Christians don’t regularly attend church.”
There appears to be no challenge to individualism – already so strong in our culture. The three top reasons given in the research appear to bear out my critique. These Christians don’t go to church because
it is boring
they don’t agree with or don’t like what is being taught
they don’t see it as a priority
All three appear to be primarily about “me” and “my needs”
The other side of this Christian coin is a view that sees God uniting with God’s creation in the incarnation of Christ, and then drawing us, who have been created by God, into this divine life through being incorporated into Christ through becoming part of Christ, Christ’s body, the church, the Christian community. We become part of Christ through baptism – not through something that we do to ourselves, but through something that God, through the Christian community, does to us.
A helpful image might be that of a team sport, football, cricket,… I am a football player if I am a member of a football team and play football! I am a Christian through being a member of the Christian community and participating in the Christian community. I am a member of the Christian community when gathered – and also, of course, when the Christian community is dispersed. Sometimes I am unable to be present at the Christian community gathered – but the gathering continues – the football game can continue. I continue to be a football player as I will be playing with them again soon.
This communitarian understanding of the gospel critiques individualism, challenges self-centredness.
It is the language we use when we worship, which is normatively in the plural: “United in Christ with all who stand before you in earth and heaven, we worship you, O God…” In this approach it is not merely my individual prayer, but I pray in Christ’s prayer, the Holy Spirit prays in and through me – through us together. Even when I am praying alone, I do so as a member of the Christian community dispersed, “Our Father…”
Certainly the individual still gets “something out of it” (even though this is not the first focus as the self-centred Christian definition has it). The football player “gets something out of” being a member of the team. One joins the community/group/team/church as an individual and finds the participation in the group’s activity transforming and fulfilling the individual.
This is no excuse for allowing church to be boring or irrelevant.
[Update: this post is presenting such useful responses, I have, as promised in a previous update here, produced a follow-up post entitled Choosing a church]
Marketers and entrepreneurs might help expanding and clarify this post, along with others as these are thoughts in the making…
I am coining the terms “permission evangelism” and “participation evangelism“. So from now on – if you use those terms – please credit me
Old style marketing has been called “interruption marketing” or “interruptive marketing“. This is unsolicited, impersonal,… It is about trying to catch a person’s attention through cold calling, a television advertisement, newspaper ad, a booth at a show,… I understand the term was coined by Seth Godin. Many a graph illustrates the result – many marketers battling to get a potential buyer’s attention, and ultimately numbing the customer who tunes out of all the advertising.
The distinction is somewhat fuzzy, but newer style marketing tends to be “permission marketing” or “participation marketing“. This is much more about hospitality, about the person anticipating the approach which is personal and welcomed. It is much more about a dialogue initiated by the potential buyer (or after a much more discrete “interruption”). It is unlike a television advertisement which interrupts a person’s experience to (regularly) share information in which they have no interest. Interruptive marketing is a modern style of marketing which requires little or no participation with the person being marketed to. Permission marketing is a post-modern style, regularly involving social media and requiring personal participation along with the “product”.
Now translate this into evangelism. Old style marketing parallels evangelism as the street-corner, bible-bashing approach, which interrupts people, hands them a tract, uses a “one size fits all” approach. It first hopes to create the sense of need which can then be fulfilled by the rest of the message. In our post-modern, multi-faith environment, of course, like old style marketing, the potential convert’s attention is ultimately numbed and tunes out.
Contemporary (post-modern) “permission evangelism” or “participation evangelism” is much more about a relationship in which a person’s real need is discovered and the gospel is found to be “Good News” for their real need.
Churches, it seems to me, are so often empty of a whole section of society, or a whole band of age-groups, because no one is actually finding out what their real needs are. They certainly have real values, meaning, spiritual needs. Let’s go out and find out what they actually are – rather than assuming what they are and telling them what they are. Do we not trust that the gospel addresses the needs that they will present us with?
The distinctions of the two types above may be more blurry than here delineated. This may be an oversimplification. The comments box is open for your clarifications.
Richard Bauckham in Jesus and the Eyewitnesses argues strongly for Peter’s perspective behind our gospel “according to Mark”. If you want to get the flavour of this book, a lot of it is online. Papias, writing in the early second century, states that Mark was the “interpreter” of Peter, and that he wrote down (”but not in order”) the stories that he had heard Peter tell in his preaching about the life and teachings of Jesus. Part of our problem is that scholars have increasingly become more and more specialised so that it is rare for a biblical scholar to be competent in early patristics, and so on. We need scholars who can synthesise as well as critique a variety of disciplines together.
Almighty God, who by the hand of Mark the evangelist have given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: We thank you for this witness, and pray that we may be firmly grounded in its truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Exodus 34:28 indicates that the terms of the covenant is literally “ten words” (hence, better “decalogue”). We translate this as the “Ten Commandments”, but of course there are four different numbering systems of where the divisions of the commandments in fact occur (more info here). Another version is found in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. And then there is Exodus 34:11-27. Each commandment appears to have undergone its own complex development, with this final text possibly being post-exilic.
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
The Mediterranean world was intrigued by paradox and reversal, but also believed, either through logic (Gentiles) or through God’s faithfulness (Israelites) that reality was predictable. Crucifixion runs counter to this world-view. Crucifixion is counter-cultural.
John 2:13-22
Tyre Shekel
“Remembered” (John 2:17 & 22) are used to indicate the process of reflection and interpretation that the story has undergone in the lengthy process towards it being incorporated into this text. All the gospels record the cleansing of the Temple. The synoptic gospels place it close to Holy Week, relating it to being a cause for the growing antipathy against Jesus. John gives the raising of Lazarus this prominence. Roman denarii and Attic drachmas had pLiturgy › Add New Post — WordPressaortraits that would have been uncacceptable for paying Temple tax (cf. Matthew 17:27). Hence, moneychangers converted these into Tyre coinage which was acceptable (image – more here).
It appears Caiaphas may have introduced holding the animals, required for sacrifice, within the Temple complex, rather than outside its precincts.
The Amidah, or Shmona Esre, the eighteen benedictions central to Jewish liturgy, continues to pray at number fourteen Bo’ne Yerushalayim – asking God to rebuild Jerusalem with its temple and re-establish the Kingdom of David. This gospel text has a similar combination of temple and messianic expectation, but surprisingly within its Medditeranaean context connects it all to Jesus’ risen body.
This is from the P(riestly) version of the covenant with Abraham. The J version is Genesis Chapter 15 [hence the lack of acknowledgement that the covenant has already been established two chapters earlier]. Today’s reading skips the innovation of circumcision as a sign of the covenant. El Shaddai meant “God, the One of the Mountain” (cf. Judges 5:5). In the Priestly tradition YHWH (LORD) was revealed to Moses (Exodus 6:2-3). Changing name (verse 5) changes one’s destiny. J does not stress Sarah’s part – here, her being ninety on top of lifelong inability to bear children, underscores the supernatural quality.
Roman Catholics use Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
Psalm 22:23-31
Romans 4:13-25
Paul wrote this letter either from Corinth or Cenchrae, the port of Corinth in 57 or 58CE. Translations of verse 13 are regularly incorrect σπερματι is seed (singular). The promise is not to Judean Israelites (regularly mistranslated anachronistically as “jews”) but to Abraham and his seed (singular). “Wrath” refers to God defending His honour. No disobedience – no dishonour. Verse 25 does not have “to death” in the original. “Handed over” and “raised” are in the passive.
Roman Catholics use Romans 8:31b-34
Mark 8:31-38
“This adulterous and sinful generation” is a questioning of the parentage of the listeners who are unprepared to join Jesus’ new “kindom”. Peter is rebuked as “Satan” the tester of loyalty. Jesus realises the consequences of rising above the status of his birth.
Please add your insights, reflections, sermon suggestions, hymn suggestions – anything positive and useful (even layout and web organisational ideas) – in the comments box. I will choose to publish from what is sent here. Do not send anonymous comments. You can follow comments (and posts) by the Entries Feed and Comments Feed at the bottom of the page.
The Hebrew people were terrified of water. The psalms, for example, are full of water as a metaphor for danger. Whilst being a nation on the Mediterranean coast, they only had a navy under King Solomon. The story of the exile, with the destruction of all and the return of a small, faithful remnant to start afresh is well retold using an ancient flood story. God has been shooting the arrows of his flood at his people. Now God hangs up his bow in the clouds.
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Peter 3:18-22
Verses 18 and 22 appear to come from a hymn or creed.
Verses 19-21 requires familiarity with the Book of Enoch. This book is quoted in Jude 1:14-15 and by many Church Fathers. It is held to be part of the Bible by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Genesis 6:1-2 reads: “When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose.” In Enoch’s understanding, the sinning angels had intercourse with humans who gave birth to giants. This sets up the original sin punished by the flood. God eternally imprisons the angels who continue to encourage sin on earth. Enoch (Genesis 5:21-24) is taken up into heaven where he tells the angels that they will be imprisoned (1 Enoch 6-21). In today’s text Jesus is another Enoch.
Mark 1:9-15
Jesus has left the safety of his kinship group and will establish another form of kinship group. Joining John the baptiser, Jesus has an experience of altered state of consciousness (cf. Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 42:1). The Mediterranean reader of Mark, the first and here simplest Gospel account of the Temptations, would see the honour ascribed to Jesus at his baptism inevitably lead to that honour being tested. Honour requires acknowledgement by others – as there is no such acknowledgement within the story, the readers of Mark’s text are challenged to grant Jesus this honour.
John is Jesus’ mentor (cf. John 3:22; 4:2). Jesus picks up the leadership of John’s movement and transforms it when John is arrested. Jesus, of course, attracts followers to himself, posing a dilemma for John and John’s disciples (cf. Luke 7:18-23). This longer process is telescoped into todays summary. “Believe” is not to be understood as a merely mental excercise. It is be loyal to, be commited to.
Please add your insights, reflections, sermon suggestions, hymn suggestions – anything positive and useful (even layout and web organisational ideas) – in the comments box. I will choose to publish from what is sent here. Do not send anonymous comments. You can follow comments (and posts) by the Entries Feed and Comments Feed at the bottom of the page.
Whilst February 22 Roman Catholics, New Zealand Anglicans and others will be reading Mark 2:1-12 etc., those following the Revised Common Lectionary will generally be celebrating the Transfiguration with the following readings.
Mark 9:2-9
This describes an altered state of consciousness understood and experienced in 90% of cultures studied by anthropologists, but blocked in the contemporary, secular, materialististic Western culture, where we deny and fear that which we cannot control. Some scholars see this as a resurrection story projected back into Jesus’ life, others describe it as “eschatological” – a “preview of coming attractions”. Jesus is there with the great lawgiver and the great prophet. Mountan, witnesses, signs, and shared experience are common to similar biblical theophanies (Exodus 19-20; 34; 1 Kings 19:4-18). Jesus’ sonship, declared in Mark 1:1, and 1:11 is re-arffirmed here at the centre of the gospel – this will lead to its declaration at the end by the centurion. This underscores the nature of Jesus’ group (kin-like), his mission, and the challenge to be loyal to him.
Please add your insights, reflections, sermon suggestions, hymn suggestions – anything positive and useful (even layout and web organisational ideas) – in the comments box. I will choose to publish from what is sent here. Do not send anonymous comments. You can follow comments (and posts) by the Entries Feed and Comments Feed at the bottom of the page.
The Shroud of Turin has gone on display from April 10 to May 23. This is the the most examined artefact on the planet. 
Exodus 34:28 indicates that the terms of the covenant is literally “ten words” (hence, better “decalogue”). We translate this as the “Ten Commandments”, but of course there are four different numbering systems of where the divisions of the commandments in fact occur (more info 
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