Liturgy Lesson for the Sunday after Ascension: Where He Is We Will Be
May 20, 2012
We have entered Ascensiontide, commemorating our Lord’s ascension to the Father in Heaven. We keep this day—40 days after Easter—because Jesus miraculously ascended 40 days after the Resurrection. This was the final act of His earthly ministry and final demonstration of His divinity, removing all possibility of doubt from the Apostles’ and disciples’ minds. His ascension completed His work of Atonement, when He destroyed the work of the Devil—His primary mission among us in His flesh. Ascensiontide lasts 10 days, beginning at Ascension Day and ending at Whitsunday, or Pentecost. It’s also important to note that He ascended bodily, in a perfected flesh, acceptable for Heaven—as we will one day, as well, since Scripture teaches us that “…where He is, we shall be also” and “… shall be like Him” for we shall see Him as He is (St. John 14 & I St. John 3). Moreover, our Lord, before He ascended, gave instructions to the disciples to go wait for empowerment in Jerusalem—setting the stage for the Church Militant’s most powerful day—its birthday, Pentecost. So we should, as the angel instructed the disciples, not stand staring into a cloud, but work expectantly for His return in glory, with a new prayer—Maran’athah (Maranatha), meaning, “our Lord comes.” Come quickly, Lord—establish your Kingdom in our lives, now and even more so upon Your return in glory!
Liturgy Lesson for the Fifth Sunday after Easter: Rogation Days
May 13, 2012
The Rogation Days are the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before we commemorate our Lord’s Ascension to the Father in Heaven on Ascension Day. “Rogation” comes from the Latin “rogare”, meaning “to beseech.” Although the term “beseech” could be taken as a call for penitence, this is not the intention of the Easter season. Rather it is one of asking for God’s blessing on the works of our hands—industry and agriculture—the means of our livelihoods. A singularly Anglican holiday, it’s no longer observed in the Roman Catholic Church, but, since the reign of Elizabeth I, it has been a decided observance of the English church. Rogation Days are an ideal time to remember—and rededicate our jobs, investments, and other economic activities to our Lord, in Whom we live and move and have our being, while invoking His Presence in all we do, committing our ways to Him, so that He, as promised in Scripture, guides our paths.
Liturgy Lesson for the Third Sunday after Easter: Christian Training
April 29, 2012
Church Fathers, keeping with ancient Jewish tradition, included the Offices of Instruction in our prayerbook to provide a basic framework for teaching candidates for Baptism and Confirmation Christian essentials. But that’s not their only purpose. The entire congregation needs to revisit their principles regularly. Called catechism, this instruction—questioning and answering—is Scriptural, found in St. Luke 1:4: “…so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” In Acts 28:25, Apollo is “instructed [katechemenos] in the way of the Lord.” St. Paul uses the word twice: first, in 1 Corinthians 14:19, “I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct [katecheso] others also,” and then, in Galatians 6:6, “Let him that is instructed [ho katechoumenos] in the word, communicate to him that instructeth [to katechounti] him, in all good things.” Clearly, we must be trained—actively involved, validating that training by queries. But this doesn’t meet our need for Christian training but only the barest rudiments. St. Paul instructed St. Timothy to “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” This means, to be effective, we must develop our spiritual skills—in real, structured Christian training, beyond simple catechism, not “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,” but in the company of God’s people and Spirit, learning His Word and what it means to our lives. We need Sunday School and Bible study—now!
Liturgy Lesson for the Second Sunday after Easter: Jehovah Is Salvation
April 22, 2012
Eastertide is the most important season of the Christian year and is best characterized by the prayerbook canticle for Easter, “Christ is risen, alleluia!” Celebrating the Resurrection, it is the keystone in the arch of Christianity and reminds us that if Christ had not risen, then we, in St. Paul’s words, would still be slaves to sin and death. But He did rise, indeed—and this is a season for celebration, rightly proclaimed by the symbols of the season which point to His victory. One of these, used on our parish prayer list and displayed above, is the combination of the Cross and the abbreviations IC and XC, short for IHCOYC, or“Iesous” (Jesus)—a transliteration of the Hebrew “Joshua,” meaning “Jehovah is salvation.” The same symbol is combined with the Greek word “Nika” meaning“victory”—incidentally, the same word used for the popular athletic apparel manufacturer, Nike. This little symbol is a quick summary of God’s plan of salvation and empowerment for us, as it shows us who paid our debt to God, and where—and what it gives us in this life and the next—complete victory over everything, even death itself. That is a reason to celebrate!
Liturgy Lesson for the First Sunday after Easter: Alleluia
April 15, 2012
This is the first Sunday in Eastertide, the oldest festival of the church year – and one that rightly enjoys a far greater emphasis than Lent, which is, more than anything else, a spiritual examen to prepare us to receive the joys and empowerment of Resurrection life made possible by Easter’s victory. In ancient times, there was one long festival between Easter and Pentecost, correctly linking the two great holidays as one spiritual event—the birthing of the Church Militant by the conquest of sin and death and subsequent coming of the Holy Ghost. The early church called Easter “Pascha,” derived from the Hebrew word for Passover and our faith’s Hebraic roots. The liturgical color of the season is white, honoring our Lord’s purity and royalty. The symbols of the season are pleasant, in contrast to the hard symbols representing the unpleaasantness of our fallenness we discovered and overcame in Lent. Eastertide symbols tie to the Resurrection—typified by the lilies decorating the nave and sanctuary areas. This flower represents the season in two ways: (1) it blooms at the appropriate time and (2) the seeming decay of the bulb before its growth, beauty, and fragrance is an icon of the Resurrection. Alleluia!
Liturgy Lesson for Easter Sunday: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
April 8, 2012
Today is Easter Sunday, a term derived from the old Anglo-Saxon word Eostre, which designated the month of April, in which this 40-day feast most commonly begins and on which we celebrate three great facts. First, our Lord’s divinity—for while others were raised from the dead, He arose by His own inherent power, gaining victory over death for us all. Next, it established the immortality of our spirits, which before the Resurrection was only a matter of speculation. Finally, His Resurrection underscored God’s seal of approval—and validated everything Christ claimed and taught. Easter is, then, rightly the queen of all Christian festivals and is the hinge point of our faith. No wonder St. Paul wrote, “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” He is risen … He is risen, indeed—our Hope of Glory—alleluia!!
Liturgy Lesson for Palm Sunday: Hosanna
April 1, 2012
Today is Palm Sunday, that day in Lent when we commemorate our Lord’s triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, the “foundation of peace” and the holy city. We begin with the blessing of palms for worship, invoking God’s intervention in our lives to make our worship and other actions more than just a corporeal event or “attendance,” instead asking Him to enter our hearts in triumph—as the Lord of those lives, in spirit and truth—a contrast to the crowds that outwardly hailed Jesus at his arrival but then turned on Him, becoming the mob that demanded His blood on the Cross just hours later. With this prayer, we begin Holy Week— completing Lent’s spiritual creation of new and contrite hearts and preparing us for the joys of the Resurrection Sunday. May we, then, add to our “hosanna,” “Maranatha”—meaning “Come quickly, Lord,” as we give Him real Lordship in the Holy Cities of our Hearts.
Liturgy Lesson for Passion Sunday: Take up our cross and follow Him.
March 25, 2012
Liturgy Lesson for the Fourth Sunday in Lent: Refreshment Sunday
March 18, 2012
The Fourth Sunday of Lent, called “Laetare” (Rejoice) is named for the first words of the Introit prayed or sung before the procession to the Holy Table. In the first six or seven centuries, Lent began on the Sunday after Quinquagesima (50 Days before Easter)—but was only thirty-six fasting days. Church Fathers then added four days preceding, making a Biblical 40-day fast—as Jesus did in the Wilderness before He began His ministry. Originally the middle day of Lent, the Thursday before Laetare enjoyed relaxed discipline with special joy to encourage the faithful in their devotion through Lent’s Holy Ghost–powered examen. Later, it was moved to the more practical Sunday feast day. Like Gaudete Sunday in Advent, this Sunday uses flowers on the altar and more festive worship music and allows rose-colored vestments instead of the more penitential purple as on the other Lenten Sundays, reminding us that it’s the quality of our devotion—not the details—that God wants—and that we are not to make our customs into the Law. The contrast between Laetare and other Lenten Sundays, then, echoes a promise God gave us in Scripture—that when the Enemy [of our Souls] rushes in like a flood, He would provide a standard to rally to—much like during the Exodus, when God instructed Moses to fashion a brazen pole and serpent; which, when looked upon, ensured Israelites bitten by venomous snakes would live. This all points us to Jesus—our Hope of Glory—our Standard to rally in the Wilderness to live eternally. On this day that is also called Refreshment Sunday, Sunday of the Five Loaves (from a miracle recorded in the Gospel), Mid-Lent, and Mothering Sunday, we rightly take joy in today’s Epistle, as it cites our right to be called sons of God—and not in bondage to the letter of the law—eating the miracle meal from Jesus’ own hand —nailed to the Cross for us. Rally us, Lord—we follow you!!
Liturgy Lesson for the Third Sunday in Lent: Confession
March 11, 2012
We speak a great deal about the central act of worship in our tradition—the Holy Communion. One of our most important spiritual duties in it—the confession and absolution—rightly precedes reception of the Lord’s own spiritual nature in the consecrated elements of bread and wine. When we confess, it’s VERY important to ask God the Holy Ghost to assist us in searching our own hearts for any unresolved sin, large or small—whether it’s a recurrent sin we purposely commit or a more passive sin, such as unforgiveness or bitterness toward our brother or sister in Christ. Whatever the issue, we must spend time in devotion before the service, inviting the Holy Ghost to show us our hearts and help us make an authentic confession, with the intention of real repentance—setting our wills to the effect of turning away from whatever the shortfall in our lives in Christ might be, so that we can fully receive the Lord’s absolution and then partake at the Lord’s Table in a worthy manner—redeemed by His Blood, which we accept by exercising our wills to live Godly lives before Him. When we do this, we open the windows of Heaven up for God to bless us fully. Thanks be to God!
