The Anglican Student Association Blog

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

2009-04-12T00:11:00.003-04:00

This is the all time best sermon ever preached. It's the amazing Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom - the Golden Throat. It is preached every year in Eastern Orthodox Churches to Celebrate the first moments of Pascha - Easter. Blessings to you!

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Are there any who are devout lovers of God?
Let them rejoice in the splendor of this triumphal feast;

Are there any who are grateful servants?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary from fasting?
Let them now receive their due!

If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their reward.

If any have come after the third hour,
let them with gratitude join in the feast!

If any have arrived after the sixth hour,
let them not doubt; for they too shall be deprived of nothing.

And if any have delayed until the ninth hour,
let them not hesitate; but let them come too.

And those who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let even them not be afraid of arriving too late. For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.

He gives rest to those who come at the eleventh hour,
even as to those who have toiled from the first.

To one and all the Lord gives generously.
The Lord accepts the offering of every work.
The Lord honors every deed
and He commends every intention.

So then, all of you, come!
Enter into your Master's joy:

First and last alike, come! receive your reward!
Rich and Poor together, rejoice in the bounty of the Lord!
Sober and Slothful, celebrate the day!

You who have kept the fast, and you who have not,
rejoice, this day, for the Table is richly spread!

Feast royally upon it, for He has prepared the fatted calf.
Let no one, No One, go away hungry.

Partake, all of you, of the banquet of faith.
Come and enjoy the bounty of the Lord's goodness!

Let no one grieve being poor,
for the Kingdom of Kingdoms has been revealed.

Let no one lament failing over and over again,
for forgiveness has risen from the grave!
Let no one fear death,
for the death of our Savior has set us free.

The Lord annihilated death by enduring it.
The Lord destroyed the power of hell when
he descended into it.
The Lord embittered Hell even as it tasted of his flesh.

Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, were embittered when you met him below."

Hell was embittered, because it was abolished.
Hell was embittered, because it was destroyed.
Hell was embittered, because it was slain.
Hell was embittered, because it was overthrown.
Hell was embittered, because it was fettered in chains.

Hell grasped a corpse, and met God.
Hell seized earth, and behold! encountered heaven!

Hell took what it saw,
and was overcome by what it could not see.

Where, O Death, is your sting?
Where, O Hell, is your victory?

Christ is risen, and Death is overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are crushed!
Christ is risen, and the Angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and New Life reigns!
Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead.

For Christ, having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who sleep.

So to Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.
Alleluia! Amen! Alleluia! And Amen!

The Feast of the Annunciation to the Mother of God

2009-03-25T11:19:00.000-04:00

Today is the beginning of our salvation, God is come among men; He who cannot be contained is contained in a womb; the timeless enters time. A great mystery! His conception is without seed, his emptying past telling! So great is this mystery! For God empties himself, takes flesh and is fashioned as a creature, when the angel tells the pure Virgin of her conception: “Rejoice, you who are full of grace; the Lord who has great mercy is with you!” (Stichera of Annunciation, St. John the Monk)

Luke 1:24-38 - After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, "Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."

And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"

And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (RSV)

Today is the beginning of our salvation,
And the revelation of the eternal mystery!
The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin
As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.
Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:
"Rejoice, O Full of Grace, The Lord is with You!"
"Annunciation" - An Armenian miniature from the Roslin Gospels, 1287.

What is Lent?

2009-02-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

The word Lent comes from the old English word lencten. It signifies that time of the year when the days begin to lengthen. That time of the year is Spring! Lent is a word that really means "Spring”. In the Church Lent is a forty day period where we mark the days that Jesus spent in the wilderness. It is also the season of preparation for the passion and resurrection of Christ (Holy Week and Easter).

The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism . It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness. Book of Common Prayer pp. 264-265

We mark Lent with prayer, fasting and alms giving. We use the time for introspection, self -examination and repentance. It is a time to prepare for the amazing work of God's redemption at Easter.

Lent is also marked by the color purple which symbolizes Christ's suffering and his royalty. All crosses and icons are covered or veiled by purple cloth. All flowers are removed and no more "alleluias" are said until Easter day. This is all done to remind us of the suffering of Jesus and the consequences of our sin.

Traditionally, the church fasted from anything "of the flesh" which meant that meat, cheese, eggs, butter and milk were eliminated from the diet. Also, confession of sins was made before the beginning of Lent. The period of carnival, and the day of Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, were created to prepare for Lent.

Carnival comes from the Latin carne levarium which is the removal of meat. Shrove Tuesday comes from the customary pre-Lenten "shrift" or confession. And Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday. They are all different names for the same time - a time to confess our sins and use up all of the meats, cheeses, eggs, butter and milk from our larders. Thus we have the traditions of the Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner or the King cake where all of these food items are used up.

In Anglicanism, and for most of the Western Churches, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. On Ash Wednesday a service is held where we enter this time corporately. Ash Wednesday is where we look to our own mortality and the consequences of sin. Times of penitence were often marked by the wearing of sackcloth and ashes. An outward sign of our penitence and mortality is the marking of our foreheads with ashes in the sign of the cross. We are reminded that we are "but dust and to dust we shall return" (Genesis 3:19). We are reminded that without Christ all we are is dust and ashes.

Although the fast is not as strictly observed today as in the ancient church, many now fast from meat every Friday during Lent and give up something like sweets, coffee, or television. The decision is an individual one, whatever you feel that God is calling you to.

The idea behind alms giving should come from a sacrifice made, like not buying sweets, magazines or a daily coffee and then giving the money saved to the poor.

Special Notes:

Traditionally, Ash Wednesday was marked by fasting and then ended with the consumption of something small and simple (i.e. the hot cross bun).

Sundays are not included in the fasts since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made from the Palm Sunday palms of the
previous year.

Since Lent is a time for fasting, no fleshly things were consumed and small meals were instituted. A whole array of regional dishes were created to accommodate the fasts. Simple vegetarian soups were made: the split pea soup in Eastern Europe, the onion soup in France and Italy, and meals that centered around vegetables and fish.

The pretzel is the oldest Christian food and was created to accommodate the Lenten fast. It is made without using butter, milk, eggs. The shape is of arms folded in prayer.

Stephen Colbert & the Lambeth Conference

2008-07-26T21:49:00.002-04:00

Enjoy!

Great Post over at Faith and Theology:

2008-06-24T11:50:00.002-04:00

Theology with Sufjan Stevens: heaven in ordinary

At the moment I’m absolutely infatuated with the music of Sufjan Stevens. Commentators have often talked about Stevens’ creativity as a musician and composer; but he’s also an extraordinary lyricist. Many of his best songs are ballads, stories that relate, with simple poignancy, the everyday dramas of friendship, love and family life. And it’s here that Stevens’ poetic gift really lies: the ability to evoke, with just a few words, the tragic and beautiful ambiguities of personal relationships.

Read it all. It's great.

So you proclaim the death of Jesus till he come

2008-05-14T22:28:00.003-04:00

This post by Halden on the significance of eating and death is purely amazing.

"The bread and wine of the Eucharist do not so much represent Jesus’ being killed, as his total self-expenditure, culminating in death through which we are nourished, sustained, and transformed. Eating signifies death, not because death is violent mutilation, but because it is the form of the radically prodigal, self-expending love that is the divine life which is given to us in Christ. The Eucharist embodies the transformation of identity from possession to gift. It proclaims a logic of redemption in which life, rather than needing to be secured as a possession, can be given away to the fullest."

See the rest here: Eating and Death

N.T. Wright on the Resurrection

2008-04-23T17:01:00.001-04:00

Psalm 121

2008-04-11T00:08:00.003-04:00

Saint Paul's Cathedral Choir:

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

2008-04-09T23:52:00.003-04:00

Bonhoeffer on Cheap Grace:

This is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which amounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs. Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin. Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves.

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without Church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without contrition. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the Cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon His Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered Him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in The Cost of Discipleship

In the same night he was betrayed

2008-03-18T23:31:00.003-04:00

Some words from Rowan Williams in preparation for Maundy Thursday.

"In other words, the resurrection meals, for John and Luke alike, echo specific occasions of crisis, misunderstanding, illusion and disaster. They 'recover' not only in the memory of table fellowship, but the memory of false hope, betrayal and desertion, of a past in which ignorance and pride and the rejection of Jesus' account of his destiny in favour of power-fantasies of their own led the disciples into their most tragic failure, their indirect but real share in the ruin of their Lord. Yet Jesus, even as he sees their rejection taking shape, nonetheless gives himself to his betrayers in the breaking of bread. The resurrection meals restore precisely that poignant juxtaposition of his unfailing grace and their rejection, distortion and betrayal of it.
We may pause here for a moment to recall that this juxtaposition is built into every Christian celebration of the Eucharist. The narrative of the institution is introduced with a reminder that the sacrament of Jesus' self-gift originates 'in the same night that he was betrayed.' Those who eat at Jesus' table are his betrayers, then as now; yet from the death and hell to which our betrayal condemns him, he returns to break his bread with us as before. The Eucharist is never a simple fellowship meal, not even a simple fellowship meal with Jesus. Its imagery always and necessarily operates between the two poles of Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday, beteween Gethsemane and Emmaus, between the Upper Room before the crucifixion and the Upper Room to which the risen Jesus comes. . . We do not eucharistically remember a distant meal in Jerusalem, not even a distant death: we are made 'present to ourselves' as people complicit in the betrayal and death of Jesus and yet still called and accepted..."

- Rowan Williams, Resurrection: Interpreting the Easter Gospel, pg. 34

The Voice of C. S. Lewis

2008-02-18T23:51:00.002-05:00

We love C. S. Lewis! Wouldn't it be great to hear C. S. Lewis' voice?

There are just a few recordings of C. S. Lewis that have survived the years. It's amazing that so much of his work was originally broadcast on BBC radio, and yet very little was recorded and has survived. But you can listen to a few minutes of his voice in these recordings from the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/people/cslewis_16.shtml

Piper tackles Wright

2008-02-15T14:18:00.003-05:00

John Piper thinks N.T. Wright is wrong on Justification.

Here's a great review of Piper's new book, The Future of Justification.

http://johnharmstrong.typepad.com/john_h_armstrong_/2008/02/the-future-of-j.html

The Archbishop, Law, and Media

2008-02-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

A previous entry on this blog highlighted the way that the media misrepresented the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, concerning the Christmas story. Well, they are at it again. Check out Ben Myers' treatment here, and let us know what you think.

As We Forgive Those...

2008-01-29T23:07:00.000-05:00

WOW. This is amazing and VERY moving. Wow.

http://www.asweforgivethose.com/

Just watch.

PS - I just realized that I know Laura Waters Hinson, the Producer/Director. Very cool!

Why Ecclesiology is Essential

2008-01-29T09:25:00.000-05:00

"Why even think about "ecclesiology" - what makes the churches "the Church" at all? If a Christian shares perspective with most forms of Protestantism, there is little reason indeed. In contemporary Christian life, it is commonly agreed that Jesus did not "found" any church at all, and that our churches are our own little man-made organizations that try to carry out the work of spreading the gospel and converting the heathen more efficient. I know this sounds glib, but that's what it comes down to: that the church exists because it is useful to our version of the Gospel (which we believe to be a separate thing from the church) simply because Jesus wants his people to "meet together."

On the other hand, what if Jesus didn't come to impart some information about God and a revised moral code? What if he didn't come with a way for us to have an individual personal relationship with God that we could practice with other people if we wanted to? What if Jesus really did found a community that really did have a real and physical existence in the world? What if being joined to Jesus through baptism and being joined to this real physical community really is the same thing, the same Godward movement that makes us alive and saves us from death?"

Kyle Potter shares lucid thoughts on the importance of doing ecclesiology. Check it out here.

Psalm of the Week - Psalm 116

2008-01-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

Psalm 116

I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he has inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.

Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!"

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

I believed, even when I spoke,
"I am greatly afflicted";
I said in my alarm,
"All mankind are liars."

What shall I render to the LORD
for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,
I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!

History and Interpretation

2008-01-19T18:44:00.000-05:00

Check out Chris Tilling's hilarious treatment of different scholars' differing opinions on the question: Did certain historical events in the life of Jesus actually happen?

God Toward Us, and Us Toward God

2008-01-12T18:24:00.000-05:00

"Jesus turned toward the world is God's wisdom and power in action; but Jesus turned toward the Father is the embodiment of a sort of divine response to divine generosity, the Son turned towards the Father. The life of God is not only the outpouring gift, it's a life in which our own response of selfless gratitude and response is also foreshadowed for ever. Jesus is divine responding embodied in our nature and our world; he responds freely and totally to the gift of the Father, and that response is no less divine than the gift - a perfect response that is both human and more than human...

And if you turn to St Paul, you find there, less economically expressed, both the idea of Christ as the one who gathers up all things that the Father has made and brings them home to the Father through the work of an eternal love that has worked itself out in time and space (compare chapter 1 and chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians). Jesus Christ, the anointed monarch of God's people, stands at the heart of the twofold movement, of God's life towards the world and the world's journey to reconciliation with God."
- Rowan Williams, Tokens of Trust, pp. 66-67

These ruminations on God's being as giver and receiver, lover and lover, are frightening, exciting and entirely awe-inspiring. But perhaps more frightening, exciting and awe-inspiring than that is the fact that by baptism into Christ's death and resurrection, we become part of this dynamic love play that is God. As the Holy Spirit filled body of Christ, God asks us to be His representatives to the world (as the Father sent me, so I send you). He then brings us back to Himself in our lives as reconciled people.

This "twofold movement" of which Williams speaks us crystallized in our celebration of the Eucharist, the ultimate sacrifice of God for the world, and the ultimate self-offering of Jesus to His Father. We are caught up in this fluid motion, realizing that not only Christ, but our very lives as baptized people, are broken for the world and for God. And then we receive the giving and receiving life that is Jesus into us.

May Christ bring to pass by his Spirit and for His Father the goal to which we all strive, the perfect imitation of this divine reality of love.

The Long View

2008-01-07T07:12:00.000-05:00

Check out this new year's greeting from our Archbishop, Rowan Williams.

Particularly striking is Rowan's point that our view of the material world will inevitably flow over into our view of relationships, or even God and his church. If I spend my time waiting for the newest model of the iPod to be released so I can discard my current one (which, I might add, is in perfect working condition), is there not also a danger that I will cultivate that same attitude toward people? How many more of our common practices slowly and quietly beguile us into an attitude of 'disposability' toward the earth and toward others?

Against all of our reductionist tendencies toward God's good creation and God's people stand John the Baptist and Jesus, telling us, "Repent! The Kingdom of God is at hand!"May the Spirit of God show us where we fail and fall, and bring us to committed and long change.

The Eucharist as Denial

2008-01-01T14:42:00.000-05:00

The Eucharist is the definitive action practiced in the Christian community that keeps Jesus Christ before us as the Savior of the world and our Savior, and ourselves as sinners in need of being saved. The Eucharist is the sacramental act that pulls us into actual material participation with Christ (eating and drinking bread and wine) as he gives us his very life "for us and for our salvation" (Nicene Creed). Without the Eucharist as the focal practice, it is very easy to drift off into imagining Jesus as our Great Example whom we will imitate, or our Great Teacher from whom we will learn, or our Great Hero by whom we will be inspired. And without the Eucharist it is very easy to drift into a spirituality that is dominated by ideas about Jesus instead of receiving life from Jesus. The Eucharist says a plain "no" to all that. The Eucharist puts Jesus in his place: dying on the cross giving us that sacrificed life. And it puts us in our place: opening our hands and receiving the remission of our sins, which is our salvation.
- Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, pg. 203, bold mine

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T00:41:00.001-05:00

Home now, after the Christmas Eve services. I pray that you have a blessed Christmas. May our Lord, who humbled himself to be born of Our Lady some two thousand years ago, be born anew in your heart this Christmastide.

Luke 2:1-20 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Christmas Rush

2007-12-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

Rush Limbaugh has some harsh words for Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. In this 'sermon', Rush responds to a recent news story reporting Williams as saying, "The Christmas story is a legend." There's a lot going on here, so let me address each thing in turn.

First, Rush says he writes because the "liberal Christians out there, these wacko Christians that are liberal" try his patience. Among this lot of liberal, wacko Christians falls Rowan Williams, who said in a recent interview that belief in the virgin birth of Christ should not be a "kind of hurdle people have to get over before they can, you know, be signed up." Rush interprets this as a sign of 'slippery-slope' Christianity, stating that:

"A lot of Christians know where his reasoning is going to end up, or where this line of reasoning will take you, because it ends up denying the fundamental basis of Christianity, which is the resurrection. Because if that didn't happen, then the whole thing is in trouble, and if these biblical miracles didn't happen, the star of Bethlehem didn't stop, if there was no virgin birth, then, of course, there probably wasn't a resurrection. In which case, what the hell is the Archbishop of Canterbury doing in the business, if he wants to rewrite it this way?"

Near the end of his 'sermon', he suggests that Williams begin his own religion:

"By the way, the Archbishop of Canterbury also said the nativity scene is a "legend." Not real, just a legend. So for those of you out there who feel compelled to take some of your Christian beliefs, discard the miracles, and replace them with modern science and thereby invent a new religion, go right ahead -- and if this is what Dr. Rowan Williams wants to do, if he wants to throw out the things in Christianity that he just can't explain in his "superior mind," go ahead, Dr. Williams. But just don't call it Christianity. You are distorting and debasing it. Call it whatever you want. Call it Williamsism. I don't care what you call it, but do not call it Christianity. When you start cherry-picking things that you want, cherry-picking things that your superior mind says you can't possibly accept because stars don't stop; there's no virgin both, and nobody can rise from the dead, fine. Go base your own religion on that; find the flock that you want, but don't call it Christianity."

There's rich irony here, for Rush himself has engaged in some serious 'cherry picking' of Rowan Williams's words. Rowan Williams in his interview takes us straight back to the gospel text, which has no mention of how many 'kings' there were, no mention of one from Africa. If nativity scenes portray something the Scriptures don't actually say (see Ben Witherington's excellent analysis of the nativity texts), then they are in fact portraying 'legend.' This is not Rowan Williams striking at the roots of the Christian faith, but merely pointing out that what tradition has given us may not be the actual biblical story.

As for Rowan's comment that the virgin birth not be a hurdle to new believers, I can say that it is clear from our earliest Christian documents that the virgin birth was not a major part of the early Christian proclamation. That Paul should make no substantial mention of it in his letters and that Mark and John should include nothing of Jesus's earthly life before his baptism reveals this. The Christian message was Christ crucified and risen.

This does not deny the importance of the virgin birth, or its historicity (two things which I affirm), but it does show that the gospel's proclamation is elsewhere. Rush himself makes this point by saying that the 'slippery-slope' thinking he sees in Rowan will lead to the denial of the 'fundamental basis of Christianity, which is the resurrection.' If the fundamental basis is the resurrection, then it is easy to understand why the Archbishop would not want an uneasiness about accepting the virgin birth to deter those ready to enter the Christian community, those who believe in the risen Lord.

Of course, this sort of nuance might not be appreciated by Rush and those of similar thinking who tend to categorize people as either 'liberal 'or 'conservative' (or should I say 'wacko liberal?). But the truth is that life is not that simple, and neither are people. Belief is a complex thing, and forcing people into unhelpful categories or telling them to go start their own religions (when they are clearly within the mainstream of Christianity) does not help anyone.

Also unhelpful is the media's excitement and exploitation of occasions like this. Take for instance the news story I mentioned above. The title reads, "Archbishop says Christmas story is legend." Immediately thoughts of 'liberal church leaders', and slipping doctrinal affirmations comes to mind. But is that what Rowan Williams really said? No. Instead, he said the nativity scene is a legend. This does not make 'the Christmas story' (whatever that means) a legend, nor is it what the Archbishop said. This sort of cherry-picking only produces more confusion.

From all this we can certainly learn to be wary of the media, and to be careful not to rush to conclusions about church leaders and their beliefs simply on the basis of select quotes.

(Check out iMonk's assessment of the situation here.)

*picture from here

St. Thomas the Apostle

2007-12-21T07:24:00.000-05:00

Today is the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

John 20:24-29 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." ²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." ²⁸ Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

What an amazing image of the patience of our Lord! He understood the doubts and he made himself available to a man who wanted desperately to believe that what his friends had told him was true. But it was so incredible and it would have been all his hopes and dreams come true, that St. Thomas couldn't allow himself to believe without seeing with his eyes and touching with his hands. St. Thomas was determined that he was not going to believe a fantasy. He wanted it all to be real, but it was too much to hope for! So he refused to believe until he experienced the Risen Jesus for himself.

After he encountered the Risen Christ, he fell to his knees and confessed: "My Lord and my God."

Jesus then says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

Believing in him, they see him, trust him, love him.

It's not merely that they have believed, but that they have allowed their belief to result in a relationship with Jesus. Faith is more than a feeling and more than merely an assent to an intellectual proposition. Faith here, belief here, is nothing less than total openness to and absolute trust in the God revealed in Jesus Christ.

What we have in this episode is a person who wanted desperately to believe, but wanted his belief to be based on something true and substantial and real. This is important because it confirms for us that Christianity is not merely a spiritual exercise, or a moral code, or a fanciful desire. Christianity is based on the historical fact that God intervened in human history by coming among us, by taking on our flesh and our frailty, and by standing in our place – in the place where we belong – in judgment on the cross.

In just a few days, we celebrate that day, some 2000 years ago, when God humbled himself and stepped into time, stepped into skin, and became one of us. This episode with St. Thomas reminds us that it's not just a nice story. It's all true! It actually happened! We can trust it, believe it, and give ourselves in complete totality to it. And it leaves us with only one appropriate response: we must fall to our knees before the Risen Christ and confess with St. Thomas and all the saints: "My Lord and my God!"

Almighty and everliving God, who didst strengthen thine apostle Thomas with sure and certain faith in thy Son's resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in thy sight; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

What's a Thurible?

2007-12-20T13:23:00.001-05:00

This is a Thurible:

Actually, THAT one is not the norm. That's HUGE! (And most impressive - and kinda scary!) Most thuribles are small and are carried (and swung) by an acolyte, called a thurifer, and is used cense the altar, the Gospel book, the Eucharistic elements, and the people. At Saint Peter's we cense the altar, the Gospel book, and the Eucharistic elements at the 11:15 am service on all Sundays. Incense is only used at our other services on high holy days. Here's some more information about the thurible from The Catholic Encyclopedia.

A thurible is a "vessel suspended by chains, and used for burning incense at solemn Mass, Vespers, Benediction, processions, and other important offices of the Church... In its prevailing shape the censer consists of a cup, or bowl, which rests on a firm base and is provided with a hollow movable pan for holding ignited charcoal, a lid or covering, and four chains about three feet in length, three of which unite the bowl to a circular disc, while the fourth is used for raising the lid, to which one end is attached, the other passing through a hole in the disc and terminating in a small ring..."

Read the entire article in The Catholic Encyclopedia.

The Dawkins Delusion

2007-12-20T09:39:00.000-05:00

A brilliantly satirical look at the logic Richard Dawkins employs to discredit those who believe in God. Take a look:

Rowan Williams and The Golden Compass

2007-12-18T23:53:00.001-05:00

I plan to blog about the Golden Compass (which I saw at the theatre yesterday) once I have read the first book. For now, check out this discussion between the author of the Golden Compass, Philip Pullman, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

Life, God, and the Universe

The Prosperity Gospel

2007-12-17T23:18:00.000-05:00

Pastor John Piper and I don't agree on everything. But he nails this one. The "Prosperity Gospel" is no Gospel at all. Watch this:

Advent, St. Nicholas, and Santa Claus

2007-12-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

What is Advent and who was St. Nicholas of Myra? And what about Santa Claus?

The St. Nicholas Center site has lots of great information about the season of Advent and the saint so associated with this time of year:

Advent is the time when Christians prepare to greet Christ—who came as a babe in a manger, who comes into our lives each day, and who will come again at the end of time. Advent is the time when people of faith are most at odds with the culture. The church calls people to focus on getting ready to receive Christ—preparing hearts and lives to make room for Jesus, to live as he would have us live. It is a time of longing, not fulfillment. Quiet reflection, not celebration. The culture, however, is already in a time of festivity, unable or unwilling, to wait and contemplate and prepare for the real festival. It is not easy to observe Advent without being pulled prematurely into Christmas.

Read it all at St. Nicholas Center:

http://www.stnicholascenter.org

Almighty God, who in thy love didst give to thy servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness on land and sea: Grant, we pray thee, that thy Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Thoughts on Christmas Music

2007-11-27T11:56:00.000-05:00

The day after Thanksgiving I purchased Sufjan Stevens's "Songs for Christmas", a five cd box set of amazing Christmas music. As these tracks have been rolling off my Itunes and Ipod the past few days, I've been thinking on the lyrics to many familiar Christmas songs, and the sort of theology they represent. Here are some of my thoughts on a few of these songs:

Away in a Manger

Written in 1855, Away in a Manger presents the 'Little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay." We the singers are brought peace as we sing of this peaceful scene at the birth of Jesus:

The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes

I have to ask, though, if the birth of Jesus was nearly as neat as this. I'm sure baby Jesus spent much of his time crying, as do all babies, especially if cattle were nearby making noises. What would inspire a songwriter to create a baby Jesus who doesn't cry? One of the most beautiful, and central, aspects of Christianity is that God joins us in all our messiness, becoming like us in all respects, except without sin. Here is the final verse of the song:

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

As in most hymns, the final verse turns eschatological, speaking of things to come. This verse, however, presents us with a thoroughly sub-biblical hope of the future: going to heaven when we die, or sometime in the future when Christ returns. While heaven is a lovely place (or state of existence, or being, or whatever), our Christian hope is the renewal of heaven and earth together. As Paul says in Colossians 1:19-20, "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." (ESV)

Of course, the song redeems itself with this beautiful verse:

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

I love this prayer.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

This eight verse majestic hymn has some fantastic lyrics.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear

After reading N.T. Wright's "Christian Origins and the Question of God" series and learning of the theological exile in which Israel found herself in the first century, this first stanza took on whole new meaning for me. The Jews prayed for God to send them a Messiah, one who would overthrow the foreign oppressors. This Messiah performed rather differently than expected, dying at the hands of those whom he was meant to overthrow. But as Jesus said on the road to Emmaus, "This is how it had to be."

And now we as Christians, a people belonging to the world to come and yet living in this world, pray for God to send his Christ once more and release us from this exile , this wandering in the wilderness until we enter the promised Land of a new heaven and earth.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Once again, this verse takes a double reference: Christ's first advent, in which by his resurrection he put death's dark shadows to flight, and also to his final advent, when through the raising of the dead to a glorious life like his, death's dark shadows will be put to flight - permanently.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

This final verse speaks poignantly to the crisis in the Anglican communion at the moment. We sing and pray earnestly that Christ will come and bind our hearts together as Christians, and dispel our divisions through His peace. We long for the day when Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalans, Anglicans, Catholics, the Orthodox and all other believers in Christ will sit at the same table and partake in the One Lord, in the One faith, by virtue of our One Baptism.

Joy to the World

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

This verse speaks of a triumphant Christ, whose death and resurrection inaugurated the Kingdom of God and placed Him as the Lord of the universe. This sort of theology does not square well with much dispensationalist thought, however, which refuses to acknowledge Christ's present lordship and attempts to displace it to some future millennial kingdom. But as we sing this verse, let us truly praise the Savior who reigns now, as Paul proclaimed in Acts 17:7, going "against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

You might ask, "Why all this fuss about the lyrics in our hymns? They're just songs, after all." Just songs, indeed, but song sung year after year until they are truly at home within us, shaping our thought of Jesus, his kingdom and his mission. So as we sing to Christ this Christmastide, and remember the amazing incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Christ and anticipate his future Advent, let us think of what we're actually saying to God.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His Blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Amen!

*Picture from here

Christ the King

2007-11-26T16:55:00.000-05:00

I find it fascinating that the readings for Christ the King Sunday have Jesus hanging on a cross being ridiculed and mocked by the leaders and the soldiers, and even by one of the criminals being crucified with him. Not a very majestic image. But it does show us something about the man we call our King. We really shouldn't be surprised to find him crucified among criminals. He was always going out of his way - but we can't really say that it was out of his way since it was precisely his way - to include the outcast and the forgotten. Of course, he will be there with the criminals in that shameful place of agony and humiliation. Of course, he will, because that's what he's been doing all along. It's not surprising to find him among criminals, but it is surprising to find the criminals being crucified along with the King of Heaven and Earth. Can you imagine being sentenced to death and as you go, carrying your instrument of torture on your back, you look over and there is the King of kings and Lord of lords, joining you there? What an amazing thing! What an amazing King!

Our King is not some high and exalted overlord who rules with power and force, rather, he is a King who cares so deeply about his world and the people who inhabit it that he will join us where ever we are, even if we are on a cross, to make salvation available to us.

When everything seems to collapse around us, when life is at its worst, when it seems like we are totally abandoned and isolated and alone, the King of Heaven and Earth is with us every step of the way. He meets us - down in the depths of our need - when we feel like we are being crucified by this world, mocked and ridiculed, when we are at the very bottom and there is no way out, when we feel like we have no hope left. There he is. He's joined us. He's on a cross too.

When we feel like everyone has abandoned us. When we feel like even God isn't there and we find ourselves crying out like the psalmist so many years ago, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” You know what? He joins us there too, he joins us in those very words – crying out with the rest of us.

Our King is not like other kings. Our King comes and rescues us by joining us, by standing with us, on our side, by joining us in our most cursed place - our place of deepest despair - and he transforms that place into a place of salvation.

The cross, that cruel instrument of humiliation and death, is no longer a symbol of shame, it is now a victorious sign that the King of Heaven will stop at nothing to make you his own - to make us his own - and to save us from our enemies.

What an awesome thing it is to be in relationship with this King. What an awesome thing to have him join us where we are. What an awesome thing to know that there is nothing we can do that will put us beyond his willingness to be there when we need him.

Over the next few weeks of Advent we will turn our hearts toward the coming King. As we begin to make our preparations for his arrival, for the advent of our Lord, let's make it a point to open ourselves to him fully, to open our hearts and our hurts to him. So that when he does come, he finds us ready to receive him - and to receive the salvation that he brings.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T00:59:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Let us not forget, even in our festivities with families and friends, that the thing for which we ought to be most thankful is the gift of God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. His life, His love, His Precious Body and Blood in the Eucharist: This is our Great Thanksgiving.