On the Articles: Article XXXVI

The Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

XXXVI. Of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers
The Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops, and Ordering of Priests and Deacons, lately set forth in the time of Edward the Sixth, and confirmed at the same time by authority of Parliament, doth contain all things necessary to such Consecration and Ordering: neither hath it any thing, that of itself is superstitious and ungodly. And therefore whosoever are consecrated or ordered according to the Rites of that Book, since the second year of the forenamed King Edward unto this time, or hereafter shall be consecrated or ordered according to the same Rites; we decree all such to be rightly, orderly, and lawfully consecrated and ordered.

The final Articles of religion deal with a number of more practical matters primarily, while making less significant theological statements. While the Canadian Book of Common Prayer last revised in 1962 contains within it the rites of ordination for deacons, priests and bishops, the Ordinal, as it was commonly known, was originally published separate to the Book of Common Prayer. Similarly, the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion themselves are not published within the BCP but separately. When Anglicans refer to the three formularies, though, they mean the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the Ordinal referred to in this Article, and the whole of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion.

At the time of the English Reformation, the question of the right ordination of priests was one that became somewhat contentious. Especially as Mary assumed the throne and sought to restore Roman supremacy to England. This Article affirms the English rites that would be used to ordain priests to Christ’s priestly ministry.

The statement implicitly affirms the right of the English Church to exist as part of the Catholic Church apart from Roman jurisdictional authority, much as the Eastern Orthodox churches have since their inception (meaning since the time of the Apostles, not simply since the Schism in 1054).

This Article relates directly to Article XXIII which defined the need for a properly ordained priest to preside over the sacraments and to preach or teach. It is in this Article that it is clearly defined how we are to know who has properly called by God and consecrated by the Church for that task.

Just as there was an importance in defending the validity of English ordinations, it was also an article that was important in determining the invalidity of Protestant ministers to preside over English Catholics. At times, Protestants sought to take charge and preach and teach within English churches and due to the confusion of the day, this practice was allowed in some locales for a time. It was Article XXIII’s insistence on properly appointed ministers that clarified that it was not a congregational decision who would preach and teach, something that reflected the congregational polity of Presbyterians coming from Scotland, while it was this Article that clarified in perpetuity the importance of the Ordinal as establishing the means, qualifications and rites of ordination for deacons, priests and bishops.

It should be noted that this Article does not address lay ministers which have always existed as minor orders historically and today are viewed as laity with particular permission to act in a certain way. This includes licensed lay ministers who preach and officiate at services in parishes without permanent clergy as well as catechists and other particular forms of lay ministers who have permission to perform a specific function. These people are not considered to be a form of ordination to holy orders and therefore do not contravene this Article, and similarly find their practice in the authority of the Church to allow for local practices and customs as necessary.

On the Articles: Article V

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lent

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

V. Of the Holy Ghost
The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.

Given the subject matter of Article IV, Of the Resurrection of Christ, the discussion of that Article will be deferred a few weeks and this week will proceed with Article V.

Article V is perhaps one of the more controversial of the Articles, if only because of its inclusion of the filioque (Latin for and from the Son) clause added by the Roman Catholic Church to the Nicene Creed. Its inclusion here is a historic artefact and reminder of the influence that the Roman Catholic Church had on the development of doctrines within the English Church from the 7th through 15th centuries.

The filioque itself originates in the 6th century in Spain, generally thought to be an attempt to combat Arianism, however it was originally rejected by Rome which said no one held the authority to add to the Catholic Creeds. The Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne adapted it for use throughout the Holy Roman Empire, however, and by the early 11th century it had become accepted by Rome, contributing to the eventual disunity of the Great Schism between East and West in 1054.

As an historic artefact, it is a reminder that our Anglican heritage is thoroughly Western in thought, and influenced primarily by Western thinkers, most of whom are associated today with the Roman Catholic Church, though it should be noted the protoscholastic St Anselm of Canterbury was also an 11th century defender of this doctrine, which can be traced to the teachings of St Augustine of Hippo.

Its inclusion in the filioque does present one minor and interesting point in that one of the arguments against it is that of authority: the filioque has never been received in the East, meaning the West, or more accurately one part of the West, had no authority on its own to altar the Nicene Creed on its own. In this case, however, its inclusion in the subordinate Thirty-nine Articles of religion does not present a problem of authority, leaving it solely to the theological debate over the validity of double-procession.

That debate is in and of itself one which could take several books to work through, and is a more worthy subject for a doctoral dissertation than a brief blog post. Instead, the emphasis in discussing this Article will be on the second interesting historic point about this Article, namely that it did not always exist.

Throughout the history of the Church of England, there were a number of versions of the Articles of Religion published, sometimes with more and sometimes with fewer than 39 articles. This particular article was not included in the 1553 version of the Articles, but was added in the revision of 1563. It is not a part of the Augsburg Confessions either, from which the first three Articles of Religion borrow significantly. Why was it viewed as essential to include?

There is no other Article devoted to the third person of the Trinity, despite there having been articles devoted specifically to the Father and to the Son. By including an article for the Holy Spirit, it matches the more trinitarian format of the Creeds from which the patterns of modification seen in the first three Articles of Religion had their basis.

Beyond that, it is simply recognizing the importance of the Holy Spirit in enabling the Christian life. It is through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit by which we proceed in our faith, and are able  in any way to live the life Christ commanded of us. The Article itself does not provide a complicated statement on the role and work of the Holy Spirit, but a simple statement highlights that simple truth. The Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity and the means by which we are made alive in God.

This statement is also extremely Catholic, with respect to the acknowledged importance of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Early Church. The Apostolic Age bears witness to the importance of the Holy Spirit, and countless works of the Fathers refer to the role, power and witness of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians. It reminds us of the rootedness of the Anglican tradition in the faith of the early Church.

The Articles so far speak very little of something distinctive of Anglicanism, but rather broadly speak to a reiteration of credal, Catholic and Christian beliefs. With modern renewal of charismatic movements among all Christian traditions and denominations, affirmation that the Holy Spirit is an integral and continuing person of the Trinity and the person through whom our Christian lives are lived out becomes all the more relevant to modern Anglicans.

On the Articles: Article II

The Second Sunday in Lent

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lent

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

II. Of the Word or Son of God, which was made very Man.
The Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, and of one substance with the Father, took Man’s nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin, of her substance: so that two whole and perfect Natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very Man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men.

The second Article of Religion focuses on outlining the incarnation of our Lord in explicit terms, though it is not surprising that much of the language mirrors that of the Nicene Creed. Mirroring Article I, it also takes its language from the Augsburg Confession.

It would seem that many of these points are in no need of mentioning today. Who could call themselves Christian while rejecting any of these tenets? Who could call themselves Anglican? Yet it seems no matter how critical the issue is, how central to the faith, there are those who reject it. Article II affirms basic truths about Christ that even today are under threat, sometimes in an effort to make Christianity, and Anglicanism, more palatable to modern sensibilities.

It begins with a simple affirmation that reminds us of St Peter’s response to Christ’s question in the Gospels, who do you say that I am? “The Son of the living God,” (St Mt 16. 16b). Jesus was, and is, the Son of God. It introduces us to the relationship between Son and Father that is explained more thoroughly throughout this Article, and it serves the same reminder that the introduction to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol did: believe this, or nothing great can come of what else is to be revealed. You cannot accept Christ as anything if you do not accept him as he revealed himself to be, the Son of God.

Next, it reminds us that Christ is begotten, not made. You beget something like yourself, while you make something unlike yourself. Parents beget children, while they make supper. By describing Jesus as the only begotten Son, it speaks to the duality of his uniqueness as the only son of God, while also speaking to his oneness with God in that he was begotten and not made. Oddly enough, though the language is from the Nicene Creed, it was far easier for people of the 4th century to accept Christ’s divinity than it was to accept his humanity, whereas today it is far easier for us to accept his humanity while rejecting his divinity. This particular passage may well have more relevance for people today than for those who read it when it was first penned.

In highlighting Christ’s incarnation, the Article uses definitions from the Council of Chalcedon, speaking of his two whole and perfect natures, the Godhood and Manhood. It speaks to the reality that were Christ not fully God, he would have no authority to reconcile us to the Father, and were he not fully man, he would not be able to reconcile himself to us, being infinitely distant from humanity in his divinity. Two natures in one person. Essential to the salvic work of Christ’s incarnation, and the purpose for which he became incarnate.

The Article concludes by again restating that Christ’s incarnation invovled his birth, suffering and death for the purpose of reconciliation. It goes further to clarify that reconciliation was not just in reference to past sins, but all future sins. During the Prayer of Consecration during the Holy Eucharist, the priest proclaims, “by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world.” For the sins of the whole world is clarified here to mean for all time! This oblation of himself, again, was only possible because, as established, he was both fully God and fully Man, apart from sin.

Article II reminds us that whatever modern sensibilities have to say about Christ, Anglicanism holds to the fundamental truths he revealed about himself. He is the unique son of God, and far from the Church being able to change Christianity to make it more palatable to us, Christ himself offers himself as a sacrifice to make us more palatable to the Father!

On the Articles

The Sunday called Sexagesima

O LORD God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do: Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion have been referenced several times on this blog, because ultimately they are a key component of Anglicanism. They are not a confessional statement. Unlike continental Protestant reformers who drafted catechetical statements of belief, with supporting scriptural citations. These statements, while in ways being an anti-Roman Catholic statement in suggesting that the Roman Catholics were not following Biblical doctrine, were ultimately about positive statements of belief to help define the adherents of that particular denomination in contrast to other Christian groups, Roman Catholics and other Protestants, that surrounded them. In England, however, there tended to be less plurality, with the Church of England being the established and only Church in England until the instability of the English Civil War, and the establishment of the principles of religious toleration. With the back and forth, particularly during the earlier years of the English Reformation with the reign of Queen Mary I, there was also a practical need to establish, in positive and negative statements, how the Church of England differed from traditional Roman Catholic doctrine. With so much back and forth, some clergy were confused as to what they were to be promoting from the pulpit.

Many Anglicans today discount the Articles as mere historical documents, from a time and place so far removed from our own as to be inapplicable to modern life. Many of those same arguments are made about the authority of Holy Scripture by non-Christians. Anglican priests once were required to subscribe to the Articles upon their ordination, but are no longer required to do so directly, however in the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada, of which the Diocese of Calgary is a part, deacons and priests are required to swear an Oath of Assent prior to ordination reading as follows:

I, A.B. do solemnly make the following declaration: I assent to the Solemn Declaration adopted by the first General Synod in 1893 (as printed in the Book of Common Prayer), and to the Book of Common Prayer, and of the ordering of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons; I believe the doctrine of the Anglican Church of Canada as therein set forth to be agreeable to the Word of God; and in Public Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, I will use the form in the said book prescribed and none other, except so far as shall be ordered by lawful authority.

In a similar way, the Canons of the Anglican Church of Canada include the Articles through the same form of the Solemn Declaration in limiting the authority of General Synod to legislate only within the parameters of the Declaration.

While most Anglicans may no longer be familiar with the Thirty-nine Articles (they are not printed in the Book of Alternative Services, for instance), the reality is that they remain relevant, and ostensibly priests and deacons still subscribe to them in certain ways and they still have a limiting influence on the parameters of what the General Synod itself may legislate.

While it is true that modern Canada is quite different from the era in which the Articles were formulated (Canada itself did not exist then!), that does not in and of itself make the Articles irrelevant. The same faithful interpretation and application of Holy Scripture is needed to seek to continue to apply the Thirty-nine Articles to our faith today as we seek to live out our Anglican heritage in a world far removed from 17th century England. To quote JI Packer, “I believe that facing and dialoguing with the Thirty-nine Articles will help Anglicans to re-learn and re-apply some basic Biblical truths to which Anglican identity is bound up.”

Gerald Bray argues that the three traditional Anglican Formularies each sought to articulate the foundations of Anglicanism. The Articles of Religion articulate its doctrine. The Prayer Book articulates its devotional life. The Ordinal articulates its discipline, discussing the role and responsibilities of ordained clergy. Today, however, some of these foundations have shifted. In Canada, for instance, the Ordinal and Prayer Book are rarely consulted, cited or viewed as normative or even necessarily authoritative, having been supplanted by the modern Book of Alternative Services, with increasing pressure today for further revisions. It makes it much easier for those who seek to reshape the foundations of Canadian Anglicanism to suggest that The Book of Common Prayer 1662 and Ordinal are no longer authoritative because they can point to successors. It is much harder to do that in the case of the Articles—the doctrines of the Church—because there has been no modern alternative to the Articles of Religion presented or authorized in any of the other prayer book revisions that have occurred or which are slated to occur.

Broadly speaking the Articles are organized in three ways. The first section deals with fundamental Christian dogmas: the Trinity, the divinity and humanity of Christ, etc. These are Catholic beliefs, and beliefs on which Anglican Catholicity hinges. The largest section deals with areas in which the Church of England differed from Rome. In some cases, such as the rejection of Transubstantiation, this remains an issue of Catholicity, in other ways this also speaks to certain secondary matters which may or may not be particular to Anglicanism, and more often show the influence of the Continental Reformers. The final, smaller, section deals with issues particular to the Church of England especially and its relationship to the state and English society more generally. These Articles, however, still remain broadly applicable outside of England and help to understand the way in which the Church of England and Anglican Christians were viewed to relate to state and society more broadly.

The heart of the Articles, in describing the doctrines and values of the Church, is that it allows Anglican Christians to hold conviction in their beliefs. In an age when there is a muddling of what Christians believe, the Articles hold the answer. In an age when Christians are being challenged from secular beliefs and changing societal mores, the Articles are a firm foundation which Anglicans can study, learn and inwardly digest, affirming what their beliefs are.

They remain a way of grounding faith in the Truth they proclaim, in an age when many Christians are tempted to simply float between whatever sounds comfortable. The desire to make our faith comfortable is made possible when there is no firm foundation of faith. A person can enter into an Anglican parish, worship there, be baptised there, receive the Eucharist there and die there without ever having Anglican beliefs explained to them. There is nothing in the main service book used in Canada, the BAS, to explain what all of those beliefs are. Recapturing the strength of the doctrinal foundations from the Articles is one clear way of grounding the faith of Anglicans throughout the world.

The next few weeks will begin a series exploring the meaning of each of the Articles, in an effort to provide a modern and practical understanding of what we as Anglicans have historically, and ought to continue, to profess.

On Identity

The Sunday called Sexagesima

O LORD God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do: Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This post marks the 100th post since Canterbury Calgarian began back in August 2014. The first post explored the history of the English Church, and began a brief series that traced the history of Anglicanism through the centuries. One hundred posts later, it seems fitting to spend a bit of time exploring Anglican identity today in light of the myriad of other subjects that have been explored since that original historical overview.

What makes an Anglican today an Anglican? What distinguishes us from other Christian traditions and denominations?

Anglicanism is Evangelical. From the outset of the English Reformation, this was one of the goals—to suggest that the ultimate authority in the Christian faith was God’s word written. That although other things could be held to be required to be believed, none could be required to be believed as necessary for salvation. Article VI of the Articles of Religion states as much in plain words, and indeed throughout the prayer book are references to the sufficiency of Holy Scripture.

It becomes clear that Anglicanism as an identity is evangelical: it finds salvation in Christ through his gospels. This establishes Scriptures as the ultimate canon of orthodox belief, and also leads to the desire to evangelize and spread the word, both because it is the only way others may be saved and because it is Christ that commands us to do so in Scripture.

ALMIGHTY God, who by thy blessed Apostle it hast taught us that there is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved, but only the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Grant, we beseech thee, that we may ever glory in this Name, and strive to make thy salvation known unto all mankind; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Name of Jesus, 320)

So Anglicanism is at its heart evangelical. It is also charismatic.

Anglicanism is trinitarian and in so being remains open to the activity and presence of the Holy Spirit. Many collects refer to the activity of the Holy Spirit, and the sacrament of Confirmation is maintained to promote the reception, as is Biblically taught, of the Holy Spirit in order that he may indwell a Christian’s life and support and strengthen them. It is not a requirement or character of the Anglican identity to see manifested charisms of the Holy Spirit as somehow being necessary demonstrations of faith, but rather it speaks to a willingness to be open in all situations to the activity of the Holy Spirit, even when there is no direct perception of the intercession of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s place is deeply tied to the Anglican Church of Canada in particular, in that the Solemn Declaration of 1893 which declares that we continue to receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit who was given by Christ to those who believe, and that it is through the Spirit that we are empowered in right worship of God the Father.

The Solemn Declaration itself also defines our Catholicity when it notes that we hold to the Catholic faith received and interpreted by way of the Book of Common Prayer, Ordinal and 39 Articles of Religion, and that we are, “to transmit the same unimpaired to our posterity.” In order words, to maintain that Catholicity.

Even in the Book of Alternative Services, that Catholicity is maintained and referred to quite explicitly in the preface to the ordination rites where it says, “It is also recognized and affirmed that the threefold ministry is not the exclusive property of this portion of Christ’s catholic Church, but is a gift from God for the nurture of his people and the proclamation of his gospel everywhere.” Put simply, there is no such thing as an Anglican priest, but rather a Catholic priest living out their orders in Anglican tradition.

That Catholicity is similarly affirmed in the Creeds and the sacraments which are maintained. While the Thirty-Nine Articles draw a distinction between the two great dominical sacraments instituted by Christ, the remaining five remain clearly Biblical and received by the whole Catholic Church, east and west.

Even there is a clear distinction, however, that our Catholicity is Anglican, which is to say, it is subject to Anglican distinctives. We receive what was accepted by the Catholic Church, the canon of Scripture and the Sacraments, the threefold order of ministry, but yet we maintain our Anglican Formularies to help interpret and apply what has been received, just as we accept the role of the Fathers in informing our interpretation of Scripture.

The Anglican Formularies particularly speak to some differences between Anglican Catholicism and Roman Catholicism, which is an understandable historical development given that Roman Catholicism was the only competing form of Christianity for the English Church in the time of the English Reformation. While the English Church had largely always maintained distinctives from Rome itself, these had begun to diminish in the 13th century through to the 16th century when the authority of the Pope was removed from England.

It makes sense, then, that the 39 Articles are the nearest thing Anglicanism has to a confessional statement. Rather than needing to assert the authority of Scripture behind a confessional statement, as continental Protestants were doing, the 39 Articles of Religion served to articulate how Anglican Catholicism differed from Roman Catholicism. We believed in the real presence, but not Transubstantiation. We believe in tradition, but it is subservient to Holy Scripture (Article XX) and there are limits on the authority of the Church to teach tradition, which contrasts with Rome in which Tradition and Holy Scripture are held to be equal in authority.

As a whole, these clear a clear identity, centred in God, in fellowship with other Christians, but practising the Christian faith in both an ancient and modern way. Rooted in the Holy Scriptures and the practices and teachings of the Early Church and the Fathers, articulated in the ancient Creeds and Councils and finally in the Anglican formularies, but also locally adapted to the needs of our modern society (for instance, the Canadian Book of Common Prayer includes prayers for our Canadian forms of Government and additional prayers relating to agriculture). Anglicans are evangelical, charismatic and Catholic.

While this description and identity helps us to understand our relationship to other Christians, it is also important to understand that first and foremost, we are not evangelical, or charismatic or Catholic or even Anglican. Our foremost identity must always be as children of God, adopted into his family through Christ, and in fellowship with all other brothers and sisters in Christ who make up the body.

On Roads

The Sunday called Septuagesima

O LORD, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory ofthy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Christianity is often presented as a journey in Scripture. Whether navigating wide or narrow roads or gates (St Mt 7. 13, 14), we are travelling. St Paul’s conversion occurred on the road to Damascus, a phrase which itself has become synonymous with significant change in a person’s life course, and which will be celebrated tomorrow during the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul.

On the Road to Emmaus is an important journey in Scripture that takes place on a road, but tells a slightly different story. Told in St Luke’s Gospel (24. 13-32) and later referred to in St Mark’s Gospel (16. 12, 13), it tells the story of two disciples travelling from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus who encounter Christ on that road. But looking more closely at the story, it shows us the unfolding of the mass, the service of Holy Communion, and is an important reminder of why we do what we do in our Sunday liturgy.

The story begins, “That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.” As with many stories in Scripture, it begins without the necessary context and the beginning of the chapter must be reviewed. That very day refers to the day of the Resurrection, Sunday. Two of Christ’s disciples are gathered on Sunday discussing him.

As Christ says in St Matthew’s Gospel, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them,” (18. 20). So it is and Christ comes among them. He joins them on the road. While the gospel account does not record the disciples inviting Christ specifically to join them, the fact that he is immediately included in the conversation suggests he was invited and welcomed to continue the journey with them. This mirrors the entrance rites, and particularly the Collect for Purity in which God is asked to come among his people as they gather.

Next the disciples, one of whom is identified as Cleopas, begins explaining, at Christ’s question, what had happened with Christ’s death and the early reports of his resurrection. These verses parallel another important part of the mass, that of community announcements! This simple view ignores more of what can be gleaned from a closer examination of these passages, however, which tie these verses to the penitential rite.

The two disciples are having an animated discussion, and Scripture tells us, “And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad.” (17) Christ calls his people to unburden themselves before him, just as we are called to unburden ourselves before him in the confession. Their response to Christ makes this clearer as they express their disappointed belief that Christ was not who they thought he was, and their scepticism over earlier reports in the day that Christ had risen.

Christ responds to their concerns in a bridge between the end of the penitential rite in which he gives absolution and comfort to them where he says:

“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (v 26, 27)

When Christ says it was necessary for these things to happen, he is directly responding to the sadness in their hearts where they were distressed that Christ was not the Messiah they believed him to be. This also forms a bridge to the Liturgy of the Word, as the then goes on to recount and explain the Scriptures to them. This also serves to highlight the importance of the lectionary. He began at the beginning and moved on through the Prophets; he did not simply teach a 15 part series on his topic of choice, but the Word in its fullness was proclaimed and explained in his sermon.

As he finished explaining the Word to them, the next verse tells us they drew near to where they were going. This is a reference to the village of Emmaus, but in the context of this exploration of parallels, it also holds true that  following the Liturgy of the Word is the Liturgy of the Table, that place which truly represents the destination of the mass itself.

When they come to the table, Christ, “took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” (30, 31) Here he mirrors the four actions of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, he takes it, blesses it, breaks it and distributes it. The next verse says that upon receiving it, their eyes were opened and they recognized him. It was not when he first appeared, not when he explained the Scriptures to them but in the sacrament that they came to truly know him. Just as Christ is present with us always, abiding within us, and as well comes among us when two or three are gathered, it is through the Eucharist that he comes in a particular and special way.

In the Litugy of the Table the eyes of the disciples are opened in faith, while during the Liturgy of the Word, their hearts began to burn within them as the Scriptures were opened to them. Mirroring the dismissal, in which the people gathered are sent forth, the disciples hurry back to Jerusalem to find the Apostles. “Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread,” (35)

At the end of the mass, the priest dismisses the people saying, “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord,” and in the Book of Alternative Services the dismissal is made even more clear where it says something to the effect of, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” In both cases it is clear, the people are being commissioned to go forth, like apostles, and share the love of God they have received with others.

The account of the encounter with Christ on the Road to Emmaus is one of many roads in the Scriptures. It is one of many events and encounters which hints at how Christ wants us to act, and how we are to love and serve the Lord. It is also a reminder that the way we worship on Sundays is not just an accident of history, but is the clear teaching of not just Scripture but Christ himself.

On the Comforter

The Fourth Sunday in Advent

RAISE up, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.

Advent

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty, to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and ever. Amen.

Christianity is trinitarian. We are all exposed to it. Whether it be in the reciting of classic prayers such as the Gloria Patri or solely through Baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we have experience in hearing about it. We experience the Father in most of our Old Testament readings. Much of our Sunday services are dedicated to the Son, as indeed is the season of Advent in which we anticipate his coming in history, his coming now and his coming again. But what about the other guy?

For many Christians, they may as well have been baptised in the name of the Father, the Son and the other guy. Who are we talking about? Who is the other guy? Why does he matter? That is an easy question to ask and a longer one to answer, and will occupy a series of posts over the following weeks.

For some Christians, the reality is that they are uncomfortable with the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles tell of a number of great miracles that the Apostles performed under the inspiration of and by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is far easier for us, with our modern sensibilities, to look upon those miracles, and even upon Christ, and acknowledge them as something that may have historically happened, but maybe were just exaggerations and embellishments to the written record to enhance the authority of the Apostles. Surely there is no way that those things could still be happening today.

Cessasionists make that argument that the gifts of the Spirit are no longer provided, and this viewpoint is one that ultimately suggests there is little activity or purpose for the Holy Spirit today. By suggesting this, it shifts an emphasis in empowerment away from the Holy Spirit and back to God, particularly when the suggestion is made that the gifts of the Spirit ended due at least in part to God’s judgement against unbelief, as some cessasionists argue.

Lack of familiarity, which can come from this and other viewpoints that marginalize the activity of the Holy Spirit, can make Christians ultimately uncomfortable with the Holy Spirit. When our day is spent in praise of God for his Son, with no reference to the Holy Spirit or to Gifts of the Spirit, especially if Gifts of the Spirit are characterized as something meant for a previous time, it can necessarily lead to us feeling discomfort or confusion.

Who is the Holy Spirit? To paraphrase Origen, let us return to the evangelical and apostolic, and consider what Holy Scripture tells us.

The Holy Spirit is not an innovation of Christ’s time, and the Spirit of God is referenced a number of times in the Old Testament. From the Spirit of Creation (Ps 104. 30) to the teacher of truth (Job 32. 8) and even as a companion and manifestation of God’s presence among his people (Hag 2. 5). There is a rich tapestry that forms the foundation of the clearer revelation of the Holy Spirit, who is sent to continue these tasks in a new way in the New Testament.

Shortly before his arrest and trial, Christ famously promised to send the Holy Spirit, saying, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you,” (St Jn 14. 16, 17). He continues two chapters later saying that the Holy Spirit, “will guide you in all truth,” (St Jn 16. 14).

The promise Christ makes in the Gospel is fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles:

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2. 1-4)

What is notable as that the Holy Spirit came with a visible sign of empowerment. The Apostles were emboldened and equipped for the task Christ had given them, just as Christ had foretold at his Ascension when he said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth,” (Acts 1. 8).

The Bible speaks in several other places of the continued power and effect of the Holy Spirit. St Paul in particular spoke voluminously on the gifts of the Spirit, and the role of the Holy Spirit in our Christian lives. Familiarity with the Holy Spirit requires only reading of Scripture, and as the Holy Spirit is himself (note him, a person of the trinity and not an impersonal force as is suggested by saying it) part of the Trinity, to know the Father and to know the Son is to know the Holy Spirit.

For Anglicans, our familiarity with the Holy Spirit ought to extend beyond that. In our common prayer, we pray to and by the Holy Spirit in many different occasions. Whether it be through some of those ancient prayers, such as the Gloria Patri, references to the Holy Spirit in the creeds, or through numerous collects and other prayers, the Holy Spirit is central to Christian belief and Anglican practice.

he arguments of cessationists simply don’t have merit. Christ didn’t send the Holy Spirit to astonish or amaze, but to equip! Anyone who holds true to Christianity ought not to be concerned, surprised or anxious about reference to the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts or empowerment by the Holy Spirit. Christ himself has sent the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, to come beside us, to guide and strengthen us, to sustain and equip us for his good work.

The Fourth Sunday in Advent is our final Sunday spent focused on the anticipation of his coming. That coming does not simply refer to his coming in history through his incarnation and nativity, however. It is his coming in history, how he comes in the Eucharist and his coming again on the last day. The theme of this fourth Sunday in Advent is love. The collect calls for God to stir up his power among us. While Christ’s coming in history is the ultimate display of his love (St Jn 3. 16) it could equally be seen that the sending of the Holy Spirit is another great testament to God’s love for mankind as the Holy Spirit truly is God’s power among us today. For it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to live in Christ, and through living in Christ to be adopted into the family of God. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit, therefore, that, by Christ, we are to come to know God, one of the primary emphases of the season of Advent.

Wisdom of Saints: Nicholas Ridley

Feast of Nicholas Ridley Bishop, Martyr, 1555

ALMIGHTY God, by whose grace and power thy Martyr Cyprian was enabled to witness to the truth and to be faithful unto death: Grant that we, who now remember him before thee, may likewise so bear witness unto thee in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of glory that fadeth not away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Nicholas Ridley is a great example of one of the Anglican Reformers and martyrs, and also highlights the fact that just because someone is venerated by the Church it doesn't mean that absolutely everything they said was true and that we are not called to test their teachings to ensure orthodoxy.

Born in the early 16th century to a wealthy Christian family, Nicholas received an excellent education. At college, he likely met many of his contemporary reformers such as Thomas Cranmer and Hugh Latimer. The early 16th century, even before the Continental Reformation began, was building towards it, particularly among academic theological circles, and Ridley was among the reform-minded students of his day. He was ordained a priest in 1525 after obtaining his Master’s degree from Cambridge. He spent some time furthering his education in Parish and returned to Cambridge in 1530 where he began to teach, also becoming the Chaplain of Cambridge University in 1534.

With some measure of seniority and authority, in 1534 he wrote against Papal Supremacy, declaring that the Bishop of Rome had no more authority in the realm of England than any other foreign bishop. His reform-mindedness and possibly having earlier caught the eye of Thomas Cranmer, now Archbishop of Canterbury, Ridley was appointed by Cranmer as one of his chaplains. His career advanced more rapidly and after a number of additional appointments he was made chaplain to King Henry VIII.

This in fact caused him some problems. Ridley’s reform-mindedness brought him into some degree of contention with King Henry VIII who, while rejecting the Bishop of Rome’s jurisdiction over England, did not reject the Catholic faith as it had been received, nor did he accept arguments of any errors in doctrine being promoted by the Church of the West. In 1543 he was accused of heresy, in particular that while vicar of Herne Church he had called for the Te Deum to be sung in English rather than Latin, that he had spoken against the efficacy of private confession and also that he had condemned some of the Church’s ceremonies. Ridley had already by this point obtained a reputation for oratory and when he was examined by the King’s royal commissioners, he managed to defend and acquit himself of the charges.

Cranmer continued to defend Ridley and offered him promotion until his eventual appointment as Bishop of Rochester. By this point in 1547 Henry VIII had died and Edward VI had been crowned king. During his regency, reform of the Church was the order of the day and Ridley’s views found favour. When he was installed as Bishop, he ordered that all the altars in his diocese be removed and replaced with simple tables. In 1548 he began helping Thomas Cranmer with assembling and editing the Book of Common Prayer.

He was translated to the see of London in 1550 after the previous year having been part of the commission that had removed the previous Bishop of London, Edmund Bonner, who had come into conflict with the Crown over the question of supremacy and jurisdiction due to growing concerns over the effect of Royal Supremacy.

Ridley similarly made his own mistake when in 1553 he supported the succesion of Lady Jane Grey to the throne over princesses Mary or Elizabeth. When Queen Mary took the throne, he sought her out to beg her pardon but was promptly arrested and imprisoned. In 1554 he, along with Hugh Latimer and Thomas Cranmer, were sent to Oxford to stand trial for heresy and were convicted, and sentenced to continued incarceration.

New laws were passed making heresy a capital offence, and Latimer and Ridley were both again summoned for trials under this new crime. Both were convicted and sentenced to death. October 16th 1555, alongside Hugh Latimer, another of the English Reformers, he was put to death by burning at the stake in Oxford. Many others were put to death in this period, which is known as the Marian Persecutions.

He is notable for his contribution to the Book of Common Prayer, the 42 Articles of Religion which would later be edited into the 39 Articles of Religion during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. While his works are not without error, there can be found no fault in his traditional use of Anglican theology. He looked to Holy Scripture and he looked to the Fathers for interpretation.

When questioned in his final heresy trial on his views towards the Real Presence, his response was to cite a ninth century monk, whom he said, “pulled me by the ear, and that first brought me from the common error of the Romish church, and caused me to search more diligently and exactly both the Scriptures and the writings of the old ecclesiastical fathers in this matter.” In that same heresy trial he would later quote St Augustine of Hippo saying, “For Christ to be corporally here on earth, when corporally he is resident in heaven, is clean contrary to the holy Scriptures, as Augustine saith: ‘The body of Christ is in heaven: but his truth is dispersed in every place.’”

His refusal to recant showed a conviction of his faith, rooted in the Scriptures and writings of the Fathers, which influences many traditionalist Anglicans today and which was, in his day, at the very heart of the English Reformation. When it is claimed that the goal of the English Reformation was to restore the Church in the realm of England to the faith, order and tradition of the Early Church under the authority of Holy Scripture, it is to the works of men like Ridley that we can point and show proof of the point.

On Sacred Time and Sacred Space

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service: Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In broad strokes, there are two types of Christians. When you ask a Christian what is the Church the responses will tend to lean towards the visible Church or the invisible Church, namely a visible institution ordained by Christ in which those who profess the name of Christ gather to worship him, while the invisible church is the body of believers. Both viewpoints are supported by Holy Scripture, which refers to the Body of Christ both in the sense of believers (I Cor 12. 12, 13, 27; Eph 4. 15, 16; Eph 5. 29, 30) and in the sense of Christ himself as the Church (St Jn 2. 19-22; Col 1. 18, 24).

So the reality is that both are correct in a sense, however there is a tendency, particularly among protestants, to dismiss or ignore the sense of the Church which they do not answer with. In the case of protestants, they often proclaim the invisible Church, at the expense of the visible Church. In the case of Catholic traditions, such as Anglicanism (at least among Anglicans who emphasize their catholicity and less so among some evangelical Anglicans), the reverse might be true, with the emphasis placed on the visible Church to the detriment of the invisible church. In these instances, groups that emphasize the invisible church do so because their concern is primarily with the personal relationship between God and mankind. Emphasis on the visible church is simply an unnecessary barrier between mankind and God. In the other case, the emphasis is on the institution created by Christ and the instruments of his grace left behind that bring us into that personal relationship with God and nourish us in his grace, namely the sacraments.

To concentrate on one of these viewpoints while dismissing the other is patently un-Biblical and creates an unhealthy perception of the Church, our relationship with God and shrouds the issue of sacred time and space. In a recent post on The Community, also shared by the Anglican Communion News Service, Fr. Kyle Norman expressed his concern that:

Our life with God has become so individualized in contemporary society that I wonder if we downplay the understanding that church is the house of God. Truth be told, when talking about sacred space, does ‘church’ even enter our minds?

In discussing the Christian concept of a Rule of Life, it was noted that some Christians tend to downplay the need to spend time in worship on Sunday, because they feel they can adequately bear witness to God’s glory in witnessing his creation, and in so doing worship him adequately.

This viewpoint stems, perhaps unknowingly for some, from the incarnational nature of Christianity. In Christianity, incarnation is a key theme: God breaking into the created order to give a glimpse of himself. Whether it be to give revelation, to Moses, Abraham or the other Patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament, to the revelations granted to the Apostles in the New Testament, even to the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures themselves, not to mention his ultimate incarnation in Jesus Christ. God continues today to break into the created order, and indeed we invite him to do so. Yet in a sense, all creation is incarnational. It is a manifestation of God’s glory and presence with us that he created the heavens and the earth. That is all true, yet does that make all of creation a sacred space?Is every stone of the earth, every pool of water and every bird in the sky consecrated to God’s glory?

Holy Scripture tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God (Ps 19. 1a) and St Paul similarly writes that God’s nature is written into the bones of creation (Rm 1. 20). This is not sacred space in the purest sense of the word. What it can be, however, is sacred time. Time in which we consecrate to God, to spend with him. To marvel at his glory, incarnated in the glory of his creation. The idea of sacred time complements the idea of sacred space, because it allows us to spend time with God, enjoy his presence and focus on the intimate and personal relationship he holds with each of us regardless of where we are physically present.

It could involve sitting in the midst of creation, or it could be ten minutes spent in prayer while taking the train to work in the morning. The key is the intention of devoting a particular time to God; to offer worship, prayer and most importantly our attention. Indeed, the invisible Church could be present in such an occasion if a group of believers gathers to share that sacred time together, but it misses something.

Similarly, many Christians designate particular rooms or sections of their house as areas for prayer, Scripture reading and so forth. In a sense they are creating sacred space by turning over an area of their home to God; it is a place in which they go to meet God in prayer and in his Word. Yet again, much like the example of sacred time alone, there is something that is missing.

Sacred time can coincide with sacred space. The most visible and public aspect of sacred space remains the Church itself, through its local parish buildings, where we gather to worship God through common liturgies. Church buildings are consecrated to God—indeed there are rites for that purpose in the Book of Common Prayer—and the times when the body gathers to worship God in community are similarly sacred times which occur in sacred places. As Fr Aidan Kavanaugh writes in On Liturgical Theology:

…the liturgy of the church is nothing other than that church’s faith in motion on certain definite and crucial levels. This faith surely has other modes and levels, but these are to be evaluated finally in terms of the church at worship before the living God, rather than vice versa. It cannot be forgotten that the church at worship is not only present to God; far more significantly, the living God is present to the church. This latter presence is not a theological theory; it is a real presence which is there to affect, grace, and change the world.

There is room in Christianity for both the visible and invisible church, and we should never focus on one to the detriment of the other. It is through this that the fullness of God’s presence may be felt; it is a place in which the visible and invisible churches coincide and are united in God’s presence. The body of all believers are united to Christ’s instituted church by the grace offered in the holy sacraments.

Ultimately our faith is about submission to God’s will, and in creating sacred time and sacred space, it is the way in which we confirm that submission to God by providing a place or time in which we turn away from other worldly concerns to experience God’s presence.

On Tomatoes

The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

O GOD, who declarest thy almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The process for planting a tomato is much like how the seed of our faith is planted and grows. The seed must be planted in good soil, then it must receive light from the sun and be nourished by water and nutrients of the soil. For the Christian, it is through the waters of Holy Baptism that our soil is made good for the planting of the seed of faith, and through the body and blood of Christ received in the Holy Eucharist that we are nourished. Do this and your tomato plant will grow, just as the Christian’s faith will grow. But there comes a point with a tomato plant where you will want to stake it, that is to say plant a large wooden stake in the ground which will be attached to the plant to provide support in order for it to bear the best fruit. So to in our Christian journey, if we want to bear the best fruit, such a support can be useful.

The equivalent of a tomato plant’s support stake for the Christian is a Rule of Life. CS Lewis describes a Rule of Life as, “intentional pattern of spiritual disciplines that provides structure and direction for growth in holiness.” The use of a Rule became popularized by St Benedict of Nursia and Benedictine Monasticism, and the practice continues throughout Western Christianity. Christian author Ken Shigematsu more recently wrote on the adoption of a Rule of Life using the image of a trellis, similar to the concept of the tomtato stake, but which provides not simply support but also guidance as the Christian seeks to develop a Rule which addresses all the different facets of life which affect us. The Book of Common Prayer itself exhorts all Christians to adopt a rule, saying, “Every Christian man or woman should from time to time frame for himself a RULE OF LIFE in accordance with the precepts of the Gospel and the faith and order of the Church.” (555)

The Book of Common Prayer goes on to provide a framework for the development of a Rule of Life which covers the basic areas in which each Christian needs support: the attendance at publish worship, the practice of private prayer, Bible reading and self-discipline, living by the example of Christ in every day life, witness of the faith, personal service to Church and community and offering money according to your means for the support of the Church at home and overseas. These categories are at times broad, but provide a great foundation for the formation of a Rule which ensures a rhythm of worship and support in living a Christian life and developing one’s faith.

The first exhortation reads, “the regularity of his attendance at public worship and esepcially at the holy Communion.” This first Rule is for some a rather obvious non-issue, while for others it can be a necessary reminder. There are generally three types of Christians. The first are those for whom attending a Sunday service is optional at best and really quite unnecessary. They have been baptised and confirmed, and there is really little left to do but live their lives as best they know how. The second group are those for whom it is viewed as a good thing to do, but for whom many excuses arise. Some common excuses might be experiencing God’s glory in his creation, or visiting with neighbours because surely it is evangelism to do so, or perhaps the need to spend time with family. Others might place their preference on reading Christian books or listening to Christian music because it is more to their liking than the homilies of their local rector or the music sung on a Sunday morning. There are finally those who view it as essential, particularly in order to be nourished by receiving Holy Communion. The Psalms similarly remind us (Ps 22, 107, 122) that communal worship in God’s house is important. The teaching we receive is similarly structured differently—due to the lectionary—than were we to pick and choose our own readings. It is all an element of turning ourselves over to God as we profess in our baptismal vows.

The second exhortation reads, “the practice of private prayer, Bible reading and self-discipline.” Throughout Scripture, many references are made to when we ought to pray. In public, in private, in sorrow, in gladness, in all circumstances. When we gather together in worship, we pray, but it is essential to, in our Rule, that we incorporate some manner of regular prayer, and in varied forms. This ought not to be simply prayers of thanksgiving and supplications, but might include forms of prayer like the daily examen, lectio divina, or even praying the Daily Offices. The Daily Offices go well with the next matter, that of frequent Scripture reading. This could range from using a daily or weekly Bible-reading schedule to reading the lectionary offerings from the Offices. Reading God’s word is always edifying and helps truly helps to solidify the metaphor of a Rule of Life as a support for our faith. Finally, self-discipline largely refers to the need to understand the sins we commonly fall into and taking steps to help ourselves avoid it. It might involve regular prayer for strength to avoid that particular sin, or, for example, if someone suffers from intemperance related to alcohol, part of their Rule might be to avoid going to bars where they might be tempted to drink.

The third exhortation is, “bringing the teaching and example of Christ into his everyday life.” This exhortation reinforces the importance of the previous points, namely that before a Christian may live what Nicky Gumbel calls the Jesus Lifestyle, they must know what it is, through attending worship where the weekly readings are explained in the homily and where the hymnody edifies us on Christ, and further in our own reading of Holy Scripture. Christianity is not an academic exercise, however, it is something we are each called to live out and in considering this exhortation, we consider how best in our individual circumstances we can do that.

The fourth exhortation is, “the boldness of his spoken witness to his faith in Christ.” At a time when Christians in the West are confronted with new martyrs and confessors throughout the Middle East and Africa who are suffering persecution and death for the sake of their faith and the name of Christ, it is difficult perhaps to feel bold in witnessing our own faith, yet it remains a reminder never to be ashamed of our faith. The old axiom that politics and religion are not suitable for the dinner table is sometimes used by Christians to shy away from admitting their faith as if it is something to be ashamed of, and sometimes a little boldness is needed. Nicky Gumbel, in the Alpha series, gives a great talk on how and why we tell others [of our faith], in which he discusses the need to understand both our audience and context, but that there is never any occasion in which it is wrong to profess faith in the name of Christ.

The fifth exhortation is, “his personal service to the Church and the community.” This ties in quite strongly with bringing the teaching of Christ to your everyday life. Christ came to serve and we are to do likewise. Service in the Church itself is particularly important however, as a vibrant community life in a local parish is a critical aspect of building up the Body of the Church, and deepening the relationships between brothers and sisters in Christ in that community. It takes many volunteer hours to allow a Church community to function well, and for a larger parish with a programme focus, there are many ways in which committing to a particular form of service can be of benefit to both the Church and the community, particularly when involved in forms of ministry that occur in the community rather than internally in the parish.

Finally, the last exhortation reads, “the offering of money according to his means for the support of the work of the Church at home and overseas.” The final point relates to our financial responsibilities, both to support our local Church and priest, which St Paul speaks to (I Cor 9. 7-14). The emphasis here is on identifying our individual capacities and preparing a Rule that responds to that.

The idea behind a Rule of Life is that it is to be a support and guide, to nurture our faith in certain ways to help it to bear good fruit. It is not meant to be a burdensome yoke. It should begin small and simply. A Rule might begin simply by attending one church service every Sunday barring illness or emergency. It might grow, as our faith does, to incorporate more and more Rules. As a tomato plant bears good fruit when properly supported, so will our faith.

On Theology

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity

GRANT O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The issue of Anglicanism and Same-Sex Marriage is once again front and centre. The US Supreme Court, in a civil ruling affecting the civil laws on marriage in the United States, and at the same time The Episcopal Church, the primary Anglican church in the United States had its triennial General Convention, which included a debate over the authorization of a revised rite for same-sex marriage. All of this has spilled over into Canada and elsewhere, including it must be noted non-Anglican traditions who have been compelled to respond to the development.

Metropolitan Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America has perhaps had the best and most succinct response, in which he affirmed that the OCA has made, “issued a number of statements outlining, detailing and clarifying the teaching of our Holy Faith on this matter in light of challenges from our American society,” over the years, and:

The ruling does not change the teaching of the Church, but it does remind us of the need to be Christ-like in our dealings with everyone. The state has the responsibility to enact laws that protect the rights of each individual.  The Church, while it does not bless “same-sex marriages” or view them as sacramental, does see the image of Christ in every individual, and his or her worth in the eyes of the Lord Who died upon the Cross for our salvation.

This shows two important points. First, the statement reiterates the point that Church doctrine is not, and ought not to be, based on civil laws, such that this ruling (or the passage of the Marriage Act in 2004 in Canada) does not demand that the Church similarly make a change to its understanding of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. The second point is that while it does not mean doctrines or theologies of the Church must change, it may require that those same doctrines and theologies be applied in new ways that are adapted to the new realities of the society in which the Church exists.

This statement could well have been written by Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsay a few decades ago, but is contrasted heavily with more recent responses. Retired TEC bishop Gene Robinson suggested that, “all religions will be under more pressure now to get in lockstep with society.”

The idea that the Church must, at least in part, base its theology and doctrines on civil developments is completely alien to traditional Anglicanism and the Anglican way of “doing” theology.

The three-legged stool is one way Anglicans have traditionally viewed as the model by which we do theology. First, Holy Scripture, then reason, embodied in the writings of the Fathers and saints throughout the ages, and finally tradition, embodied in the Anglican formularies of the Book of Common Prayer, Ordinal and Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. For Canadian Anglicans, the Solemn Declaration of 1893, which clergy subscribe to prior to ordination, explicitly requires that they submit to the formularies and Holy Scripture, so it is a canonical requirement in addition to simply being part of the Anglican tradition used by Anglicans everywhere.

In the Articles themselves, we are reminded of the primacy of Scripture. Article VI states, “Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.” They are the inspired word of God, and there is no better or more reliable source of information for us to turn to when seeking to establish or modify our theology or doctrines. For Anglicans, unlike Roman Catholics and the Orthodox, nothing can be taught as a requirement of the faith that cannot be proved by Holy Scripture.

Not all Scripture can be plainly interpreted, however. That is where the faculty of reason comes into play. Throughout the centuries, countless Christians have written and handed down homilies on the Scriptures and great works on theology. These works help us to understand the meaning behind Scripture as it has been understood by the Church throughout the centuries, and similarly how different doctrines of the church have been understood.

When we test a doctrine against Scripture, it can sometimes be simple enough to pick a few verses and claim they support the doctrine we are proposing, by virtue of presenting a skewed interpretation of Scripture. When we test against Scripture and then the view of the Church Fathers, this type of skewed interpretation is no longer possible, because we do not simply test it against the plain words of Holy Scripture itself, but also the accepted orthodox interpretations of Holy Scripture held throughout the centuries.

Finally, there is the tradition of the Church. The reality of Christianity is that there are many practices and views which have been held only in particular times and in particular places. When Anglicans do theology, therefore, it is essential that doctrines also be tested against the Anglican formularies. One might be able to find an understanding of the Eucharist that does not contradict Holy Scripture, and may even find support with one or more of the Church Fathers, or at least does not conflict with their writing, but if it remains in conflict with the Book of Common Prayer, Ordinal or Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion then it remains outside the parameters of acceptable Anglican Doctrine.

An example of this might be the doctrine of transubstantiation as held by the Roman Catholic Church. One can argue in favour of it from Scripture, and a number of saints throughout history have held to doctrines consistent with transubstantiation, but Article XXVIII argues that, “The Body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the Supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith,” and that transubstantiation, “hath given occasion to many superstitions.”

As we face increasing pressure for the Church to modernise her doctrines, to try to get in lockstep with society, as Bishop Gene Robinson put it, it is an important reminder that Church doctrine is based on God’s will and God’s law, not on the rules of society.

On the Communion of Saints

The Octave Day of Easter

ALMIGHTY Father, who hast given thine only a Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification: Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Easter

O GOD, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the resurrection from the dead of thy only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we who celebrate this Paschal feast may die daily unto sin, and live with him evermore in the glory of his endless life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the season Eastertide, we further consider the implications of the resurrection. Given how for many Christians, Easter is a time for baptism through which we gain entrance into the family of God. For many, though, this raises a question of what this membership in the body of Christ entails.

The Apostle's Creed is the creed used as a baptismal symbol, in which the newly baptised profess belief in, among other things, the Communion of Saints, to which they have become a part.

The Communion of Saints is a term rooted in Holy Scripture, where  in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, St Paul says, “to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Cor 1. 2) and “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ,” (1 Cor 12. 12).

The term Communion of Saints, in the context of the fuller doctrine to mean the faithful both on earth and in heaven, is first known to have been used in the early 5th century by St Nicetas of Remesiana in his Explanatio Symboli. Even in the time of the early church, the Communion of Saints was not something limited solely to an expression in the Apostle’s creed, but was a doctrine of a life of faith, and a doctrine of community.

There are different ways to define the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. In the Book of Common Prayer, the Catechism touches on the issue, discussing it in terms of the people of God who comprise Christ's holy Catholic Church. In the Roman Catholic Catechism, it is similarly defined when it states simply that, “The communion of saints is the Church.”

Both definitions discuss it as a body of people. As they have been developed and understood, they express a deep doctrine, one that at first glance is not obvious.

There are two components to the Communion of Saints: communion and saints. What do they refer to. To use the BCP definition, communion means a group of people, and saints is specified by people of God. Phrased another way, it is a group of people who are in some way related to God, and which is specified as that relationship being incurred through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. So now we are looking at the group of people who are baptised. Communion, however, is a word with a very powerful and sacramental meaning.

Communion implies more than just a simple group, it implies, ultimately, intimate community. A group of people who have been bound together; who have been set apart. It relates to the Eucharist in the Sacramental sense, which according to St Paul is a participation in Christ’s sacrifice, (1 Cor 10. 16). Surely, this implies not merely then a team but something greater, a family. In our Baptism, we are adopted as children of God, and marked as his own forever. The Communion of Saints, therefore, are not just a group, but a family.

Saints, as the BCP mentions, are those people of God. What does that then mean? Saints are those undergoing the process of sanctification. By his grace, baptised Christians are transformed and made holy.

This transformation, therefore, extends merely being able to describe the Communion of Saints as a community of believers to a community of disciples.

A believer is someone who accepts Jesus as Lord, but there can be more to faith than that. But there is more to following Christ than simply belief, for as Scripture says, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works... So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead,” (St James 2. 14, 17).

St James does not argue here that salvation can be purchased through good works. Rather, good works are the fruit of true faith. Given that the Holy Spirit descended on the faithful like fire, it is often used as a metaphor for faith. True faith sometimes burns bright and large, and at other times can fall down to coals. The faith is still there, but it does not dictate the actions in our lives.

Someone whose faith has burned low can still be a believer, and still accept Christ as Lord. When faith burns bright, however, Christianity is more than just belief, it becomes discipleship. It is no longer about simply believing, but about living life in the model of Christ's life. It is about more than believing in community, but rather participation in community.

The Book of Common Prayer provides for a prayer for the Communion of Saints that sums up this mentality, both of community and of discipleship:

O ETERNAL Lord God, who holdest all souls in life: We beseech thee to shed forth upon thy whole Church in Paradise and on earth the bright beams of thy light and heavenly comfort; and grant that we, following the good example of those who have loved thee and served thee here and are now at rest, may at the last enter with them into the fulness of thine unending joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ask God to fan the flames of faith in our lives that we cannot merely believe, but seek to be disciples of Christ who live out that faith, in a community of disciples. Be a full member of the Communion of Saints. In our baptismal vows we become part of a living history of those committed, by the grace of God, to following the Jesus lifestyle.

On the Sacrament of Extreme Unction

The Third Sunday in Lent

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lent

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Sacrament of Unction, or Extreme Unction, is one which might initially sound confusing, but which most Christians, whether they are Catholic, sacramental or not, would recognize from Holy Scripture. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." The famous verse from Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known in the Bible, but the line, "you anoint my head with oil," often passes without much thought. Unction is from a Latin root which means to anoint. Extreme Unction is a sacrament which relates to the anointing with oil for the purpose of healing.

Anointing with oil was a common practice among the Jews of the old testament. Much like the distinction between St John's baptism of repentance and Christ's introduction of Baptism in the Spirit, the use of anointing with oil differed between Jews and early Christians.

Scripturally, the first place to look is the Gospel of St Mark. In chapter six, Christ sends out the Apostles, two by two. “So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them,” (Mk 6. 12-13). In the Epistle of St James, this practice is again continued and presented to all Christians to practice, where it says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,” (Jm 5. 14).

While there are differences in practice, particularly East to West, the use of holy oil for the purposes of healing is common to all Christianity. In the Western tradition, to which Anglicanism belongs, holy oil consecrated by a bishop is used. In the Eastern tradition, priests consecrate the oil, though generally it would be applied by a group of three or more priests rather than by a single priest as in the Western practice.

In all practices, it is a response to the Scriptural tradition of requesting God’s intercession for the miraculous healing of afflictions. In the Old Testament, most miracles were displays of God’s power over nature. For instance, the parting of the Red Sea. In the New Testament, however, God’s miracles were manifested through Christ’s miraculous healing, and healing done by the Apostles. It was this emphasis on Christ’s healing that earned him the name of the Great Physician in the Gospel of Mark.

Miraculous healing has been practiced continually since beginning of Christianity, and continues to this day. In the early church, it was noted as being an important tool of conversion in that it manifested God’s power as a gifts of the Holy Spirit, which St Paul had addressed in his letters of the Corinthians. St Gregory of Nyssa wrote in the third century that, “healing is the main door through which people come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Over time, healing ministry waned. While it continued to be practiced in the East in a similar fashion, in the West, healing was prohibited. Clergy were barred from providing more than spiritual counsel to the dying, and unction became known as Last Rites in the West. In Anglicanism, the full weight of the original ministry of healing was not restored until the 20th century. While the English Reformation and Book of Common Prayer 1662 had contained within it provisions for prayer and ministry yo the sick, the sacramental role of ministry to the sick remained somewhat limited. It was viewed as possibly leading to superstition. Extreme Unction comes from the Latin in extremis which refers to those close to death. The sacramental role of ministry to the sick thus remained generally tied to that period of near death. In the Christian East, this was also the case, though not to the same degree as in the West. By the 1920s, however, efforts at the Lambeth Conference sought to restore the full degree of ministry to the sick that was practiced in the Early Church.

With the restoration of the healing ministry in more recent times, there is an obvious question of what its role ought to be. In the days of Christ, human understanding of biology, disease and medicine were far more limited than today. Modern medical science has eliminated many diseases and afflictions, while countless others are treatable. John Macquarrie, the Anglican theologian, then asks the obvious question: is there still a role for the sacrament of unction in modern society?

Unction, writes Macquarrie, “is not an alternative, and should never be thought of as a rival to scientific medicine.” There are some sects of Christianity which decry modern medicine, viewing it as the resort of the faithless. Most Christians would recognize, however, that medicine is the fruit of God’s gift of reason to mankind and our continual effort to understand the physical world in which we have been created.

A fictional monk once noted that faith and reason are shoes on our feet. We can go further with both than just one. So it is with medical science and holy healing. In this sense, we should also be reminded that miraculous healing is not simply the final resort, to be pursued only once all medical avenues have been exhausted. In his Epistle, St James does not say, if there are sick among you, take them to the doctor; if that fails then lay hands upon them and anoint them with oil.

In the Book of Common Prayer, the rites provided for the ministry of the sick, and lays out provisions for how it is to be approached. Speaking to the sacramental nature of unction, Richard Foster wrote, “the laying on of hands in itself does not heal the sick – it is Christ who heals the sick. The laying on of hands is a simple act of obedience that quickens our faith.” As with the anointing with oil, the rite specifies that the priest say, “as with this holy oil thou art outwardly anointed, so may our heavenly Father grant that thou mayest be inwardly anointed with the Holy Spirit.” This rite makes clear the proper sacramental view and avoids the superstitious views that plague the topic of miraculous healing. During the rite, both passages from St Mark’s gospel and St James’ epistle are read to reinforce the scriptural basis of healing.

With such clear scriptural teaching, a long tradition in the church dating back to the time of Christ and proceeding largely uninterrupted, and evidence today of continued miraculous healing for those who have received prayer, the laying on of hands and anointing with oil, it is clear why Unction remains one of the seven sacraments of the Church.

On the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony

The Second Sunday in Lent

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lent

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Unlike the Sacraments discussed so far, Matrimony is not a necessary sacrament for everyone. Some people are called to celibate lives of singleness. For those whom God calls into relationship, however, the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is the means by which God’s grace and love are joined into the relationship, sanctifying it and strengthening it in holiness.

In Holy Scripture, God’s blessing of the unions between men and women play an important role throughout. In the Old Testament, the union between Adam and Eve is described in Genesis, and God’s blessing of other unions is mentioned with numerous other Biblical figures. In the New Testament, the Gospel of St John records Christ’s first miracle during the wedding at Cana. Today, the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is one in which Anglicans, particularly in Canada and the United States, have recently devoted much debate and indeed controversy, namely over the amendment of canons concerning the Sacrament to allow for the marriage of same-sex couples. This piece will explore the sacramental and scriptural basis for Holy Matrimony, which finds no basis for conferring God's blessing on such partnerships, but will not seek to discuss the relationship of civil marriage to the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, and what distinctions might be made with respect to civil marriage of same-sex couples.

Before delving into the question of the sacrament itself, a definition in terms might be useful. While the terms are often used interchangeably, in this article, the sacrament will be referred to as Matrimony or Holy Matrimony, while the civil institution, recognized by the state, will be referred to as marriage. While the two are entirely distinct, the failure to draw the distinction between one as a sacrament ordained by God to guard, hallow and protect the sacred gift of love he grants the couple, while the other is a civil institution granted by governments in order to provide a framework of legal benefits and rights intended to support families. One can be married, recognized by the civil government as such, and yet not receive God’s blessing. The criteria on which marriage is based are not in any way connected to God’s basis for estate of Holy Matrimony, and in discussing the subject, care should be taken not to confuse the two.

Matrimony, while not directly ordained by Christ, is mentioned several times in Holy Scripture, including by Christ himself. St Mark’s gospel has Christ responding to the Pharisees questioning him over marriage when he says:

But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mk 10. 6-9)

In this passage, Christ quotes from Genesis and confirms the nature of the Holy Matrimony as being ordained by God from the start of creation. In the historic sense, the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony has been one practiced since the early days of the Church. First century Rome was not well known for its chastity, and the morals of the Christians were viewed as a unique curiosity. It is clear then the importance that the hallowing of a union would have in the early Church.

In Anglicanism, the Thirty-Nine Articles also mention much the same definition of Holy Matrimony in Article XXXV which lists the homilies in the Book of Homilies, one of which is On the Estate of Holy Matrimony. This homily lays out nearly the same reasons for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony as does the Book of Common Prayer, 1662:

[Holy Matrimony] is an honourable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church; which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence, and first miracle that he wrought, in Cana of Galilee; and is commended of Saint Paul to be honourable among all men...

The Canadian Book of Common Prayer similarly outlines three reasons for Holy Matrimony:

Matrimony was ordained for the hallowing of the union betwixt man and woman; for the procreation of children to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord; and for the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, in both prosperity and adversity.

Both are generally in accord, though the 1662 Book of Common Prayer had one additional reason for Holy Matrimony, “and to avoide Fornication,” as the Book of Homilies puts it. While the Canadian BCP does not list this particular point, it remains implicit simply through the scriptural reason for this argument, which is laid out by St Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians.

The three primary reasons for Matrimony are laid out in the Book of Common Prayer as follows. The first is the hallowing of the union between man and woman. This first reason therefore is to set apart the union between a man and woman as sacred. The emphasis here is on God blessing the union. It contrasts with the third reason--which has to do with the mutual support of the man and woman--which could just as easily be argued to be present in secular relationships. This makes it the key distinction between Matrimony and marriage or other forms of relationships. The second reason for Matrimony is procreation and the raising of children in faith. Procreation has often been listed among reasons for marriage, but it is the key component of raising children in faith and knowledge of God that is specified in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

These reasons, the traditional and scriptural basis for Matrimony, illustrate the ways in which God’s grace is extended to a relationship to promote a blessed union between man and woman, and further illustrate how Christian Matrimony is set apart from secular and civil marriage.

On the Sacrament of Reconcilliation

The First Sunday in Lent

O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Lent

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The season of Lent, which began Ash Wednesday is a period of preparation, examination and repentance prior to the solemnity of Holy Week and the joyous celebration of Christ’s resurrection Easter Sunday. It seems only appropriate to discuss the Sacrament of Reconciliation in this context.

One of the first things that ought to come to mind when asked to distinguish Judaism from Christianity is the manner in which we are reconciled to God. In Judaism, it is through adherence to the Law, and sacrifice and ritual purification as a form of penance when the law has been broken. In Christianity, however, through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ we are, regardless of actions or merits, reconciled to God and our sins forgiven. It should be no surprise that reconciliation has been counted as a Sacrament since the early days of the Church.

The sacrament has many names. Confession, or confession and absolution, is probably the most common term and is also used in the Book of common Prayer, the Articles of Religion describe it as Penance, a term also common in Roman Catholic practice, and Reconciliation is another common term, and the term used here, because the confession is our own action in the sacrament, while the forgiveness of sins, and thus reconciliation with God, is the grace we receive through it.

The practice of confessing sins is both Scriptural and dates back to the early Church. In the Epistle of St James, it says, “the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed,” (Jas 5. 15-16). There are other verses throughout the New Testament that exhort the value of the confession of sins and confirm God’s forgiveness upon those who confess their sins. Of particular note and parallel to James comes from St Matthew’s gospel:

And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. (Mt 9. 2-7)

In this story, the paralytic is brought to Jesus for physical healing, but Jesus reminds us that spiritual healing through the forgiveness of sin is just as, if not far more, important.

Throughout history, however, there have been multiple practices of confession, namely the public confession and private confession. In Anglicanism, both forms can be found in the Book of Common Prayer. The confession and absolution comes in the liturgies for the Daily Offices as well as Holy Communion. These take the form of a public or general confession in which all profess to have sinned and ask for God’s forgiveness, followed by the priest announcing absolution, or the assurance of the forgiveness of sins. In addition, in Ministry to the Sick, the Book of Common Prayer also lays out, “A Form of Confession and Absolution” which is in fact a method for private, or auricular, confession. In this liturgy, the priest invites the penitent to confess their sins, and a form of confession is provided which allows the penitent to list their specific sins, rather than making a general confession.

In both cases, once the confession has been made, whether general or specific, the priest then pronounces the absolution, assuring us of forgiveness and echoing Christ’s words to the paralytic: “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

As the rubric to the liturgy describes it, “If the sick person feel his conscience troubled with any weighty matter, he shall be moved to make a special confession of his sins.” It is this emphasis on troubled conscious rather than the necessity of being sick, which has seen this liturgy used at other times throughout the year for any parishioner who seeks to make particular private confessions to their priest. While it is not specifically offered in the way penance is offered year round and scheduled for specific times in a Roman Catholic parish, private confession is generally available in any Anglican parish simply by asking to schedule time for it with the Priest.

There are generally two ways it might be offered. First, in the Book of Common Prayer, a number of times before Holy Communion the priest is to read the exhortation, which includes a part which says:

And because it is requisite, that no man should come to the holy Communion, but with a full trust in God's mercy, and with a quiet conscience; therefore if there be any of you, who by this means cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet Minister of God's Word, and open his grief; that by the ministry of God's holy Word, he may receive the benefit of absolution, together with spiritual counsel and advice, to the quieting of his conscience, and the avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulness.

In addition, in the season of Lent when Christians are called to examine themselves, a priest might specifically mention the availability of private confession.

Reconciliation with God and the forgiveness of sins is a true gift of God’s mercy, and one in which all Christians should rejoice. For many, confession is seen as something difficult and to be feared, but if anything, it is a comfort. As Thomas Becon, chaplain to Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, once wrote: “Confession bringeth high tranquillity to the troubled man… while the most comfortable words of absolution are rehearsed unto him by the priest.” Again, one of the reasons to view this as the Sacrament of Reconciliation, rather than Penance, which emphasizes what acts of penance might be called of us, or confession, which emphasizes the confession of sins, reconciliation emphasises God’s loving forgiveness and the assurance thereof.