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 Three Streams of Worship

The Second Sunday after Epiphany

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Anglicanism seems to love things in threes. That is entirely reasonable given the centrality of the Holy Trinity to the Christian faith. In terms of worship, there are three streams of worship which correspond to these three persons of the Trinity. The most familiar to most people would be the Mass or Holy Communion. Anglicans also worship through the Daily Offices regularly. Historically Morning Prayer was the normative form of Sunday worship for many years until the Eucharist was restored to prominence in the 19th century. Finally, there is a third stream of worship which exists that is far less regularized, which I call Devotional Reception.

The Mass or Holy Communion is the most commonly understood form of worship in Anglicanism. It includes a number of prayers and Scripture readings, many of which deal with God the Father, the son or the Holy Spirit in some combination, making this seem like a form of worship which emphasizes all three persons, but ultimately as the name implies it is the celebration of the Eucharist which forms the central focus of the service of Holy Communion. It is in the Eucharist that we focus the centrality of the worship on the second person of the Trinity. Christ Jesus was incarnate, died for our sins and rose again. He commanded at the last supper that we do this in remembrance of him, and the entire crescendo of Eucharistic worship is that act of re-membering his propitiatory sacrifice.

The second form of common worship is that of the Daily Office. Morning and Evening Prayer are a psalm-centric form of worship, and owing to that they are much more centrally focused on the revelation of God the Father’s nature. The Daily Office originates in Jewish prayer practice, which involved prayer throughout the day at particular times. As Christianity developed, these prayer times were retained and liturgies developed to formalize their use among Christians. The Daily Office represents the Anglican use of these prayers and combines a number of the hours into two simple services for morning and evening. Much like with the Eucharist, which thematically is focused on Christ himself but which includes reference and worship of the other members of the Trinity, the Daily Office maintains references to Christ and the Holy Spirit, most often through the collects and the New Testament readings. The centrality of the service, however, remains the worship of God through the Psalms, whether read or chanted.

It also distinguishes itself in that it is a daily office. The normative practice among Anglicans with respect to Holy Communion would be weekly only, though in some cases an additional service of Holy Communion might be sought during the week. With morning and evening prayer, it becomes a daily practice of honouring God and exploring who he is. While the Revised Common Lectionary of readings takes you through the Bible in a three year cycle, Morning and Evening Prayer cycle though the Psalter every month, and it is only through their daily use that the RCL will cycle through the whole of Scripture during those three years. It creates and enhances a much stronger rhythm of Scripture reading and prayer than does only a once-a-week communion, even whereby the grace imparted in the Eucharist is unique versus the grace that is usually received through simple prayer and Scripture reading.
Taken together, these two are the most familiar practices of Anglicanism, but they place their emphasis only on two of the three persons of the Trinity. The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is in these places limited to references in prayers and in Scripture readings. There is need for a third type of service, which can go by many names, but ultimately the title Devotional Reception seems apt because it captures the two aspects of this service, particularly as it relates to the Holy Spirit.

In the Daily Office, it is a clear action of worship and praise of the Father. If there is reception, it is most clearly the imparting of revelation from God’s word. In the Holy Communion, there is an offering on the part of the people—“And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee,”—but also there is the reception of the Blessed Sacrament. When we gather then to honour the third person of the Trinity, how ought that to look?

One concern often expressed over modern praise music is that it offers an emotional response to the people. At various times, Evangelicals have expressed concern over how worship interacts with their regular Sunday gatherings which themselves often involve simply a combination of praise music and preaching. Defenders of modern praise music suggest that there is no reason a parishioner could not get a similar emotional response from traditional Christian hymns, however there does seem to still be a difference.

Ultimately that emotional response is something received, and in the context of the mass, it does not seem to always be entirely appropriate. So what if that modern music were taken and repurposed? Devotional Reception is an idea for a non-Eucharistic service in which such music can be channelled specifically for the purpose of encouraging those in attendance to be open to receiving not simply directly from the music, but receiving the Holy Spirit himself. To be empowered, to be strengthened and to be enlightened. For many Christians, the response modern praise music evokes can be contemplative and meditative, for all the use of percussion and other similar instruments, in a way that a traditional organ accompanied solely by voice cannot.

That skips forward a bit to the reception, but what of the devotion? Due to the sometimes vague language of modern praise, a time of teaching would be needed as well. A time to explore concepts particularly relating to the Holy Spirit which might otherwise only receive the briefest of attention around Pentecost. It is an opportunity to orient hearts and minds towards the Holy Spirit before that reception begins.

Finally, one of the major works of the Holy Spirit is in healing. While many in North America have never had the awesome wonder of experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit in this way, it seems the works of the Spirit are far more common in parts of the world where people feel a much stronger need to rely not upon themselves or the conveniences of their society, but on God. A time of prayer would then be appropriate. Just as the people may receive something of a feeling of the presence through praise music, they can receive that more sacramental grace through the laying on of hands in prayer, as Scripture commands us. It is a time in which there can be far greater empowering through the Spirit.

Taken together, these three streams of worship offer opportunity for constant turning to God in praise and offering, and receiving from God, in the form of revelation and grace. As orthodox Christians, it should be our earnest desire to see some form of normative and regular worship of the Holy Spirit and reception from the Spirit as a part of our regular worship of God.

On Obedience

The Second Sunday after Christmas

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin: Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

 Having identified a number of charisms, which is to say gifts, given by the Holy Spirit, the question then becomes one of why they are given, who receives them and what they are to be used for.

Last week’s discussion focused on the charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit and ended with some consideration on the topic of how gifts are to be used, in reference to St Paul’s instructions in I Corinthians 14 that the gift of tongues ought to be accompanied by interpretation. Those were not the only instructions provided by St Paul, and the other Biblical writers, on how and why charisms, that is to say gifts of the Spirit, are to be used.

The first clue indeed comes from earlier in St Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians where he says, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the Common Good… All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills,” (I Cor 12. 7, 11). From this first point, St Paul begins to hint at a complete answer to some of these questions, though primarily addressing the question of why. In this, he suggests it is God’s will that determines what gifts we might receive. It is always important to bear this fact in mind, as it reminds us that these gifts are not available for our own use as we want, but are free gifts given to us by the Spirit. This nature, that it is given by God’s will and not our own, also hints towards how we are to use them.

As to who receives gifts of the Spirit, St Paul also comments in chapter twelve that while one is given the figt of wisdom, the other knowledge, another faith. In making this statement he notes quite clearly that not every Christian receives each gift. This aligns with his previous comments that gifts are given based on the will of God. But it also makes clear that any Christian may receive. To some who are unfamiliar with gifts of the Spirit, they may think that only some Christians receive gifts of the Spirit. That you must, perhaps, be particularly pious, or devote yourself to prayer. Yet St Paul’s words in Holy Scripture make it quite clear that it is not the case and that any Christian may exercise gifts of the Spirit. Indeed St Peter makes it more explicit when he says that every Christian receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit (I St Pt 4. 10).

St Paul expounds on the why of this in his epistle to the Romans when he says, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,” (Rm 12. 4-6). Here he makes clear that each is given the gifts, in accordance with God’s will, that would be useful for them to serve out their callings. Being members of the Body of Christ, each member receives what is needed, such that the whole body is well-equipped.

Therefore in these collective statements, St Paul and St Peter have largely addressed the question of who receives charisms and a bit on why they are given, leaving the larger question of how they are to be used.

Ultimately that question is to a degree answered in the same way. St Peter specifically calls on Christians to use their gifts, “to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,” (I St Pt 4. 10, 11). St Paul similarly writes, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” (Eph 4. 11, 12). Here he is again speaking of equipping, but elaborates on the goal of such equipping, that those individual members use their gifts to build up the body of Christ. It should be noted, that there is a dual meaning to building the body of Christ. This can be viewed both as encouraging and building up the faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and also bringing new people to faith in Christ.  Another way of looking at this is to suggest the dual purpose involves building up the faith of others and being a witness to non-Christians.

This raises the final, and perhaps most important question. Once you understand what spiritual gifts are, to whom they are given, why they are given and for what purpose they are given, the question is how to respond. The answer is simple enough: loving obedience.

Faith in Christ calls us to act out our faith as we are told in Scripture, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead,” (Jas 2. 15-17). It is the Holy Spirit that equips us to, figuratively, clothe and feed the poor in Spirit.

When St Paul exhorts young Timothy saying, “Do not neglect the gift you have,” (I St Tim 4. 14a) he is speaking of a Spiritual gift. So just as faith calls us to act in love, gifts of the Spirit call us to repond by using them for the purposes they have been given. We are to respond in obedience.

Immediately after identifying gifts of the Spirit in that well-known passage from I Corinthians 12, St Paul immediately ties the use of gifts of the Spirit to love. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing,” (I Cor 13. 1, 2).

It is the combination of these two passages that gives us the clearest and simplest response to gifts loving obedience to God, manifested through loving service and witness to others.

On Charisms

The Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist

MERCIFUL Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it being enlightened by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Sunday After Christmas Day

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin: Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Nativity of our Lord in Octave

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin: Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St Paul tells us that, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us,” (Rm 5. 5). This love takes not simply the form of adoption through Christ into an intimate and personal relationship with God, but also through a number of gifts of the Spirit.

The Greek word charis is most commonly translated as a gift of grace. As we are told in Holy Scripture, it is the Holy Spirit who pours these gifts of grace upon us, so when we think of the Christian term charismatic, which is derived from the root charis, we can define it as a person who has received the gift and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

In its modern Christian context, charismatics are a particular type of Christian, but when considering the origin of the term, if you are not charismatic, it means you have not received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and in that sense all Christians should strive to be charismatics! In the ancient Church, those who received the Holy Spirit were known as the anointed ones, in Greek Christos, from which we derive Christian.

There remains in modern Christianity a lack of familiarity with the Holy Spirit, and gifts of the Spirit, but there is a treasury of information available, both in Holy Scripture and through the witness of saints in every age.

St Paul in his epistles listed many of the gifts of the Spirit. These include the utterance of wisdom, the utterance of knowledge, the gift of healing, the working of miracles, prophesy, the ability to distinguish between spirits, speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues, (I Cor 12. 8-10), service, teaching, exhortation or evangelism, generosity, leadership, mercy (Rm 12. 7, 8), and to this could also be added the fruits of the Spirit which are also gifts of grace granted by the indwelling of the Spirit (Gal 5. 22, 23, 25).

Some of these gifts have fairly straight-forward meanings and interpretations. The gift of leadership, for instance, or even the gift of teaching. We all know what it means to be a leader, and all Christians understand the Holy Spirit’s role in inspiring the teaching we receive when we gather to hear God’s written word. Yet some of the other gifts are a bit more complex. What is the difference, for instance, between the gift of knowledge and the gift of wisdom? What is a prophet and the gift of prophesy, and how does that relate to the office of Prophet?

These types of questions are all natural for anyone who lacks instruction and familiarity with these parts of Holy Scripture, and as with any part of Scripture we must always keep in mind the response of the Ethiopian Eunuch, who asked, “How can I [understand], unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8. 31).

While there are no universally accepted definitions for the exact nature of all gifts—and it should be understood that the Spirit gives these gifts as he wills and does not need to be conformed to earthly definitions—there are some general understandings that can be helpful.

The historic Prophets of the Old Testament were given particular words for God’s chosen people, and were commanded by God to proclaim them. They would preface their statements by saying, “This is what the Lord says,” to make clear that they were messengers for God. For most, their words were not so much prophetic as we think of it in terms of foretelling the future, but rather their words were warnings. They would call God’s people to repentance, pointing out where they had fallen away from God’s law, and explain what calamities would fall upon them if they did not return to God. Whereas the Prophets of the Old Testament received very specific words to say, the gift of prophecy today may involve less specific prophetic words. There has been no accepted or recorded instance of someone being given the specific words of God since the time of Christ. Indeed, some of the prophetic aspects of the office of Prophet have been split into multiple gifts. Some of the references to the gift of prophecy also suggest it may simply refer to the collection of other gifts related to supernatural revelation from God, rather than a specific gift relating to foretelling the future.

The gift of knowledge and the gift of wisdom relate to the office of Prophet. They are other gifts that require some level of explanation as they seemingly refer to the same thing, however there are important distinctions. In both cases they refer to something supernatural and beyond ourselves. In the case of wisdom, it is wisdom from God that cannot be explained as simply the application of our own God-given wisdom. It refers to wisdom for a particular situation, and it can be for ourselves or more often for the situation of another person. Conversely, the gift of knowledge refers to some form of supernatural knowledge. Again the gift of knowledge is often for someone else, and because of that, it can be a complicated gift in that the knowledge does not necessarily make sense to us.

The Rev. Can. Gene Packwood has described a situation in which he received a word of knowledge for a particular woman, “God likes your french fries.” This seemed to him, and indeed to anyone else, a silly word of knowledge. Yet when he shared this word with the woman, it bore deep meaning to her, encouraged her and brought healing to her. She had been moved by the efforts of a youth group and had sought to show her appreciation for them by buying them some french fries. Others within her church had reacted negatively, saying she had sought to draw attention to herself for her charitable act, yet the word given to Gene encouraged the woman to know that God had seen the charity and love in her heart.

The gift of healing and miracles are more easily understood gifts, that involve simply supernatural occurrences of healing or some other unexplainable phenomenon. While it is only natural to level some amount of scepticism towards these events, thinking that they are merely natural phenomena we don’t have the scientific understanding to explain, there are also occurrences in which God’s hand is at work. Holy Scripture tells us to expect them and we should remain open to accepting that in his sovereignty, God continues to intervene supernaturally in our lives.

The gift of tongues is probably one of the gifts the most associated with charismatics due in large part to the Pentecostal movement, and is also a gift that can be misunderstood. Among Pentecostals, it has been the belief in the past that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was predicated on the gift of tongues. In the historic context there have been two forms of the gift of tongues, both in the speaking of an Angelic language, which we are most familiar with today, or the speaking in other human languages which the person does not know. This is the historic first example of the gift of the Spirit when the Apostles began to speak in all tongues after the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

What should always be noted about the gift of tongues is how St Paul explicitly pairs it with the gift of the interpretation of tongues, and even later goes on to say, “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit,” (I Cor 14. 2) and continues on explaining the need to pray for interpretation.

St Paul’s instructions on the use of the gift of tongues and interpretation in that chapter form a key practical example of the purposes and uses of gifts of the spirit, which ultimately helps further to explain what they are, and will be explored in the next part of this series on the Holy Spirit.

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.

On Judicial Review

The Day of Pentecost

GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by the sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Whitsunday

O GOD, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon thy disciples in Jerusalem: Grant that we who celebrate before thee the Feast of Pentecost may continue thine for ever, and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit, until we come to thine eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect for the Unity of the Christian Church

O LORD Jesus Christ who didst say unto thine Apostles, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: Regard not our sins, but the faith of thy Church, and grant unto it that peace and unity which is agreeable to thy will; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

In law, the term judicial review refers to the process by which laws passed by legislatures are scrutinized by the courts against existing higher orders of law. In Canada, this generally means the Constitution Acts 1867 and 1982, with in the US this would be the US Constitution and its amendments, including the Bill of Rights.

This process creates an interaction between the governments which pass laws and the courts which interpret them, and in the late 1990s and early 2000s, two prominent Canadian constitutional scholars began to debate the nature of this relationship.

First, Prof. Peter Hogg advanced Dialogue Theory. In Hogg's theory, legislatures and courts interact in a dialogue, because when the courts making a judicial review ruling, legislatures have the ability to respond to that statement in a number of ways. For instance, the legislature could appeal a ruling to a higher court, enact a change to avoid the ruling in some way, retain the legislation in question by amending it or abandon it entirely. In Canada, where a court ruling invalidates legislation on the basis of the Charter of Rights, the legislature has an over-ride clause in the Charter that allows the law to operate notwithstanding the Court's ruling.

Two years later, Prof. F.L. Morten responded with a criticism and advanced what he called Monologue Theory that said that interactions were not a dialogue as Hogg had said, but a one-sided monologue from the courts. First, there is a lack of equality when the two bodies speak, because the courts speak with greater authority than legislatures. While the legislatures can act to get around the rulings, there is a status quo created when the courts rule that cannot be avoided.

At this point, the real question is what does this have to do with a blog on Christianity? It is, however, an interesting model to use to examine how humans relate to God, and is particularly pertinent to discuss on the Day of Pentecost.

In the Old Testament, prayer and offerings were the normal part of the life of a believing Jew. The way they interacted with God was far different, however. While all prayed and might bring offerings, it was the priests who were set apart who made the sacrifices to God, and only particular priests were permitted into the temple--into the presence of God. Only the High Priest was permitted to use the name of God, and then only in the holiest place in the temple and only on Yom Kippur.

Throughout the history of the Old Testament, God spoke to many different people, but it was always particular people for particular purposes. Raising up great kings and leaders or prophets and priests.

Morten's arguments about the disparity in power between parties seems very much to apply here. And why would it not? Who could argue with the majesty and greatness of God being incomprehensibly greater than that of humanity? God interacted with humanity almost exclusively in a monologue.

In the new covenant, however, there is a significant change. God no longer speaks only to particular individuals, he speaks to all. He doesn't speak to us for particular purposes and at particular times. He does not do it to raise up prophets or kings for the chosen people. He speaks to every person and for every purpose.

The point at which this changes comes with the fulfilment of Christ's promise recorded in the Gospel of St John: “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).

In this passage, Christ promises the sending of the Holy Spirit, something which is recorded in Holy Scripture as happening on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and all believers like tongues of flame, and they were empowered by the Spirit.

In the Holy Spirit, the gift of dialogue was offered. God now speaks to all people, and not just for particular purposes, but for the greater purpose of of our sanctification. Christ was sent to bring about our reconciliation and through the Spirit, sent at Pentecost, we now are given the means by which we can now not simply pray to God, but hear him and converse with him.

It is astonishing that in reflection on prayer, most Christians first and foremost think of the promises made that when prayers are offered in Christ's name, they will be answered. Instead, should we not consider with great joy first and foremost that through the these gifts, God has made all believers equal in status with the great prophets of the Old Testament? Moses and Abraham, who spoke with God and received his instructions for them? Now it is a matter for all Christians to discern God's discussions with them and his will for them.

At Pentecost, it is customary to consider gifts of the Spirit. It is only natural given that they are one of the more visible results of the Holy Spirit alive in the life of a Christian. Yet, it is the gift of relationship, of conversation, with God which is truly the distinguishing characteristic for Christians, and which is not nearly celebrated enough. Everyone recognizes that one of the central tenets of Christianity is that personal relationship with God, which is enabled by Christ's passion on the cross, but it must also be recognized that once we are reconciled to God in Christ, it is by the Holy Spirit that our relationship with God is built. The opportunity for dialogue exists, and any Christian that ignores that, sticking to the monologues of the Old Testament, will be missing out on the full joy of a true, personal relationship with God the Father.

Wisdom of Saints: St Cyril of Jerusalem

The Feast of Cyril, Doctor and Bishop of Jerusalem, 386

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Cyril, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St Cyril of Jerusalem is another of the saints of whom little is known of his early life. He was born around 315 AD in or near Jerusalem, and died in 386 AD. He was trained in the Church fathers and seems to have had a secular education in the pagan philosophers as well. He was ordained as a deacon in 335 AD, a priest in 343 AD and as Bishop of Jerusalem in 350 AD.

St Cyril was a Nicene Christian and developed an animosity with the Arian bishop of Caesarea. While some scholars have argued the dispute was over issues of precedence, most seem to believe it ultimately was rooted in their opposing Christologies and the general Arian Controversy which had divided Christianity in the 4th century. Bishop Acacius ultimately caused St Cyril to be exiled briefly in 359. Restored in 360, he was then again driven out by the Emperor before finally being restored by the succession of a new Emperor in 361. In 367, his restoration was revoked, along with all other Bishops who had been restored by Emperor Julian in 361, and he lived in exile until the death of Emperor Valens in 378. He remained as Bishop of Jerusalem for the rest of his days, and attended the Second Ecumenical Council held in Constantinople in 381, which affirmed the Nicene Creed and finally put to rest the Arian controversy.

While the details of St Cyril’s life are relatively unknown, several important writings of his survive, the most prominent of which are his Catechetical Lectures, which includes 18 lessons presented to catechumens in Lent prior to Baptism, and five more lessons on the Holy Mysteries presented in Easter after they had been baptised.

The complete work survives, and gives keen insight into the minds of the Early Church, on numerous Christian topics. His lessons include discussions of the understanding of the forgiveness of sin, the nature of Christ, his resurrection and ascension, while the final five discuss issues related to Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion and the Sacred Liturgy.

In his lectures are a number of important points about Christianity. This quote from his lesson IV On the Ten Points of Doctrine, in which St Cyril examines a number of doctrines from the Nicene Creed as well as other Christian doctrines more generally:

Have thou ever in thy mind this seal [the Nicene Creed], which for the present has been lightly touched in my discourse, by way of summary, but shall be stated, should the Lord permit, to the best of my power with the proof from the Scriptures.  For concerning the divine and holy mysteries of the Faith, not even a casual statement must be delivered without the Holy Scriptures; nor must we be drawn aside by mere plausibility and artifices of speech.  Even to me, who tell thee these things, give not absolute credence, unless thou receive the proof of the things which I announce from the Divine Scriptures.  For this salvation which we believe depends not on ingenious reasoning, but on demonstration of the Holy Scriptures.

Here, St Cyril lays out that these catechumens must test all he teaches them against Holy Scripture, for the Christian is to believe nothing which cannot be proved by Holy Scripture. Later in that same chapter he discusses at length the canon of Scripture, and exhorts the catachumens not be taken in by false teachings:

Then of the New Testament there are the four Gospels only, for the rest have false titles and are mischievous. The Manichæans also wrote a Gospel according to Thomas, which being tinctured with the fragrance of the evangelic title corrupts the souls of the simple sort.  Receive also the Acts of the Twelve Apostles; and in addition to these the seven Catholic Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude; and as a seal upon them all, and the last work of the disciples, the fourteen Epistles of Paul.

Here, St Cyril identifies all the canonical books of the New Testament, aside from the Apocalypse of John which was one of the final books to be recognized in the Canon, and which would not be fixed among Christians for another ten years after St Cyril’s death. An important point here, is his denunciation of the apocryphal gospels which were then being promoted and which have, in modern times, become popular to write about again, particularly by secular authors. The Da Vinci Code and similar works use the gnostic gospels as bases for speaking of secret knowledge that Christians should know, but these so-called gospels have been known of, and have been known to be false since the time of the Early Church. Unlike the canonincal gospels which were written in the Apostolic Age, the apocryphal gospels were forged in the early 4th century, so it is not shocking that St Cyril would mention them as they were new, the canon was not fully fixed, and many Christians would not have known they were false teachings.

St Cyril’s lecture on the Holy Spirit was able to address a number of pressing issues, both in exploring the description of the Holy Spirit in the Creed as well as in addressing a number of heresies surrounding the Holy Spirit and related aspects of Christian faith:

Spiritual in truth is the grace we need, in order to discourse concerning the Holy Spirit; not that we may speak what is worthy of Him, for this is impossible, but that by speaking the words of the divine Scriptures, we may run our course without danger.  For a truly fearful thing is written in the Gospels, where Christ has plainly said, Whosoever shall speak a word against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come. And there is often fear, lest a man should receive this condemnation, through speaking what he ought not concerning Him, either from ignorance, or from supposed reverence.  The Judge of quick and dead, Jesus Christ, declared that he hath no forgiveness; if therefore any man offend, what hope has he?
It must therefore belong to Jesus Christ’s grace itself to grant both to us to speak without deficiency, and to you to hear with discretion; for discretion is needful not to them only who speak, but also to them that hear, lest they hear one thing, and misconceive another in their mind.  Let us then speak concerning the Holy Ghost nothing but what is written; and whatsoever is not written, let us not busy ourselves about it. The Holy Ghost Himself spoke the Scriptures; He has also spoken concerning Himself as much as He pleased, or as much as we could receive.  Let us therefore speak those things which He has said; for whatsoever He has not said, we dare not say.

Here, St Cyril discusses how we are commanded to speak truthfully about the Spirit, lest our ill-speech not be forgiven. He goes on to describe how the only way thus to speak truthfully, and to have discerning ears, is to speak and listen through the Scriptures. While he again examines a number of heresies concerning the Holy Spirit, once he finishes, he concludes saying, “Let then thus much suffice concerning those outcasts; and now let us return to the divine Scriptures,” and does just that, spending the remainder of the lecture examining what the Scriptures have to say about the Holy Spirit.

St Cyril, and his Catechetical Lectures are a treasure of the early Church, which give us insight into the doctrines, teachings and practices of early Christians. It is a work well-worth reading today as the truths St Cyril teaches are timeless.