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Many Anglicans today discount the Articles as mere historical documents, from a time and place so far removed from our own as to be inapplicable to modern life.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 Worship

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve: Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. 

Worship has been described as the principle duty of a Christian, but how is that duty fulfilled? As touched upon previously, worship means ascribing worth to something or someone. It is therefore something we do to God; it is not something we can come to passively experience. JI Packer goes so far as to suggest that, “[w]e are constructed so that no activity ever brings us such deep joy as does the worship of God, once we are enabled (through new birth in Christ and through the liberating power of the Holy Spirit) to plunge into it.”

This makes generally clear the concept of worship. It is something done by us that shows how we ascribe worth to God, and at the same time gives us joy owing to how God created us. But how do we worship? What constitutes worship?

There are many different ideas on what constitutes worship. JI Packer concluded his thought by suggesting that, “worshipping on earth is training and rehearsal for heaven.” This reflects the concept of worship as a mirror of heaven, a practice for our eventual joining of the Church Triumphant in heaven, ceaselessly praising God with all the other saints and angels in heaven. Others view worship as more of a form of service to God. It is show of devotion to God for who He is and what He has done. Among many evangelical circles, including some Evangelical Anglicans, it is viewed merely as an affirmation for believers, an opportunity for peace and refreshment amidst the turmoil of the world. Still others view it as a form of communion with God and other Christians. Worship becomes an opportunity to share our relationship with God with other believers in community. Still to others, worship is more of an external act, a proclamation of the Gospel; an opportunity to make a profession of belief to non-believers about the God we worship. Among charismatics, there is also a notion of worship as being an arena of transcendence, a way of meeting with God beyond ourselves.

Examining any local parish, it would be possible to see multiple ideas of worship in action, regardless of whether or not that parish identified itself as being evangelical or charismatic or anything else. Most parishes will not be alike, emphasizing one idea over another, and excluding a third completely. For instance, a parish rooted in Low Churchmanship might largely ignore the concept of worship as a mirror of heaven, and instead focus more thoroughly on ideas of service to God and affirmation for believers. A parish of a more High Churchmanship might conversely have greater focus on worship as a mirror of heaven and communion with God and other Christians.

What is important is that whatever lens or idea is used to frame worship, it ultimately be done in the original context of ascribing worth to God. Worship must always focus on God, glorifying and affirming him, and should never shift that focus away from God towards the individual. Worship is not about making ourselves feel better. As JI Packer says, we receive joy from worshipping God. We don’t need to make it about us in order to receive joy from worship!

Coming to Holy Communion on a Sunday morning is thus in and of itself an act of worship; in doing so we proclaim God’s worth of our time each week. But beyond that, how do we worship?

Holy Scripture commands us to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” (Mk 12. 30). How does that apply in the context of worship?

Properly, worship focuses on God. The best worship, however, focuses on God with all our five senses, in order that we display our love as Christ commanded. In doing so, we are actively engaging all that we are in worship. Worshipping God with some senses may seem more readily apparent than others. It is simply to think of how we worship God with hearing, listening to the Gospel or singing beautiful hymns, but what of our senses of smell or touch?

As mentioned there are two simple ways in which we engage our hearing in worship. First, there is the receptive way. When we listen to the Gospel and other lessons being read from Scripture, we ascribe worth to God. We similarly engage our hearing when we listen to the homily expounding on the nature of God. Alternatively we can be active towards God and engage hearing through our own words and songs. When we pray, in and of itself it is an act of worship, but when we pray together, it becomes a second act of worship, seeking to make our prayers beautiful to the ears. The same can be said of when we use our voices to sing, joining the Angels in their unending hymn to God. In both of these cases, our hearing is engaged in filling our hearts and minds with the love and praise of God, and the revelations of His nature.

Sight is another obvious way to engage our senses in the worship of God. From a prepared altar to stained glass windows or other decorations around the church, our eyes can be constantly engaged. Banners in liturgical colours remind us of historic events or seasons and of God’s nature and relationship with us. Clerical garments and altar decorations similarly have specific meanings. Just as our hearing is engaged receptively, our sight can be similarly engaged as we watch the cross processed to the sanctuary or other actions carried out during the service.

The most common way to engage our smell is through the use of incense, a practice dating back to the early Church. The use of incense throughout the service carries with it different meanings. When the Gospel is processed amidst the people to be read and is censed, it is meant to bring to mind the devotion and prayers of missionaries of the Church in bringing the Gospel to the world. During the offertory, the censing represents God’s grace being imparted. During the consecration and preparation of the gifts the incense is offered as adoration for God.Even when incense is not used, there are other smells which can be engaged in worship. The altar will be adorned with candles, and while unscented still produce a smell from the burning of the wick, particularly once they have been extinguished at the end of the service.

The sense of taste is engaged when we receive God’s grace through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Ps 34. 8) The mouth is the gateway to our body, and when we engage our tongue in the consumption of the body and blood of our Lord, the taste reminds us of the gift we have received, the constant refilling of God’s grace and our duty of thanks towards Him.

Finally, our sense of touch is somewhat surprisingly one of the more versatile of our senses in the context of worship. There is something about the physicality of touch that lends tangibility to the intangible aspects of worship. We touch others to pass the peace in preparation for giving of offerings to God. We touch ourselves when we cross ourselves at the invocation of the trinity and other points during the service. We touch the baptismal font and cross ourselves to renew our baptismal vows. Taken more broadly, touch can involve all aspects of our physical activity. When we kneel to pray or stand to sing.

Worship is best when it engages our whole minds and bodies, and when every aspect of our being is engaged in ascribing worth to God. Holy Communion provides a feast of worship for each of our five senses, but in order to translate a candle or a stole into worship, we must engage our senses with the intention of worship.

On Churchmanship

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.

When speaking of Anglicanism, there is broad diversity in style of worship, and even shockingly to some outsiders, of doctrine and theology. Often times, the understanding of Anglicanism is rooted in Churchmanship, a broad summation of that style of worship which itself is usually, but not always, a reflection of the doctrine and theological perspective of the Anglican in question.

There is an oversimplification here, but it can be traced back to the reality that originally there did tend to be a strong association between High and Low Churchmanship and the Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic understandings of Anglicanism.

Prior to the 19th century, the practice of Anglicanism had become what today would be viewed as very Low Church. Altars were bare, priests wore very plain vestments. This reflected the Puritan influences from the 17th century wherein there was a stress on the personal relationship between parishioner and God. Ritual was viewed as something that separated the individual from God. At the same time that Anglicanism’s Catholicity was being highlighted by the Oxford Movement in the early 19th century, the ritualist movement appeared in response, giving liturgical expression to the theologies being developed that emphasized more corporate worship.

Straddling between the two extremes of High and Low Churchmanship were a myriad of groupings. Central Churchmanship involved a conservative and sometimes evangelical theology, but a much higher level of ritual than in standard Low Churchmanship. Latitudinarianism gave birth to Broad Churchmanship which today, sadly, encompasses many Anglicans.

Latitudinarianism was a pejorative term used to describe a movement that arose in the 17th century that stressed the idea of the Church of England as a civic expression of spirituality. The Church had a necessary role in the expression of spirituality, the cultivation of morality and so on, thus subscription to the Church of England itself was essential, however the doctrines, liturgy and practices were far less important as there could be, for the Latitudinarians, other sources. This was the source of the name: adherents argued that greater latitude be given to the practice of the Church in order to promote unity at a time following the English civil wars through to the Glorious Revolution of Parliament in 1688—an extremely unstable and turbulent time in English history.

There was often an association between Latitudinarianism and heterodoxy, as one might suppose given there often times rejection of orthodox doctrines and the supremacy of Scripture, and over the centuries the term Broad has tended to supplant Latitudinarianism to describe this form of Churchmanship. Unlike Low or High Churchmanship, Broad Churchmanship does not subscribe to a particular style of worship, but is generally associated at the very least with Liberal theology and often modernism.

In modern Broad Churchmanship, this has tended towards a revival of the view of the Church as merely the ‘nation at prayer’ and thus the doctrines of the Church can be informed by the philosophical values of the nation. In a more technical sense, modern philosophy, scientific understanding and hermeneutics are applies to the understanding of Scripture, which again holds less authoritative value, rather than the opposite which would generally be expected in more conservative theologies.

Because of this theological underpinning, which can see even a rejection of the statements of the Creeds, it is not difficult to see how both low and high practices can be incorporated. While there is a tendency towards High Church liturgical practices, due to the inherent beauty in the liturgy itself, Broad Churchmanship can also find expression in lower liturgical practices.

Discounting the heterodoxy of Broad Churchmanship, and recognizing that while less institutionally prone it can occur anywhere, each form of Churchmanship holds merit. The fact that each does hold merit does not mean, however, that one is not superior to another.

The question then becomes one of examining the purposes and suppositions of each form of Churchmanship, and the purposes of Holy Communion (and other gatherings) where the liturgy becomes an expression of that Churchmanship and thus that theology.

Worship is about ascribing worth to something or someone. According to JI Packer:

Worship is looking Godward and celebrating the worth—that is the praiseworthiness—of what we see. The Bible calls this activity glorifying God, or giving glory to God. “Glory” means, first, divinity on display, (the glory God shows us) and then, the response we make to God for this honour.

So when Christians gather on Sundays and in context Anglicans in particular, we do so first and foremost to ascribe worth to God by glorifying him. Anglican Churchmanship then is the response to the question of, “how do we glorify God and show his immeasurable worth?”

The Psalmists tell us all creation worships the Lord. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Ps 19. 1) If all creation worships God, how can it in and of itself become a barrier to worshipping Him? We are called to worship God with all that we are (Mk 12. 30), and through the use of ritual we are able to reflect that. Forms of worship that engage the full senses and which worship God not merely in raised voices, but with smells and sights and even our very posture, recognizing that all creation worships God with us.

It is also worth noting that Church, the House of Prayer of the Lord, is a place for corporate worship. We come before God not simply as individuals, but as adopted sons and daughters in His family, members of a community of faith and the communion of saints.

The theology expressed in High Churchmanship is one that emphasizes a high view of God and his created world, and offers it all back to Him in due worship.