Funerals are always a difficult time for family, friends and even clergy. This past weekend we buried one of the founding members of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. Not that I am unfamiliar with dealing with death, both personally and professionally, it is still a difficult time for everyone involved.
Thankfully our Book of Common Prayer provides very sound guidelines for the preparation and performance of the burial rite. These guidelines are a great comfort both to the deceased’s family as well as to the church staff responsible for the burial service.
Very early on in my ministry I was reflecting on what is communicated in our burial rite and concluded that if anything, we, as the Church, are communicating the promise found in Matthew 28:20, “…And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” One aspect of my ministry has always been the goal of trying to make our Holy Scriptures relevant and present in our everyday thoughts and actions. And, although the Burial Rite in our BCP underscores Christ’s promise to always be with us, I wondered if there was a way to communicate this promise in our liturgical actions as well.
Read the rest of this entry » » » »
I reader recently passed along a short video clip in response to the posts regarding baptism. I just could not miss the opportunity to share the clip with you.
Be sure to watch out for the second child being baptized. He is a hoot!
Almost every Episcopalian has had the opportunity to witness and share in the baptism of a child or adult during a Sunday morning worship service. Since Holy Baptism is most appropriate in the content of our Sunday morning Eucharistic celebration [See: New Baptismal Theology? Adult Baptism] one aspect of the Rite of Holy Baptism that is often overlooked, or is at least not emphasized, is the role of the congregation in this sacramental celebration. Read the rest of this entry » » » »
Recently I have had the privilege to perform several baptisms, two of these were adult men. Maybe my ministry has been exceptional in that almost exclusively I have performed baptisms of young children. But, I feel that my life in ministry is probably common in this matter. With these baptisms several thoughts have come to mind and therefore this piece of ‘manna’ is one of four regarding various aspects of baptism. The second ‘manna’ will deal with some of the history and theology of the Sacrament of Baptism as contained in our 1979 Book of Common Prayer. [See: New Baptismal Theology? Adult Baptism] The final three address pastoral aspects of baptisms drawn from my 35 years in the ordained ministry. The first is Holy Baptism: An Adult Respected, the second We Receive You, and the final post is The Tears of Baptism: A Pastoral Response.
One custom I have incorporated into the celebration of the baptismal rite has been the utilization of baptismal salt. Read the rest of this entry » » » »
Occasionally, at the major Sunday celebration of the Eucharist on Easter Sunday morning, I have utilized a bit of drama to begin the service. Regretfully, I do not recall where I ran across this practice. I want to say that I found it as a practice used in some Orthodox churches but please do not hold me to that recollection. I have used it from time to time to vary the Easter Sunday service and to emphasize in a more dramatic way the events on that very first Easter morning.
The drama begins after everyone has gathered but before the processional hymn. Since St. Michael’s has three doors or sets of doors into its nave I am able to use each one of the doors in succession. And, given that the church is miked, the action of the drama proves to be very effective.
I have the ushers close all doors into the nave following the introit hymn. Then, at the furthest door, I knock loudly on the outside of the door and have a woman’s voice say (using the microphone ), “We have come seeking Jesus” to which the choir, having been instructed as to the patters of versicles and responses, respond in unison, “He is not here.” The sacred ministers then move to the second door of the nave and we repeat the knocking on the door and the versicles and responses. Finally we move to the main double doors of the nave and again loudly knock on the outside and announce for the third time, “We have come seeking Jesus” to which the choir joyfully responds, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”
We have varied this drama by including the instructions in the Sunday missalettes so that the choir and congregation are both able to participate in the versicles and responses.
Immediately following the third repetition the opening processional hymn is begun and the formal procession of the sacred ministers, i.e. all acolytes, choir, Lay Eucharist Ministers and clergy, into the chancel of the church.
From time to time I have a reader respond to an article and feel a further clarification is necessary. Recently, a former parishioner wanted to challenge something I had said regarding the nature of the Real Presence as understood by Anglicans. I have attached my response to him:
Dear John,
I really enjoyed talking with you the other day and yes, you have been included in our prayer list for each Sunday until such time as you tell me to remove your name.
In response to your questions and follow-up to our discussion. Not only physical science but also our reason informs us that the bread and wine do not actually become bodily flesh or blood cells. Read the rest of this entry » » » »
From time to time, I am asked why certain verses in The Hymnal 1982 have an asterisk (*) before particular verses. The generalized and most common interpretation of this mark is that it’s OK to shorten the hymn and not sing all verses published. And this is true. An asterisk before a verse indicates that it may be omitted without obscuring the text of the hymn. However, it is generally the tradition of the church to include all verses of a hymn so that the whole theological thought is presented in it’s entirety.
The Hymnal 1982 is a collection of hymns from many traditions - old and new, protestant and catholic, spirituals and renaissance - and our hymns are drawn from a wide variety of liturgical practices and encompassing a wide cultural diversity of composers and sources. Read the rest of this entry » » » »
“Could You Not Stay Awake With Me One Hour?” (Matthew 26:40)
This was the question Jesus asked his disciples while he was in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Since the 15th century, a custom developed in which the faithful, following the celebration of the Eucharist on Maundy Thursday, would gather before an Altar of Repose to spend an hour in prayer, meditation, and reflection on Jesus’ agony during the events following his last supper with his friends and the events of Good Friday.
The Altar of Repose is a special location within a church’s sanctuary, side chapel or other location set aside as a chapel for the reception of the remaining consecrated elements following the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on Maundy Thursday. For many years it has been the custom of the church not to celebrate the Holy Eucharist from the end of the Maundy Thursday celebration until the first Eucharist of Easter Sunday. For emergency purposes, i.e. hospital visits, last rites, etc., the consecrated elements of the bread and wine are held in reserve. Since the Altar has been stripped of all appointments, including the aumbrey and/or tabernacle, the elements are removed to a secure place or to an Altar of Repose for the Hour Watches. Read the rest of this entry » » » »
Long, long ago, or it seems to me, Lent was a time of sadness, reflection and repentance, when Christians felt they should suffer. For 40 days these early church Christians ate no rich foods; no meat, cheese, eggs or even milk. However, what these early Christians did eat was fish, and they baked a special bread shaped into arms crossed, a symbol of rest and meditation as Christians sadly contemplated their sins. They called this bread Bracellae, the Latin word for “little arms.” Read the rest of this entry » » » »
The traditional observance of Maundy Thursday, the name for the Thursday preceding Easter, is derived from the first antiphon of the ceremony of the washing of the feet, ‘mandatum novum’ (Jn. 13:34). Its special celebration in commemoration of the Lord’s Institution of the Eucharist on this day is recorded in 4th century by the Council of Hippo (393). There are two other traditional liturgical features associated with this day: the Blessing of the Holy Oils and the Reconciliation of Penitents, although the latter has long been obsolete. Read the rest of this entry » » » »