The Eucharistic Lectionary

Every Lord’s Day at Eucharist, we have Scripture readings, also called lessons, from the Old Testament, the Psalter, Epistles and the Gospels.  The readings to be used are selected according to a calendar of readings known as a Lectionary. The ancient practice of using a lectionary has the advantage of ensuring we have a wide range of Bible readings the "Whole council of Scripture," as is said.  It also allows us to join with many other Christians in our tradition many other traditions who use the same or similar lectionaries.  Do lectionaries limit the Holy Spirit speaking to the preacher about the message to be delivered any given Sunday?  Many think so, and it is true that circumstance and occurrences call for overriding lectionary readings, but perhaps using a lectionary that covers the broad warp and woof of Holy Scripture is honoring the Holy Spirit who inspired all of Holy Scripture in the first place. 

 

Transformed by the Renewal of Your Mind

Mary Patterson gave me a copy of a book she was reading, Milfred Minatrea, Shaped by God’s Heart.¹  This book reminded me that Biblical knowledge is not an end in itself or something to make us smarter: it is to make us different, for as St. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." 

In the same vein, upon having lunch with the new Lutheran pastor in town, I discovered he was reading a book titled Simple Church by Thomas Rainer.  I returned to the church and called it up on my Kindle.  Again, the book talked about the Christian life as transformational, the process of coming more and more to “love God, love others and serve the world.”² 

Transformation is what God desires. The classic word for it is sanctification. God offers to lead us into being a new creation.   Thomas Rainer in his book gives us a metaphor for our transformational relationship with Christ- It is like building a house to live in:

First, we build a firm foundation:
§   A personal and intimate relationship with God
§   Simply “being” in Christ.    

Next, we build on our firm foundation:
§   Growing in our knowledge and love of the Lord
§   Immersing ourselves in the family of God.
§   Learning what it means to follow and obey.
§   Learning what it means to really love others.
§   Progressively becoming like Christ.
        
Little by little, we move into our new home:
§   Maturing in the Faith
§   “Being, Knowing and Doing” the things of the Christian life.
§   Taking on the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): 

        Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.
§   Actively loving God, loving others, and serving the world.
§   Sharing in word and deed the Good News of Christ.

BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, 1549 Book of Common Prayer)

¹Milfred Minatrea, Shaped by God’s Heart, John Wiley and Sons, 2004.
²Thomas Rainer, Eric Geiger, Simple Church, B&H Publishing, 2003

Liturgical Worship

Sunday Worship is the most important thing we do together as a church family.  It is God’s desire (actually His 4^th Commandment) that we keep holy the Sabbath and honor Him in worship.  Lord’s Day worship is not an option for our personal contact with the Lord and our corporate obedience as a church family.  
                                 
As the Ancient-Future Movement in the Church highlights, and as the late Robert E. Webber articulates in his many books, Anglican worship (liturgical worship in general) has both an ancient and a future dimension.  Our ancient liturgy connects us with the saints who have gone before us, and liturgy places us in continuity everywhere and throughout time with the universal church and the historic apostolic faith.  The liturgy also has a future dimension in that it propels us forward into the future that God has for us.  Our worship lifts us heavenward and becomes for us a dress rehearsal for that time when all the saints will gather around the Lord’s Banquet Table forever.                                   Father Rob

 

Opening More and More to the Holy Spirit

The late Rev. Terry Fullam, the once Rector of St. Paul’s Church, Derien, Ct, upon first coming to that parish, expressed his overarching expectation for that congregation.  His expectation was that they will find themselves opening up more and more to the Holy Spirit, in which case they will find themselves growing and expanding in their relationship with God. 

As the Rector of Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity, I would like to claim Terry’s expectation as my own for this parish; that is, that they will be continually growing and expanding their relationship with God.   As their priest, they have expectations of me, one of which I hope is that I will assist them in living into this expectation I have of them.

Within the context of a church family, this expectation of an ever-expanding relationship with God has four growing edges-

1)      A growing intimacy with God in worship.

2)     A growing knowledge of God through study of the Scripture and the exploration of the things of the Kingdom.

3)      Growing in service to the Lord and in being Christ to the world around us.

4)     And a growing obedience to Christ in the Great Commission by introducing others to Christ and bringing others into the fellowship of God’s family.

It is very appropriate for them to expect much of me as their Rector, but God has called me to also expect much of them.   

Father Rob

More Catechesis, Please

The Rev. Dr. J.I Packer who is with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is one of the leading evangelical theologians of our time.  He was also the chief editor in the production of the English Standard Verson (ESV) of the Bible. The following is extracted from a "Living Church Magazine" article on J.I. Packer by William Murchison, February 7, 2010.  

Dr. Packer said at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Dallas on Jan. 9, 2010 that he yearns for the return of catechesis, “Bible-based, Christ-centered, declarative in style,” at a time when “the Christian value system is virtually disappearing from schools.”  “We are drifting back into paganism…”

“Ongoing learning is part of the calling of the Church,” he said. “It has to be taught in all churches at all times…”  He called it “ridiculous to think that no more learning of the Faith is necessary after confirmation has taken place.”  Recovering the traditional emphasis on careful, lifelong instruction in Christian faith “will be totally uphill all the way,” he said. “We shall be challenging the dominant trends in our culture, and it won’t be easy…”

“Teaching the catechism should be a regular, continuing project for churches,” Dr. Packer said.  “Crucial topics include the authorship of Scripture; the reality of God’s being; the holiness of God’s law; the centrality of Jesus Christ; the graciousness of salvation; the power of the Holy Spirit; and the praiseworthiness of God.”

Dr. Packer urged Christians, “Pray for your clergy, stand behind them as they seek to adjust congregational patterns to the need for intensive grounding in the Christian essentials. Every parish priest should be — among other things— a catechist.”