On Preparing to receive Holy Communion--a discussion starter
Two words may be applied to “The Holy Eucharist” as one encounters it in most Episcopal and Anglican churches (not to mention Roman Catholic and Lutheran) in 2008. They are “celebration” and “community.” Celebration is not used in the strict sense of “engaging in a religious ceremony” but rather in the sense of “participating in a time of religious festivity of honoring and praising God.” Community emphasizes that what occurs is for all, that each and everyone has a part in it, small or great, and that for anyone not to partake wholly (i.e., in the “Peace” and the “Sacrament”) is a failure of community.
One of effect of this is that there cannot be more than a minimal emphasis and place given in modern Services to the inward preparation by each and every person, who intends to receive the sacramental body and blood of the once crucified and now exalted Lord Jesus. In fact, the general view common today is that hearty involvement in the communal “celebration” and in the “passing of the peace” is itself appropriate preparation for the signs and symbols of the community Eucharist.
The actual texts of the modern Liturgies used do little to change the contemporary approach to preparation. In fact, one may say that they have made a major contribution to bringing things to where they are right now in modern use of liturgy. The confession of sin in the Service is minimal and is often treated as optional, except perhaps during Lent.
I must leave my reader to look at the various forms of “The Holy Eucharist” produced by The Episcopal Church in its Rite 2 selection of 1979, and in the various authorized rites in several booklets since then—services used widely in The Anglican Communion Network and AMIA. The same applies to the official Prayer Book of the Anglican Church of Nigeria and in its CANA expression in the U.S.A.
Here I want to recall the basic preparation for Holy Communion not only recommended but required by The Book of Common Prayer (1662), a Book still in use in many countries.
Preparation: Reformed Catholic style
One part of “The Order for Holy Communion” in The BCP (1662 & later editions of it), which is very rarely if ever read aloud even by “traditionalists,” is the section containing “The Exhortations.” This is found between the Prayer for the Church and the Call to the Confession of Sin (but the section is relegated to an Appendix in the American BCP of 1928). The rubrics (rules) of The BCP 1662 require that one of the Exhortations be read whenever Holy Communion is to follow either that day or the next Sunday. The BCP 1928 requires that an Exhortation be read only on three specific Sundays (Advent 1, Lent 1, and Trinity).
From the content of these Exhortations (which originate in the first edition of The BCP in 1549) we get a very clear statement of what is involved in preparation for the right receiving of the Holy Sacrament at the Lord’s Table for the Anglican Way or Reformed Catholicism. Here is an analysis of the content of the first Exhortation which is read the week before the Administration:
1) Notice of when the next Celebration of Holy Communion will occur.
2) The Duty of the Baptized in joining in the Holy Communion.
3) The Blessedness of worthy, and the danger of unworthy, reception of H.C.
4) Actual Preparation for H.C.
(a) Self-examination
(b) Repentance and Confession to God
(c) Reparation of injuries done to neighbors.
(d) Forgiveness of other for injuries.
5) Warning against unworthy reception by the example of Judas at last Supper
6) Recommendation to those who cannot quiet their own conscience to open their spiritual grief to a godly Minister, receive Absolution by the Word of God, along with spiritual counsel.
The Second is largely based on 1 Corinthians 10-11 and is to be used only where the people are negligent to receive the Holy Communion. This is not a problem in the West today!
The Third is to be used at the time of the Celebration itself. It is both an instruction, and a call for preparation to receive the Sacrament. It may be analyzed as follows:
1) The Duty of self-examination.
2) The Benefit of worthy, and the danger of unworthy, reception.
3) Exhortation to self-judgment, repentance and faith.
4) The solemn duty of Thanksgiving to God for the redemption of the world by the passion and death of Jesus.
5) The Institution and Purpose of Holy Communion.
6) Doxology.
(Note that this Exhortation in contemporary English is part of the Service of H.C. in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) –available from www.anglicanmarketplace.com )
What is abundantly clear from these Exhortations, and the content of the whole Service, is (a) the very high estimate of this Service as a glorious means of Grace, and (b) the very basic need and requirement of those who will truly and worthily receive to come to the Lord’s Table to do so in a suitably penitent, humble, and faithful manner. Here reception without right preparation is viewed as spiritually and morally dangerous.
Conclusion
The celebration offered by The BCP 1662 is a celebrating of the nature, character, attributes and redeeming work of the Father through the Son and with the Holy Spirit. Here the confession of sin is an essential part of the praise of God, for it celebrates his justice and his mercy. The essential movement is vertical--first from heaven down and then in response from the assembly on earth up – and always through the Son and with the Spirit, first from and then to the Father almighty. And to engage in this upward movement to feast at the heavenly Banquet with and on Christ, spiritual preparation is required.
Regrettably such celebration is all too rare.
The celebration offered by many modern liturgies and congregations is that of a communal sharing, with a celebrating of this fellowship and the God of grace who makes it possible. Here the confession of sin is usually passed over quickly in order to get to the real celebration which consists of the communal singing of hymns and spiritual songs. The reality and presence of the Holy Trinity is not denied and neither is the Atonement of Jesus at Calvary, but they are not prominent for they are lost behind the communal activity. Preparation for receiving Holy Communion is rarely mentioned for it is apparently presumed that all are welcome whatever their state of heart .
Regrettably such celebration is all too common.
www.pbsusa.org drpetertoon@yahoo.com www.anglicanmarketplace.com March 8 2008
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
The peculiar Anglican Blessing at the end of Holy Communion
The Blessing at the end of the Latin Mass has remained the same for centuries:
Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, Pater, et Filius, et Spirit Sanctus [The almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless you.]
In contrast, The Blessing at the end of “The Order for Holy Communion” in The Book of Common Prayer from 1549 is longer:
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and the love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: And the Blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always.
Why is the first half devoted to the bestowal of peace? Probably because there is no equivalent in the traditional English Service based on BCP 1549/1552 [except that of Canada 1962] of the “Peace”, that is a fixture of the Latin Mass, before the breaking of the Bread.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum. [ The Peace of the Lord be always with you.]
Et cum spirtu tuo. [And with thy spirit.]
That is, the bestowal of peace from God, associated with the gift of salvation and communion, is held over in the Anglican service until the end, and is then inextricably linked to the bestowal of the Blessing of the Holy Trinity to close the service and to send the people forth into their vocations in the world. [It may be noted also that, if the rubrics are followed, the remaining consecrated bread and wine remain on the Holy Table until after the Benediction. Thus the peace and blessing are given in this unique setting.]
From where does the verbal content of the Peace in the final Blessing come? It seems clear that it is from Philippians 4:7, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Perhaps Ephesians 3:19 was also in mind: “To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
To make the bestowal of supernatural peace, along with the blessing of the Holy Trinity part of the final Benediction, is to underline that both are the unique gifts of the Holy Trinity and that both are necessary for forgiven sinners in their pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem as they fulfill their vocations in the present evil world.
No doubt there are some people, who “enjoy” the present administration of the “Peace,” where often people greet each other as they move around the assembly, do not like to see the “Peace” made into a one-way movement (from the Trinity to the baptized believer). For them it is a horizontal and demonstrative sharing of what God has previous through the celebrant given to be shared. The truth of the matter seems to be that the traditional Anglican Service of the classic BCP is very much dominated by what may be called the heaven to earth dimension, while the modern Anglican Services are more dominated by the sense of community and sharing in the presence of the immanent God.
In closing it may be noted that the full Benediction of The BCP Holy Communion Service is only to be used at the end of Holy Communion, for there, alone, it is truly appropriate. In contrast, the Daily Office and the Litany close with the Grace (2 Cor 13).
Finally, the form of the Benediction is performative, that is, its verbal form is intended to signify the effectual action of the Holy Trinity in real bestowal—something, we note, that is not so clear in the modern “May the blessing…”
drpetertoon@yahoo.com www.pbsusa.org www.anglicanmarketplace.com Sept 7, 2008
Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, Pater, et Filius, et Spirit Sanctus [The almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless you.]
In contrast, The Blessing at the end of “The Order for Holy Communion” in The Book of Common Prayer from 1549 is longer:
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and the love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: And the Blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always.
Why is the first half devoted to the bestowal of peace? Probably because there is no equivalent in the traditional English Service based on BCP 1549/1552 [except that of Canada 1962] of the “Peace”, that is a fixture of the Latin Mass, before the breaking of the Bread.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum. [ The Peace of the Lord be always with you.]
Et cum spirtu tuo. [And with thy spirit.]
That is, the bestowal of peace from God, associated with the gift of salvation and communion, is held over in the Anglican service until the end, and is then inextricably linked to the bestowal of the Blessing of the Holy Trinity to close the service and to send the people forth into their vocations in the world. [It may be noted also that, if the rubrics are followed, the remaining consecrated bread and wine remain on the Holy Table until after the Benediction. Thus the peace and blessing are given in this unique setting.]
From where does the verbal content of the Peace in the final Blessing come? It seems clear that it is from Philippians 4:7, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Perhaps Ephesians 3:19 was also in mind: “To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
To make the bestowal of supernatural peace, along with the blessing of the Holy Trinity part of the final Benediction, is to underline that both are the unique gifts of the Holy Trinity and that both are necessary for forgiven sinners in their pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem as they fulfill their vocations in the present evil world.
No doubt there are some people, who “enjoy” the present administration of the “Peace,” where often people greet each other as they move around the assembly, do not like to see the “Peace” made into a one-way movement (from the Trinity to the baptized believer). For them it is a horizontal and demonstrative sharing of what God has previous through the celebrant given to be shared. The truth of the matter seems to be that the traditional Anglican Service of the classic BCP is very much dominated by what may be called the heaven to earth dimension, while the modern Anglican Services are more dominated by the sense of community and sharing in the presence of the immanent God.
In closing it may be noted that the full Benediction of The BCP Holy Communion Service is only to be used at the end of Holy Communion, for there, alone, it is truly appropriate. In contrast, the Daily Office and the Litany close with the Grace (2 Cor 13).
Finally, the form of the Benediction is performative, that is, its verbal form is intended to signify the effectual action of the Holy Trinity in real bestowal—something, we note, that is not so clear in the modern “May the blessing…”
drpetertoon@yahoo.com www.pbsusa.org www.anglicanmarketplace.com Sept 7, 2008
Thursday, March 06, 2008
The Blessings & Exclamations in The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom & The Liturgy of St Basil the Great & their relation to TEC 1979 Prayer Book
What the Greeks call the Divine Liturgy falls into three parts: The Office of Oblation ,where the bread and wine are presented; The Liturgy of the Catechumens, wherein the faithful engage in praying, hearing readings and singing, in preparation for the Holy Sacrament; and The Liturgy of the Faithful, which is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
Blessings
At the beginning of the first two parts, the Deacon asks the Celebrant (Bishop or Priest) to bless the assisting clergy and the congregation, and the two blessings are as follows:
Blessed is our God always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages (Office of Oblation)
Blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages (Liturgy of the Catechumens. This Blessing is bestowed in cross-form with the book of the Gospels and from the Altar).
Here “our God” in the first is filled out to include his full Name in the second. There is no comparable Blessing at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Faithful.
Exclamations
Throughout parts two and three there are Exclamations, wherein God the Holy Trinity is praised and adored.
Here are three examples from each of the two parts:
Part two
For unto thee [O Lord] are due all glory, honor and worship, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
For thine [O Lord] is the majesty, and thine are the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
For thou art a good God, and lovest mankind, and unto thee [O Lord] we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Part three:
For unto thee [O Lord] are due all honor, glory and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
That being kept always by thy might, [O Lord], we may ascribe glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Through the bounties of thine Only-begotten Son, with whom thou [the Father] art glorified, together with the most holy and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
What comes across so clearly and powerfully is a strong and clear doctrine of the Holy Trinity, always in the revealed order of the Father, together with his Son, and with his Holy Spirit. Further, following the content of the Great Commission of Matthew 28: 16- 20, there is a careful use of the definite article, “the”, to emphasize the distinctness and personhood of all Three—of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (See verse 19 of Matthew 28: “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”)
TEC Prayer Book 1979
At the beginning of the Eucharist, and at several other places, in the current Episcopal Church Prayer Book (a collection of varied services but called, oddly, “The Book of Common Prayer”), there is a Blessing or Exclamation which is said to be based on the Greek (see Hatchett, Commentary, p.318).
The TEC form is as follows:
Minister: Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People: And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
The Greek form at the comparative place in the Divine Liturgy is:
Blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
To anyone who has even a minimal theological and grammatical education, it is very obvious that all that can be claimed is that the TEC form is based upon the Greek in a general sense; for they are not strictly doctrinally identical. In the Greek form there is one eternal kingdom, ruled over and the possession of the One God who is known as Three distinct Persons. In the TEC form there is One God, who has three Names or Modes of Being [and perhaps is Three Persons?], and who has a kingdom. In the Greek form it is “blessed is the kingdom” whereas in the TEC it is both “blessed be God” and “blessed be his kingdom.”
One wonders why the TEC Liturgical experts in the 1970s did not simply use the Greek Blessing and have the people respond with a clear “Amen.” As it is, they provided a text that has been often modified to become: “Blessed be God: Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier” or similar formulations, to satisfy feminists and radicals. Further, just by its lack of clarity it has served to undermine classic Trinitarian language and doctrine.
END
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Blessings
At the beginning of the first two parts, the Deacon asks the Celebrant (Bishop or Priest) to bless the assisting clergy and the congregation, and the two blessings are as follows:
Blessed is our God always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages (Office of Oblation)
Blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages (Liturgy of the Catechumens. This Blessing is bestowed in cross-form with the book of the Gospels and from the Altar).
Here “our God” in the first is filled out to include his full Name in the second. There is no comparable Blessing at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Faithful.
Exclamations
Throughout parts two and three there are Exclamations, wherein God the Holy Trinity is praised and adored.
Here are three examples from each of the two parts:
Part two
For unto thee [O Lord] are due all glory, honor and worship, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
For thine [O Lord] is the majesty, and thine are the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
For thou art a good God, and lovest mankind, and unto thee [O Lord] we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Part three:
For unto thee [O Lord] are due all honor, glory and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
That being kept always by thy might, [O Lord], we may ascribe glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Through the bounties of thine Only-begotten Son, with whom thou [the Father] art glorified, together with the most holy and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
What comes across so clearly and powerfully is a strong and clear doctrine of the Holy Trinity, always in the revealed order of the Father, together with his Son, and with his Holy Spirit. Further, following the content of the Great Commission of Matthew 28: 16- 20, there is a careful use of the definite article, “the”, to emphasize the distinctness and personhood of all Three—of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (See verse 19 of Matthew 28: “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”)
TEC Prayer Book 1979
At the beginning of the Eucharist, and at several other places, in the current Episcopal Church Prayer Book (a collection of varied services but called, oddly, “The Book of Common Prayer”), there is a Blessing or Exclamation which is said to be based on the Greek (see Hatchett, Commentary, p.318).
The TEC form is as follows:
Minister: Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People: And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
The Greek form at the comparative place in the Divine Liturgy is:
Blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
To anyone who has even a minimal theological and grammatical education, it is very obvious that all that can be claimed is that the TEC form is based upon the Greek in a general sense; for they are not strictly doctrinally identical. In the Greek form there is one eternal kingdom, ruled over and the possession of the One God who is known as Three distinct Persons. In the TEC form there is One God, who has three Names or Modes of Being [and perhaps is Three Persons?], and who has a kingdom. In the Greek form it is “blessed is the kingdom” whereas in the TEC it is both “blessed be God” and “blessed be his kingdom.”
One wonders why the TEC Liturgical experts in the 1970s did not simply use the Greek Blessing and have the people respond with a clear “Amen.” As it is, they provided a text that has been often modified to become: “Blessed be God: Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier” or similar formulations, to satisfy feminists and radicals. Further, just by its lack of clarity it has served to undermine classic Trinitarian language and doctrine.
END
www.pbsusa.org drpetertoon@yahoo.com www.anglicanmarketplace.com Sept 6 2008
Do you beseech, beg and fear the LORD our God? How to approach THE DEITY!
If we do not take into account the massive change since the 1970s from “Thou” to “You” in addressing the Lord our God, and we look instead at the change, or omission, of verbs in public liturgy and hymnody then we notice some rather important changes in doctrine and devotion.
What verbs do I have in mind? Let us start with three, realizing that there are others, not to mention a series of nouns, adjectives and adverbs which belong to the same category and ethos.
(a) To beseech. This verb occurs in both Morning and Evening Prayer, the Holy Communion, and many times in the Litany, and in the Collects for the Christian Year and for special occasions. It has the meaning of asking someone (who is above one in the hierarchy of social order) urgently and fervently for help in a way in which he alone can do. It was what suppliants did before emperors, feudal lords, and judges. And so in religious use it well fits the unworthy and undeserving sinner urgently and fervently asking the Almighty Father in the Name of Jesus, the Savior, for his unique, saving help.
(b) To beg. This verb is less frequent than “to beseech” but is nevertheless significant. For example, the “Prayer for all Conditions of men” ends, “And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake.” It has the meaning of asking someone (who is in a position to grant a favor) earnestly and humbly for something. It is what millions have done at the side of the road and before those in authority. In religious use it well fits the sinner. who has no personal merit or righteousness, appearing humbly before God seeking mercy.
(c) To fear. This verb occurs frequently in the Old Testament and is not without a strong presence in the New Testament. It occurs often in the Collects and Prayers and is taught as a necessary Christian attitude to God in the Catechism. Throughout human history millions have feared (= had reverence for, and awe before, kings and emperors) and in religious usage, it well describes having profound reverence for, and overwhelming awe ,before the “Divine Majesty,” who is the Judge and Savior of mankind, and who is the God of both wrath and mercy.
Living as we do in societies where natural, civil and human rights are much in place, and thus the individual person is invested with rights, the notion of beseeching or begging for anything goes against the tide. Each of us, it is often assumed, also has a right to stand before God and to ask for his blessing: and if we “humbly kneel” as the old Prayer Book directs then we dishonor ourselves and the very rights and privileges that God has given us.
And, the major reason why “to fear God” is absent from modern Liturgy is, I suggest, because in a real sense we have “domesticated God” and made him to be the Deity who is primarily immanent and omnipresent and only secondly transcendent, holy and ineffable (which seems to be the opposite way round to the Bible and in classic liturgy). Further, in much feminist and liberation theology, historic classic Trinitarian Theism has altogether disappeared to be replaced by one or another form of panentheism or process theology; and such new forms of theism cannot tolerate the received liturgy and so look for new forms with a changed style, content and vocabulary.
One result of these tendencies in modern liturgy—Roman and Anglican— is that it has the character of both celebration and community. This can degenerate into community celebration, where the celebration is primarily of the community and the real sacrament is “the sharing of the Peace.” Another, is the dumbing-down of the offensiveness of sin to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—and with this dumbing-down there is naturally little emphasis on humble penitence and repentance, together with the complete loss of the biblical doctrine that the genuine confession of sins is the praise of the God of mercy and justice (thus part of true celebration). Yet another, where sin is minimized, is the minimal emphasis upon the “precious blood” and the once-for-all-atonement of the Lord Jesus at Calvary.
Conclusion
One major reason why I worked with the AMIA to produce and publish AN ANGLICAN PRAYER BOOK (2008) –from www.anglicanmarketplace.com-- was that it represented a serious attempt to keep the doctrine, piety and devotion of the historic Anglican Prayer Book (1662) in “contemporary” English. Even so, what to substitute for “beseech” and “beg” and “fear” was a problem never truly solved!
I worry that it is very probable that we know God (experientially and mentally) much less than we ought to, and could do, in the modern Anglican churches. The reason is simply because we have cut ourselves off from a large part of that saving knowledge basic to Holy Scripture, the classic BCP of the Anglican Way and the best hymnody of the Church—especially those parts which state the truth of the human condition and which set forth the glorious attributes of God, the LORD. In a sense, and this is a tragedy of the West in particular, we are not able to help ourselves because we are so fashioned in mind and heart by modern individualism and human rights that we find it exceedingly difficult even to hear the Word of the Lord when it speaks of (a) the depth and breadth of our sinfulness and (b) the glorious attributes of the holy LORD.
KYRIE ELEISON.
www.pbsusa.org www.anglicanmarketplace.com drpetertoon@yahoo.com March 6, 08
What verbs do I have in mind? Let us start with three, realizing that there are others, not to mention a series of nouns, adjectives and adverbs which belong to the same category and ethos.
(a) To beseech. This verb occurs in both Morning and Evening Prayer, the Holy Communion, and many times in the Litany, and in the Collects for the Christian Year and for special occasions. It has the meaning of asking someone (who is above one in the hierarchy of social order) urgently and fervently for help in a way in which he alone can do. It was what suppliants did before emperors, feudal lords, and judges. And so in religious use it well fits the unworthy and undeserving sinner urgently and fervently asking the Almighty Father in the Name of Jesus, the Savior, for his unique, saving help.
(b) To beg. This verb is less frequent than “to beseech” but is nevertheless significant. For example, the “Prayer for all Conditions of men” ends, “And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake.” It has the meaning of asking someone (who is in a position to grant a favor) earnestly and humbly for something. It is what millions have done at the side of the road and before those in authority. In religious use it well fits the sinner. who has no personal merit or righteousness, appearing humbly before God seeking mercy.
(c) To fear. This verb occurs frequently in the Old Testament and is not without a strong presence in the New Testament. It occurs often in the Collects and Prayers and is taught as a necessary Christian attitude to God in the Catechism. Throughout human history millions have feared (= had reverence for, and awe before, kings and emperors) and in religious usage, it well describes having profound reverence for, and overwhelming awe ,before the “Divine Majesty,” who is the Judge and Savior of mankind, and who is the God of both wrath and mercy.
Living as we do in societies where natural, civil and human rights are much in place, and thus the individual person is invested with rights, the notion of beseeching or begging for anything goes against the tide. Each of us, it is often assumed, also has a right to stand before God and to ask for his blessing: and if we “humbly kneel” as the old Prayer Book directs then we dishonor ourselves and the very rights and privileges that God has given us.
And, the major reason why “to fear God” is absent from modern Liturgy is, I suggest, because in a real sense we have “domesticated God” and made him to be the Deity who is primarily immanent and omnipresent and only secondly transcendent, holy and ineffable (which seems to be the opposite way round to the Bible and in classic liturgy). Further, in much feminist and liberation theology, historic classic Trinitarian Theism has altogether disappeared to be replaced by one or another form of panentheism or process theology; and such new forms of theism cannot tolerate the received liturgy and so look for new forms with a changed style, content and vocabulary.
One result of these tendencies in modern liturgy—Roman and Anglican— is that it has the character of both celebration and community. This can degenerate into community celebration, where the celebration is primarily of the community and the real sacrament is “the sharing of the Peace.” Another, is the dumbing-down of the offensiveness of sin to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—and with this dumbing-down there is naturally little emphasis on humble penitence and repentance, together with the complete loss of the biblical doctrine that the genuine confession of sins is the praise of the God of mercy and justice (thus part of true celebration). Yet another, where sin is minimized, is the minimal emphasis upon the “precious blood” and the once-for-all-atonement of the Lord Jesus at Calvary.
Conclusion
One major reason why I worked with the AMIA to produce and publish AN ANGLICAN PRAYER BOOK (2008) –from www.anglicanmarketplace.com-- was that it represented a serious attempt to keep the doctrine, piety and devotion of the historic Anglican Prayer Book (1662) in “contemporary” English. Even so, what to substitute for “beseech” and “beg” and “fear” was a problem never truly solved!
I worry that it is very probable that we know God (experientially and mentally) much less than we ought to, and could do, in the modern Anglican churches. The reason is simply because we have cut ourselves off from a large part of that saving knowledge basic to Holy Scripture, the classic BCP of the Anglican Way and the best hymnody of the Church—especially those parts which state the truth of the human condition and which set forth the glorious attributes of God, the LORD. In a sense, and this is a tragedy of the West in particular, we are not able to help ourselves because we are so fashioned in mind and heart by modern individualism and human rights that we find it exceedingly difficult even to hear the Word of the Lord when it speaks of (a) the depth and breadth of our sinfulness and (b) the glorious attributes of the holy LORD.
KYRIE ELEISON.
www.pbsusa.org www.anglicanmarketplace.com drpetertoon@yahoo.com March 6, 08
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
A Prayer for Clergy and People, or A Prayer to be said daily from The BCP for the Global Anglican Communion
At the end of Morning Prayer in The Book of Common Prayer there are five further prayers, of which the third is for the clergy and the congregations they serve:
Almighty and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels: Send down upon our Bishops and Curates, and all congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
This is an appropriate prayer for a diocese, a province and for the global Anglican Communion of Churches, especially at this time of crisis and friction. Let us take it apart in order to put it back together and then to use it with understanding and fervor.
In the short section between the colon, we address the God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we recall that he is both Almighty and Everlasting. Further, in the words of Psalm 136:4, we recall that he is the One “who alone does great wonders.” The “marvels/wonders” may refer to God’s supernatural intervention on behalf of Israel and at Pentecost to empower the new Church. Or they may refer to the continual and continuing wonders of grace that keep the Church in business through space and time and through many dangers on many occasions. [In this regard the churches of the Global Anglican Communion can surely recall with thanksgiving many marvels of divine grace in the planting and expansion of the Church of Jesus throughout the world!]
Following the colon comes the petition to the God of wonders who is almighty! This is for the descent from the Father through the Son of the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of Christ. The fervent request is that the Spirit, who comes bearing the character and gifts of Jesus Christ, and who therefore brings health and salvation, settle upon and indwell not only the Bishops and the local Pastors (curate, one who cure of souls), but also the congregations for which they have charge. But there is more to the petition. The Father is also asked to cause the continual dew of his blessing to settle upon them all. Normally the dew descends for the morning only, but the divine dew requested is for the whole day and night. [Again, thinking of the Global Anglican Communion, how much needed right now is “the healthful Spirit of thy grace” and “the continual dew of thy blessing” to bring cleansing, healing and mission.]
No prayer, even from the saintliest or worthiest of us, will ascend to the Father by its own power or sincerity. No prayer, even if uttered in unison by the 900 or so Bishops of the Anglican Family, will be heard in heaven simply because of the numbers and prestige of those from whom it comes. Only what is asked in the Name of Jesus, the only Advocate and Mediator, will be heard and received by the Father almighty. In this spirit is the ending of the prayer.
Here is a contemporary form of the same basic prayer for those who feel only able to pray addressing God as “You.”
Almighty and everlasting God, you who alone do great wonders: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and upon all Dioceses and Parishes under their pastoral care, the Holy Spirit who brings grace and salvation; and, further, that they all may truly please you, pour upon them continual spiritual dew of your blessing. Grant all this, O Lord, for the honor and sake of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
May we see in our midst the effects of the descent of the Spirit of the Lord and of the presence of the continual spiritual dew from heaven.
www.pbsusa.org drpetertoon@msn.com March 5, 2008
Almighty and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels: Send down upon our Bishops and Curates, and all congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
This is an appropriate prayer for a diocese, a province and for the global Anglican Communion of Churches, especially at this time of crisis and friction. Let us take it apart in order to put it back together and then to use it with understanding and fervor.
In the short section between the colon, we address the God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we recall that he is both Almighty and Everlasting. Further, in the words of Psalm 136:4, we recall that he is the One “who alone does great wonders.” The “marvels/wonders” may refer to God’s supernatural intervention on behalf of Israel and at Pentecost to empower the new Church. Or they may refer to the continual and continuing wonders of grace that keep the Church in business through space and time and through many dangers on many occasions. [In this regard the churches of the Global Anglican Communion can surely recall with thanksgiving many marvels of divine grace in the planting and expansion of the Church of Jesus throughout the world!]
Following the colon comes the petition to the God of wonders who is almighty! This is for the descent from the Father through the Son of the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of Christ. The fervent request is that the Spirit, who comes bearing the character and gifts of Jesus Christ, and who therefore brings health and salvation, settle upon and indwell not only the Bishops and the local Pastors (curate, one who cure of souls), but also the congregations for which they have charge. But there is more to the petition. The Father is also asked to cause the continual dew of his blessing to settle upon them all. Normally the dew descends for the morning only, but the divine dew requested is for the whole day and night. [Again, thinking of the Global Anglican Communion, how much needed right now is “the healthful Spirit of thy grace” and “the continual dew of thy blessing” to bring cleansing, healing and mission.]
No prayer, even from the saintliest or worthiest of us, will ascend to the Father by its own power or sincerity. No prayer, even if uttered in unison by the 900 or so Bishops of the Anglican Family, will be heard in heaven simply because of the numbers and prestige of those from whom it comes. Only what is asked in the Name of Jesus, the only Advocate and Mediator, will be heard and received by the Father almighty. In this spirit is the ending of the prayer.
Here is a contemporary form of the same basic prayer for those who feel only able to pray addressing God as “You.”
Almighty and everlasting God, you who alone do great wonders: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and upon all Dioceses and Parishes under their pastoral care, the Holy Spirit who brings grace and salvation; and, further, that they all may truly please you, pour upon them continual spiritual dew of your blessing. Grant all this, O Lord, for the honor and sake of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
May we see in our midst the effects of the descent of the Spirit of the Lord and of the presence of the continual spiritual dew from heaven.
www.pbsusa.org drpetertoon@msn.com March 5, 2008
The Mutual Salutation in Morning and Evening Prayer & The Eucharist
After the Creed in the traditional Daily Office, the Minister addresses those assembled and says: “The Lord be with you,” to which they reply, “And with thy spirit.”
However, since the 1970s Roman Catholic as well as Protestant (e.g., Lutheran, Methodist and Anglican/Episcopal) congregations have become very used to saying, “And also with you,” to the Priest or Minister, after he or she has said “The Lord be with you”. So much so, that few of their members realize what an odd and strange way this is to speak to the Minister! It seems a rather irreverent way of referring to the Lord!
This strange and erroneous response came into usage in the period after Vatican II when the Roman Catholic hierarchy was using commissions (often of liberal theologians) to render the Latin Mass into English – that is into not the English of the UK, or the English of the USA, but a kind of English that would represent the “English” of the whole English-speaking world. That is, one which would do what the English of Hollywood films seeks to do, to be understood wherever English is used from one end of the earth to the other.
And what the R C hierarchy hastily allowed into its new vernacular Mass and Breviary, the Protestants hastily allowed into their new services/liturgies. It was a period when the wind of change blew and churches were blown by it, and some of those blown along only began to consider seriously what the wind was about when it was too late! (The Vatican is now working on correcting & renewing the English of the Liturgy!)
Thus all the rules of basic translation of Latin as taught in schools to children were set aside in the interests of relevance, simplicity and novel linguistic theory. Here is the Latin of the Mutual Salutation.
Priest: Dominus vobiscum
Congregation: Et cum spiritu tuo
As long has English had been spoken (and in the BCP of the C of E from 1549, and in translations of the Tridentine Mass from the 17th century) this had been universally rendered literally until the second half of the 20th century as:
Priest: The Lord be with you [you plural]
Congregation: And with thy spirit [thy, singular]
However, in the new fit-all occasions English of the 1970s the response of the Congregation became: And also with you [you here singular].
What happened to “spiritu tuo” (“thy spirit”, or ‘your [sing.] spirit’)? And where did “also” come from?
The answer is found from two directions. First, from the supposed academic area where some scholars argued that this ancient conversation or salutation in the Liturgy between priest and people was in reality just a simple greeting taken from what often occurred on the street. Thus it has no special meaning other than a friendly exchange. So a literal translation of “Et cum spiritu tuo” is not required; but rather (and here is the second direction) what is needed is a dynamic equivalent statement – thus “and also with you.”
So a theory of an exchange between priest and assembled faithful in the Daily Office or Eucharist together with a post 1960s theory of translating original languages come together to provide what is, in reality, an expression that one cannot imagine hearing in the real world as a form of greeting at all. “And also with you” sounds odd to this day to the person who is not used to it!
What is the historic, classic and orthodox explanation of this exchange and salutation, where the faithful say “And with thy/your spirit”?
The exchange occurs within the Office and the Mass at given points and it is first of all an expression of a prayer-wish [ perhaps also an affirmation] by the priest for the (realized) presence of the Lord Jesus with his people (the Lord Jesus be with you) by His Spirit (the Paraclete); then, secondly, it is a prayer-wish [perhaps an affirmation] of the faithful that, as he performs the office of Officiant in Prayer or Celebrant in the Mass, the Lord (through His Spirit) will activate, as it were, the gift given to him in ordination and give him the divine unction, rightly before God to perform the office of Minister and Celebrant on this solemn occasion.
(see further the book, Neither Archaic nor Obsolete… by Lou Tarsitano & Peter Toon from www.anglicanmarketplace.com or www.edgewaysbooks.com or 1-800-PBS-1928)
The Revd Dr Peter Toon www.pbsusa.org March 5, 2007
However, since the 1970s Roman Catholic as well as Protestant (e.g., Lutheran, Methodist and Anglican/Episcopal) congregations have become very used to saying, “And also with you,” to the Priest or Minister, after he or she has said “The Lord be with you”. So much so, that few of their members realize what an odd and strange way this is to speak to the Minister! It seems a rather irreverent way of referring to the Lord!
This strange and erroneous response came into usage in the period after Vatican II when the Roman Catholic hierarchy was using commissions (often of liberal theologians) to render the Latin Mass into English – that is into not the English of the UK, or the English of the USA, but a kind of English that would represent the “English” of the whole English-speaking world. That is, one which would do what the English of Hollywood films seeks to do, to be understood wherever English is used from one end of the earth to the other.
And what the R C hierarchy hastily allowed into its new vernacular Mass and Breviary, the Protestants hastily allowed into their new services/liturgies. It was a period when the wind of change blew and churches were blown by it, and some of those blown along only began to consider seriously what the wind was about when it was too late! (The Vatican is now working on correcting & renewing the English of the Liturgy!)
Thus all the rules of basic translation of Latin as taught in schools to children were set aside in the interests of relevance, simplicity and novel linguistic theory. Here is the Latin of the Mutual Salutation.
Priest: Dominus vobiscum
Congregation: Et cum spiritu tuo
As long has English had been spoken (and in the BCP of the C of E from 1549, and in translations of the Tridentine Mass from the 17th century) this had been universally rendered literally until the second half of the 20th century as:
Priest: The Lord be with you [you plural]
Congregation: And with thy spirit [thy, singular]
However, in the new fit-all occasions English of the 1970s the response of the Congregation became: And also with you [you here singular].
What happened to “spiritu tuo” (“thy spirit”, or ‘your [sing.] spirit’)? And where did “also” come from?
The answer is found from two directions. First, from the supposed academic area where some scholars argued that this ancient conversation or salutation in the Liturgy between priest and people was in reality just a simple greeting taken from what often occurred on the street. Thus it has no special meaning other than a friendly exchange. So a literal translation of “Et cum spiritu tuo” is not required; but rather (and here is the second direction) what is needed is a dynamic equivalent statement – thus “and also with you.”
So a theory of an exchange between priest and assembled faithful in the Daily Office or Eucharist together with a post 1960s theory of translating original languages come together to provide what is, in reality, an expression that one cannot imagine hearing in the real world as a form of greeting at all. “And also with you” sounds odd to this day to the person who is not used to it!
What is the historic, classic and orthodox explanation of this exchange and salutation, where the faithful say “And with thy/your spirit”?
The exchange occurs within the Office and the Mass at given points and it is first of all an expression of a prayer-wish [ perhaps also an affirmation] by the priest for the (realized) presence of the Lord Jesus with his people (the Lord Jesus be with you) by His Spirit (the Paraclete); then, secondly, it is a prayer-wish [perhaps an affirmation] of the faithful that, as he performs the office of Officiant in Prayer or Celebrant in the Mass, the Lord (through His Spirit) will activate, as it were, the gift given to him in ordination and give him the divine unction, rightly before God to perform the office of Minister and Celebrant on this solemn occasion.
(see further the book, Neither Archaic nor Obsolete… by Lou Tarsitano & Peter Toon from www.anglicanmarketplace.com or www.edgewaysbooks.com or 1-800-PBS-1928)
The Revd Dr Peter Toon www.pbsusa.org March 5, 2007
The Creed in Worship—a great idea!
Are you aware that In both Morning and Evening Prayer, the Creed, normally The Apostles’ Creed, is always used and is sung or said, and, further, it is grammatically always in the first person singular—“I believe”?
People ask: Why is the Creed included within the daily round of praise and prayer offered by the Church to the Father through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? And they often add: Is not its presence as a kind of statement of faith a little odd in a prayer service?
Here are three good reasons why it is and should be included:
(a) Since the Church of God the Father is the Bride of Christ, the Creed is the word of the Bride responding to the revelation of Love made to her in the Gospel by the Bridegroom himself. She tells him in brief summary what she believes and in whom she trusts on the basis of what he has said to her. Therefore, the Creed is often sung, a love song to the Bridegroom. And the “I” of “I believe” is a “corporate I,” the “I” of the one Bride, who is the one holy, catholic and apostolic church. It is the elect people of God, the disciples of Jesus, the Body of Christ, speaking with one voice and in one heart as one person.
(b) Since the Church is composed of many baptized believers, united in Christ to one another by the Spirit in koinonia, the Creed is a word of each baptized believer (it is in fact the Creed of Baptism) to all other baptized believers. It is a communal word, a word of fellowship, and word of togetherness in belief. It is an affirmation of the saving Faith into which all have been brought by the Word and in the Spirit through Baptism. So the “I” here is personal in that it is the “I” of many persons speaking together as brothers and sisters sharing in the one and the same Faith. (Therefore, it is not to be equated in any way at all with modern expressive individualism, for which there is no genuine place in Christianity.)
(c) Since the Church is placed by God the Father in the world with a commission from Christ Jesus to proclaim the Gospel and to make converts, the Creed is also a clear word from the Church to the seeker, the outsider, and even the enemy. By it the assembled people of God say: “This is what we all together, and each alone, believe, teach and confess; and so to know our Faith listen to our Creed.”
Because of these noble purposes, it is most important that the Apostles’ Creed be faithfully translated into the vernacular from the Latin. Regrettably this cannot be said of the translation in use ecumenically in the English-speaking world. There is one obvious mistake in it.
Jesus “was conceived by the Holy Spirit” and “born of the Virgin Mary.” This is very different from “was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit” in the modern rendering. There is nothing in the Latin original to provide the basis for “the power of;” and, theologically, we say that all procreation is by the power of the Spirit; but in the case of the eternal Son, we say that his taking to himself of human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin (= her conception) was truly supernatural. It was achieved by the Holy Spirit personally and miraculously, not simply power via the laws of nature as with both our pets and ourselves. What the modern rendering teaches is strictly speaking heresy, for it seeks to make the conception at best like that of Isaac or John the Baptist, where God acted through the laws of nature in a providential way. The Son of God already existed with his divine nature and what he received by the personal activity of the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a human nature, so that he became [miracle of miracles] “One Person made known in two natures.”
Conclusion
Let our musicians compose suitable new music by which the local church can sing her creedal love song to her Bridegroom; let the whole congregation recover the edifying and joyful experience of singing the Creed with understanding; and let the Creed, rightly translated, serve as a powerful summary statement of the Christian Faith in church and world.
www.pbsusa.org drpetertoon@yahoo.com March 5, 2008
People ask: Why is the Creed included within the daily round of praise and prayer offered by the Church to the Father through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? And they often add: Is not its presence as a kind of statement of faith a little odd in a prayer service?
Here are three good reasons why it is and should be included:
(a) Since the Church of God the Father is the Bride of Christ, the Creed is the word of the Bride responding to the revelation of Love made to her in the Gospel by the Bridegroom himself. She tells him in brief summary what she believes and in whom she trusts on the basis of what he has said to her. Therefore, the Creed is often sung, a love song to the Bridegroom. And the “I” of “I believe” is a “corporate I,” the “I” of the one Bride, who is the one holy, catholic and apostolic church. It is the elect people of God, the disciples of Jesus, the Body of Christ, speaking with one voice and in one heart as one person.
(b) Since the Church is composed of many baptized believers, united in Christ to one another by the Spirit in koinonia, the Creed is a word of each baptized believer (it is in fact the Creed of Baptism) to all other baptized believers. It is a communal word, a word of fellowship, and word of togetherness in belief. It is an affirmation of the saving Faith into which all have been brought by the Word and in the Spirit through Baptism. So the “I” here is personal in that it is the “I” of many persons speaking together as brothers and sisters sharing in the one and the same Faith. (Therefore, it is not to be equated in any way at all with modern expressive individualism, for which there is no genuine place in Christianity.)
(c) Since the Church is placed by God the Father in the world with a commission from Christ Jesus to proclaim the Gospel and to make converts, the Creed is also a clear word from the Church to the seeker, the outsider, and even the enemy. By it the assembled people of God say: “This is what we all together, and each alone, believe, teach and confess; and so to know our Faith listen to our Creed.”
Because of these noble purposes, it is most important that the Apostles’ Creed be faithfully translated into the vernacular from the Latin. Regrettably this cannot be said of the translation in use ecumenically in the English-speaking world. There is one obvious mistake in it.
Jesus “was conceived by the Holy Spirit” and “born of the Virgin Mary.” This is very different from “was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit” in the modern rendering. There is nothing in the Latin original to provide the basis for “the power of;” and, theologically, we say that all procreation is by the power of the Spirit; but in the case of the eternal Son, we say that his taking to himself of human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin (= her conception) was truly supernatural. It was achieved by the Holy Spirit personally and miraculously, not simply power via the laws of nature as with both our pets and ourselves. What the modern rendering teaches is strictly speaking heresy, for it seeks to make the conception at best like that of Isaac or John the Baptist, where God acted through the laws of nature in a providential way. The Son of God already existed with his divine nature and what he received by the personal activity of the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a human nature, so that he became [miracle of miracles] “One Person made known in two natures.”
Conclusion
Let our musicians compose suitable new music by which the local church can sing her creedal love song to her Bridegroom; let the whole congregation recover the edifying and joyful experience of singing the Creed with understanding; and let the Creed, rightly translated, serve as a powerful summary statement of the Christian Faith in church and world.
www.pbsusa.org drpetertoon@yahoo.com March 5, 2008
Add to your PRAISE SONGS! Sing the TE DEUM
(I write this primarily for my fellow Anglicans who put much emphasis upon the offering of “Praise Songs” to God in their worship, which is usually Eucharistic.)
The canticle known as Te Deum Laudamus, unlike any other of the traditional, daily canticles of Morning and Evening Prayer, is not found in the Bible or the Apocrypha.
There was a time when most Anglicans in the West were familiar with it and knew it off by heart in part or total— “We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord…” This familiarity was because they had either sung it, or heard it sung, at Matins often throughout their lives.
Regrettably with the virtual disappearance in modern times of Sung Matins, as well as the arrival of the minimal usage of Daily Morning Prayer, too few people know this wonderful canticle. And where they do know it in a modern version it is often one that is unacceptable in style and devotion as be totally non-memorable. One hesitates to cite the worst example which begins: “You are God and we praise you…” (as though God needed us to help him discover his identity)!
The canticle comes from the fifth century and from within the distinct ethos of Trinitarian worship in the Church in the West—that which is captured also in The Nicene Creed and The Athanasian Creed (or Quincuque Vult). Regrettably, the ancient legend, that it was composed at the occasion of Augustine’s baptism in a poetic dialogue between Augustine and Bishop Ambrose, each one contributing one line as they proceeded, though most attractive, is not true.
Te Deum Laudamus falls naturally into three parts:
(1) A hymn to the Holy Trinity, which recalls the praise of God by his heavenly hosts in their unceasing Sanctus (Isaiah 6:3) and the praise of God by the Church and its saints in a doxology to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
(2) A hymn to Christ, recalling the teaching of the Creed, and ending in a prayer his help help.
(3) A series of suffrages taken in the main from the Psalter.
It is generally agreed that the third part was not originally part of the Canticle but was added at a later point of time. Thus it can stand apart as a humble petition address to the Father through the Son and with the Holy Spirit.
The Content
The Latin original has a bold opening placing “Te [Thee]” first in order: “Thee as God we praise; Thee as Lord we acknowledge.” And this same word order and emphasis are found later—“Thee the glorious company of the apostles praise: Thee the goodly fellowship of the prophets praise; Thee the noble army of martyrs praise.” This particular Latin style uplifts, magnifies and glorifies God as unique, transcendent, infinite and eternal in his divine Being, alone worthy to worshipped and adored by heavenly and earthly creatures. It is not really possible to bring this style through in translation and it is probably not wise to try.
The translation in the traditional Book of Common Prayer from the sixteenth century is the one most widely known and used, not least because it has been set to music by a variety of top-classic composers, both for use in the Liturgy and as a stand-alone offering to the LORD. Finding a satisfactory contemporary English language translation is most difficult! Here is a simple rendering for those used to “contemporary language in worship” of the two essential parts of Te Deum in which the Deity is addressed in the modern second person form as “You.”
We praise you O God, we acknowledge you to be the Lord;
All the earth now worships you, the Father everlasting.
To you all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein;
To you cherubim and seraphim continually do cry:
Holy, holy, holy; Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise you,
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise you,
The noble army of martyrs praise you,
The holy Church throughout all the world acknowledges you:
The Father of an infinite majesty,
Your adorable, true, and only Son,
Also the Holy Spirit, the Counselor.
You are the King of glory, O Christ.
You are the everlasting Son of the Father.
When you took to yourself flesh to deliver man, you humbled yourself to be born of a virgin.
When you had overcome the sharpness of death, you opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You sit at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.
We believe that you will come to be our Judge.
We therefore pray you help your servants, whom you have redeemed with your precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with your saints in glory everlasting.
The Use today
Here we return to the use of Praise Songs! I suggest that worship leaders and composers in the local congregation take time (a) to study and meditate upon this great canticle; (b) listen to some of the classic settings for it (via 1940 Hymnal etc.), and then (c) compose suitable music to accompany the words and to lift the soul in adoration to the Holy Trinity. (It may be wise to leave out the drum for this music that seeks to uplift the whole person in the Spirit to the Father in the Son.)
I am not suggesting that Matins and its use there be forgotten! It is too good not to use and so if it is not sung in Matins let it be song in the Praise Songs in and around the Eucharistic Service on Sunday mornings.
The Revd Dr Peter Toon, depetertoon@yahoo.com www.pbsusa.org March 5 2008
The canticle known as Te Deum Laudamus, unlike any other of the traditional, daily canticles of Morning and Evening Prayer, is not found in the Bible or the Apocrypha.
There was a time when most Anglicans in the West were familiar with it and knew it off by heart in part or total— “We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord…” This familiarity was because they had either sung it, or heard it sung, at Matins often throughout their lives.
Regrettably with the virtual disappearance in modern times of Sung Matins, as well as the arrival of the minimal usage of Daily Morning Prayer, too few people know this wonderful canticle. And where they do know it in a modern version it is often one that is unacceptable in style and devotion as be totally non-memorable. One hesitates to cite the worst example which begins: “You are God and we praise you…” (as though God needed us to help him discover his identity)!
The canticle comes from the fifth century and from within the distinct ethos of Trinitarian worship in the Church in the West—that which is captured also in The Nicene Creed and The Athanasian Creed (or Quincuque Vult). Regrettably, the ancient legend, that it was composed at the occasion of Augustine’s baptism in a poetic dialogue between Augustine and Bishop Ambrose, each one contributing one line as they proceeded, though most attractive, is not true.
Te Deum Laudamus falls naturally into three parts:
(1) A hymn to the Holy Trinity, which recalls the praise of God by his heavenly hosts in their unceasing Sanctus (Isaiah 6:3) and the praise of God by the Church and its saints in a doxology to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
(2) A hymn to Christ, recalling the teaching of the Creed, and ending in a prayer his help help.
(3) A series of suffrages taken in the main from the Psalter.
It is generally agreed that the third part was not originally part of the Canticle but was added at a later point of time. Thus it can stand apart as a humble petition address to the Father through the Son and with the Holy Spirit.
The Content
The Latin original has a bold opening placing “Te [Thee]” first in order: “Thee as God we praise; Thee as Lord we acknowledge.” And this same word order and emphasis are found later—“Thee the glorious company of the apostles praise: Thee the goodly fellowship of the prophets praise; Thee the noble army of martyrs praise.” This particular Latin style uplifts, magnifies and glorifies God as unique, transcendent, infinite and eternal in his divine Being, alone worthy to worshipped and adored by heavenly and earthly creatures. It is not really possible to bring this style through in translation and it is probably not wise to try.
The translation in the traditional Book of Common Prayer from the sixteenth century is the one most widely known and used, not least because it has been set to music by a variety of top-classic composers, both for use in the Liturgy and as a stand-alone offering to the LORD. Finding a satisfactory contemporary English language translation is most difficult! Here is a simple rendering for those used to “contemporary language in worship” of the two essential parts of Te Deum in which the Deity is addressed in the modern second person form as “You.”
We praise you O God, we acknowledge you to be the Lord;
All the earth now worships you, the Father everlasting.
To you all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein;
To you cherubim and seraphim continually do cry:
Holy, holy, holy; Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise you,
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise you,
The noble army of martyrs praise you,
The holy Church throughout all the world acknowledges you:
The Father of an infinite majesty,
Your adorable, true, and only Son,
Also the Holy Spirit, the Counselor.
You are the King of glory, O Christ.
You are the everlasting Son of the Father.
When you took to yourself flesh to deliver man, you humbled yourself to be born of a virgin.
When you had overcome the sharpness of death, you opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You sit at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.
We believe that you will come to be our Judge.
We therefore pray you help your servants, whom you have redeemed with your precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with your saints in glory everlasting.
The Use today
Here we return to the use of Praise Songs! I suggest that worship leaders and composers in the local congregation take time (a) to study and meditate upon this great canticle; (b) listen to some of the classic settings for it (via 1940 Hymnal etc.), and then (c) compose suitable music to accompany the words and to lift the soul in adoration to the Holy Trinity. (It may be wise to leave out the drum for this music that seeks to uplift the whole person in the Spirit to the Father in the Son.)
I am not suggesting that Matins and its use there be forgotten! It is too good not to use and so if it is not sung in Matins let it be song in the Praise Songs in and around the Eucharistic Service on Sunday mornings.
The Revd Dr Peter Toon, depetertoon@yahoo.com www.pbsusa.org March 5 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
VENITE EXULTEMUS: Come let us sing to the LORD (Psalm 95)
Psalm 95 has been used in the Christian Church of East and West at the commencement of the daily service ever since the early days. St Athanasius wrote: “Before the beginning of their prayers, the Christians invite and exhort one another in the words of the 95th Psalm.” St Augustine wrote: “Then we chanted the Psalm (95), exhorting one another with one voice, with one heart, saying, ‘O come let us adore…’.”
At the beginning of the English Reformation, this “Invitatory Psalm” is described in the Primer (1543) of Henry VIII as “A Song stirring to the Praise of God.” And in the new English prayer book, The Booke of The Common Prayer (1549), Psalm 95 is very near the beginning of “An Ordre for Mattyns dayly through the Year.” From then onwards Psalm 95 was a required part of Morning Prayer or Matins in all editions (1552, 1559, 1604, 1662) of The BCP, even though it came not so near to the beginning in the editions from 1552 onwards.
The Psalm neatly divides into two parts. The first (verses 1-7a) is a hymn celebrating the LORD as the creator and king of the universe; the second (verses 7b-11) contains an admonition or prophetic oracle warning the congregation not to disobey the laws of the LORD, through recalling aspects of Israel’s history. The saints have recognized that both parts are necessary.
It is these two themes together—of celebration and of warning— which make it a perfect entry into the heights and depths of Daily Prayer for the people of the new covenant as they come before the Blessed, Holy and Undivided Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The devout people of God come before the LORD stirring each other up to offer to their covenant King the thanks and praise due to him for who he is and what has done and still does:
“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation… “
They are ready “to bow down” and “kneel before “ their King in adoration.
Yet –and this is most important—they come not as perfected saints, but as sinners being sanctified, disciples who are prone to temptation and weakness. So they are most suitably reminded of a part of the history of the elect people of God. That is of the hardness of heart and provoking of the Lord by the wilderness generation of Israelites, for which they were denied entry into the land of rest and promise.
“Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test…” (See Numbers 20:16 & Exodus 17:7.)
So the Christian congregation enters into Daily Prayer recognizing the high calling which it has embraced—to worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness—but yet it does so much aware of its weakness and imperfection due to sin remaining in the soul, and ,therefore, seeking to be aware of possible pitfalls. In fact, it becomes aware that the confession of sin by the penitent soul is in fact the worship of God, proclaiming his judgment and mercy.
In the nineteenth century, Archdeacon P. Freeman made this perceptive comment about the content of Psalm 95:
“It is not merely that in common with many other psalms, this Psalm invites to the worship of the great King, but that it goes on to exhibit so perfect a portraiture, in terms of Israelite history, of the frail and erring, though redeemed and covenanted, estate of man. It is this [quality] that fits it to be a prelude to the whole psalmody and worship of the day, whatever its character [e.g., Lent or Pentecost]; since it touches with so perfect a felicity the highest and lowest notes of the scale, that there is nothing so jubilant or so penitential as not to lie within the compass of it.”
This important insight has of course been made by many others; but, regrettably, not by the liturgical experts of the American Episcopal Church. Its Prayer Book has omitted the prophetic oracle and admonition (verses 7b-11) since its first edition in 1789; and, sadly, it has been common to refer to the omitted second half as “the four distasteful verses.”
This condescending approach, originally inspired by principles of the Enlightenment, avoids the strong, biblical doctrine of God’s wrath against sin within the Bible, and seeks to make God to be always loving and only rarely displeased! Today most congregations in the West seem to omit these verses as not being suitable for “Christian worship.” This is usually because they are taken up with the prevailing, modern idea that worship must be “celebration,” sin, wrath and judgment are not common themes! This liberal, progressive religion has been accused—with justice—of being that religion, in which a God, without wrath, saves a people within sin, for a kingdom without judgment, by the ministry without the Cross.
Psalm 95 is an invitation and introduction to Daily Prayer for those who are truly submitted to the Father almighty, through his Incarnate Son, and who desire to be instructed and led by his Word. It is not for those whose view of “celebration” removes from it the realistic message of the “deceitfulness and sinfulness of the human heart” and its consequences!
www.pbsusa.org Dr Peter Toon March 3, 2008
At the beginning of the English Reformation, this “Invitatory Psalm” is described in the Primer (1543) of Henry VIII as “A Song stirring to the Praise of God.” And in the new English prayer book, The Booke of The Common Prayer (1549), Psalm 95 is very near the beginning of “An Ordre for Mattyns dayly through the Year.” From then onwards Psalm 95 was a required part of Morning Prayer or Matins in all editions (1552, 1559, 1604, 1662) of The BCP, even though it came not so near to the beginning in the editions from 1552 onwards.
The Psalm neatly divides into two parts. The first (verses 1-7a) is a hymn celebrating the LORD as the creator and king of the universe; the second (verses 7b-11) contains an admonition or prophetic oracle warning the congregation not to disobey the laws of the LORD, through recalling aspects of Israel’s history. The saints have recognized that both parts are necessary.
It is these two themes together—of celebration and of warning— which make it a perfect entry into the heights and depths of Daily Prayer for the people of the new covenant as they come before the Blessed, Holy and Undivided Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The devout people of God come before the LORD stirring each other up to offer to their covenant King the thanks and praise due to him for who he is and what has done and still does:
“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation… “
They are ready “to bow down” and “kneel before “ their King in adoration.
Yet –and this is most important—they come not as perfected saints, but as sinners being sanctified, disciples who are prone to temptation and weakness. So they are most suitably reminded of a part of the history of the elect people of God. That is of the hardness of heart and provoking of the Lord by the wilderness generation of Israelites, for which they were denied entry into the land of rest and promise.
“Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test…” (See Numbers 20:16 & Exodus 17:7.)
So the Christian congregation enters into Daily Prayer recognizing the high calling which it has embraced—to worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness—but yet it does so much aware of its weakness and imperfection due to sin remaining in the soul, and ,therefore, seeking to be aware of possible pitfalls. In fact, it becomes aware that the confession of sin by the penitent soul is in fact the worship of God, proclaiming his judgment and mercy.
In the nineteenth century, Archdeacon P. Freeman made this perceptive comment about the content of Psalm 95:
“It is not merely that in common with many other psalms, this Psalm invites to the worship of the great King, but that it goes on to exhibit so perfect a portraiture, in terms of Israelite history, of the frail and erring, though redeemed and covenanted, estate of man. It is this [quality] that fits it to be a prelude to the whole psalmody and worship of the day, whatever its character [e.g., Lent or Pentecost]; since it touches with so perfect a felicity the highest and lowest notes of the scale, that there is nothing so jubilant or so penitential as not to lie within the compass of it.”
This important insight has of course been made by many others; but, regrettably, not by the liturgical experts of the American Episcopal Church. Its Prayer Book has omitted the prophetic oracle and admonition (verses 7b-11) since its first edition in 1789; and, sadly, it has been common to refer to the omitted second half as “the four distasteful verses.”
This condescending approach, originally inspired by principles of the Enlightenment, avoids the strong, biblical doctrine of God’s wrath against sin within the Bible, and seeks to make God to be always loving and only rarely displeased! Today most congregations in the West seem to omit these verses as not being suitable for “Christian worship.” This is usually because they are taken up with the prevailing, modern idea that worship must be “celebration,” sin, wrath and judgment are not common themes! This liberal, progressive religion has been accused—with justice—of being that religion, in which a God, without wrath, saves a people within sin, for a kingdom without judgment, by the ministry without the Cross.
Psalm 95 is an invitation and introduction to Daily Prayer for those who are truly submitted to the Father almighty, through his Incarnate Son, and who desire to be instructed and led by his Word. It is not for those whose view of “celebration” removes from it the realistic message of the “deceitfulness and sinfulness of the human heart” and its consequences!
www.pbsusa.org Dr Peter Toon March 3, 2008
Peace from above to be sought at both Morning & Evening Prayer
In the fixed prayers (collects) near the end of both Morning and Evening Prayer in the classic Book of Common Prayer there is a collect for Peace. The two are not identical, although they do have similar themes. Each of them goes back in a Latin original to the fifth century of the Church’s history, when the Roman Empire in the West was being invaded and peace was not common inside or outside the Church.
The presence and content of these two collects underline the importance placed by Christ and Christianity upon peace—peace in the nation and between nations; peace in the universal and regional Church; peace in the congregation and family, and peace with and from God in the individual heart.
Therefore, those praying the Daily Office and saying these memorable prayer are continuing reminded of the words of the Lord Jesus in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”
In the present crisis of the Anglican Way, where peace and concord are in short supply in churches and between churches, there is food not only for thought but for also petition in the content of these ancient collects.
Here is the Morning collect:
O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, who service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The colon after “freedom” divides this prayer into two parts. The first is a recalling and remembering before God, our Father, both of aspects of his divine character and of our relation, as baptized believers, to him. We do not tell him about himself—as though he did not know and as if would dare to do so—but, rather, we state from memory important aspects of his identity and grace so that these can become the foundation of our petition.
Part One of the Collect
First of all, we recall that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is “the author of peace and lover of concord.” Peace is made between avowed enemies whereas concord is made within families, and amongst friends. Thus God makes wars to cease and combatants to make peace. Through the Gospel of Jesus, he also makes peace with man, his enemy through sin, and then places in forgiven man the internal gift of peace—the peace that passes understanding. At the same time, God looks to establish Christian churches “united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10), in perfect concord.
In the second place, we affirm with the Gospel of St John and the Johannine Epistles that to know God experientially by faith and in faithfulness is to be in a profound, spiritual relation to him wherein is the gift of eternal life.
And, thirdly, we acknowledge that to be the servant of God is to live in perfect freedom; for it is service that flows from love and gratitude to the heavenly Father for the gift of forgiveness, that is free of a sense of guilt and fear of condemnation by God, and that proceeds from a will no longer in bondage to sin but delighting to submit to God’s perfect will.
Part Two of the Collect
Following the colon, there is the petition, which takes most seriously the wars between tribes and nations, the war in the soul of baptized Christians between the Spirit and sinful human nature, and the conflict in the churches between differing persons and schools of thought and practice.
A key theme in the petition is to be defended by the might of Jesus Christ against both the assaults of enemies and the power of adversaries, however numerous and malignant they are. While the latter may change in identity and strategy, the One who defends his people inwardly and outwardly by his mighty power is always the Same Mighty Lord. So as they learn to trust in his defense, they find that the fear of enemies is removed and they are enabled to do the Lord’s will joyfully.
Here is the Evening Collect
O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Once again we notice that this most memorable collect, which seeks supernatural peace for baptized Christian believers personally as the Body of Christ, is divided into two parts, with the colon as the dividing mark. In part one, we recall specific things about God the Father’s merciful provision, and in part two we make petition to God the Father for peace and wholeness on the basis of his revealed character.
Part One of the Collect
We may profitably see “holy desires” and “good counsels” and “just works” as successive stages of spiritual growth, as the bud, the blossom and the fruit of a healthy tree. Thus beginning this prayer, we recall in God’s presence that growth of his children, as fruitful plants, is supervised by the perfect Gardner, God the Father, and for our good and his glory. In fact there is no growth without his presence and activity and this thought underpins our petition.
Part Two of the Collect
The “peace which the world cannot give” is the “peace that I [Jesus] give unto you” (John 14:27). When the peace from Jesus is the possession of baptized believers, then they are not only in a right relation with God the Father but their hearts are calm and secure in the love of God. In fact, they are ready to obey the commandments of God as brought to fulfillment by Jesus in terms of loving God and man, even the enemy. Further, in possession of the peace of Jesus they are free both of the daily fear of enemies and able to live fruitfully without fret and anxiety and without undue heated activism.
This thinking recalls the collect for 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…” This is not the quietness of spiritual stagnation, but a quietness in which there can be solid growth in holiness and in converts. In Acts 9:31 we read: Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied.
Conclusion
The peace of God is a supernatural gift from the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit. To live a fruitful and faithful Christian life; to be a genuine local church adorning the Gospel; and to be a real fellowship of local churches, the Peace of God is needed by one and all. Happily and wonderfully it is available! We need both to pray daily for it and also be open to its receipt and ready for the consequences thereof.
Mothering Sunday/ Refreshment Sunday; Lent IV 2008 www.pbsusa.org drpetertoon@yahoo.com
The presence and content of these two collects underline the importance placed by Christ and Christianity upon peace—peace in the nation and between nations; peace in the universal and regional Church; peace in the congregation and family, and peace with and from God in the individual heart.
Therefore, those praying the Daily Office and saying these memorable prayer are continuing reminded of the words of the Lord Jesus in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”
In the present crisis of the Anglican Way, where peace and concord are in short supply in churches and between churches, there is food not only for thought but for also petition in the content of these ancient collects.
Here is the Morning collect:
O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, who service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The colon after “freedom” divides this prayer into two parts. The first is a recalling and remembering before God, our Father, both of aspects of his divine character and of our relation, as baptized believers, to him. We do not tell him about himself—as though he did not know and as if would dare to do so—but, rather, we state from memory important aspects of his identity and grace so that these can become the foundation of our petition.
Part One of the Collect
First of all, we recall that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is “the author of peace and lover of concord.” Peace is made between avowed enemies whereas concord is made within families, and amongst friends. Thus God makes wars to cease and combatants to make peace. Through the Gospel of Jesus, he also makes peace with man, his enemy through sin, and then places in forgiven man the internal gift of peace—the peace that passes understanding. At the same time, God looks to establish Christian churches “united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10), in perfect concord.
In the second place, we affirm with the Gospel of St John and the Johannine Epistles that to know God experientially by faith and in faithfulness is to be in a profound, spiritual relation to him wherein is the gift of eternal life.
And, thirdly, we acknowledge that to be the servant of God is to live in perfect freedom; for it is service that flows from love and gratitude to the heavenly Father for the gift of forgiveness, that is free of a sense of guilt and fear of condemnation by God, and that proceeds from a will no longer in bondage to sin but delighting to submit to God’s perfect will.
Part Two of the Collect
Following the colon, there is the petition, which takes most seriously the wars between tribes and nations, the war in the soul of baptized Christians between the Spirit and sinful human nature, and the conflict in the churches between differing persons and schools of thought and practice.
A key theme in the petition is to be defended by the might of Jesus Christ against both the assaults of enemies and the power of adversaries, however numerous and malignant they are. While the latter may change in identity and strategy, the One who defends his people inwardly and outwardly by his mighty power is always the Same Mighty Lord. So as they learn to trust in his defense, they find that the fear of enemies is removed and they are enabled to do the Lord’s will joyfully.
Here is the Evening Collect
O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Once again we notice that this most memorable collect, which seeks supernatural peace for baptized Christian believers personally as the Body of Christ, is divided into two parts, with the colon as the dividing mark. In part one, we recall specific things about God the Father’s merciful provision, and in part two we make petition to God the Father for peace and wholeness on the basis of his revealed character.
Part One of the Collect
We may profitably see “holy desires” and “good counsels” and “just works” as successive stages of spiritual growth, as the bud, the blossom and the fruit of a healthy tree. Thus beginning this prayer, we recall in God’s presence that growth of his children, as fruitful plants, is supervised by the perfect Gardner, God the Father, and for our good and his glory. In fact there is no growth without his presence and activity and this thought underpins our petition.
Part Two of the Collect
The “peace which the world cannot give” is the “peace that I [Jesus] give unto you” (John 14:27). When the peace from Jesus is the possession of baptized believers, then they are not only in a right relation with God the Father but their hearts are calm and secure in the love of God. In fact, they are ready to obey the commandments of God as brought to fulfillment by Jesus in terms of loving God and man, even the enemy. Further, in possession of the peace of Jesus they are free both of the daily fear of enemies and able to live fruitfully without fret and anxiety and without undue heated activism.
This thinking recalls the collect for 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…” This is not the quietness of spiritual stagnation, but a quietness in which there can be solid growth in holiness and in converts. In Acts 9:31 we read: Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied.
Conclusion
The peace of God is a supernatural gift from the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit. To live a fruitful and faithful Christian life; to be a genuine local church adorning the Gospel; and to be a real fellowship of local churches, the Peace of God is needed by one and all. Happily and wonderfully it is available! We need both to pray daily for it and also be open to its receipt and ready for the consequences thereof.
Mothering Sunday/ Refreshment Sunday; Lent IV 2008 www.pbsusa.org drpetertoon@yahoo.com
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