Category: Uncategorized

And Now for Something Completely Different

Last week, in a conversation with a co-worker, I heard a lament about a former college professor who’s lecture style was not dissimilar to my preaching, i.e. a lot of rabbit trails. Although the class had a textbook, the professor never referred to it in lectures and the exam only covered what had been said during the rambling lectures.

As I listened to the lament, an old memory surfaced of a similar lament found on the pages of an ancient book (© 1955), Max Shulman’s Guided Tour of Campus Humor. They had been extracted from a number of humor magazines published at various colleges and universities in the US. I found it among my parent’s books in high school and regularly thumbed through the over 450 pages of stories, essays, poem and miscellanea, most all good for at least a smirk and occasionally a belly laugh. I was sadly disappointed when I went off to college in 1970 that humor magazines were a thing of long past. The book is still on my shelves, slowly falling apart. Yet, I do open it up from time to time. You can probably blame it for some of my weirder sense of humor.

But in a time of frustration, isolation, and lamentation I offer this light-hearted lamentation and wonder how many of you had similar experiences as the author’s.


Lamentations of the Times and Customs

On Monday he started to talk about what’s coming up on the test:

Osmosis, hypnosis,
Psychosis, neurosis
We’re keenly awaiting the rest.

On Tuesday he mentioned a few salient facts that he thought we should know:

Machine-gun ballistics,
Insurance statistics,
And homework to do as we go.

On Wednesday we’ve wrestled with all forty questions and problems he gave:

Gyration, vibration,
Amelioration,
It sounds like he’s starting to rave.

On Thursday, he covered a number of various figures and odd little facts:

The Belt of Orion,
The Nemean lion,
And India’s property tax.

On Friday, he lectured on everything east of the Realm of Siam,

Convection, corrections,
Ejection, dissections,
Now bring on your simple exam!

On Saturday what do you think the professor had asked on the quiz?

Osmosis, hypnosis,
Psychosis, neurosis,
Machine-gun ballistics,
Or vital statistics?

Gyration, vibration,
Amelioration,
The Belt of Orion,
The Nemean Lion?

Convections, corrections,
Ejection, dissections?

He did not.

He quizzed about:

Hand-painted ceramics,
And thermodynamics,
Organic detectors,
Mechanical vectors,
Agenda, errata,
Addenda and data,
Transmuting, polluting,
Disputing, refuting,
Exponents of x’s
And why there are sexes.

And any number of other topics not even remotely hinted at during the previous week.Yellow Jacket (Georgia Tech)

The Lentiest Lent We’ve Ever Lented

That comment is showing up regularly throughout the world of social media. It could also be the longest. Our isolation is likely to continue through Easter Day and well beyond. Yet even in the midst of our current chaos, the Christian year moves through its own rhythms, whether we are allowed to gather or not. Each Sunday and major feast has its own prayer, its collect[1]. For many Episcopalians, Sunday will be the only time they hear or read the collect of the day. Those who follow the discipline of daily Morning and/or Evening Prayer may offer that collect each day throughout the week. Yet even then, the calendar moves on and we don’t use the collect until next year.

And then there’s the reality that very few Christians attend churches that use these particular collects, and fewer pause to reflect on what has just been prayed. Then there’s the new, current reality that we cannot, for the immediate future, gather for worship. Even those who join their congregations online seem to be about half of what we used to have when we could meet in a common place.

Because of this I suggest we might look back a couple of weeks and reflect on the collect for the Third Sunday of Lent:

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

That first declaration may seem inaccurate to us. After all, we are doing quite a lot to help ourselves. Whether it is increasing our capacity for testing or working on a vaccine for the COVID19 virus or issuing stay at home orders or practicing social distancing or thoroughly and regularly washing our hands or turning our manufacturing from normal consumer items to masks and PPE and ventilators, we seem to be charging through to a solution even in the face of political maneuvering, finger pointing, wishful thinking and short-sightedness. And yet. Our failure to comprehend the fundamental connectedness of creation led us to this point. Whatever we can accomplish to ameliorate the pandemic will not change that self-sabotaging flaw in human nature that prefers to narrow our vision to what results in our own benefit. Our inventiveness has changed a lot of things in this world and not all of them for the worse. And yet, we can’t seem to change our behavior even when our circumstances demand it. We have no power in ourselves to help ourselves.

So the prayer begins with an honest evaluation of human limits. From there the prayer moves on to our need from our Creator, “keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls.” That distinction has echoes of a very unbiblical Platonism. In the Scriptures the body/soul distinction is very fuzzy. The Gospels tell the story of Incarnation, that God who is Spirit willingly embraces matter. Having already declared the material world “good” in Genesis 1, God now makes it holy in John 1:14: “and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Because of that fundamental unity of soul and body that makes us human, things which cause harm to the body also assault and hurt the soul and those things which assault and hurt the soul affect the body adversely. Perhaps that is why the prayer uses “and” rather than “or.” The two conditions are inextricably interrelated.

The prayer then concludes with the common doxology: “through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen” It is through Jesus the Messiah that connection has been restored between creation and the Creator and so our prayers find their natural path through him. We are also reminded that this Jesus both lives and reigns. The unity described in the doxology is the model for the unity for which Jesus prayed we might be one as he and the Father are one. If a collect is a summary prayer, it certainly seems that the Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent summarizes our situation accurately. It might be worth our while to offer that prayer daily through this season of pandemic.

[1] A collect is a prayer that isused in “collecting” the community for worship and also several elements of prayer and praise into one.

Doing Nothing Gallantly

We called it “the Groundhog Book” to the probable consternation of the Standing Liturgical Commission. They had published The Draft Proposed Book of Common Prayer on February 2, 1976, the Feast of the Presentation. But that is also Groundhog Day and this was the 1970s so it became the Groundhog Book whether the powers that be liked it or not. Nonetheless, Episcopalians (particularly clergy and seminarians) pored over the 1,001 pages to see what glorious renewal of worship or what hideous manual of modern heresy we had been handed. Reviewing the pages with one of my mentors we discovered a new treasure deep inside the book, the last prayer in the section on Ministration to the Sick.

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.

I’ve already seen this prayer posted in social media in relation to the current COVID19 crisis. With the increasing number of “stay in place” orders, the cancellations of events with over 50 in attendance (in some places over 10), many of us are experiencing the isolation of a recovering person regardless of our health. For those of us who tend towards introversion, this is not a great sacrifice. But for those who those who have lost their jobs, those who are more extroverted and have been told to work from home and struggle with the lack of human gatherings this is a dark and painful time.

How can those living with enforced cabin fever “do nothing gallantly?” I’d love to offer some “3 simple steps” or “four rules for prospering in crisis” but they would be as bogus as anything one might find on social media. There is, of course, one thing that all apprentices of Jesus can do no matter what their situation: pray.

OK, that’s neither original nor exciting. Most of those who read this are already praying. We may be praying for a number of things or a number of persons. But there are two things to keep in mind if we want our prayers to be more than just good thoughts. The first thing is to remember that when we pray we are also volunteering to be part of God’s answer to our prayers or to the prayers of others. Second, and related to that, the prayer of an apprentice also involves listening. In my former parish we called that “Paying Attention.” When we pay attention as an element of our praying we become open to God’s direction in both further prayer and continuing action.

Some nudge to call someone, to send a text or email or some other means of electronic communication or to follow the quiet prod to buy a gift card or take home a meal from a local eatery may be God’s timing to bring hope and courage to others trapped in fear. Doing nothing gallantly is to be content with the limitations imposed upon us in these days and turn our apparent helplessness into means by which others may be blessed, others may be encouraged, others may find hope rekindled, others find healing. To be able to do nothing (at least as our busy-ness loving world defines nothing) is not necessarily to be powerless – if we do nothing gallantly.

Deep Waters

It’s not how I imagined it. Retirement was to be a time of reading, reflecting and writing punctuated by the normal routines of house keeping and our volunteering at the Wild Animal Sanctuary. All of those things have been going on, but what I did not expect was how the reading would lead me into deeper waters. One book would challenge an assumption or open up new possibilities which then led to another book and then another. I’ve stopped trying to count how many I have in progress. The books are in stacks in my study, primarily to keep from driving my wife, Dorie Ann, totally doolally tup (look it up – it’s in Wikipedia).

Bookshelf #1 of six. At least it keeps them off the floor.

The book I am trying to write is like a young, unbroken colt, jumping around in unexpected directions having gone through three different outlines, an introduction that turned out to be a waste of time*, and a first chapter that, like an aggressive virus, keeps dividing into new chapters.

*Robert Capon, in An Offering of Uncles, put the introduction to that book at the end for the excellent reason that he wrote it after the book was finished.

Of course, this means that The Apprentice Priest has been silent for a while. So to keep this blog from tipping into oblivion I’m working on an article on The Subversive Prayer and giving you, my dear friends, some evidence that I’m still above ground, all the vital signs are above the red line and I’ll be posting something a bit more substantial shortly.

What the ministry of blessing looks like

When I posted my entry on Practicing Blessing in the local church last Monday (12/23) I got one thing wrong. I mentioned a “conversation that was not caught on video.” In fact, it was. The incident involved a pastor who questioned whether he had authority to bless.

Although the questions about the pastor’s authority to bless seem to come mostly from churches in the evangelical tradition, when one casts a net over the question of whether ordinary Christians have that authority, then the doubt extends across most Christian traditions. Russ’s response to an earlier question on the content of blessing speaks to the doubts found about the authority of Christians to bless in our religious culture. The following excerpt (a bit more than 2 minutes) is worth the listen:

An example of blessing

The full videos of Russ’s four talks blessing run around an hour each. I know that few of us are so burdened with free time that watching an hour long video is a challenge. Nonetheless, I encourage all of you to find time to view – you won’t regret it. Again, you can find them here: https://www.trinitygreeley.org/russ-parker-videos/.

Of course, the practice of blessing by all Christians is nothing new, though it has certainly been lost for quite a while. Ian Bradley, in his book Celtic Christian Communities, makes note of the common practice in the Christian communities in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and other regions where “Celtic” Christianity thrived in the 4th – 9th centuries.

With this understanding of the power of the spoken word, pronouncing a blessing or benediction was no mere pleasantry or routine greeting to pass the time of day. Nor did it simply involve, as its Latin root benedicere suggests, speaking well of someone or something. Rather it conveyed to the recipient in an almost physical sense a portion of God’s goodness and grace… Although those delivered by saints and holy men [and women] were regarded as having a special force and efficacy, blessings were certainly not regarded as the exclusive province of priests and monks, and could come from the lips of any Christian. They were emphatically not confined to liturgical use but had a prominent place in the every day lives and conversation of laity and clergy alike, both inside and beyond the monastic vallum.

Ian Bradley, Celtic Christian Communities: Live the Tradition (Kelowna, BC, Canada: Northstone Publishing, 2000), 61

So if all Christians have the ministry of blessing, what is it that we should be teaching them to bless? Given the state of our society, it would seem obvious that we should teach husbands to bless their wives and wives their husbands. In fact, this would be a good discipline for couples preparing for Christian marriage. When the couple is together, their time should begin, or at least end, with blessing. When they are apart, they can bless one another, even from a distance, each night before sleep.

Parents need to be blessing their children, at night as they go to bed and in the morning before they leave for school. Both parents need to participate as a mother’s blessing is not the father’s, nor the father’s the mother’s. Children can be taught to bless their parents and one another.

These blessings can extend beyond the family and even beyond the life of the congregation. But wherever and to whomever the blessings are given, how do we bless. Again, I point you to Russ Parker’s video talks.

There is one other blessing I’ll close with, taken from Russ’s book, Rediscovering the Ministry of Blessing. It is a blessing for the communities in which we live.

Blessing for a town

We stand in the mighty name of Jesus and bless you [name of town], that you might prosper under the mighty hand of God.

We bless you that justice and righteousness might take their proper place within your boundaries. We bless you that the favour of the Lord might rest upon you and give you peace.

We bless you that the Father’s compassion might fall upon your people. We bless your poor that they might be lifted up.

We bless you that the knowledge of Jesus might come in among you like a flood.

We bless the people of God in [name of town] that they might rise up with servant authority and become a people of blessing.

We bless you that the joy of the Lord might be your strength. Amen.
(Worldwide Mission Fellowship)

Parker, Russ. Rediscovering the Ministry of Blessing (pp. 125-126). SPCK. Kindle Edition.

A Holy Christmas Word

What is the most important verse in the Bible?

That is a rhetorical question. The answer is as individual as we are, though I suspect the answers would cluster around several choices. But as Advent draws to a close and we begin the 12 days of Christmastide, I’ll offer my own and try to explain why it is important. The verse I’m promoting is the 14th in the first chapter of the Gospel of John: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

The impact of that verse draws on the opening lines of the chapter: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The importance of verse 14 also lies in the suspicion with which spiritual people regards physicality. To be pure spirit delivers us from the pain and limitation and decay of our physical experience. Oh yes, there is much to rejoice in our materiality. The beauty of this world that our senses convey is a source of continuous delight. But the same materiality that enables us to delight in our material world also makes it “subjected to futility.” (Romans 8:20) Except.

Except, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And if God, who is spirit, was willing to enter fully into our material life, that means that materiality, even subject to decay, can be the vehicles of God’s grace and presence. That, in turn, means that all our actions in this material world have spiritual effects and spiritual consequences.

It means that we can be bearers of God’s holy and healing presence in every place, in every set of circumstances in which we find ourselves. It means that physical items can convey spiritual power and grace, whether in Holy Communion or holy oil or holy water. It is not that water or oil become magic talismans when certain words are spoken over them by certain people. It is that God is willing convey His grace in the material items of His creation and all because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

The importance of the verse in question is in its application to the minutiae of our lives. All places can be holy places, all moments can be holy moments, all words can be holy words and all actions may be holy actions. And this is true because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Merry Christmas,
Jack Stapleton (The Apprentice Priest)

Practicing Blessing in the local church

In 2017 our parish brought in Rev. Dr. Russ Parker to lead a parish weekend. While the weekend and the teaching were wonderful and blessed us all, it was the preliminary to the weekend that was my own motive for bringing Russ over from the UK. Russ has written many books and one of them Healing Wounded History had been an essential element in moving the congregation in healing, renewal and growth. But it was one of his more recent books, Rediscovering the Ministry of Blessing, that had started us on the path towards the weekend.

Russ did three sessions on blessing in the midst of our primary weekend focus on The Wild Spirit. One session was a lunch for clergy and ministry leaders, a second followed that evening for the general public on the subject of blessing and a third session on a Saturday morning for parents and godparents on How to bless your children no matter how old they are. All the sessions were professionally videoed, and rather than describe them you can find them on the YouTube channel of Trinity Episcopal Church.

There was one conversation that was not caught on video between Russ and a pastor from an evangelical church. The pastor questioned whether he had authority to bless on God’s behalf. He could pray that God would bless someone, but to say “I bless you…” on behalf of God seemed presumptuous in the extreme. I didn’t overhear the rest of the conversation, but the pastor’s question was an eye opener for me. After all, I am an Episcopal priest and we bless anything and pretty much everything that is offered. We bless bread and wine in Holy Communion and the congregation at the close of that liturgy. We bless pets and crosses and rosaries (yes, some Episcopalians use rosaries) and icons and houses and holy water and holy oil. That’s part of our job. That’s part of the authority imparted to us at our ordination. And here was a pastor questioning his authority to bless.

It wasn’t a huge leap to connect the pastor’s problem with the blank looks I saw on the faces of our congregation whenever I encouraged parents, and particularly fathers, to bless their children. Oddly enough, I’d articulated the problem to that congregation in a sermon. However, as is all too often the case, even though I was the one speaking, I wasn’t the one listening. I was explaining why I thought my father had never blessed me as a child (so far as I knew). He didn’t know he could. Therefore, he didn’t know he should. And had he known either, he probably didn’t know how. As I described that situation there was a quiet voice speaking in the dim recesses of my consciousness, that this would be an ideal time to start teaching the congregation how to bless. I did follow up on that with one course, but it was “one and done.”

Within six months of Russ’s visit, I felt it was time to retire and I left my parish work (with mixed feelings of relief and loss) and my parish community (with deep regret). In the months since my departure the absence of the normal pressures of parish ministry has cleared away much of the foggy thinking of the last few years. With the clarity that only comes with hindsight I think my failure to follow up with teaching people how to bless was my greatest error in leadership during the 15 years I served that parish.

There are two reasons why I give that failure to launch that ignoble status. The first is that the ministry of blessing is a concrete expression of the priesthood of Christ that belongs to all who are in Christ. The “priesthood of all believers” needs to be more than just shorthand for the direct access to the Father through Jesus. The model of our ministry is incarnation – the spiritual God acting to save a material creature through embracing the material reality of our creaturely existence. A priesthood that fails to engage material reality, whatever else it may be, is not the priesthood of Christ. In prior years I had both preached and taught in the congregation on our status as priests. But in the time we explored the ministry of blessing, I failed to make the connection between priesthood and blessing.

The second reason was forgetting a phrase I learned from the late Canon David Watson: the meeting place is the learning place for the marketplace. I haven’t quoted that for a long time because when I did I got the same blank looks mentioned above. I think part of the problem was the concept that the primary workplace of the Body of Christ was not inside the congregation but in the midst of the world in which we work the other six days of the week.

In the context of blessing, applying Watson’s dictum meant that we learned how to how exercise our God-given authority to bless within our church so that we could bless in our homes, our workplaces and every other venue of our lives. When we learn that we can bless and how we bless we do so for the sake of others. Archbishop William Temple noted “The Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members.” One of the key benefits we offer is that of being blessed by God.

Finally, as Russ Parker noted in his talks and his book, blessing is more than kind or encouraging words. The words are ours, but the work is God’s. Go back and follow the link above to Russ’s talks. It will open up a new vista of ministry and mission for the local church.

Serving God – in an advisory capacity

The title of this post does eventually connect with the content, but only at the end. If you’ve got the time – read on!

The relationship between the apprentice of Jesus and the civil authorities is a complicated one, particularly in our times of uncivil discourse and partisan rancor. Even in the Hebrew Scriptures, where we have a covenant kingdom defined by its relationship with the YHWH, the official business of the state religion is often condemned for maintaining the trappings of the Law and neglecting the lifestyle that the Law requires.

In the time of Jesus, there was no covenant kingdom, though there remained a covenant nation reduced to vassal status by the empire of Rome. The relationship between the Jewish community and Caesar is uneasy to say the least. When Jesus is confronted by a trick question on paying taxes, he responds with the enigmatic injunction, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17). The competing interpretations of his statement by centuries of Christians indicates that we’ve no more solved his riddle than did the Herodians and Pharisees who first posed the issue.

The only recorded conversations between Jesus and Pilate – the local representative of imperial authority – give only a bit more clarity. The synoptic Gospels are sparse in their description, with Pilate asking Jesus if he is the king of the Jews and Jesus giving the non-answer, “You have said so.” John, on the other hand gives a great deal more substance to the exchange.

There are two brief encounters described in John’s story. In the first Jesus declares that his kingdom is not from this world, with the use of the word kosmos referring to the order of power and values represented by Pilate and the imperial system. After having Jesus flogged, Pilate again confronts Jesus, confused and perturbed by the fact that Jesus is not behaving the way Pilate would expect. He asks, “Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus’ answer reflects a common understanding by many Jews, that the pagan kingdoms hold power only provisionally: “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above.”

That brings us to references to civil authority found elsewhere in the New Testament. We find references there both negative and positive to the civil authorities. The most obvious is in the Revelation to John where references to these worldly rulers are swathed in opaque apocalyptic imagery. A more debatable reference is in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8:

Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

While there are some commentators who assert that the “rulers of this age” refer to spiritual powers, the context is more likely a reference to the civil authorities involved – directly and indirectly – in the condemnation of Jesus. In the broader context of Paul’s thoughts, contrasting human wisdom with God’s foolishness, he’s essentially noting that “you boys missed the boat on this one.”

Yet Paul is the source of two other references to the Christian’s relationship with civil authority. The better known is the first seven verses of the thirteenth chapter of Romans:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them–taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

(Romans 13:1-7)

While such a subservient attitude towards authority may offend our modern individualistic sensibilities, we often miss the irony of Paul’s injunction. It was those very authorities who beheaded Paul. Indeed, the emperor at the time of his writing was Nero, under whom Paul was executed. These verses have been cited by Christians in our country to rebuke those who protested against government leaders and government policies. They have also been conveniently ignored by Christians who opposed leaders and policies with which they disagreed. Oftentimes it has been the same Christians who cite or ignore depending on who is in power. Neither the left nor the right have been innocent of such convenient use of Paul’s teaching, which is an eloquent testimony to the superficiality of our Christianity.

There are two more references to civil authority that are found in the Letter to Titus and the First Letter to Timothy. The Titus reference echoes the injunction to submit to civil authority. The Timothy reference, on the other hand, begins with the command to hold those in authority in various kinds of prayer. But given the ambiguity of the scriptural references to civil authority, how are we to pray?

From time to time various religious leaders have issued calls to prayer for the president at the time. Oftentimes there is some urgency in the call. Most of the time these leaders have the good sense not to list specific things to be praying, but not always. The question that frequently comes to my mind is how regularly do individual Christians pray for those in authority? In my own denomination there is a section in our worship called “The Prayers of the People.” There are many forms these prayers can take but it is required that all varieties must include, among other topics, prayers for the nation and all in authority. The various versions offered in the Book of Common Prayer tend to be generic, only a couple of them offer the option to pray for the President by name.

There is a way to make our prayers more specific, but it requires a warning beforehand. The warning comes from an episode in intercession several years ago. I was praying for leadership in the denomination, and, as usual, I was giving God detailed instructions on what needed to be done with, for and to the person in question. While I can’t say I heard an audible voice, I did experience something profound that to this day I am certain was God speaking. It was a gentle voice with a gentle rebuke: “Jack, I really don’t need your advice.” That immediately brought to mind one of the cynical statements I’d heard – and made – about Christians: “I want to serve God — in an advisory capacity.”

So, if God didn’t need my suggestions, how was I to pray? What comes to mind is Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples in Matthew’s Gospel, commonly known as “The Great Commission.”

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

(Matthew 28:18-20)

The all authority part is the key. It is reiterated in the Revelation to John:

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

(Revelation 11:15).

This is, in turn, harkens back to Daniel’s vision:

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

(Daniel 7:13-14)

The earlier theme is reiterated, that God is the ultimate authority and all human authority derives from God. Now that authority has been focused in the Incarnate Son and Jesus, therefore, is the rightful ruler of the nations. All human ruling authority is derived from Jesus, but derivation does not equal endorsement. In fact, Jesus is painfully clear that simply claiming his Name while ignoring his commands leads to divine rejection (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46). The prayer to God for rulers and all in authority is a prayer that they would do what God requires. It doesn’t matter what our opinion is on the controversial issues of our day. God needs neither our advice nor our instruction. Rulers who rule unjustly, whether tyrants or duly elected officials, will face judgment. But it is God’s judgment they will face, not ours. Therefore, pray daily for rulers and all in authority. And let God sort all.

And Now a Word from CQOD

CQOD is the “Christian Quote of the Day,” an email I receive each morning with quotes from Christian writers ancient and contemporary, well know and obscure. (You can also find their Facebook page as well as their web site.) Recently one quote caught my attention and gave me pause for thought. I offer it now in the hopes that the quote for the day can bring forth in you a thought for living.

   “Thank You for home (although we hold the deed),
    Our acre, trees, and flowers (ours by choice),
    Our faithful dog and cat (though it’s agreed
    No one can own the latter), each good book
    (A gift, or purchased), all else we foresaw
    That we should cherish, and have made to look
    Ours by possession (nine points of the law).”
   
    With what presumption have we called them ours,
    And even felt unselfish when we shared them–
    When, if the truth be known, they have been Yours
    From the beginning, Lord! You have prepared them
    For us to borrow, using as our own:
    So thank You, Father, for this generous loan.
    … Elaine V. Emans

The Ecclesiology of Inigo Montoya

Ecclesiology: noun, \ i-ˌklē-zē-ˈä-lə-jē, plural ecclesiologies. The meanings given refer either to the study of the doctrine of the Church, or oftentimes the study of church adornments and furnishing. It’s the former definition I’m about in this post and this is where the waters get muddy to the point of opaqueness. There seems to be a nearly infinite number of ecclesiologies floating about in Christian circles. Some of them refer to forms of church government, some to church membership, some to forms of worship. Lately I’ve been reflecting on a rather different approach to ecclesiology, that of Inigo Montoya. If you don’t know who he is, read the next paragraph; if you do, skip that and read on.

In the fall of 1987, the movie The Princess Bride hit the theatres and soon became a cult hit with a number of memorable lines. Perhaps the most frequently repeated came from Mandy Patinkin in the role of the swordsman Inigo Montoya. The leader of the outlaw group (Wallace Shawn as Vizzini) keeps responding to every unexpected event with the word “inconceivable!” Eventually Inigo Montoya confronts Vizzini: “Inconceivable? You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.”

The useful thing about Inigo’s line about misusing the word “inconceivable” is that so many terms will do just as well, such as: “Church? You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.” In reading the New Testament to examine the direct and indirect references to the Church led me to the conclusion that the first definition of Church against which all other uses must be tested is that Church is a community. It is not the leadership, though leaders are obviously part of that community. Nor is it buildings, nor denominations nor any other of the manifold uses of the word church in our common speech.

Perhaps a better way of phrasing it is that many of the uses of the word church may well be accurate but at the same time when addressing the question “What is the church?” those uses are at best misleading and at worst, useless. I am not offering a definitive answer to that question, only suggesting that a) the question is important and b) that the answer may be more complex and challenging than we think.

I know that this questioning puts me at odds with my own tradition, and in fact with centuries of consensus. From An Outline of the Faith in the Book of Common Prayer:
Q. How is Prayer: Church described in the Bible?
A. The Church is described as the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members….

Since the Reformation there have been alternative descriptions offered, each of which can make some appeal to the Bible for support. While I lean towards the description from the Book of Common Prayer my concern is that a quick acceptance of that or any of the alternatives pulls us away from the Biblical emphasis on how the Church functions (or fails to function) as a community.

That’s enough for now. Next (maybe) I’ll share my reflections on how that community is supposed to function and what that means for the way the culture of religion helps or hinders us.