Last week, I mentioned the Collects, those beautiful prayers which are also helpful and uplifting guides to meditation. On page 367 in the Book of Alternative Services, you will find a Collect which comes from the mind and thinking of that great North African saint and scholar, Augustine of Hippo (not to be confused with St. Augustine of Canterbury). Let us start with the first part Almighty God, you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. There are two thoughts here. First God Made us for Himself. What does that mean? We have been told from earliest childhood that God loves us; more than that, God is love. You cannot love in a vacuum, you need someone to love. Dare we say, God needed us? These thoughts are overwhelming and take time and prayer before moving on to the second thought which stems from it. That is "our hearts are restless, until they find their rest in you". In the start of this Collect, we address God as Almighty. It reflects the fact that the one who is all powerful is also love itself. He made us, that he might love us.
May we now turn to Genesis 1: 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God, he created them. It is not just God who is love. He made us in his image. Many people particularly those starting to face life, declare they are on a road to discover themselves. That will happen when they discover God. In him, they will find satisfaction and peace. There is one among the many great gifts he has given without which our love would be null and void. We will think about this next week.
I will leave you with a prayer which St. Paul gave us in his Epistle to the Ephesisans 3:16. I pray that according to the riches of his Glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through the spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith as you are being rooted and grounded in love.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
March 20th 2011
Years ago everyone owned their own prayer book, treasured it and brought it to church with them on Sunday. I suspect few people have one of their own now. This of course makes sense, it is the Book of Common Prayer which means it is a book created to help us pray "in common and as one" as brothers and sisters in Christ. Why then, use one at home alone? Because it is also a very rich source for private devotion not only because of the depth and beauty of the prayers but also the planned sequences in the offices or service as we are led step by step to enter God's presence and worship.
Let us turn to the service of Morning Prayer. We are greeted with a sentence from scripture and move on at once to the "exhortation". This dramatic admonition is not a prayer but an earnest call to us to "acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness". We respond by an act of general confession. After we have received absolution and assurance of forgiveness through our Lord Jesus Christ we are cleansed and ready to come before the throne of Grace. We worship him with hymns of joy, responses, canticles and psalms. Finally we stand for our declaration of faith in the creed.
After this preparation, we are ready for prayer and intercession. We kneel and say the beloved prayers Jesus taught us and then join in the responses and move to the Collect. There is something very Anglican about the Collects. They are precious part of our liturgical heritage. Each Collect gathers together and offers up, just one special thought in its petition. Years ago, children were often required to learn the special Collect for the Sunday of each week. They were left with a rich heritage.
It is impossible to go through all of the Services. Perhaps you could make a start, leaf through the prayer book on your own, discover it anew. Try wading through the quaint language of the prefaces on page vii and viii and on pages seven and fifteen following which are in the words as they were spoken in 1549 and 1662. Now you will understand why we have revisions. Speaking of which, what about the Book of Alternative Service (BAS)? I would suggest that you turn to the introduction of the BAS on page seven following. Here are some quotes that are underlined in my battered old copy. "Synod is also resolved that in future, the revisions of our Book of Common Prayer more emphasis be given to permissive forms and less to the mandatory forms of public worship. "In order that we may still achieve the flexibility and variety we deem desirable". On page nine we read "the Gospel always has a reforming and re-interpretative edge to it."
If you are one of those modern people who does not own a prayer book, why not ask for one as a present for Easter either BCP or BAS or both? Dare I suggest that you ask one of the Wardens if you may borrow a copy from the Church. You will promise to return it of course.
Let us turn to the service of Morning Prayer. We are greeted with a sentence from scripture and move on at once to the "exhortation". This dramatic admonition is not a prayer but an earnest call to us to "acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness". We respond by an act of general confession. After we have received absolution and assurance of forgiveness through our Lord Jesus Christ we are cleansed and ready to come before the throne of Grace. We worship him with hymns of joy, responses, canticles and psalms. Finally we stand for our declaration of faith in the creed.
After this preparation, we are ready for prayer and intercession. We kneel and say the beloved prayers Jesus taught us and then join in the responses and move to the Collect. There is something very Anglican about the Collects. They are precious part of our liturgical heritage. Each Collect gathers together and offers up, just one special thought in its petition. Years ago, children were often required to learn the special Collect for the Sunday of each week. They were left with a rich heritage.
It is impossible to go through all of the Services. Perhaps you could make a start, leaf through the prayer book on your own, discover it anew. Try wading through the quaint language of the prefaces on page vii and viii and on pages seven and fifteen following which are in the words as they were spoken in 1549 and 1662. Now you will understand why we have revisions. Speaking of which, what about the Book of Alternative Service (BAS)? I would suggest that you turn to the introduction of the BAS on page seven following. Here are some quotes that are underlined in my battered old copy. "Synod is also resolved that in future, the revisions of our Book of Common Prayer more emphasis be given to permissive forms and less to the mandatory forms of public worship. "In order that we may still achieve the flexibility and variety we deem desirable". On page nine we read "the Gospel always has a reforming and re-interpretative edge to it."
If you are one of those modern people who does not own a prayer book, why not ask for one as a present for Easter either BCP or BAS or both? Dare I suggest that you ask one of the Wardens if you may borrow a copy from the Church. You will promise to return it of course.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
March 13th 2011
The word “sin” is one I seldom use, mainly because it has different shades of meaning for different people. For some, it has little meaning at all. What is “sin”? To me, sin is an action or lack of action which cuts us off from God. Sin also cuts us off from each other, makes us feel depressed and unhappy. Some times that brings us to a false front of bravado. There is something we can do. We can ask for forgiveness and pray to receive it. Strangely, that seems to be the hard part, to accept his love revealed on the cross. That alone will take away the sinking guilt and renew us. That release which comes with forgiveness really does happen. I know. His love can be very real as he reaches out to us.
Sometimes we feel unworthy to accept his love and feel it more pious to wallow in the guilt. If we do that, we are rejecting his loving gift of forgiveness which he bought for us. Have you ever prepared a special gift for someone to be told “it is too good for me, I cannot possibly accept it”.
We are entering the season of Lent. Lent means spring. It is a growing time. While it is good to bring some special discipline into our lives at this time, it should be a discipline which helps us to grow in love toward Jesus. Pray often, study more, worship with joy. Reach out and draw others into the great circle of his love.
Sometimes we feel unworthy to accept his love and feel it more pious to wallow in the guilt. If we do that, we are rejecting his loving gift of forgiveness which he bought for us. Have you ever prepared a special gift for someone to be told “it is too good for me, I cannot possibly accept it”.
We are entering the season of Lent. Lent means spring. It is a growing time. While it is good to bring some special discipline into our lives at this time, it should be a discipline which helps us to grow in love toward Jesus. Pray often, study more, worship with joy. Reach out and draw others into the great circle of his love.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
March 6th 2011
From time to time, we are asked to choose a favourite psalm for a special occasion. Many people automatically choose the 23rd Psalm, I never do. It is one of the most meaningful and beautiful psalms but it often seems to be the only one people know. I am going to suggest when you have a relaxing moment, sit down and soak up the psalms.
As you read, think of the people who sang them several thousand years ago. How did they draw nearer to God as they sang? How do we draw nearer to Him?
Time and space does not allow me to do more than start out with you. You may remember being taught at Sunday School that the Book of Psalms is in the very centre of the Bible. Give a little thought to the fact that worship needs to be the very centre of our lives. I open my Bible up in the centre (allowing for concordance and index at the back) my eye falls on Psalm 27, wonderful! That is a great hymn of confidence and joy. “I will sing and make melody to the Lord.” (Psalm 26:6). Then my eye falls on Psalm 24. The Jewish people used to sing this as they went up to Jerusalem Holy City Temple
Here is Psalm 25, when I was able to read I was given my first Bible. On the flyleaf was inscribed, “Lead me in they truth and teach me. (Psalm 25:5B)
In spite of myself I am being led to the 23rd Psalm. “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.” Does that mean that with the Lord to look after us we will have everything we want? No, it comes to me as I read, with the Lord to look after us, we have no need for anything else and, “I will dwell in the hours of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)
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