2010
The Creed of St. Athanasius
Jun 01, 2010
Trinity Sunday has come and now is past; but let’s take a little more time to linger on this topic that over the centuries has captivated the minds of countless Christians, become the very definition of their faith and merited its own unique day on the church calendar. On pages 864 and 865 of the Book of Common Prayer we find the quintessential statement of Trinitarian theology commonly known as The Creed of St. Athanasius. This document might be towards the back of the Prayer Book, but the doctrine it elucidates is still front and center as a chief article of our faith as Christians of the Episcopal/Anglican tradition. I provide here an excerpt without further commentary for your further study and meditation.
“So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord.
And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.
For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord,
So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another;
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.”
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+
“So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord.
And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.
For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord,
So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another;
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.”
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+
The Ministry of Reconciliation
May 01, 2010
Penance (sacramental confession) is often associated with Lent; but confession of sin is appropriate no matter the season of the church year. This is one of the lesser known sections of the Prayer Book referred to as Reconciliation of a Penitent, a.k.a. “penance” or “confession.” While some have thought this practice to be strictly Roman Catholic, it is also very much at home in the Episcopal/Anglican tradition. One will find a rite for penance/confession in The Book of Common Prayer, 1662 of the Church of England, a “parent edition” our Prayer Book. The Book of Common Prayer, 1979 was the first of the four American Prayer Books to reintroduce it. We actually have multiple opportunities for confession in the Episcopal Church. We’re all very familiar with general confession said by the congregation and priest during the Sunday Eucharist before the passing of the peace, and in the Morning & Evening Prayer rites; but next time you pick up your Prayer Book leaf through pages 447 through 452. Here you’ll find two rites for sacramental confession, one which bears the stamp of the Western church and one that has an Eastern Orthodox flavor. As always, The Book of Common Prayer explains itself best. The following is what the Prayer Book has to say about sacramental confession:
“The ministry of reconciliation, which has been committed by Christ to his Church, is exercised through the care each Christian has for others, through the common prayer of Christians assembled for public worship, and through the priesthood of the Church and its ministers declaring absolution. The Reconciliation of a Penitent is available for all who desire it. It is not restricted to times of sickness. Confessions may be heard anytime and anywhere. Two equivalent forms of service are provided here to meet the needs of penitents. The absolution in these services may be pronounced only by a bishop or priest. Another Christian may be asked to hear a confession, but it must be made clear to the penitent that absolution will not be pronounced; instead, a declaration of forgiveness is provided. When a confession is heard in a church building, the confessor may sit inside the altar rails or in a place set aside to give greater privacy, and the penitent kneels nearby. If preferred, the confessor and penitent may sit face to face for a spiritual conference leading to absolution or a declaration of forgiveness. When the penitent has confessed all serious sins troubling the conscience and has given evidence of due contrition, the priest gives such counsel and encouragement as are needed and pronounces absolution. Before giving absolution, the priest may assign to the penitent a psalm, prayer, or hymn to be said, or something to be done, as a sign of penitence and act of thanksgiving. The content of a confession is not normally a matter of subsequent discussion. The secrecy of a confession is morally absolute for the confessor, and must under no circumstances be broken.”
I invite you to consider this tremendous resource given to the church through virtue of its history and tradition and provided by the church to all its people. Please contact me at any time if you’d like to discuss the benefits of this sacrament for your spiritual journey.
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+
“The ministry of reconciliation, which has been committed by Christ to his Church, is exercised through the care each Christian has for others, through the common prayer of Christians assembled for public worship, and through the priesthood of the Church and its ministers declaring absolution. The Reconciliation of a Penitent is available for all who desire it. It is not restricted to times of sickness. Confessions may be heard anytime and anywhere. Two equivalent forms of service are provided here to meet the needs of penitents. The absolution in these services may be pronounced only by a bishop or priest. Another Christian may be asked to hear a confession, but it must be made clear to the penitent that absolution will not be pronounced; instead, a declaration of forgiveness is provided. When a confession is heard in a church building, the confessor may sit inside the altar rails or in a place set aside to give greater privacy, and the penitent kneels nearby. If preferred, the confessor and penitent may sit face to face for a spiritual conference leading to absolution or a declaration of forgiveness. When the penitent has confessed all serious sins troubling the conscience and has given evidence of due contrition, the priest gives such counsel and encouragement as are needed and pronounces absolution. Before giving absolution, the priest may assign to the penitent a psalm, prayer, or hymn to be said, or something to be done, as a sign of penitence and act of thanksgiving. The content of a confession is not normally a matter of subsequent discussion. The secrecy of a confession is morally absolute for the confessor, and must under no circumstances be broken.”
I invite you to consider this tremendous resource given to the church through virtue of its history and tradition and provided by the church to all its people. Please contact me at any time if you’d like to discuss the benefits of this sacrament for your spiritual journey.
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+
A Newly Kindled Fire
Apr 01, 2010
There may be some who wonder why a large candle appears in the church between Easter and Pentecost. This candle, known as the Paschal Candle is processed into the church and lit at the service called the Great Vigil of Easter which we celebrated at Grace around sunset on the evening of Saturday, April 3rd. Most of us appreciate and enjoy reading historical information as to origins of the various rites and customs of the church; however, it isn’t too often that we consider these things from a theological and spiritual perspective. In my opinion there’s no better way to understand the spiritual significance of the Paschal Candle than through the Exsultet which is also chanted at the Great Vigil each year. I’ve reproduced the words of Exsultet below as found on pages 286 and 287 of The Book of Common Prayer. I’ve also reproduced the rubrics (liturgical instructions) in italics, as found in the Prayer Book, to help you enter into the ethos of the service as it’s celebrated at the Great Vigil of Easter.
“The Paschal Candle is lighted from the newly kindled fire, and the Deacon (the Celebrant/Priest if there is no deacon) bearing the Candle, leads the procession to the chancel, pausing three times and singing or saying, “The Light of Christ” and the people respond, “Thanks be to God.”
If candles have been distributed to members of the congregation, they are lighted from the Paschal Candle at this time. Other candles and lamps in the church, except for those at the Altar, may also be lighted. The Paschal Candle is placed in its stand. Then the Deacon, or other person appointed, standing near the Candle, sings or says the Exsultet, as follows:
Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels, and let your trumpets shout Salvation for the victory of our mighty King.
Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth, bright with a glorious splendor,
for darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.
Rejoice and be glad now, Mother Church, and let your holy courts, in radiant light, resound with the praises of your people.
All you who stand near this marvelous and holy flame, pray with me to God the Almighty for the grace to sing the worthy praise of this great light; through Jesus Christ his Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
It is truly right and good, always and everywhere, with our whole heart and mind and voice, to praise you, the invisible, almighty, and eternal God, and your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who at the feast of the Passover paid for us the debt of Adam's sin,
and by his blood delivered your faithful people.
This is the night, when you brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt, and led them through the Red Sea on dry land.
This is the night, when all who believe in Christ are delivered from the gloom of sin, and are restored to grace and holiness of life.
This is the night, when Christ broke the bonds of death and hell, and rose victorious from the grave.
How wonderful and beyond our knowing, O God, is your mercy and loving-kindness to us, that to redeem a slave, you gave a Son.
How holy is this night, when wickedness is put to flight, and sin is washed away. It restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to those who mourn. It casts out pride and hatred, and brings peace and concord.
How blessed is this night, when earth and heaven are joined and man is reconciled to God.
Holy Father, accept our evening sacrifice, the offering of this candle in your honor. May it shine continually to drive away all darkness. May Christ, the Morning Star who knows no setting, find it ever burning—he who gives his light to all creation, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.”
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod
“The Paschal Candle is lighted from the newly kindled fire, and the Deacon (the Celebrant/Priest if there is no deacon) bearing the Candle, leads the procession to the chancel, pausing three times and singing or saying, “The Light of Christ” and the people respond, “Thanks be to God.”
If candles have been distributed to members of the congregation, they are lighted from the Paschal Candle at this time. Other candles and lamps in the church, except for those at the Altar, may also be lighted. The Paschal Candle is placed in its stand. Then the Deacon, or other person appointed, standing near the Candle, sings or says the Exsultet, as follows:
Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels, and let your trumpets shout Salvation for the victory of our mighty King.
Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth, bright with a glorious splendor,
for darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.
Rejoice and be glad now, Mother Church, and let your holy courts, in radiant light, resound with the praises of your people.
All you who stand near this marvelous and holy flame, pray with me to God the Almighty for the grace to sing the worthy praise of this great light; through Jesus Christ his Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
It is truly right and good, always and everywhere, with our whole heart and mind and voice, to praise you, the invisible, almighty, and eternal God, and your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who at the feast of the Passover paid for us the debt of Adam's sin,
and by his blood delivered your faithful people.
This is the night, when you brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt, and led them through the Red Sea on dry land.
This is the night, when all who believe in Christ are delivered from the gloom of sin, and are restored to grace and holiness of life.
This is the night, when Christ broke the bonds of death and hell, and rose victorious from the grave.
How wonderful and beyond our knowing, O God, is your mercy and loving-kindness to us, that to redeem a slave, you gave a Son.
How holy is this night, when wickedness is put to flight, and sin is washed away. It restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to those who mourn. It casts out pride and hatred, and brings peace and concord.
How blessed is this night, when earth and heaven are joined and man is reconciled to God.
Holy Father, accept our evening sacrifice, the offering of this candle in your honor. May it shine continually to drive away all darkness. May Christ, the Morning Star who knows no setting, find it ever burning—he who gives his light to all creation, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.”
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod
March Grace Notes
Mar 01, 2010
The Lenten journey is a different path for each individual; though we’re all united in common purpose. We spend forty days, symbolic of Jesus forty days in the desert (itself symbolic of the Israelites forty-year desert wanderings), preparing our hearts to experience anew his passion/crucifixion and resurrection during Holy Week and Eastertide.
Above all else, take this time to contemplate and meditate upon the mysteries of Lent, that is, what Jesus ministry on earth ultimately led to. First, take up the cross as your single image of contemplation, and then expand your thoughts to the full sorrowful mysteries of Christ . . . the agony of Jesus in the garden, the scourging of Jesus at the pillar, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross, and finally the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Here encompasses the complete journey of the cross within our Lenten experience to prepare ourselves, beginning Easter Sunday, to contemplate the mysterious reality of the empty tomb!
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+
Above all else, take this time to contemplate and meditate upon the mysteries of Lent, that is, what Jesus ministry on earth ultimately led to. First, take up the cross as your single image of contemplation, and then expand your thoughts to the full sorrowful mysteries of Christ . . . the agony of Jesus in the garden, the scourging of Jesus at the pillar, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross, and finally the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Here encompasses the complete journey of the cross within our Lenten experience to prepare ourselves, beginning Easter Sunday, to contemplate the mysterious reality of the empty tomb!
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+
February Grace Notes
Feb 01, 2010
Who is the church? We are the church! I learned this question and refrain during my Episcopal Cursillo retreat weekend in 1997 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Bellingham, Washington. Ever since then both the question and the answer have been close to my heart. First off, the question is important because the church is much more than just the location where we meet from week to week. The church is both the building and the people who gather inside; but sometimes it’s easy to forget the second half of that last statement.
Another name for the church is the body of Christ and each of us are members of that body. The epistle reading for the third Sunday in Epiphany says it well, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. . . . Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12.12, 27). Now when we say “we” are the church we certainly include us at Grace Church and those churches of the Episcopal tradition. To expand the definition of “we” however, it is significant to note that the church, the body of Christ, also includes other Christian churches/denominations of which there are many.
This month we have an opportunity to welcome a new member of the body of Christ to Carlsbad. On Saturday, February 6th at 2:00 pm, The Rev. Geri Cunningham will be installed as Pastor of St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church. I invite you to join me as representatives of Grace Church as we gather at St. Peter’s Church (ELCA) to welcome Pastor Cunningham on the 6th of February. This is one important way we can show our connectedness as the body of Christ in Carlsbad. I look forward to seeing you there!
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+
Another name for the church is the body of Christ and each of us are members of that body. The epistle reading for the third Sunday in Epiphany says it well, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. . . . Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12.12, 27). Now when we say “we” are the church we certainly include us at Grace Church and those churches of the Episcopal tradition. To expand the definition of “we” however, it is significant to note that the church, the body of Christ, also includes other Christian churches/denominations of which there are many.
This month we have an opportunity to welcome a new member of the body of Christ to Carlsbad. On Saturday, February 6th at 2:00 pm, The Rev. Geri Cunningham will be installed as Pastor of St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church. I invite you to join me as representatives of Grace Church as we gather at St. Peter’s Church (ELCA) to welcome Pastor Cunningham on the 6th of February. This is one important way we can show our connectedness as the body of Christ in Carlsbad. I look forward to seeing you there!
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+
January Grace Notes
Jan 01, 2010
What’s in a name? This can be a complicated question but the answer can be very enlightening. What’s in a prayer book? The answer to this question is also complicated but very enlightening indeed. I won’t even begin to give a complete answer to such a question here; but a historical overview is in order nonetheless. To date, our current prayer book, The Book of Common Prayer 1979, has been in use for thirty-one years. The one before that, The Book of Common Prayer 1928, was in use for fifty-one years. The predecessor of the 1928 was The Book of Common Prayer 1892 and was the standard for thirty-six years. Last but not least, the first American prayer book, The Book of Common Prayer 1789, was used in The Episcopal Church USA for 103 years and was adapted from The Episcopal Church of Scotland’s Book of Common Prayer 1637/1764 and The Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer 1662 (and there were/are three English/C of E prayer books before that—Books of Common Prayer 1549, 1552 and 1559). Now there are also numerous other international editions of the BCP in the over 160 countries in which the Episcopal/Anglican tradition finds a home.
Now this topic may seem strange for the first newsletter of 2010; however, a new year can be a time of new expectations, new commitments and new beginnings, and this year Grace Church will be reaching back into its history for something new to many, yet, at the same time, something old. Beginning the first Sunday in February 2010 at the 8:30 a.m. service and continuing on the first Sunday of each month thereafter at 8:30 a.m., we will begin using the Eucharistic Rite from the BCP 1928. You may ask how this is possible. Until ten years ago it was not possible. At the 2000 General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Denver a resolution was passed allowing the occasional use of the BCP 1928 and other authorized prayer books of the Anglican Communion as approved by the diocesan bishop.
New prayer books are actually not a new thing around here, as Grace Church has used all four American prayer books over the course of its 120 year history—1789, 1892, 1928 & 1979. Of course, we will continue to use the BCP 1979 for all other services; but using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer once a month in the 8:30 Sunday morning celebration of the Holy Eucharist will give us a chance to experience our history in a new way and enrich our worship as we reappropriate a piece of our heritage as Episcopalians. Happy New Year!!
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+
Now this topic may seem strange for the first newsletter of 2010; however, a new year can be a time of new expectations, new commitments and new beginnings, and this year Grace Church will be reaching back into its history for something new to many, yet, at the same time, something old. Beginning the first Sunday in February 2010 at the 8:30 a.m. service and continuing on the first Sunday of each month thereafter at 8:30 a.m., we will begin using the Eucharistic Rite from the BCP 1928. You may ask how this is possible. Until ten years ago it was not possible. At the 2000 General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Denver a resolution was passed allowing the occasional use of the BCP 1928 and other authorized prayer books of the Anglican Communion as approved by the diocesan bishop.
New prayer books are actually not a new thing around here, as Grace Church has used all four American prayer books over the course of its 120 year history—1789, 1892, 1928 & 1979. Of course, we will continue to use the BCP 1979 for all other services; but using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer once a month in the 8:30 Sunday morning celebration of the Holy Eucharist will give us a chance to experience our history in a new way and enrich our worship as we reappropriate a piece of our heritage as Episcopalians. Happy New Year!!
Grace & peace,
Fr. Rod+