Recently I had the pleasure of attending the ordination of the Rev'd Tracy Smith to the sacred order of priests in the APA. The beautiful liturgy was held at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Delray Beach, Florida. You can see pictures on their website. This was the first time I have participated in the "holy huddle", or "laying on of hands", where all the priests present join the bishop in laying hands on the ordinand.
Priests ordained in the APA are of course ordained using the ordinal from 1928 BCP. In addition to what is in the ordinal, the following is added by the bishop:
As the stole is turned priest-wise, the bishop says:
"Take thou the yoke of the Lord, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light."
As the priest is vested in the chasuble, the bishop says:
"Receive this preistly garment which symbolizes charity; for God is well able to give thee an increase of charity and a perfect work."
As the priests hands are annointed and wrapped, and the instruments are presented, the bishop says:
"Take thou authority to offer sacrifice to God, and to celebrate Mass for both the quick and the dead. In the Name of the Lord."
I believe all of this comes originally from the old Sarum pontifical, and was adapted for modern use in the Anglican Service Book. It goes without saying, that excluding these elements from an ordination in no way invalidates the rite, or makes that person less of a catholic priest. Still, I am glad that we have this custom in the APA, as it does away with any misconceptions about what is going on at an ordination.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
"The Monastery" - Great New TV Series
There is a great new program on Sunday nights on The Learning Channel called “The Monastery”. It is about five men who are at a crossroads in their lives who go to the Monastery of Christ in the Desert to live with the Benedictine monks there for forty days and forty nights. They are supposed to be looking for clarity, purpose, and meaning in life. The first episode was last night. One guy, an ex- Hollywood screenwriter, has been in recovery for 30 years; another is a 23-year old combat-wounded vet from Iraq; there’s a guy who is a former Satanist that came to know the Lord and now wants to be an Episcopal priest; there’s an ex-gang member who now helps kids get off the street in Massachusetts; and there’s a paramedic/ex-Marine. They are all at varying stages in their spirituality. Some believe in God, some do not. Two are lapsed Catholics, and two are “nothing”.
It is fascinating to see how they adjust to monastic life. They live just as the monks do and swear obedience to the abbot while there. The strict routine is very hard for them – even the ex-Marines. They cannot deal with the silence and stillness very well, either. One guy – the veteran – admits that he can’t sit still for more than two minutes, so obviously he has a hard time with the services. I wonder how their lives will change, if at all, after the forty days are up? The most interesting thing to me was seeing the incredible stupidity and arrogance of the two ex-Marines (no offence to anyone out there serving, or who has served, in the armed forces). The one guy is just a kid with no education, so his idiotic ramblings are to be expected. The older one (who now serves as a paramedic, and witnesses lots of death and violence that he is trying to come to grips with) is bitterly cynical about everyone and everything. All he does is insult everyone, and make sarcastic remarks every few minutes. They are constantly challenging the rules of the community in small ways, prompting the monks to have meetings with them, and get them back into line. All in all it is quite interesting, and I highly recommend it.
The thing about this new series that makes it near and dear to me, though, is that I took a weeklong retreat at this monastery back in 2000 when I was in seminary. Many of the people on the show I met – the abbot, Prior Christian, Brother Andre, Father Joseph (he was just visiting the monastery for the first time when I was there, actually) etc. In fact, I still support the monastery when they send out their letters asking for financial help. That period when I visited the monastery was a very difficult time in my life. I was alienated from everyone and everything, abandoned by all but a few friends, and to a large extent by my family, who didn’t want me to be in seminary preparing for the priesthood. I was an outsider at the seminary, and an outsider at work. My girlfriend dumped me at a bar a few months earlier. I was dirt poor… so poor I could barely afford to eat and buy the most basic supplies I needed to get by (I was so poor I had to sometimes steal rolls of toilet paper form work because I couldn’t afford to buy any!). Top all of that off with living alone, and having to read and write papers all the time for seminary, and you have the recipe for serious and major funk. My life had become like a Hank Williams song. So it was under those circumstances that I decided to take a cleansing pilgrimage/roadtrip/retreat to Christ in the Desert. I drove with friend from Baltimore to Abiquiu New Mexico in my old beat-up 1986 Buick century sedan (the radio didn’t work, neither did the dashlights, so we sang songs to each other on the trip out and back). I chain-smoked to occupy the time. On the way out, we swung through Oklahoma City to see the destruction from and memorial of the infamous bombing. When we finally arrived at the monastery we were warmly received by the brothers. There was no direction or guided retreat from the brothers, and guests were not required to go to the services. You literally just make reservations, and show up, and then you’re on your own. We were, however, required to help do work around the grounds. In my week there, in addition to cleaning, I dug a trench and laid some electrical conduit, and helped pour the foundation for their refectory. And of course you have to eat with the monks since it takes an hour to drive out to the main road, and another hour or so to get anywhere near civilization. The atmosphere at the monastry was beautiful and serene. There was no electricity, no noise allowed… no nothing. Just God, and the chanting of the Psalms and prayers ascending up through the canyon to Him in the vastness of the sky. The liturgies were beautiful – in fact, that was where I first learned to read chant notation. The long road trip out and back; the solemn prayers, chants, and liturgy; the hot sun and dry desert; the cold nights; the hard physical labor; eating joint meals in silence with the brothers; and the quiet and lack of technology cleansed and healed me. It made me see that somehow God was bigger than all of my problems, and that His love was like a vast ocean washing over me, and through me. My life was changed by going there; I hope that happens with these guys on the cable TV show. When I returned home from the monastery, the troubles in church and life were only just beginning, and I went through another dark night of the soul. But I am convinced that had I not been to Christ in the Desert I would not have survived that difficult time to come.
It is fascinating to see how they adjust to monastic life. They live just as the monks do and swear obedience to the abbot while there. The strict routine is very hard for them – even the ex-Marines. They cannot deal with the silence and stillness very well, either. One guy – the veteran – admits that he can’t sit still for more than two minutes, so obviously he has a hard time with the services. I wonder how their lives will change, if at all, after the forty days are up? The most interesting thing to me was seeing the incredible stupidity and arrogance of the two ex-Marines (no offence to anyone out there serving, or who has served, in the armed forces). The one guy is just a kid with no education, so his idiotic ramblings are to be expected. The older one (who now serves as a paramedic, and witnesses lots of death and violence that he is trying to come to grips with) is bitterly cynical about everyone and everything. All he does is insult everyone, and make sarcastic remarks every few minutes. They are constantly challenging the rules of the community in small ways, prompting the monks to have meetings with them, and get them back into line. All in all it is quite interesting, and I highly recommend it.
The thing about this new series that makes it near and dear to me, though, is that I took a weeklong retreat at this monastery back in 2000 when I was in seminary. Many of the people on the show I met – the abbot, Prior Christian, Brother Andre, Father Joseph (he was just visiting the monastery for the first time when I was there, actually) etc. In fact, I still support the monastery when they send out their letters asking for financial help. That period when I visited the monastery was a very difficult time in my life. I was alienated from everyone and everything, abandoned by all but a few friends, and to a large extent by my family, who didn’t want me to be in seminary preparing for the priesthood. I was an outsider at the seminary, and an outsider at work. My girlfriend dumped me at a bar a few months earlier. I was dirt poor… so poor I could barely afford to eat and buy the most basic supplies I needed to get by (I was so poor I had to sometimes steal rolls of toilet paper form work because I couldn’t afford to buy any!). Top all of that off with living alone, and having to read and write papers all the time for seminary, and you have the recipe for serious and major funk. My life had become like a Hank Williams song. So it was under those circumstances that I decided to take a cleansing pilgrimage/roadtrip/retreat to Christ in the Desert. I drove with friend from Baltimore to Abiquiu New Mexico in my old beat-up 1986 Buick century sedan (the radio didn’t work, neither did the dashlights, so we sang songs to each other on the trip out and back). I chain-smoked to occupy the time. On the way out, we swung through Oklahoma City to see the destruction from and memorial of the infamous bombing. When we finally arrived at the monastery we were warmly received by the brothers. There was no direction or guided retreat from the brothers, and guests were not required to go to the services. You literally just make reservations, and show up, and then you’re on your own. We were, however, required to help do work around the grounds. In my week there, in addition to cleaning, I dug a trench and laid some electrical conduit, and helped pour the foundation for their refectory. And of course you have to eat with the monks since it takes an hour to drive out to the main road, and another hour or so to get anywhere near civilization. The atmosphere at the monastry was beautiful and serene. There was no electricity, no noise allowed… no nothing. Just God, and the chanting of the Psalms and prayers ascending up through the canyon to Him in the vastness of the sky. The liturgies were beautiful – in fact, that was where I first learned to read chant notation. The long road trip out and back; the solemn prayers, chants, and liturgy; the hot sun and dry desert; the cold nights; the hard physical labor; eating joint meals in silence with the brothers; and the quiet and lack of technology cleansed and healed me. It made me see that somehow God was bigger than all of my problems, and that His love was like a vast ocean washing over me, and through me. My life was changed by going there; I hope that happens with these guys on the cable TV show. When I returned home from the monastery, the troubles in church and life were only just beginning, and I went through another dark night of the soul. But I am convinced that had I not been to Christ in the Desert I would not have survived that difficult time to come.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Bad Vicar Video
Go to Remnant Anglican and check out this hilarious video from YouTube. It wouldn't be so funny if it weren't true! As one comment noted, it makes fun of obnoxious, angry, stand-offish priests, and also loosy-goosy new-ager/"spiritual" people.
Biretta Tip: Jeffrey Baus
Biretta Tip: Jeffrey Baus
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
ACA Votes to Join FACA
The Anglican Church in America voted recently to join the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas. Read about it here. Soon, by the grace of almighty God, the corporate disunity of the continuum will be a thing of the past. Thanks be to God.
On a slightly related subject, the bishops of the APA and REC have issued a wonderful pastoral letter on unity in the Church. The official title is: True Unity by the Cross of Christ For the Spread of the Gospel. I invite you all to read it here. My own bishop, the Most. Rev. Walter Grundorf had this to say about it on the APA wesbite:
On a slightly related subject, the bishops of the APA and REC have issued a wonderful pastoral letter on unity in the Church. The official title is: True Unity by the Cross of Christ For the Spread of the Gospel. I invite you all to read it here. My own bishop, the Most. Rev. Walter Grundorf had this to say about it on the APA wesbite:
September 29, 2006
To: Clergy and Leadership of the Anglican Province of America
From: Bishops of the REC/APA
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Enclosed for you to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest is the recent Pastoral Letter issued jointly by the Bishops of the Reformed Episcopal Church and the Anglican Province of America. I hope that you will not only carefully read and consider this letter yourself, but will share it with your parishes. It is critical that those of us who call ourselves Traditional or Classical Anglicans come together for the cause of the Gospel and take seriously our Lord's words about being one. Our Lord did not offer unity as a suggestion, but as part and parcel of the Gospel. We must logically begin with unity among fellow Traditional Anglicans with whom we share much in common. Overcoming fear in dealing with other Anglicans seems to be the most difficult part of this process. We must work our way through our unfortunate experiences of past failed unions, trusting in the healing of the Holy Spirit to move us on in the power of Christ's Love (II Tim. 2:7).
We are in the midst of a battle for the heart and soul of Anglicanism as we have received it. There is much heartbreak and confusion among so many who are disillusioned by the established church and are looking for safe harbor. People who are searching are further confused by the plethora of churches on the internet that claim to be Anglican. How does one choose when all continuing churches appear to be the same?
By forging relationships with legitimate Anglican bodies, we hope that those who are in searach of a faithful jurisdiction will find us. I pray that the Lord will lay it upon all of our hearts to consider well the responsibiity we have in attaining unity among our fellow orthodox Anglican breothers and sisters. May we find in the Cross of our Lord Jesus that perfect unity.
Faithfully yours,
(Signed)+Walter H. Grundorf
The Most Rev. Walter H. Grundorf, D.D. Bishop of the Diocese of the Eastern US, Presiding Bishop APA
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Jesus Christ - The Exemplar of the Sacraments
I am reading John MacQuarrie's fun little book A Guide to the Sacraments, and in it he makes an interesting point on how Jesus Christ is not only the author and minister of the sacraments, but is also the exemplar of them. That is to say, he posseses annd exemplifies the grace which they bring about in whoever receives them.
Building on the work of Kenan Osbourne, he comes up with a chart to show what he means:
The Baptized One/Baptism - Jesus - Faith
The Confirmed One/Confirmation - Jesus - Perserverence
The Really Present One/Eucharist - Jesus - Self-Giving
The Reconciler/Penance - Jesus - Penitence
The Priest/Orders - Jesus - Service
The Lover/Marriage - Jesus - Love
The Healer/Unction - Jesus - Wholeness
In reference to baptism, for example, MacQuarrie writes: "Just as Jesus understood his own baptism as that solemn moment when he must embark on the high mission to which the Father had called him, fortified by the Holy Spirit that now rested upon him, so one who receives Christian baptism is called to follow in the way of Jesus and receives the same spirit"
Regarding penance, we understand that, as representative man, the new Adam, Jesus is the reconciled. He writes: "If we try to get away from our all-too-individualistic ways of thinking and see Jesus Christ in solidarity with the whole of humanity, then it will not seem strange to us that even as he justifies the whole race by realizing God's intention of humanity, so he also takes the sins of the race upon himself and repents of them."
One gets the idea of where MacQuarrie would go with the rest of the sacraments. This is just an amazing concept to me - Christ being not only the author and minister, but also the exemplar of the sacraments. So obvious, but something I had never even thought of or heard articulated before.
Building on the work of Kenan Osbourne, he comes up with a chart to show what he means:
The Baptized One/Baptism - Jesus - Faith
The Confirmed One/Confirmation - Jesus - Perserverence
The Really Present One/Eucharist - Jesus - Self-Giving
The Reconciler/Penance - Jesus - Penitence
The Priest/Orders - Jesus - Service
The Lover/Marriage - Jesus - Love
The Healer/Unction - Jesus - Wholeness
In reference to baptism, for example, MacQuarrie writes: "Just as Jesus understood his own baptism as that solemn moment when he must embark on the high mission to which the Father had called him, fortified by the Holy Spirit that now rested upon him, so one who receives Christian baptism is called to follow in the way of Jesus and receives the same spirit"
Regarding penance, we understand that, as representative man, the new Adam, Jesus is the reconciled. He writes: "If we try to get away from our all-too-individualistic ways of thinking and see Jesus Christ in solidarity with the whole of humanity, then it will not seem strange to us that even as he justifies the whole race by realizing God's intention of humanity, so he also takes the sins of the race upon himself and repents of them."
One gets the idea of where MacQuarrie would go with the rest of the sacraments. This is just an amazing concept to me - Christ being not only the author and minister, but also the exemplar of the sacraments. So obvious, but something I had never even thought of or heard articulated before.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Great New Blog
Here is a link to the one of the best and most useful Anglican blogs I have seen to date:
http://anglicaneucharistictheology.blogspot.com/
I highly recommend that everyone who has an interest in Anglican eucharistic theology read this blog.
(Biretta tip: Jeffrey Steel)
http://anglicaneucharistictheology.blogspot.com/
I highly recommend that everyone who has an interest in Anglican eucharistic theology read this blog.
(Biretta tip: Jeffrey Steel)
Monday, October 02, 2006
Deep Theoogical Reflection of the Day
I was watching a rerun of the Dukes of Hazzard the other day and noticed that there is an uncanny resemblance between Boss Hogg and the pope.
The pope dresses in all white and wears a fancy hat; so does Boss Hogg.
The pope rules over the Vatican City; Boss Hogg rules over Hazzard County.
The pope has the Vatican as his HQ; Boss Hogg has the Boar's Nest.
The pope has a fancy car - the popemobile; Boss Hogg has his white convertible with the steer horns on the front of it.
The pope has a fancy chair - the throne of St. Peter; Boss Hogg has a fancy chair - his barber chair
The pope is surrounded by smoke - incense; Boss Hogg is surrounded by smoke - cigars
The pope has his doctrinal enforcer/watchdog - the head of the CDF; Boss Hogg has his - Sheriff Roscoe Pete Coltrane
The pope speaks English with a heavy accent - so does Boss Hogg
The pope has people that cause him a great deal of trouble and try to usurp his authority - schismatics, heretic, etc.; Boss Hogg has the Duke boys.
The pope is sort of friends with the ABC, who has a big bushy beard and a big church/communion that he can barely keep together. The two go way back, but the pope would really like to see the ABC and his communion submit to papal authority; Boss Hogg has a similar relationship with Uncle Jesse (who has a big bushy beard). He is always scheming to take over Uncle Jesse's farm, which is constantly teetering on the brink of financial disaster, and lock up the Duke Boys.
Is this a coincidence? Could the Dukes of Hazzard serve as a metaphor for the church in an even larger way? What about Daisy Duke, Cooter, and the General Lee? What about Roscoe's pet basset hound that rides around with him? The possibilities for theological reflection are endless. Hmmmm, I think I know what I am going to do my ph.d about. Yee haw!
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