Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Baptist Theologizes the Liturgical Year
David Neff
Every week my desk at Christianity Today is flooded with review copies of new books. Most look a bit too familiar, modeled on other books the way the house-brand raisin bran at your grocery store is modeled on the name-brand versions by Post and Kellogg. They’re probably serviceable, but they really don’t grab your attention.
Last Monday, there was a book that caught my attention for its originality: The Rhythm of Doctrine by John E. Colwell. The book is subtitled, A Liturgical Sketch of Christian Faith and Faithfulness.
The book caught my attention, first, because the author is trying to organize a systematic theology around the seasons of the church year. I don’t know of anyone else who has done this, and Colwell says it’s such an obvious idea that “someone must have adopted this approach previously.” Except that neither he nor I know of such attempts. Most systematic theologies are organized around the three major sections of the Creed: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Occasionally someone tries a different organizing principle. James McClendon tried organizing a systematic theology using ethics as his starting point back in 1986. And Tom Finger tried to organize a systematic around eschatology in 1985. But these are highly unusual departures.
But it wasn’t merely novelty. Colwell’s effort caught my attention for several other reasons.
One of those is that I am interested in narrative approaches to theology. And the seasons of the church year are the chapters in the story of salvation. At their best, narrative approaches to theology help us understand God in more dynamic terms than many systematic theologies do. The Bible tells us (in the words of G. Ernest Wright’s 1952 monograph) about “the God who acts.” This notion is born out in the preaching of the apostles as recorded in Acts. Their sermons are a recitation of the mighty acts of God, leading up to and culminating in Jesus. Or in the words of Abraham Joshua Heschel, the prophets introduce us to the God who brings deep pathos to his interaction with a suffering world. In other words, it is through narrative that we best convey knowledge of the God who interferes in human history because he cares deeply.
The third thing, however, that caught my attention is that John Colwell teaches at Spurgeon’s College in London. That’s a Baptist institution, I thought. What’s a Baptist doing organizing his theology around the liturgical calendar. That’s what an Anglican or Lutheran might do. Or perhaps a Methodist. (The closest thing to this effort is Geoffrey Wainwright’s Doxlogy: The Praise of God in Worship (1980). But what’s a Baptist doing writing about such things?
Colwell’s answer is very personal.
I write as as Baptist and some may expect me to conform to this non-conformity of neglect. I write, moreover, as one who teaches in a college founded by a Victorian Baptist preacher who was notorious in his distaste for liturgy.
That's exactly what was puzzling me. So why did Colwell turn to formal liturgy with its prescribed prayers, its creeds, and its set rhythms of devotion?
More than any other factor, it was the experience of wrestling with the crushing darkness of clinical depression that drew me to a more formal devotional life: when you really cannot pray yourself, when every form of ‘felt’ experience has fled, when you are despairing of yourself and despairing of God, then the prayers of others become precious. … I discovered the prayers of the Church, some ancient and some contemporary, that expressed concisely and profoundly what I would have wanted to pray myself if I had been able.
I read that passage just a few days before hearing the revelations about the spiritual dryness of Mother Teresa. Perhaps you’ve seen the news stories. Clearly, without set practices of devotion, she could not have persevered in her saintly work.
And then I thought of how I begin each morning’s prayers. Using an abbreviated form taken from the Book of Common Prayer, I always begin morning devotion with these words from Psalm 51: “Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.” When I say those words, I realize that I do not pray. God prays through me. I cannot pray. I need God to “open my lips.” And then the Spirit helps me in my weakness.
I’m glad that in their “crushing darkness” John Colwell (and Mother Teresa) have learned to rely on the prayers of others. For Colwell and for me, that has meant learning to rely less on self and on feelings and to enter into the larger prayer of the church, which organizes itself around the chapters of the story of salvation. And that is what section four of the Call for an Ancient Evangelical Future invites us to: “Therefore, we call Evangelicals to recover the historic substance of worship of Word and Table and to attend to the Christian year, which marks time according to God's saving acts.”
A Baptist look at the Liturgical Calendar
Taken from: "At Home in Wyoming" Blog
As a child growing up in Virginia, we attended a Methodist church that my father helped found. Thinking back, I remember stained glass windows and the progression of the church calendar, the Protestant Liturgical Calendar, that focused on the life and ministry of Jesus. As a child, I loved following the seasons...the time of Advent and the Advent candles, the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas, the dark time of Lent and Good Friday, and the glory of Easter and the beauty of the Resurrection.
When I look back on my childhood, I think that the reason the impact of the church calendar stayed with me all these years, was that it involved so many of the senses. I heard the specially selected readings from the Bible, I saw the different colors on the pulpit and communion table covers, I heard and loved the hymns appropriate to each season, I smelled the melting wax from the advent candles, the lilies at Easter and touched the palms on Palm Sunday. As young as I was, the impact of all of this was that I realized that these celebrations of the Christian faith were sacred times. Because so many of the senses were involved, the memory of that time didn't fade, but stayed with me.
Many years later, I committed my life to God by asking Jesus to abide in my heart. I began attending Baptist churches...and was surprised to find that they did not follow the church calendar--other than the celebration of Easter and Christmas. ( I since learned that some Baptist churches do follow the Western Protestant Liturgical Calendar, but not the churches around here). I am not sure why...probably something about it causes offense. (I was watching the Waltons on DVD last week, and they were decorating the church at Christmas, and the preacher said that some congregation members may take offense at the draping of pine...and the Walton boy said that you can always find some Baptist that will take offense at just about anything! I can say that with love because I am a Baptist!).
But a few years ago I began to organize my Christian walk around observing the seasons of the church calendar. I just sort of adapted it into a personal tool for growth in Christ. During Advent I read all the gospels up to the point of the birth of Christ. During Lent I read everything leading up to the Crucifixion. I follow the Lent practice of giving up something...this year it is time--I am setting aside extra time for prayer. I usually give up something that will draw me closer to God. Observing the time of Lent helps me to think about the suffering of Christ on the cross, just as Advent stirs me into thinking about how much God loved us to send his Son. Since I started doing this, I have noticed that I do a lot more reflection on the life of Jesus.
I have read that there is an increase in Protestant churches following the Western Liturgical Calendar. I can't answer the reason why different denominations do what they do...but I can say that our culture is becoming increasingly chaotic, everyone just too busy and overwhelmed by the too fast pace of daily life. We are also becoming increasingly secular...the children know Easter as the season of the Easter bunny and Christmas as a time for Santa...but not much time is spent anymore on the reflection for the real reasons for each celebration. When I follow the church calendar, I slow down the pace of my life, and reflect on the life of Christ. Maybe others are craving this in their lives, also. I am NOT advocating anyone else do this if they are not so inclined...I am just sharing something that was a tool for me for growth. The Bible says,
"So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12).
One of the ways I personally number my days is to observe the Christian celebrations of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. And there you have it folks, this Baptist's look at the Liturgical Calendar!
As a child growing up in Virginia, we attended a Methodist church that my father helped found. Thinking back, I remember stained glass windows and the progression of the church calendar, the Protestant Liturgical Calendar, that focused on the life and ministry of Jesus. As a child, I loved following the seasons...the time of Advent and the Advent candles, the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas, the dark time of Lent and Good Friday, and the glory of Easter and the beauty of the Resurrection.
When I look back on my childhood, I think that the reason the impact of the church calendar stayed with me all these years, was that it involved so many of the senses. I heard the specially selected readings from the Bible, I saw the different colors on the pulpit and communion table covers, I heard and loved the hymns appropriate to each season, I smelled the melting wax from the advent candles, the lilies at Easter and touched the palms on Palm Sunday. As young as I was, the impact of all of this was that I realized that these celebrations of the Christian faith were sacred times. Because so many of the senses were involved, the memory of that time didn't fade, but stayed with me.
Many years later, I committed my life to God by asking Jesus to abide in my heart. I began attending Baptist churches...and was surprised to find that they did not follow the church calendar--other than the celebration of Easter and Christmas. ( I since learned that some Baptist churches do follow the Western Protestant Liturgical Calendar, but not the churches around here). I am not sure why...probably something about it causes offense. (I was watching the Waltons on DVD last week, and they were decorating the church at Christmas, and the preacher said that some congregation members may take offense at the draping of pine...and the Walton boy said that you can always find some Baptist that will take offense at just about anything! I can say that with love because I am a Baptist!).
But a few years ago I began to organize my Christian walk around observing the seasons of the church calendar. I just sort of adapted it into a personal tool for growth in Christ. During Advent I read all the gospels up to the point of the birth of Christ. During Lent I read everything leading up to the Crucifixion. I follow the Lent practice of giving up something...this year it is time--I am setting aside extra time for prayer. I usually give up something that will draw me closer to God. Observing the time of Lent helps me to think about the suffering of Christ on the cross, just as Advent stirs me into thinking about how much God loved us to send his Son. Since I started doing this, I have noticed that I do a lot more reflection on the life of Jesus.
I have read that there is an increase in Protestant churches following the Western Liturgical Calendar. I can't answer the reason why different denominations do what they do...but I can say that our culture is becoming increasingly chaotic, everyone just too busy and overwhelmed by the too fast pace of daily life. We are also becoming increasingly secular...the children know Easter as the season of the Easter bunny and Christmas as a time for Santa...but not much time is spent anymore on the reflection for the real reasons for each celebration. When I follow the church calendar, I slow down the pace of my life, and reflect on the life of Christ. Maybe others are craving this in their lives, also. I am NOT advocating anyone else do this if they are not so inclined...I am just sharing something that was a tool for me for growth. The Bible says,
"So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12).
One of the ways I personally number my days is to observe the Christian celebrations of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. And there you have it folks, this Baptist's look at the Liturgical Calendar!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
WELCOME to WORSHIP!
Why do we usually worship together on Sunday?
Sunday is the day of celebration and worship for Christians. This was the day when the women discovered that the tomb where Jesus had been buried was empty, and Jesus was risen. For Christians, every Sunday is like a celebration of the good news of Easter.
Some things you could do during a worship service
Before the Call to Worship, you could...
• if your church uses hymnbooks, look in the worship bulletin and find the songs that will be sung; find these in the hymn- book and mark them with pieces of paper
• if there are scripture readings listed in the worship bulletin, find them in the Bible, and mark them with paper too
• underline all the places where everyone speaks together (this might be typed in bold or marked with the word “People”
• put a star (*) beside all the songs or hymns, when people usu- ally stand up
• think of the things you want to pray about this morning
During the sermon, you could...
• draw a picture of the story you are hearing
• write a poem about something that you hear
• look around the room and notice all the things that help you
focus on God
• draw a circle around the parts of the worship service that you
don't understand, and would like to ask someone about
Welcome to Worship!
Once a week the whole church family gathers to worship together.
Worship is a way of being with God.
Sometimes we pray, sometimes we listen, sometimes we sing.
Our Response
Christians all over the world gather every week to worship together. Some churches have an Order of Service bulletin which tells people what will happen during the worship service. Here are some things that might be in a worship bulletin. Which of these are parts of worship in your church? We show that we want to live God’s way
Gathering and Praise
We gather and get ready to worship
Call to worship: we are invited to worship God Hymn or song: we sing about how good and
great God is Prayers: we pray to God
• the Prayer of Approach or Opening Prayer reminds us that God is with us
• the Prayer of Confession helps us say we are sorry for things we have said or done that hurt others
Announcements: we find out what is happening in our church and in the world
Offering: we bring gifts of money to help the church do God’s work
Statement of Faith, "WE BELIEVE": in some churches we say together the Responsive Reading or statement of faith, which are words that describe what we believe
Prayers of the people: we speak and listen to God as we pray about our concerns for the world, each other, and ourselves. We may end by singing or saying -
The Prayer that Jesus taught (sometimes called The Lord’s Prayer)
• the Assurance of Pardon reminds us that
Hymn or song: we sing a song about living in God’s way God forgives
The Word
We listen for God’s message
Scripture: we listen to readings from the Bible Sermon: we listen as the Pastor or worship leader helps us to understand what the scripture reading means for us in our lives.
Hymn or song: we sing a song which usually has the same idea as the scripture and sermon
Benediction and Commissioning: the word benediction means “good words” and it is a blessing that the worship leader says to us as we get ready to leave
Choral Amen: the word Amen means “Yes” or “so be it”; sometimes the choir sings this last song, and sometimes everyone sings it together
The Ordinance's (Lord's Supper or Baptism):
Ordinances are special actions that we do together as a church family. In Baptism we welcome someone into the church family and promise to help her or him grow as a Christian. "The Lord's Supper" (also called communion) is a special time when we share bread and wine (or grape juice) together and remember Jesus.
Can you be Evangelical and worship in the Liturgical tradition? ... Yes.
A Southern Baptist's View of Advent
Calvin Miller is a professor in preaching and pastoral ministry at Samford University's Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. He previously served as pastor of Westside Baptist Church, Omaha, Nebraska. He is the author of more than 40 books and numerous articles on religion and preaching. His newest nonfiction book is called The Christ of Christmas: Readings for Advent.
What was Christmas like in your home growing up?
The Great Depression was over in most of the United States in 1931, but in Oklahoma it lasted until 1936, when I was born. So we were poor. One of the greatest attributes of my mother is that we never guessed we were poor.
I can remember at every Christmas, without fail, Mama read us a little book that she'd bought at a drugstore in Indian territory. It was A Christmas Carol. When she'd read it, she created such empathy as she read that story that we always felt sorry for the Cratchetts because they didn't have anything but a goose. We never even had a goose. That's a tribute to a great set of parents who created a sense of abundance at this time of year.
As you grew up, what Christmas traditions did you try to establish?
I moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1966, to begin a church. It was in a pocket of the country that's fairly non-evangelical. So I began by saying, "What are all the Lutherans and Catholics doing in Omaha? How do they do it?"
I've always believed that if you're starting a church, your neighborhood should to some degree determine the kind of church you start. Your programs should meet local needs. So I started studying Lutheran and Catholic catechisms.
Particularly at Christmas, I began to feel like they really had something going right at Advent. My children were little at the time, so we started Advent guides for Christmas.
Many times I had to write my own because Southern Baptists came very late to Advent. But now, since this new Advent book has come out, there must be a thousand Southern Baptist churches using it. The thing that's kind of amazing to me is that many of these churches probably could hardly spell "Advent" ten years ago.
What else has changed in the traditional Advent?
I constantly have to remind people that the 12 days of Christmas actually began on Christmas Eve. We're doing it all backwards now. Up until very recent times people celebrated Christmas from Christmas Eve through January 6. They didn't have this huge buildup until December 25, then it's all over.
In addition, Advent in the early centuries had a lot to do with the Second Coming. They talked about Jesus' first coming, but it was always with a view to remember he was coming again. We sort of lost that in Advent.
Are there any particular themes that you are going to spend some special time thinking about during this season?
I think we're on the brink of the feelings that we had in 1940 or 1941. Now, we may not go to war with Iraq, but there's something so beautiful about Christmas when a nation is in upheaval. I'm hoping that the struggle of this year, of this season, with all that faces us will call us, to a wonderful awareness that the Christ of Christmas is the Christ who is healer of the nations.
How did you set up the format of this book so that there would be different elements on each day of Advent?
I've always really rather agreed with Madeline L'Engle that in the New Testament there's only one really great miracle and that is the Incarnation. Once you believe that, everything else is duck soup.
I tried to focus on the passages that really look at this great miracle: Jesus coming as a baby, the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary, the conflict and consolation between Mary and Elizabeth, the liberation of Zechariah in speaking the word John, and so forth.
Why do you say that joy is a timely message for this culture?
I experience this just almost daily in stores and particularly in airports. They're busy places. I'm sure that people who sell tickets, help you get on the plane, and announce that you need to board have to have a hassled life. But I've wished I could just set them down and teach them the elementary art of smiling again.
It's just a busy time. It's such a gift to try to be a human being. I've just come in today on the plane. I sat next to a little girl. She was reading and doing some algebra problems, which I'm not terribly good at. But nonetheless, she was little and she began to ask me questions. Before long I found her very charming. I'm the kind of guy that always tries to be remote on airplanes because I have plenty to do. But all of a sudden I find myself wanting to be a human being. Maybe that's the mark of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
But in the midst of this joyous occasion, are there signs that this is going to also bring some pain?
Absolutely. I actually mention the three gifts [of the magi] in one of these devotionals. One of those gifts was myrrh, which was a burial spice. Hidden [in the story] is this bit of discord. It's like the gargoyles on Notre Dame Cathedral. You have this wonderful, huge building in tribute to Jesus. But all of a sudden in the middle of it are these stone demons.
What is the most remarkable thing about the Christmas story?
I would always believe in Jesus if for only one reason, and that is because these little people who were absolutely rural and virtually prosaic suddenly become inflamed with the world on their minds. People like Simon Peter, once content to fish in a little lake called Galilee, died 1,500 miles away in Rome because they got to preach the gospel in a bigger context. I think that's remarkable.
Here's Mary, a hill girl, who suddenly is doing this beautiful sonnet we call "The Magnificat." She sings and the world is thrilled. Operas are written around it.
Nobody but God could put this together.
The Dick Staub Interview: Calvin Miller on a Southern Baptist's View of Advent
The author of The Christ of Christmas celebrates the season around the one great miracle.
Calvin Miller is a professor in preaching and pastoral ministry at Samford University's Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. He previously served as pastor of Westside Baptist Church, Omaha, Nebraska. He is the author of more than 40 books and numerous articles on religion and preaching. His newest nonfiction book is called The Christ of Christmas: Readings for Advent.
What was Christmas like in your home growing up?
The Great Depression was over in most of the United States in 1931, but in Oklahoma it lasted until 1936, when I was born. So we were poor. One of the greatest attributes of my mother is that we never guessed we were poor.
I can remember at every Christmas, without fail, Mama read us a little book that she'd bought at a drugstore in Indian territory. It was A Christmas Carol. When she'd read it, she created such empathy as she read that story that we always felt sorry for the Cratchetts because they didn't have anything but a goose. We never even had a goose. That's a tribute to a great set of parents who created a sense of abundance at this time of year.
As you grew up, what Christmas traditions did you try to establish?
I moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1966, to begin a church. It was in a pocket of the country that's fairly non-evangelical. So I began by saying, "What are all the Lutherans and Catholics doing in Omaha? How do they do it?"
I've always believed that if you're starting a church, your neighborhood should to some degree determine the kind of church you start. Your programs should meet local needs. So I started studying Lutheran and Catholic catechisms.
Particularly at Christmas, I began to feel like they really had something going right at Advent. My children were little at the time, so we started Advent guides for Christmas.
Many times I had to write my own because Southern Baptists came very late to Advent. But now, since this new Advent book has come out, there must be a thousand Southern Baptist churches using it. The thing that's kind of amazing to me is that many of these churches probably could hardly spell "Advent" ten years ago.
What else has changed in the traditional Advent?
I constantly have to remind people that the 12 days of Christmas actually began on Christmas Eve. We're doing it all backwards now. Up until very recent times people celebrated Christmas from Christmas Eve through January 6. They didn't have this huge buildup until December 25, then it's all over.
In addition, Advent in the early centuries had a lot to do with the Second Coming. They talked about Jesus' first coming, but it was always with a view to remember he was coming again. We sort of lost that in Advent.
Are there any particular themes that you are going to spend some special time thinking about during this season?
I think we're on the brink of the feelings that we had in 1940 or 1941. Now, we may not go to war with Iraq, but there's something so beautiful about Christmas when a nation is in upheaval. I'm hoping that the struggle of this year, of this season, with all that faces us will call us, to a wonderful awareness that the Christ of Christmas is the Christ who is healer of the nations.
How did you set up the format of this book so that there would be different elements on each day of Advent?
I've always really rather agreed with Madeline L'Engle that in the New Testament there's only one really great miracle and that is the Incarnation. Once you believe that, everything else is duck soup.
I tried to focus on the passages that really look at this great miracle: Jesus coming as a baby, the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary, the conflict and consolation between Mary and Elizabeth, the liberation of Zechariah in speaking the word John, and so forth.
Why do you say that joy is a timely message for this culture?
I experience this just almost daily in stores and particularly in airports. They're busy places. I'm sure that people who sell tickets, help you get on the plane, and announce that you need to board have to have a hassled life. But I've wished I could just set them down and teach them the elementary art of smiling again.
It's just a busy time. It's such a gift to try to be a human being. I've just come in today on the plane. I sat next to a little girl. She was reading and doing some algebra problems, which I'm not terribly good at. But nonetheless, she was little and she began to ask me questions. Before long I found her very charming. I'm the kind of guy that always tries to be remote on airplanes because I have plenty to do. But all of a sudden I find myself wanting to be a human being. Maybe that's the mark of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
But in the midst of this joyous occasion, are there signs that this is going to also bring some pain?
Absolutely. I actually mention the three gifts [of the magi] in one of these devotionals. One of those gifts was myrrh, which was a burial spice. Hidden [in the story] is this bit of discord. It's like the gargoyles on Notre Dame Cathedral. You have this wonderful, huge building in tribute to Jesus. But all of a sudden in the middle of it are these stone demons.
What is the most remarkable thing about the Christmas story?
I would always believe in Jesus if for only one reason, and that is because these little people who were absolutely rural and virtually prosaic suddenly become inflamed with the world on their minds. People like Simon Peter, once content to fish in a little lake called Galilee, died 1,500 miles away in Rome because they got to preach the gospel in a bigger context. I think that's remarkable.
Here's Mary, a hill girl, who suddenly is doing this beautiful sonnet we call "The Magnificat." She sings and the world is thrilled. Operas are written around it.
Nobody but God could put this together.
The Dick Staub Interview: Calvin Miller on a Southern Baptist's View of Advent
The author of The Christ of Christmas celebrates the season around the one great miracle.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
COLORS in WORSHIP
Colors
Since fabrics, such as banners and vestments, have to be some color or the other, the historic Church has taken advantage of this fact and has used color to set the theme of worship. Color usage was more diverse in the past, mainly because dyes were expensive and it wasn’t as easy as it is today to get fabric in any color.
In modern times, we’ve developed a consensus about the use of colors in the western Church. green, purple, white, and red, with gold or ivory being alternatives to white. Protestant churches sometimes use blue. Black is, for the most part, no longer in use. This information is valid only for western Churches. Orthodox Churches use colors differently.
Green
[Standard] Green is the default color. Green is the color of vegetation, therefore it is the color of life. Green is the color for the Season after the Epiphany and the Season After Pentecost. These two seasons are also called ‘Ordinary Time’ because the Sundays have no names, just ordinal numbers.
Purple
[Standard] In antiquity, purple dye was very difficult to make and therefore very expensive, so purple came to signify wealth, power, and royalty. Therefore purple is the color for the seasons of Advent and Lent, which celebrate the coming of the King. Since as Christians we prepare for our King through reflection and repentance, purple has also become a penitential color.
White
[Standard] Angels announced Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8-15) and His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-8). The New Testament consistently uses white to describe angels and the risen Lord (see Matthew 17:2 and 28:3, Mark 9:3 and 16:5, John 20:12, Acts 1:10, and throughout Revelation.) In the ancient Church, people were given white tunics (albs) as soon as they emerged from the waters of baptism. Therefore, white is the color for the seasons of Easter and Christmas. White is the color for funerals, since it is the color of the Resurrection, for weddings, regardless of the season, and for secular holidays that are observed in the church.
Red
[Standard] Red is the color of blood, and therefore also of martyrdom. Red is the color for any service that commemorates the death of a martyr. It is also an alternative color for the last week of Lent, which is called Holy Week. Red is the color for Pentecost Sunday and for ordinations and installations, because it is the color of fire and therefore also of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:3).
Gold
[Standard alternative] Gold or ivory are alternatives to white.
Blue
Blue suggests hope, a primary theme of Advent.”
In Orthodoxy and Catholicism, blue represents the Virgin Mary, because she is known as the Queen of Heaven, and because the heavens (the sky) is blue. Orthodox icons of Mary generally have a blue background.
Black
[Standard only for clericals] Black is the color of clericals. (Cassocks are clericals, not vestments.)
Before the advent of modern dyes, all dress clothes were black—just look at any photograph taken in the 19th century. The main historical connotation of black is formality. Because we don’t wear black as often today, it has survived as a formal color only at extremely solemn occasions, such as funerals. For some people today, black immediately connotes a funeral. Black is sometimes, but rarely, the color for funeral services, Good Friday, and All Souls Day (2 November).
Since fabrics, such as banners and vestments, have to be some color or the other, the historic Church has taken advantage of this fact and has used color to set the theme of worship. Color usage was more diverse in the past, mainly because dyes were expensive and it wasn’t as easy as it is today to get fabric in any color.
In modern times, we’ve developed a consensus about the use of colors in the western Church. green, purple, white, and red, with gold or ivory being alternatives to white. Protestant churches sometimes use blue. Black is, for the most part, no longer in use. This information is valid only for western Churches. Orthodox Churches use colors differently.
Green
[Standard] Green is the default color. Green is the color of vegetation, therefore it is the color of life. Green is the color for the Season after the Epiphany and the Season After Pentecost. These two seasons are also called ‘Ordinary Time’ because the Sundays have no names, just ordinal numbers.
Purple
[Standard] In antiquity, purple dye was very difficult to make and therefore very expensive, so purple came to signify wealth, power, and royalty. Therefore purple is the color for the seasons of Advent and Lent, which celebrate the coming of the King. Since as Christians we prepare for our King through reflection and repentance, purple has also become a penitential color.
White
[Standard] Angels announced Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8-15) and His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-8). The New Testament consistently uses white to describe angels and the risen Lord (see Matthew 17:2 and 28:3, Mark 9:3 and 16:5, John 20:12, Acts 1:10, and throughout Revelation.) In the ancient Church, people were given white tunics (albs) as soon as they emerged from the waters of baptism. Therefore, white is the color for the seasons of Easter and Christmas. White is the color for funerals, since it is the color of the Resurrection, for weddings, regardless of the season, and for secular holidays that are observed in the church.
Red
[Standard] Red is the color of blood, and therefore also of martyrdom. Red is the color for any service that commemorates the death of a martyr. It is also an alternative color for the last week of Lent, which is called Holy Week. Red is the color for Pentecost Sunday and for ordinations and installations, because it is the color of fire and therefore also of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:3).
Gold
[Standard alternative] Gold or ivory are alternatives to white.
Blue
Blue suggests hope, a primary theme of Advent.”
In Orthodoxy and Catholicism, blue represents the Virgin Mary, because she is known as the Queen of Heaven, and because the heavens (the sky) is blue. Orthodox icons of Mary generally have a blue background.
Black
[Standard only for clericals] Black is the color of clericals. (Cassocks are clericals, not vestments.)
Before the advent of modern dyes, all dress clothes were black—just look at any photograph taken in the 19th century. The main historical connotation of black is formality. Because we don’t wear black as often today, it has survived as a formal color only at extremely solemn occasions, such as funerals. For some people today, black immediately connotes a funeral. Black is sometimes, but rarely, the color for funeral services, Good Friday, and All Souls Day (2 November).
TENEBRAE Service
(Important notes to be included in the bulletin)
The service of worship tonight is taken from an early Christian service called Tenebrae. The name Tenebrae is the Latin word for "darkness" or "shadows." Tonight we will experience only a small portion of Christ’s pain and suffering the day of His crucifixion. One of the most conspicuous features of the service is the gradual extinguishing of candles until only a single candle, considered a symbol of our Lord, remains. As it gets darker and darker we can reflect on the great emotional and physical pain that was very real for Jesus that evening. Toward the end of the service, the Christ candle is hidden, typifying the apparent victory of the forces of evil over good. At the very end, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the time of his death (Matthew 27) and his resurrection (Matthew 28:2). At the moment of the earthquake, the temple veil was torn apart, making the Holy of Holies exposed to public view. This is understood to represent God's change toward us with direct access to him, no longer requiring the ceremonial acts of the priests for our forgiveness of sin. The hidden candle is then restored to its place, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. By this single light we all depart this service in silence.
Our Gathering
(Side and altar lights are off. Church is dark. Two ceiling lights are very dim and are turned out at the point of reading of the Matthew passage.)
Leader: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People: His mercy endures forever.
Leader: Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your Holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Leader: And this is the judgment, that the light has come into this world, and we loved darkness rather than light.
People: God is light, in whom there is no darkness at all.
Leader: For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
People: Every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light. But all who do what is true come to the light.
Leader: Come, let us worship in sprit and truth.
The Passion of our Lord
Leader: The Lord be with you
People: And also with you.
Silent Prayer: Most gracious God, look with mercy upon your family gathered here for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed, given into sinful hands, and suffered death upon the cross. Strengthen our faith and forgive our betrayals as we enter the way of His passion; through Him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen
(all lights except the candles will be turned off)
Matthew 26:30-46
First candle is extinguished
Matthew 26:47-56
Second candle is extinguished
Matthew 26:57-75
Third candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:1-5
Forth candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:6-23
Fifth candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:24-31
Sixth candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:32-44
Seventh candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:45-50
Christ candle is hidden
(percussionist symbolizes the agony of Jesus’ death and the earthquake)
Matthew 27:51-54
Christ candle is returned
Song of the Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53:4-9
Dismissal Blessing:
Go in peace. May Jesus Christ, who for our sake became obedient unto death, even death on the cross, keep you and strengthen you this night and forever more. Amen.
Please depart from the service tonight in silence.
_____________________________
Notes:
You will need:
1) seven candles located in the alter area plus an additional Christ candle (eight candles total). The Christ candle and possibly one or two others should be next to the lectern to permit sufficient light for reading of the scriptures.
2) one candle snuffer
3) one very faint flashlight for reader to use for reading Matthew 27:51-54 when all candles are out.
4) Carefully marked New Testament at the lectern for each of the readers to use.
5) Percussionist with timpani and cymbals in the back of the church, used at the point of Jesus’ death. After the Christ candle has been silently and slowly carried from the altar down the center isle of the church out of the worship space total darkness remains. After about 10 seconds of total darkness and silence, the percussionist will start a quiet roll on the timpani which will build in intensity and then decrease again two or three times, each time getting stronger and stronger. It will then slowly and quietly reduce to silence after several small buildups. Immediately there will be one large crash of the cymbals. The sound should die to a deafening silence. After about 15 seconds of silence (darkness continues) the person will return to the worship space with the Christ candle still lit and place it back in the stand and then sit down. The next scripture is then read.
6) In rotation of years the passion can be read from other gospels. The following are suggestions of possible readings.
There are many variations of this service of Tenebrae. This particular example does not employ any music. This might be a bit unusual in some churches. You might consider experiencing it in this form. There are many examples that do include music. There are even musical productions written to be performed by choir and congregation on the theme of Tenebrae.
The service of worship tonight is taken from an early Christian service called Tenebrae. The name Tenebrae is the Latin word for "darkness" or "shadows." Tonight we will experience only a small portion of Christ’s pain and suffering the day of His crucifixion. One of the most conspicuous features of the service is the gradual extinguishing of candles until only a single candle, considered a symbol of our Lord, remains. As it gets darker and darker we can reflect on the great emotional and physical pain that was very real for Jesus that evening. Toward the end of the service, the Christ candle is hidden, typifying the apparent victory of the forces of evil over good. At the very end, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the time of his death (Matthew 27) and his resurrection (Matthew 28:2). At the moment of the earthquake, the temple veil was torn apart, making the Holy of Holies exposed to public view. This is understood to represent God's change toward us with direct access to him, no longer requiring the ceremonial acts of the priests for our forgiveness of sin. The hidden candle is then restored to its place, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. By this single light we all depart this service in silence.
Our Gathering
(Side and altar lights are off. Church is dark. Two ceiling lights are very dim and are turned out at the point of reading of the Matthew passage.)
Leader: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People: His mercy endures forever.
Leader: Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your Holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Leader: And this is the judgment, that the light has come into this world, and we loved darkness rather than light.
People: God is light, in whom there is no darkness at all.
Leader: For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
People: Every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light. But all who do what is true come to the light.
Leader: Come, let us worship in sprit and truth.
The Passion of our Lord
Leader: The Lord be with you
People: And also with you.
Silent Prayer: Most gracious God, look with mercy upon your family gathered here for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed, given into sinful hands, and suffered death upon the cross. Strengthen our faith and forgive our betrayals as we enter the way of His passion; through Him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen
(all lights except the candles will be turned off)
Matthew 26:30-46
First candle is extinguished
Matthew 26:47-56
Second candle is extinguished
Matthew 26:57-75
Third candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:1-5
Forth candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:6-23
Fifth candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:24-31
Sixth candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:32-44
Seventh candle is extinguished
Matthew 27:45-50
Christ candle is hidden
(percussionist symbolizes the agony of Jesus’ death and the earthquake)
Matthew 27:51-54
Christ candle is returned
Song of the Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53:4-9
Dismissal Blessing:
Go in peace. May Jesus Christ, who for our sake became obedient unto death, even death on the cross, keep you and strengthen you this night and forever more. Amen.
Please depart from the service tonight in silence.
_____________________________
Notes:
You will need:
1) seven candles located in the alter area plus an additional Christ candle (eight candles total). The Christ candle and possibly one or two others should be next to the lectern to permit sufficient light for reading of the scriptures.
2) one candle snuffer
3) one very faint flashlight for reader to use for reading Matthew 27:51-54 when all candles are out.
4) Carefully marked New Testament at the lectern for each of the readers to use.
5) Percussionist with timpani and cymbals in the back of the church, used at the point of Jesus’ death. After the Christ candle has been silently and slowly carried from the altar down the center isle of the church out of the worship space total darkness remains. After about 10 seconds of total darkness and silence, the percussionist will start a quiet roll on the timpani which will build in intensity and then decrease again two or three times, each time getting stronger and stronger. It will then slowly and quietly reduce to silence after several small buildups. Immediately there will be one large crash of the cymbals. The sound should die to a deafening silence. After about 15 seconds of silence (darkness continues) the person will return to the worship space with the Christ candle still lit and place it back in the stand and then sit down. The next scripture is then read.
6) In rotation of years the passion can be read from other gospels. The following are suggestions of possible readings.
There are many variations of this service of Tenebrae. This particular example does not employ any music. This might be a bit unusual in some churches. You might consider experiencing it in this form. There are many examples that do include music. There are even musical productions written to be performed by choir and congregation on the theme of Tenebrae.
HOLY WEEK Services
During the week before Resurrection Sunday (Easter) we will relive the experiences of Jesus over the last few days before his crucifixion. We encourage you to read Matthew 26, Mark 11 -14 to refresh your memory of what Jesus experienced. Our Holy Week services will be:
Palm Sunday - Just five days before he was crucified, Jesus was publicly welcomed into Jerusalem and the temple. People hailed him as king of the Jews.
Wednesday we will have our Tenebrae service - the service of darkness where we read the entire passion of Christ.
Maundy Thursday - The night before Jesus was betrayed, he gathered all of his disciples together for dinner. Because he loved all them and wanted to continue teaching them about God's perspective on their lives, he initiated a very humble form of service to them by washing their feet. His last supper with them became what we now know as the celebration of the first Eucharist - the Great Thanksgiving or Communion. A major part of our Maundy Thursday worship will be our celebration of communion as well as washing each other's feet as a symbol of our love and humility toward one another.
Good Friday - On Friday, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, publicly tried and crucified and died a very painful death, in accordance with the eternal design by our heavenly Father. He died not for what he had done, rather what all others had done, both past, present and even we have done after his suffering. We will celebrate a drama of scripture and visual aids that will recall the sacrifice He made on our behalf and clearly focus the love he has for us. Just as that Friday ended in great sadness and death for our Lord, we will end our services not on a point of exuberance rather with the assurance that His work of suffering is sufficient for our needs. We will solemnly sing together as the altar is stripped and then leave the worship in silence and move to our reenactment Garden of Gethsemane where people will take turns praying all night;
Holy Saturday - The Easter Vigil, Following sundown on Saturday we begin the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. The service starts with a candelight procession into the church. We participate in the transition from the remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice of his life for us to the joy of his resurrection from the dead. The priest will say, "The Lord is risen!" and we respond by saying, "He is risen indeed! Alleluia!" At this point in the service are all invited to bring bells together. Throughout the service we also will sing joyful hymns about our risen Lord.
Resurrection Sunday (Easter) - We will continue the celebration of joy of the physical resurrection of our Lord. Our worship together will be quite festive and will give each of us the opportunity to offer praise and thanksgiving to our Father who gave his Son so that we might live eternally with Him. We will offer praise and thanksgiving to Jesus who was restored to life by the Father and we will offer praise and thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit who continues His active work in our lives today.
Palm Sunday - Just five days before he was crucified, Jesus was publicly welcomed into Jerusalem and the temple. People hailed him as king of the Jews.
Wednesday we will have our Tenebrae service - the service of darkness where we read the entire passion of Christ.
Maundy Thursday - The night before Jesus was betrayed, he gathered all of his disciples together for dinner. Because he loved all them and wanted to continue teaching them about God's perspective on their lives, he initiated a very humble form of service to them by washing their feet. His last supper with them became what we now know as the celebration of the first Eucharist - the Great Thanksgiving or Communion. A major part of our Maundy Thursday worship will be our celebration of communion as well as washing each other's feet as a symbol of our love and humility toward one another.
Good Friday - On Friday, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, publicly tried and crucified and died a very painful death, in accordance with the eternal design by our heavenly Father. He died not for what he had done, rather what all others had done, both past, present and even we have done after his suffering. We will celebrate a drama of scripture and visual aids that will recall the sacrifice He made on our behalf and clearly focus the love he has for us. Just as that Friday ended in great sadness and death for our Lord, we will end our services not on a point of exuberance rather with the assurance that His work of suffering is sufficient for our needs. We will solemnly sing together as the altar is stripped and then leave the worship in silence and move to our reenactment Garden of Gethsemane where people will take turns praying all night;
Holy Saturday - The Easter Vigil, Following sundown on Saturday we begin the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. The service starts with a candelight procession into the church. We participate in the transition from the remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice of his life for us to the joy of his resurrection from the dead. The priest will say, "The Lord is risen!" and we respond by saying, "He is risen indeed! Alleluia!" At this point in the service are all invited to bring bells together. Throughout the service we also will sing joyful hymns about our risen Lord.
Resurrection Sunday (Easter) - We will continue the celebration of joy of the physical resurrection of our Lord. Our worship together will be quite festive and will give each of us the opportunity to offer praise and thanksgiving to our Father who gave his Son so that we might live eternally with Him. We will offer praise and thanksgiving to Jesus who was restored to life by the Father and we will offer praise and thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit who continues His active work in our lives today.
Celebrating the Christian Liturgical Year in Evangelical Churches
Most evangelical churches have no significant contact with the Christian year except on the Sunday before Christmas and Easter Sunday. Occasionally one can find a Good Friday communion service. Within many parishioners there is a sense of valued propriety in the exclusion of this type of Christian worship expression. There is often the feeling that such inclusion within the church would detract or even work against the primary mission of the church, which is to implement the great commission - making disciples of all nations and baptizing them. While there is widespread lack of knowledge of most of the themes of the Christian year, there is also a suspicion that those Christians who practice such "non-biblical" based activities do so as a dry unfulfilling ritual (perceived as a bad word), which seems completely irrelevant in our age of spiritual freedom, freshness and spontaneity from the Holy Spirit. Denominational publishing houses mirror these positions and provide no instruction - not even historical in nature of the subject of the Christian year.
This author's particular North American Baptist Church is a rare exception to the above. Drawing from very meaningful but limited exposures to liturgical environments and considerable reading about church history and Christian symbols has begun to teach the value in periodically focusing on all the major themes of our Christian faith. After using the Christian year as a primary basis of our worship for five years, our congregation would have it no other way. It gives us a sense of the recurring celebration, calling, anticipation and challenge to all that our Lord has designed us to be. Christmas has now comfortably grown to include Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. The Easter season is now expanded to encompass Lent, Easter and Pentecost.
Advent is anticipated months before it arrives. We celebrate not only the promises of Jesus' coming as a baby in the manger, but we also rejoice in the anticipation of his second coming. During Advent we sing primarily carols that invite or promise of Jesus' coming to be in our midst. Most Christmas carols are not sung before Christmas eve. We then do sing them for several weeks until the Epiphany. We then begin to celebrate the wise men giving gifts to our Lord; but we also celebrate the many gifts that God give to each of us, including his spiritual gifts. We then move into the Lenten season, discovering again the uniqueness of our Christian faith, God's plan of our redemption, the sacrifice of his son Jesus on the cross. This gives us the opportunity to sing many hymns about the cross and prayerfully examine all that we are doing both in and outside the church. Tradition is widespread that we do not say or sing alleluias during Lent. The last week of the Lenten season is called Holy Week. During this week we recall the events that Jesus experienced during the last week before his crucifixion. On Palm Sunday Jesus was hailed as the King of the Jews, adored by many who publicly praised him. There is a procession into worship with each worshiper being given a palm branch. Only a few days later he was displaying his great servant love for his disciples by washing their feet and sharing not only his last meal with those closest to him - his disciples, but was also experiencing complete aloneness on earth and the pain of his crucifixion. At the same time he prayed that his followers would be filled with blessings and joy. Reading these scriptures aloud and simply re-enacting some of these events ushers us quickly and dramatically into God's presence. Reliving these events in Jesus' ministry here each year brings fresh to us his great love and sacrifice for each of us. It challenges us to enthusiastic obedience to Him. The ending of Holy Week is the beginning of the celebration of His Resurrection. After that is our focus for several weeks we move to thankfulness for God's great gift of the Holy Spirit to us - Pentecost. Walking through each of these main events in the life and experience of Jesus as recorded in the scriptures, provides us with an endless list of praise themes and sermon topics and texts. There is no difficulty even connecting the Christian year with many topical series of sermons.
This change from the previous ritual of three hymns, offering, special music and sermon to themes from the Christian year, while now fully embraced by the vast majority of parishioners did not come about without some resistance. It seems that such resistance was generally from those who had strong resistance to many types of changes, rather than from those who had previously chosen to leave the liturgical environment. The former Roman Catholics, Lutherans and Episcopalians who have become a part of our congregation have in many cases experienced significantly new meaning to their worship life because of the reality of their evangelical faith by our observance of the Christian year. For those who have their first taste of the Christian year in worship, a sense of stability and continuity in their Christian faith and worship is also found. Our structure of prayers, confessions, singing (even chanting) of the Psalms, connected by the focus of the Christian year give just enough structure to our worship to enable each person to offer praise and adoration to our Lord. We find that a little direction goes a long ways when one's congregation is prepared and anxious to worship the Lord God of the Universe. To gather for the stereotyped meeting for preaching as in the past would not provide the level of pastoral guidance needed for effective worship. God has richly blessed us in our discovery of the Christian year.
(Written during the author's (Rev. Larry D. Ellis) tenure as organist and minister of worship at a North American Baptist Church in the Denver, Colorado area.)
This author's particular North American Baptist Church is a rare exception to the above. Drawing from very meaningful but limited exposures to liturgical environments and considerable reading about church history and Christian symbols has begun to teach the value in periodically focusing on all the major themes of our Christian faith. After using the Christian year as a primary basis of our worship for five years, our congregation would have it no other way. It gives us a sense of the recurring celebration, calling, anticipation and challenge to all that our Lord has designed us to be. Christmas has now comfortably grown to include Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. The Easter season is now expanded to encompass Lent, Easter and Pentecost.
Advent is anticipated months before it arrives. We celebrate not only the promises of Jesus' coming as a baby in the manger, but we also rejoice in the anticipation of his second coming. During Advent we sing primarily carols that invite or promise of Jesus' coming to be in our midst. Most Christmas carols are not sung before Christmas eve. We then do sing them for several weeks until the Epiphany. We then begin to celebrate the wise men giving gifts to our Lord; but we also celebrate the many gifts that God give to each of us, including his spiritual gifts. We then move into the Lenten season, discovering again the uniqueness of our Christian faith, God's plan of our redemption, the sacrifice of his son Jesus on the cross. This gives us the opportunity to sing many hymns about the cross and prayerfully examine all that we are doing both in and outside the church. Tradition is widespread that we do not say or sing alleluias during Lent. The last week of the Lenten season is called Holy Week. During this week we recall the events that Jesus experienced during the last week before his crucifixion. On Palm Sunday Jesus was hailed as the King of the Jews, adored by many who publicly praised him. There is a procession into worship with each worshiper being given a palm branch. Only a few days later he was displaying his great servant love for his disciples by washing their feet and sharing not only his last meal with those closest to him - his disciples, but was also experiencing complete aloneness on earth and the pain of his crucifixion. At the same time he prayed that his followers would be filled with blessings and joy. Reading these scriptures aloud and simply re-enacting some of these events ushers us quickly and dramatically into God's presence. Reliving these events in Jesus' ministry here each year brings fresh to us his great love and sacrifice for each of us. It challenges us to enthusiastic obedience to Him. The ending of Holy Week is the beginning of the celebration of His Resurrection. After that is our focus for several weeks we move to thankfulness for God's great gift of the Holy Spirit to us - Pentecost. Walking through each of these main events in the life and experience of Jesus as recorded in the scriptures, provides us with an endless list of praise themes and sermon topics and texts. There is no difficulty even connecting the Christian year with many topical series of sermons.
This change from the previous ritual of three hymns, offering, special music and sermon to themes from the Christian year, while now fully embraced by the vast majority of parishioners did not come about without some resistance. It seems that such resistance was generally from those who had strong resistance to many types of changes, rather than from those who had previously chosen to leave the liturgical environment. The former Roman Catholics, Lutherans and Episcopalians who have become a part of our congregation have in many cases experienced significantly new meaning to their worship life because of the reality of their evangelical faith by our observance of the Christian year. For those who have their first taste of the Christian year in worship, a sense of stability and continuity in their Christian faith and worship is also found. Our structure of prayers, confessions, singing (even chanting) of the Psalms, connected by the focus of the Christian year give just enough structure to our worship to enable each person to offer praise and adoration to our Lord. We find that a little direction goes a long ways when one's congregation is prepared and anxious to worship the Lord God of the Universe. To gather for the stereotyped meeting for preaching as in the past would not provide the level of pastoral guidance needed for effective worship. God has richly blessed us in our discovery of the Christian year.
(Written during the author's (Rev. Larry D. Ellis) tenure as organist and minister of worship at a North American Baptist Church in the Denver, Colorado area.)
Season of LENT
Baptists Recovering lost treasure of Lent
In yet another demonstration of Christ continuing to unify His Church, I read that a number of Baptist churches have begun Ash Wednesday services and are encouraging their congregations to prepare for Easter by keeping the liturgical season of Lent.
Most Baptists churches continued their tradition of focusing on scripture by starting special Lenten scripture studies:
"This year for lent we held an Ash Weds here at our Baptist Church (not a normal thing for a ‘free church’). The other unusual thing was that we held it Shrove Tues for a number of logistical reasons. It was most of our groups first experiece of ash weds and we did some further thinking around lent."
"We started a Wednesday Night Bible Study series on Ash Wednesday called Eyeing Easter. Former Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz wrote the material and invited his readers to take a journey of personal reflection during this "in between time" called Lent."
A few Baptist Churches went further and imposed ashes on their congregations:
"Last night during our Wednesday evening service this author introduced Ash Wednesday to our church. We first talked about the history of Lent and of Ash Wednesday and how we can use these times to strengthen our own faith and resolve to stand against Satan and the world. ...
...We talked about how other churches have priests administer the ashes, but how since we are all priests we can do this for ourselves. ...
That is what is so wonderful about being a Baptist, we are free to find a celebrate lost treasures from our Christian past and give them new meaning and life to a new generation."
Actually, what our Baptist friend, who is new to Ash Wednesday, doesn't realize is that imposition of ashes is not restricted to Catholic priests alone. Deacons and lay persons also may impose ashes on any baptized Christian. Personally, I hope our fellow Baptists will continue to recover the lost treasures thrown out by the Reformers.
"Of course, doing the service early meant the ashes were visible all day. This prompted one of the deacons of the local Baptist church that I’ve been attending to take the opportunity to ridicule some men wearing the ashes and to ask where the priest was who did that?" I’m trying to give up denominational bigotry for Lent.
In yet another demonstration of Christ continuing to unify His Church, I read that a number of Baptist churches have begun Ash Wednesday services and are encouraging their congregations to prepare for Easter by keeping the liturgical season of Lent.
Most Baptists churches continued their tradition of focusing on scripture by starting special Lenten scripture studies:
"This year for lent we held an Ash Weds here at our Baptist Church (not a normal thing for a ‘free church’). The other unusual thing was that we held it Shrove Tues for a number of logistical reasons. It was most of our groups first experiece of ash weds and we did some further thinking around lent."
"We started a Wednesday Night Bible Study series on Ash Wednesday called Eyeing Easter. Former Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz wrote the material and invited his readers to take a journey of personal reflection during this "in between time" called Lent."
A few Baptist Churches went further and imposed ashes on their congregations:
"Last night during our Wednesday evening service this author introduced Ash Wednesday to our church. We first talked about the history of Lent and of Ash Wednesday and how we can use these times to strengthen our own faith and resolve to stand against Satan and the world. ...
...We talked about how other churches have priests administer the ashes, but how since we are all priests we can do this for ourselves. ...
That is what is so wonderful about being a Baptist, we are free to find a celebrate lost treasures from our Christian past and give them new meaning and life to a new generation."
Actually, what our Baptist friend, who is new to Ash Wednesday, doesn't realize is that imposition of ashes is not restricted to Catholic priests alone. Deacons and lay persons also may impose ashes on any baptized Christian. Personally, I hope our fellow Baptists will continue to recover the lost treasures thrown out by the Reformers.
"Of course, doing the service early meant the ashes were visible all day. This prompted one of the deacons of the local Baptist church that I’ve been attending to take the opportunity to ridicule some men wearing the ashes and to ask where the priest was who did that?" I’m trying to give up denominational bigotry for Lent.
CHURCH CALENDAR- General
Making Preparation the Christian Year in Worship
TAKING AN OVERVIEW
This is a good time to pause in the process of worship planning and step back to make an overview of the year ahead. Actually, doing this during the summer months, especially in August, is a very helpful thing to build into the calendar for each year.
Planning long range in the worship life of a congregation gives us an opportunity to think more carefully about the themes and patterns of our worship life, assures us of a greater balance, and provides better preparation time for all that are involved, both pastor and musicians.
Our goal this week is to identify the issues in planning for the year ahead, possible choices, and to show you the direction that we will be taking.
WHICH CALENDAR?
The first choice we face is the choice of calendar. What considerations will guide the pattern of worship during the coming months? Which events will be included in worship? And how will the themes of worship and preaching be selected? In other words, which calendar will be our guide?
Our conviction and assumption is that to plan ahead without an intentional selection of a calendar, or to go ahead without planning, will produce worship and preaching that has little direction and misses major opportunities to proclaim the full gospel of Christ.
However, there are a number of potential calendars from which we can make our choices. Let's try to identify some of them. You will probably think of others.
1. The catechism/confessional calendar - if the pastor is preaching through the Catechism or one of the other Confessions, you may be inclined to structure the church year of worship around the themes/events that are currently being covered.
2. The secular calendar - many events on the secular calendar of our society will seem to call for attention in worship, and you'll discover that some churches follow it. Hallmark tells us that Valentines' Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day are big events. Our civic calendar tempts us to plan worship around Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
3. The church program season calendar - September through April/May is the season in which the largest number of church ministry events take place, with a major break for the "holidays". Worship planning can easily be determined by the rhythm of eight or nine full months, and three or four lean months. Within this calendar you will also find those "special Sundays" that each denomination likes to designate for specific ministries.
4. The Christian Year calendar - in this calendar the entire year is geared toward the remembrance of the main salvation events in the work of God. Salvation events rank much higher than local and secular events. We highly recommend this calendar and will be saying more about it.
THE CHRISTIAN YEAR CALENDAR
We are creatures of time. All our living is in the context of and governed by time. Sometimes time makes us remember as we treasure the past; other times we anticipate as we look forward to the future. As Christians we know that time is linear - it has a beginning and an end. We also know that it is made up of progressive events along the way. All of Scriptural history is built around remembrances and anticipations.
Worship needs to take this into account. God's events in the time of history should form the pattern of our worship life over the course of a year. So which calendar we select as our guide has large implications.
Selecting the Christian Year calendar to guide our worship life and planning will provide several very precious benefits:
1. Our worship will be anchored in the events of salvation history: the coming of Christ, the ministry of Christ, the suffering and death of Christ, the resurrection and exaltation of Christ, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
2. The Christian Year will help us understand the Christian life. Each season has its own mood and spirit and they can be quite different from one another. We anticipate Christ's arrival. We are united with him in his suffering, death, and resurrection. We continue to receive new life from the Spirit. Each of these events provides a variety of themes, from anticipation, to penitence, to joy, to a challenge to growth.
3. The Christian Year provides a framework for the celebration of the gospel message. As such it becomes a careful safeguard for the church so that its message remains clearly Christ-centered. Each year the major events of God's redemptive history are celebrated and exhibit their formative influence over our worship life.
It is certainly true that Scripture does not prescribe the observance of the Christian Year, and in the past Christians of many traditions moved away from it because they were afraid that it would become an end in itself and reflect too much of medieval catholicism. But in recent years, many protestant churches have recovered the Christian Year and find it to be a valuable framework for organizing their worship life.
For the reasons stated above, we highly recommend it. You will find that the worship services provided here in the months ahead reflect the calendar of the Christian Year. A few other carefully selected events will be fit in along the way, but the rhythm of the year will be established by the Christian calendar. Once you do, you will find that it has the basic pattern of the Apostles' Creed.
THE PATTERN OF THE CHRISTIAN YEAR
There are many variations in the way in which churches and denominations structure the Christian Year. But generally it follows this pattern:
Advent - The Christian Year begins with Advent. This season includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas. Advent means "coming", and the weeks of Advent focus on the church's anticipation of the birth of the Messiah, as well as the future coming of Christ. In popular thinking Christmas is often enfolded into Advent, but we encourage you to avoid the temptation to treat all of Advent as though it were Christmas. Advent needs messages and music that focuses on anticipation and waiting.
Epiphany - The word "epiphany" means "manifestation" and comes from the purpose of Christ to manifest or reveal the glory of God. The origins and details of Epiphany are less clear, but it usually begins on or about January 6 and considers the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, his first miracle, and his transfiguration.
Lent - Perhaps the best known of the seasons of the Christian Year is Lent. It is a period of preparation before Easter, and originally signified a period of preparation for baptism on Easter. Generally this time of preparation is associated with the number forty - after Moses' forty years preparing for his ministry, the forty years of Israel in the wilderness, and the forty days of Jesus in the wilderness. The forty days of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, excludes Sundays, and concludes with Holy Week in which the suffering and death of Christ are central. The spirit of Lent is penitential and devotional.
Holy Week - Though not a separate "season" of the Christian Year, Holy Week is the most significant time for all Christians. During this week worshipers prepare to mark the journey of Christ to Calvary with additional times of worship and reflection. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday are its highlights.
Eastertide - The Easter season stands out as a time of celebration and joy. This season is fifty days in length leading from Easter (Resurrection) Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. The worship of this season calls attention to the resurrection of Christ, his post-resurrection appearances, his ascension into heaven, and the preparation of his disciples to witness to his kingdom.
Pentecost - Pentecost is both a day and a season. The Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church. The season of Pentecost is the longest season of the entire Christian Year, stretching out until Advent begins again. Its emphasis is on the work of the Holy Spirit to give power and growth to the church so that the kingdom of God can be built. This season historically concludes with "Christ the King Sunday" which is the last Sunday before the beginning of Advent.
When all of these seasons are put together as a whole, we see that the Christian Year begins with Advent, and continues through the whole ministry of Christ and the Spirit until the next Advent!
Western Holy Days in 2010
The Season of Christmas ends on 5 January 2010
The Epiphany and the Season after the Epiphany 6 January through 16 February
The Epiphany is 6 January
(Epiphany Sunday is 3 January)
The Baptism of Our Lord is 10 January
Transfiguration Sunday is 14 February
The Season of Lent 17 February through 3 April
Ash Wednesday is 17 February
Holy Week
Palm Sunday (Passion Sunday) is 28 March
Maundy Thursday is 1 April
Good Friday is 2 April
Holy Saturday is 3 April
The Season of Easter 4 April through 23 May
Easter Day is 4 April
Ascension Day is Thursday, 13 May
Pentecost is 23 May
The Season After Pentecost 24 May through 27 November
Trinity Sunday is 30 May
All Saints Day is 1 November
Christ the King Sunday is 21 November
The Season of Advent 28 November through 24 December
The First Sunday in Advent is 28 November
The Season of Christmas 25 December through 5 January 2011
Christmas Day is 25 December
Holy Name is 1 January 2011
TAKING AN OVERVIEW
This is a good time to pause in the process of worship planning and step back to make an overview of the year ahead. Actually, doing this during the summer months, especially in August, is a very helpful thing to build into the calendar for each year.
Planning long range in the worship life of a congregation gives us an opportunity to think more carefully about the themes and patterns of our worship life, assures us of a greater balance, and provides better preparation time for all that are involved, both pastor and musicians.
Our goal this week is to identify the issues in planning for the year ahead, possible choices, and to show you the direction that we will be taking.
WHICH CALENDAR?
The first choice we face is the choice of calendar. What considerations will guide the pattern of worship during the coming months? Which events will be included in worship? And how will the themes of worship and preaching be selected? In other words, which calendar will be our guide?
Our conviction and assumption is that to plan ahead without an intentional selection of a calendar, or to go ahead without planning, will produce worship and preaching that has little direction and misses major opportunities to proclaim the full gospel of Christ.
However, there are a number of potential calendars from which we can make our choices. Let's try to identify some of them. You will probably think of others.
1. The catechism/confessional calendar - if the pastor is preaching through the Catechism or one of the other Confessions, you may be inclined to structure the church year of worship around the themes/events that are currently being covered.
2. The secular calendar - many events on the secular calendar of our society will seem to call for attention in worship, and you'll discover that some churches follow it. Hallmark tells us that Valentines' Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day are big events. Our civic calendar tempts us to plan worship around Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
3. The church program season calendar - September through April/May is the season in which the largest number of church ministry events take place, with a major break for the "holidays". Worship planning can easily be determined by the rhythm of eight or nine full months, and three or four lean months. Within this calendar you will also find those "special Sundays" that each denomination likes to designate for specific ministries.
4. The Christian Year calendar - in this calendar the entire year is geared toward the remembrance of the main salvation events in the work of God. Salvation events rank much higher than local and secular events. We highly recommend this calendar and will be saying more about it.
THE CHRISTIAN YEAR CALENDAR
We are creatures of time. All our living is in the context of and governed by time. Sometimes time makes us remember as we treasure the past; other times we anticipate as we look forward to the future. As Christians we know that time is linear - it has a beginning and an end. We also know that it is made up of progressive events along the way. All of Scriptural history is built around remembrances and anticipations.
Worship needs to take this into account. God's events in the time of history should form the pattern of our worship life over the course of a year. So which calendar we select as our guide has large implications.
Selecting the Christian Year calendar to guide our worship life and planning will provide several very precious benefits:
1. Our worship will be anchored in the events of salvation history: the coming of Christ, the ministry of Christ, the suffering and death of Christ, the resurrection and exaltation of Christ, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
2. The Christian Year will help us understand the Christian life. Each season has its own mood and spirit and they can be quite different from one another. We anticipate Christ's arrival. We are united with him in his suffering, death, and resurrection. We continue to receive new life from the Spirit. Each of these events provides a variety of themes, from anticipation, to penitence, to joy, to a challenge to growth.
3. The Christian Year provides a framework for the celebration of the gospel message. As such it becomes a careful safeguard for the church so that its message remains clearly Christ-centered. Each year the major events of God's redemptive history are celebrated and exhibit their formative influence over our worship life.
It is certainly true that Scripture does not prescribe the observance of the Christian Year, and in the past Christians of many traditions moved away from it because they were afraid that it would become an end in itself and reflect too much of medieval catholicism. But in recent years, many protestant churches have recovered the Christian Year and find it to be a valuable framework for organizing their worship life.
For the reasons stated above, we highly recommend it. You will find that the worship services provided here in the months ahead reflect the calendar of the Christian Year. A few other carefully selected events will be fit in along the way, but the rhythm of the year will be established by the Christian calendar. Once you do, you will find that it has the basic pattern of the Apostles' Creed.
THE PATTERN OF THE CHRISTIAN YEAR
There are many variations in the way in which churches and denominations structure the Christian Year. But generally it follows this pattern:
Advent - The Christian Year begins with Advent. This season includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas. Advent means "coming", and the weeks of Advent focus on the church's anticipation of the birth of the Messiah, as well as the future coming of Christ. In popular thinking Christmas is often enfolded into Advent, but we encourage you to avoid the temptation to treat all of Advent as though it were Christmas. Advent needs messages and music that focuses on anticipation and waiting.
Epiphany - The word "epiphany" means "manifestation" and comes from the purpose of Christ to manifest or reveal the glory of God. The origins and details of Epiphany are less clear, but it usually begins on or about January 6 and considers the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, his first miracle, and his transfiguration.
Lent - Perhaps the best known of the seasons of the Christian Year is Lent. It is a period of preparation before Easter, and originally signified a period of preparation for baptism on Easter. Generally this time of preparation is associated with the number forty - after Moses' forty years preparing for his ministry, the forty years of Israel in the wilderness, and the forty days of Jesus in the wilderness. The forty days of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, excludes Sundays, and concludes with Holy Week in which the suffering and death of Christ are central. The spirit of Lent is penitential and devotional.
Holy Week - Though not a separate "season" of the Christian Year, Holy Week is the most significant time for all Christians. During this week worshipers prepare to mark the journey of Christ to Calvary with additional times of worship and reflection. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday are its highlights.
Eastertide - The Easter season stands out as a time of celebration and joy. This season is fifty days in length leading from Easter (Resurrection) Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. The worship of this season calls attention to the resurrection of Christ, his post-resurrection appearances, his ascension into heaven, and the preparation of his disciples to witness to his kingdom.
Pentecost - Pentecost is both a day and a season. The Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church. The season of Pentecost is the longest season of the entire Christian Year, stretching out until Advent begins again. Its emphasis is on the work of the Holy Spirit to give power and growth to the church so that the kingdom of God can be built. This season historically concludes with "Christ the King Sunday" which is the last Sunday before the beginning of Advent.
When all of these seasons are put together as a whole, we see that the Christian Year begins with Advent, and continues through the whole ministry of Christ and the Spirit until the next Advent!
Western Holy Days in 2010
The Season of Christmas ends on 5 January 2010
The Epiphany and the Season after the Epiphany 6 January through 16 February
The Epiphany is 6 January
(Epiphany Sunday is 3 January)
The Baptism of Our Lord is 10 January
Transfiguration Sunday is 14 February
The Season of Lent 17 February through 3 April
Ash Wednesday is 17 February
Holy Week
Palm Sunday (Passion Sunday) is 28 March
Maundy Thursday is 1 April
Good Friday is 2 April
Holy Saturday is 3 April
The Season of Easter 4 April through 23 May
Easter Day is 4 April
Ascension Day is Thursday, 13 May
Pentecost is 23 May
The Season After Pentecost 24 May through 27 November
Trinity Sunday is 30 May
All Saints Day is 1 November
Christ the King Sunday is 21 November
The Season of Advent 28 November through 24 December
The First Sunday in Advent is 28 November
The Season of Christmas 25 December through 5 January 2011
Christmas Day is 25 December
Holy Name is 1 January 2011
CHRISTIAN LITURGY
Protestant churches
While Liturgy is defined as "a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship" some Protestant churches are finding their corporate voices in the TRADITIONAL aspect of worship. They are offering both a more Traditional worship service, as well as a contemporary service. Of particular note is the Baptist church. What is being found in several congregations is a resurgence in ministers wearing robes, use of Handbells or chimes to "announce" the beginning of worship, as well as use of acolytes. The purpose, which is clearly defined, is not to mirror other denominational practices, but to bring the worshiper to an active sense of self and God. Through sights and sounds we touch the presence of God. Whether we are walking a rural road under the cool canopy of trees or kneeling for prayer in a large ancient church setting, the presence of the Father is with us.
Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used (whether recommended or prescribed) by a Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis.
The liturgy of the many denominations ultimately derives from that of the western Catholic church, however most "post-Protestant" denominations (e.g. evangelicals, etc.) claim to have no need for liturgy, or else insist that their manner of worship is a full return to the days of the apostles. The descriptions that follow explain the liturgies of those traditional, mainline denominations that fully acknowledge the history of their origins and retain an emphasis on liturgy as an important part of their worship style.
Methodist or Wesleyan traditions
Many Methodist Churches have official liturgies. In most cases these are derived from The Sunday Service of the Methodists in the United States of America, a service book prepared by John Wesley for the Methodists in the American colonies who became separated from the Church of England by the American Revolution. The Sunday Service is itself a simple revision of The Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, so that Methodist liturgies tend to resemble Anglican liturgies.
Liturgies may differ depending on the denomination. The United Methodist church, specifically in High Church Methodism, resembles the Episcopal liturgies.
Anglican communion
At the time of English Reformation, The Sarum Rite was in use along with the Roman Rite. Henry VIII wanted the Latin mass translated into the English language. Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer authored the Exhortation and Litany in 1544. This was the earliest English-language service book of the Church of England, and the only English-language service to be finished within the lifetime of King Henry VIII.[2] In 1549, Cranmer produced a complete English-language liturgy. Cranmer was largely responsible for the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer. The first edition was predominantly pre-Reformation in its outlook. The Communion Service, Lectionary, and collects in the liturgy were translations based on the Sarum Rite[3] as practised in Salisbury Cathedral. The revised edition in 1552 sought to assert a more clearly Protestant liturgy after problems arose from conservative mimicry of the mass on the one hand, and a critique by Martin Bucer (Butzer) on the other. Successive revisions are based on this edition, though important alterations appeared in 1604 and 1662. The 1662 edition is still authoritative in the Church of England and has served as the basis for many of Books of Common Prayer of national Anglican churches around the world. Those deriving from Scottish Episcopal descent, like the Prayer Books of the American Episcopal Church, have a slightly different liturgical pedigree.
While Liturgy is defined as "a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship" some Protestant churches are finding their corporate voices in the TRADITIONAL aspect of worship. They are offering both a more Traditional worship service, as well as a contemporary service. Of particular note is the Baptist church. What is being found in several congregations is a resurgence in ministers wearing robes, use of Handbells or chimes to "announce" the beginning of worship, as well as use of acolytes. The purpose, which is clearly defined, is not to mirror other denominational practices, but to bring the worshiper to an active sense of self and God. Through sights and sounds we touch the presence of God. Whether we are walking a rural road under the cool canopy of trees or kneeling for prayer in a large ancient church setting, the presence of the Father is with us.
Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used (whether recommended or prescribed) by a Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis.
The liturgy of the many denominations ultimately derives from that of the western Catholic church, however most "post-Protestant" denominations (e.g. evangelicals, etc.) claim to have no need for liturgy, or else insist that their manner of worship is a full return to the days of the apostles. The descriptions that follow explain the liturgies of those traditional, mainline denominations that fully acknowledge the history of their origins and retain an emphasis on liturgy as an important part of their worship style.
Methodist or Wesleyan traditions
Many Methodist Churches have official liturgies. In most cases these are derived from The Sunday Service of the Methodists in the United States of America, a service book prepared by John Wesley for the Methodists in the American colonies who became separated from the Church of England by the American Revolution. The Sunday Service is itself a simple revision of The Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, so that Methodist liturgies tend to resemble Anglican liturgies.
Liturgies may differ depending on the denomination. The United Methodist church, specifically in High Church Methodism, resembles the Episcopal liturgies.
Anglican communion
At the time of English Reformation, The Sarum Rite was in use along with the Roman Rite. Henry VIII wanted the Latin mass translated into the English language. Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer authored the Exhortation and Litany in 1544. This was the earliest English-language service book of the Church of England, and the only English-language service to be finished within the lifetime of King Henry VIII.[2] In 1549, Cranmer produced a complete English-language liturgy. Cranmer was largely responsible for the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer. The first edition was predominantly pre-Reformation in its outlook. The Communion Service, Lectionary, and collects in the liturgy were translations based on the Sarum Rite[3] as practised in Salisbury Cathedral. The revised edition in 1552 sought to assert a more clearly Protestant liturgy after problems arose from conservative mimicry of the mass on the one hand, and a critique by Martin Bucer (Butzer) on the other. Successive revisions are based on this edition, though important alterations appeared in 1604 and 1662. The 1662 edition is still authoritative in the Church of England and has served as the basis for many of Books of Common Prayer of national Anglican churches around the world. Those deriving from Scottish Episcopal descent, like the Prayer Books of the American Episcopal Church, have a slightly different liturgical pedigree.
PRAYING HANDS
Remember!
God hears every prayer - but not all prayers are answered in the way we might expect or desire: we don't always pray for his will to be done!
'Arrow' Prayers
can be offered to God anywhere, at any time.
But thankfully we don't live all our lives in moments of extreme crisis. What about day-to-day praying? We need to come closer to God, to experience His love for us and to try to make sense of where we are in the world. Prayer is the way we do this. Sketch of a hand
How to start?
Use your hand.
Your fingers can be used to bring to mind different things to pray for.
thumb
this is the strongest digit on your hand. Give thanks for all the strong things in your life, like home and family, relationships that support and sustain you.
index finger
this is the pointing finger. Pray for all those people and things in your life who guide and help you. Friends, teachers, doctors, nurses, emergency services and so on.
middle finger
this is the tallest finger. Pray for all the important people who have power in the world, like world leaders and their governments, members of parliament and local councillors, the Royal Family, other world leaders and their governments.
ring finger
this is the weakest finger on your hand. It can not do much by itself. Remember the poor, the weak, the helpless, the hungry, the sick, the ill and the bereaved.
little finger
this is the smallest and the last finger on your hand. Pray for yourself.
Prayer Beads
This is an example of "Praying with Beads"-
The CROSS
“I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord. The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” Psalm 122:1 Habakkuk 2:20
The INVITATORY
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
The CRUCIFORMS
“O God, you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are fixed on you; for in returning and rest we shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be our strength.” Isaiah 26:3; 30:15
The WEEKS
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; For you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
The CLOSING PRAYER Lord, you now have set your servant free to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior,
whom you have prepared for all the world to see; A Light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.
In the Name of God the Father Almighty
who has created me;
In the Name of Jesus Christ
who has redeemed me;
In the Name of the Holy Spirit
who has sanctified me.
The CROSS
“I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord. The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” Psalm 122:1 Habakkuk 2:20
The INVITATORY
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
The CRUCIFORMS
“O God, you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are fixed on you; for in returning and rest we shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be our strength.” Isaiah 26:3; 30:15
The WEEKS
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; For you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
The CLOSING PRAYER Lord, you now have set your servant free to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior,
whom you have prepared for all the world to see; A Light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.
In the Name of God the Father Almighty
who has created me;
In the Name of Jesus Christ
who has redeemed me;
In the Name of the Holy Spirit
who has sanctified me.
Prayer Beads- Introduction
One of the most beneficial methods of centering one's spiritual and physical self is by simply repeating favorite prayers, songs, imagery, poems, or other comforting sentences.
Symbolism of the Beads
Contemplative prayer is enriched by these symbols whose purpose is always to focus and concentrate attention, allowing the one who prays to move more swiftly into the Presence of God.
The prayer beads are made up of twenty-eight beads divided into four groups of seven called weeks. In the Judeo-Christian tradition the number seven represents spiritual perfection and completion. Between each week is a single bead, called a cruciform bead as the four beads form a cross. The invitatory bead between the cross and the wheel of beads brings the total to thirty-three, the number of years in Jesus’ earthly life.
Praying with the beads
To begin, hold the Cross and say the prayer you have assigned to it, then move to the Invitatory Bead. Then enter the circle of the prayer with the first Cruciform Bead, moving to the right, go through the first set of seven beads to the next Cruciform bead, continuing around the circle, saying the prayers for each bead.
It is suggested that you pray around the circle of the beads three times (which signifies the Trinity) in an unhurried pace, allowing the repetition to become a sort of lullaby of love and praise that enables your mind to rest and your heart to become quiet and still.
Praying through the beads three times and adding the "Cross" at the beginning or the end, brings the total to one hundred. A period of silence should follow the prayer, for a time of reflection and listening. Listening is an important part of all prayer.
Begin praying the Prayer Beads by selecting the prayers you wish to use for the cross and each bead. Practice them until it is clear which prayer goes with which bead, and as far as possible commit the prayers to memory.
Find a quiet spot and allow your body and mind to become restful and still. After a time of silence, begin praying the prayer beads at an unhurried, intentional pace. Complete the circle of the beads three times.
When you have completed the round of the prayer beads, you should end with a period of silence. This silence allows you to center your being in an extended period of silence. It also invites reflection and listening after you have invoked the Name and Presence of God.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Te Deum Laudamus
You are God
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord; we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy church acclaims you;
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God's right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord; we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy church acclaims you;
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God's right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
LECTIONARY
A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.
History
In antiquity the Jews first read Scriptural selections randomly, but by the Medieval era had standardized a schedule of scripture readings to be read in the synagogue. A sequential selection was read from the Torah, followed by the "haftarah" -- a selection from the prophetic books or historical narratives (e.g. "Judges," "Kings," etc.). Jesus likely read a providentially "random" reading when he read from Isaiah 61:1-2, as recorded in Luke 4:16-21, when he inaugurated his public ministry. The early Christians adopted the Jewish custom of reading extracts from the Old Testament on the sabbath. They soon added extracts from the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists.
Both Hebrew and Christian lectionaries developed over the centuries. Typically, a lectionary will go through the scriptures in a logical pattern, and also include selections which were chosen by the religious community for their appropriateness to particular occasions.
The use of pre-assigned, scheduled readings from the scriptures can be traced back to the early church. Not all of the Christian Church used the same lectionary, and throughout history, many varying lectionaries have been used in different parts of the Christian world.
Lectionaries from before the invention of the printing press contribute to understanding the textual history of the Bible. See also List of New Testament lectionaries.
Isaiah 61
The Good News of Salvation
1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
Luke 4: 16-21
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,[j]
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”[k]
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
BCP Book of Common Prayer
The influence of the Book of Common prayer has limitless possibilities when used alongside Holy Scriptures. Even in the most private of times, when words are difficult to find, the Book of Common Prayer provides us with the sentences that can express our innermost thoughts. It was during the final moments of my father's life that the Book of Common Prayer provided that particular support in the timeless wording of the prayers.
The Book of Common Prayer is one of the major works of English literature. Since its introduction in the mid-1500's it has exerted enormous influence on the religious and literary lives of all who speak the English language. The Book of Common Prayer has gone through a number of editions, not only in England where it originated, but in all the places where the various Churches of the Anglican Communion are now active.
The Book of Common Prayer has had a great influence on a number of other denominations. While theologically different, the language and flow of the service of many other churches owes a great debt to the prayer book. In particular, many Christian prayer books have drawn on the Collects for the Sundays of the Churches Year—mostly translated by Cranmer from a wide range of Christian traditions, but including a number of original compositions—which are widely recognized as masterpieces of compressed liturgical construction.
John Wesley, an Anglican priest whose revivalist preaching led to the creation of Methodism wrote, "I believe there is no Liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety than the Common Prayer of the Church of England." Many Methodist churches in England and the United States continued to use a slightly revised version of the book for communion services well into the 20th century. In the United Methodist Church, the liturgy for Eucharistic celebrations is almost identical to what is found in the Book of Common Prayer, as are some of the other liturgies and services
A Responsive Lord's Prayer
A Responsive Lord's Prayer
Our Father which art in Heaven,
Remind us constantly that you are parent to all your children,
Whoever, or wherever they are or come from.
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Establishing peace and justice, hope and life for all peoples.
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Disturb us into awareness of the needs of others.
and Forgive us our trespasses,
Our pride and our prejudices.
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
and Lead us not into temptation,
Especially keep our hearts and minds open
To see the good in others.
but Deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
Just and true,
The power,
Gentle and fair,
And the glory,
Shot through with the colors of love,
Forever.
Forever.
Amen.
[From: From Shore to Shore A collection of liturgies, litanies and prayers from around the world. Pub. by USPG and SPCK. Used with permission.]
Our Father which art in Heaven,
Remind us constantly that you are parent to all your children,
Whoever, or wherever they are or come from.
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Establishing peace and justice, hope and life for all peoples.
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Disturb us into awareness of the needs of others.
and Forgive us our trespasses,
Our pride and our prejudices.
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
and Lead us not into temptation,
Especially keep our hearts and minds open
To see the good in others.
but Deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
Just and true,
The power,
Gentle and fair,
And the glory,
Shot through with the colors of love,
Forever.
Forever.
Amen.
[From: From Shore to Shore A collection of liturgies, litanies and prayers from around the world. Pub. by USPG and SPCK. Used with permission.]
How do I Pray?
'Lord, teach us to pray'
The Model Prayer, St. Mathew 6: 5-15, NKJV
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.[b] 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.[c]
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
That request was put to Jesus by his own disciples - which should encourage us if we feel we don't know how to pray. They needed help, and so do we, especially at troubled times such as these.
But there isn't just one right way to pray - what works well for one person may not for another. The following thoughts are offered just as guidelines which may be useful:
* When we pray we come before God with the world on our hearts. We are also offering ourselves to be in some small way channels of love and peace in God's world.
* God already knows what is in our hearts and minds. We can be honest with God, and say exactly how we feel, or even just sit in silence.
* It might help to find a quiet space. You may want to be on your own, but you may also find that it helps to join other people, who may be gathering to pray in local churches, but also in schools, workplaces and elsewhere.
* You may find that you can say just what you want to, using your own words. But many people find it helpful to use written prayers.
Verses from the Psalms
Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and he shall comfort your heart;
Wait patiently for the Lord.
(Psalm 27.17)
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
(Psalm 46.1)
Be still, and know that I am God.
(Psalm 46.10)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The APOSTLE'S CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;*
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of the Father Almighty.
from thence he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic** Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
In 1997, I made a pivotal transition in my spiritual life and made a decision to take my vows of membership in the United Methodist Church, FUMC Wichita Falls, Texas- then under the pastorate of Dr. Robert Allen. The compassion expressed through Dr. Allen, as well as the beauty of the Organ is still remembered in the privacy of my prayers and thoughts. It was in the early worship service each Sunday that I, along with the other worshipers, would gather together in the Nave of the church. It was an amazing experience to enter through the Narthex and walk down the center aisle with the Rose Window above the high altar and floating clerestory windows giving the space an ethereal appearance.
One of the key factors that caused me to develop such a passion for worship is really simply put this way... "The Apostle's Creed". Never before had I heard corporate worship resound with the confidence of voices stating collectively in unison what "WE" believe.
I learned in the beauty of that sanctuary the closeness of God, yet, at the same time the majesty and splendor that He encompasses.
It was my visual "Sermon through Symbols". A tremendous foundation was laid not only in those experiences during the worship hours, but also in the footsteps of my father- The Reverend Bobby Jon Christmas.
Just as these two men of faith have passed from this life in the physical sense, let it be said: "May they rest in peace and rise in glory".
Monday, July 26, 2010
INTRODUCTION
As a road map leads us to many locations and routes, so do spiritual journeys. Having been raised in the church, I was all too acquainted with our denominations traditions and the rhythms of worship.
Over the years the focus of my ministries have ranged from teaching, holding positions as Organist, Pianist, Lay Leader, Creating and writing manuals/teaching materials for Acolyte Ministries and Altar Guilds, etc.. The most valuable 2 lessons that I have learned are these:
1. In a world that is constantly changing, individuals are looking for a constant. Pray diligently before changing methods or traditions. Educate the congregation on new practices and traditions to the church.
2. As in medicine or religion- Patients or congregations, we must explain things and present our information in an easy to understand format. I like to think of it as a 3rd grade level. That is not to say let's "dumb it down". But lets afford each member an easy to comprehend explanation of "Why we do the things we do."
It is my hope and prayer that the expressions and passions of worship and faith are easily conveyed in a tangible way to you.
Grace and Peace,
Bart
Over the years the focus of my ministries have ranged from teaching, holding positions as Organist, Pianist, Lay Leader, Creating and writing manuals/teaching materials for Acolyte Ministries and Altar Guilds, etc.. The most valuable 2 lessons that I have learned are these:
1. In a world that is constantly changing, individuals are looking for a constant. Pray diligently before changing methods or traditions. Educate the congregation on new practices and traditions to the church.
2. As in medicine or religion- Patients or congregations, we must explain things and present our information in an easy to understand format. I like to think of it as a 3rd grade level. That is not to say let's "dumb it down". But lets afford each member an easy to comprehend explanation of "Why we do the things we do."
It is my hope and prayer that the expressions and passions of worship and faith are easily conveyed in a tangible way to you.
Grace and Peace,
Bart
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