Over the last few weeks I've been doing a lot of praying and reflecting on where righteousness has gone for Americans in their daily lives. You know, doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do. Everyone would agree that evil can succeed when people stand idly by in blissful self-created ignorance. Nowadays it seems that many among us have entered into an equally abhorent and insideous mode of doing just the bare minimum required of them by law, regulation or rule and do so not as a point of righteousness, but rather as a matter of "cover my ass," sort of speak.
Yes, Joe Paterno is a good man who ran an honest, big-time college-football program, donated generously to his school and was active in the university community. He's idolized by his players and Penn State alumni alike. Back in 2002 when a graduate assistant reported an apparent sexual assault in the team showers between a young boy and Jerry Sandusky, Paterno followed Penn State procedure and reported the allegation to the school's athletic director. But that was it. No follow-up, no checking back to make sure the incident has been reported to the authorities. He "covered his ass," but didn't really act righteously. He fell well short of what many believe, rightly, was his a moral responsibility.
The matter became public with a graphic grand-jury report. Sandusky has been charged with abusing nine young boys so far, and it appears that his predatory behavior may have many more victims.
Suddenly there's apparent righteous outrage. Following charges of perjury and failure to report the abuses against athletic director Tim Curley, he took a leave of absence, and a university vice president, Gary Schultz, then retired. Finally the board of trustees fired Penn State's president, Graham Spanier, and Paterno himself, even though he had asked to be able to finish out the season, his 46th as head coach. Keep in mind that as this unfolded both Spanier and Paterno appeared to be more interested in "damage control" than acting righteously.
Even so, the trustees had no choice, but their actions perhaps weren't righteous. It was yet again more "cover your ass" and "damage control" as the police investigation is ongoing, as is one by the U.S. Department of Education for possible federal offenses, and there will be the inevitable lawsuits.
Also, it is hard to escape the queasy thought that there are more revelations to come. Paterno's parting words to the students who gathered outside his house in support were typical: Go home, study, get some sleep. He told reporters in a statement: "This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."
What's the lesson to be learned? Doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do ought to be our paramount moral obligation. Righteous action is our obligation. Forgo it, and evil succeeds in ruining the lives of victims and those who stand by in blissful, self-created ignorance.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Snapshots of Alister McGrath's Christianity: An Introduction - Chapter 4
This short summary was prepared as part of my postulancy studies for the Anglican Order of Preachers.
The fourth chapter of McGrath’s text, like the third chapter, offers an historical look at the development of the New Testament, as well as broad summary of its’ contents with a focus on Christ Jesus being the fulfillment of the Old Testament for both the Hebrew people of Israel and the gentile people of the world. Like the Old Testament, the New Testament was first presented as spoken word, and much was transmitted between people in that way at that time.
These texts were written at the end of the first century of the Common Era (CE) perhaps as a response to the deaths of those who knew Christ Jesus personally. The desire to collect and preserve the happenings of his life, to clearly identify him as the fulfillment of Hebrew prophecy and to offer concrete and specific methods whereby Christians could live their day-to-day lives being faithful to God is the reason for the New Testament. The New Testament is divided into a number of categories useful in understanding both the nature and content of each individual text within a particular place and set of circumstances. It’s important to realize that because these texts compile various stories shared in an oral tradition, they are not historical in our post-postmodern sense of that term, nor were these texts meant to be history by their authors. Instead, they are an opportunity to hand down to future generations what was considered essential in understanding who and what Christ Jesus represents to mankind and how salvation is achieved through grace as an unmerited gift of God.
What’s remarkable is that the order of the books in the New Testament are not indicative of when they were written, but rather ordered in a way that reflects how they may be used to teach the congregations of Christians about the faith for generations to come. The Acts of the Apostles were likely written in the late 50s or early 60s CE. The Epistles likewise were written around that same time. Only later were the Gospels compiled and written. The Gospel according to Mark was the first to be written in the late 60s CE, followed by both the Gospel according to Matthew and the Gospel according to Luke in the 70s CE. The last to be written was Gospel according to John in the 80s CE.
This means that approximately thirty years passed between the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus and the creation of the New Testament as written scripture. This makes sense, however, in that those who knew Christ Jesus personally were sharing by spoken word these same stories in various congregations as shown in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles. Only as these evangelists died, either of age or as martyr, was there a great need to commit to writing the spoken word.
It’s also interesting to note that the Gospel according to Mark may have been a primary source for the writers of the other Gospels along with various oral traditions known in the early church. In regard to intended audience – meaning the time, place and persons to which these texts were written – content is also unique to each of the Gospels. The Gospel according to Matthew was written for the benefit of Jewish Christians and stresses the continuity of between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Gospel according to Mark, however, was written for the benefit of Latin (Roman) gentiles and stresses that salvation is available to Jew and gentile alike. The Gospel according to Luke is written for the benefit of Hellenistic (Greek) gentiles and stresses the ethic of caring for the poor and disadvantaged. This fits with the lesser status of Hellenistic gentiles in the greater Roman Empire of that time when compared to their Roman overlords.
The Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles are concerned with the congregations of Christians seeded through apostolic evangelism and missionary work of early evangelists. Both Peter’s work to establish and grow the early church in Palestine and surrounding areas among the Jewish people is presented, along with Paul’s efforts to do the same among the gentiles in the Hellenistic east of the Roman Empire.
The Epistles follow in order to provide encouragement, guidance, resolve disputes and establish a more robust theology for the early church. Particularly important to the early church was Paul’s theology that by unmerited grace mankind is saved, rather than by action. This isn’t to dismiss the requirement for righteousness, but rather makes clear that salvation is a gift given freely by a loving God to a sinful mankind apart from any act or work. The importance of this was to open Christianity to gentiles as well as Jews.
The New Testament ends with the Revelation of John, which could be considered a mystic work whereby John shares his visions as a method to encourage believers to keep their faith even in the midst of growing Roman persecution. To me, this is the most misunderstood and misused text of the New Testament and receives far more attention from some Protestant churches fixated on preparing for the “end time” rather than on living the Christian life of agape love and charity.
The fourth chapter of McGrath’s text, like the third chapter, offers an historical look at the development of the New Testament, as well as broad summary of its’ contents with a focus on Christ Jesus being the fulfillment of the Old Testament for both the Hebrew people of Israel and the gentile people of the world. Like the Old Testament, the New Testament was first presented as spoken word, and much was transmitted between people in that way at that time.
These texts were written at the end of the first century of the Common Era (CE) perhaps as a response to the deaths of those who knew Christ Jesus personally. The desire to collect and preserve the happenings of his life, to clearly identify him as the fulfillment of Hebrew prophecy and to offer concrete and specific methods whereby Christians could live their day-to-day lives being faithful to God is the reason for the New Testament. The New Testament is divided into a number of categories useful in understanding both the nature and content of each individual text within a particular place and set of circumstances. It’s important to realize that because these texts compile various stories shared in an oral tradition, they are not historical in our post-postmodern sense of that term, nor were these texts meant to be history by their authors. Instead, they are an opportunity to hand down to future generations what was considered essential in understanding who and what Christ Jesus represents to mankind and how salvation is achieved through grace as an unmerited gift of God.
What’s remarkable is that the order of the books in the New Testament are not indicative of when they were written, but rather ordered in a way that reflects how they may be used to teach the congregations of Christians about the faith for generations to come. The Acts of the Apostles were likely written in the late 50s or early 60s CE. The Epistles likewise were written around that same time. Only later were the Gospels compiled and written. The Gospel according to Mark was the first to be written in the late 60s CE, followed by both the Gospel according to Matthew and the Gospel according to Luke in the 70s CE. The last to be written was Gospel according to John in the 80s CE.
This means that approximately thirty years passed between the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus and the creation of the New Testament as written scripture. This makes sense, however, in that those who knew Christ Jesus personally were sharing by spoken word these same stories in various congregations as shown in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles. Only as these evangelists died, either of age or as martyr, was there a great need to commit to writing the spoken word.
It’s also interesting to note that the Gospel according to Mark may have been a primary source for the writers of the other Gospels along with various oral traditions known in the early church. In regard to intended audience – meaning the time, place and persons to which these texts were written – content is also unique to each of the Gospels. The Gospel according to Matthew was written for the benefit of Jewish Christians and stresses the continuity of between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Gospel according to Mark, however, was written for the benefit of Latin (Roman) gentiles and stresses that salvation is available to Jew and gentile alike. The Gospel according to Luke is written for the benefit of Hellenistic (Greek) gentiles and stresses the ethic of caring for the poor and disadvantaged. This fits with the lesser status of Hellenistic gentiles in the greater Roman Empire of that time when compared to their Roman overlords.
The Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles are concerned with the congregations of Christians seeded through apostolic evangelism and missionary work of early evangelists. Both Peter’s work to establish and grow the early church in Palestine and surrounding areas among the Jewish people is presented, along with Paul’s efforts to do the same among the gentiles in the Hellenistic east of the Roman Empire.
The Epistles follow in order to provide encouragement, guidance, resolve disputes and establish a more robust theology for the early church. Particularly important to the early church was Paul’s theology that by unmerited grace mankind is saved, rather than by action. This isn’t to dismiss the requirement for righteousness, but rather makes clear that salvation is a gift given freely by a loving God to a sinful mankind apart from any act or work. The importance of this was to open Christianity to gentiles as well as Jews.
The New Testament ends with the Revelation of John, which could be considered a mystic work whereby John shares his visions as a method to encourage believers to keep their faith even in the midst of growing Roman persecution. To me, this is the most misunderstood and misused text of the New Testament and receives far more attention from some Protestant churches fixated on preparing for the “end time” rather than on living the Christian life of agape love and charity.
Snapshots of Alister McGrath's Christianity: An Introduction - Chapter 3
This short summary was prepared as part of my postulancy studies for the Anglican Order of Preachers.
The third chapter of McGrath’s text offers both an historical look at the development of the Old Testament and a review of its contents both in relation to the Hebrew people of Israel (and Judah) and those who claimed those Scriptures as Christians. It’s interesting to note that in the time of Christ Jesus and for several centuries before and after, the Hellenistic Jews of the time used the Septuagint Old Testament; that is, the Old Testament written in the common Greek of that period. Another version written in Hebrew was used called the Masoretic text, which became the preferred text as the Christian use of the Septuagint text became more prevalent. Most striking is that the Masoretic text was ordered in a way to end with Jewish kingship while the Septuagint text was structured to suggest the coming of a messiah.
The Chapter also provides a summary of the canonization of the Old Testament by both Jews and Christians. What I found most striking is that the Jewish canonization of the Old Testament was the work of Pharisee rabbis in the first century of the common era. Fundamentally, Christians adopted the Septuagint as their canon for the Old Testament while Jews adopted the Masoretic as theirs.
The Scripture of the Old Testament offers an understanding of the Hebrew experience with the Divine and their belief in a special relationship between God and them as a people (and later as a nation-state). This special relationship is shared in three ways: laws whereby the people live according to God’s will, prophetical works whereby the people are encouraged to keep living according to God’s will, and wisdom writings that express God’s will. It is important to remember that these scriptures were committed to writing in a time of exile for the Hebrew people so that even when far from their homeland and dispersed into foreign society they could retain and live into their faith. The Pentateuch seems to be the heart of the Old Testament in that it creates the theology of the Hebrew people through an understanding of their special relationship with God in creation and the subsequent events of human history in which God has a direct presence. Particularly important to the Hebrew people is the Exodus story whereby with God’s direct assistance and through his chosen representative they are freed from slavery in Egypt and in a covenant unique to Israel made the chosen people of God. The history of the Hebrew people then follows with an evolution away from prophets – emissaries of God who remind the people to live righteously and in accord with the covenant – to the creation of the nation-state of Israel with a royal house. This history continues to show the demise of the Israel nation-state through sin and political fracture continuing through exile and return to Jerusalem. It’s a brilliant, impressive and marvelous statement of how the Hebrew people see themselves and more importantly how they see themselves in relation to God.
An equally engaging and inspiring part of the Old Testament are those books know for their wisdom. These books offer not only remarkable common-sense to questions of life then and now, but also see to apply the Divine to the mysteries of our existence. This is to say that these works of scripture bring the reader to a place of thoughtful introspection and reflection on matters both quite serious and sometimes mundane. In addition, the Psalter offers words of awe, celebration, praise, and wonder regarding the complexities of human understanding and the incomprehensible nature of the Divine.
The understanding that the Old Testament offers centers on the nation of our existence from creation to our present time. It offers an explanation of both creation and how sin came into the world. In fact, it offers the very definition of sin as human beings making the conscious choice to exercise the gift of free will in a way that separates human beings from God. The scripture also presents the call of Israel as the people of God first through Abraham then Moses in a special covenant unique among all the peoples of the world. The cycle of sin, judgment, and redemption is presented, and this forms the relationship between the Hebrews and God, as well as later between Christians and God. The evolution of priesthood is presented together with kingship, both of which become very important in the theology of Christian faith. In fact, Christians would offer that the Old Testament sets the stage on which the New Testament is revealed in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
The third chapter of McGrath’s text offers both an historical look at the development of the Old Testament and a review of its contents both in relation to the Hebrew people of Israel (and Judah) and those who claimed those Scriptures as Christians. It’s interesting to note that in the time of Christ Jesus and for several centuries before and after, the Hellenistic Jews of the time used the Septuagint Old Testament; that is, the Old Testament written in the common Greek of that period. Another version written in Hebrew was used called the Masoretic text, which became the preferred text as the Christian use of the Septuagint text became more prevalent. Most striking is that the Masoretic text was ordered in a way to end with Jewish kingship while the Septuagint text was structured to suggest the coming of a messiah.
The Chapter also provides a summary of the canonization of the Old Testament by both Jews and Christians. What I found most striking is that the Jewish canonization of the Old Testament was the work of Pharisee rabbis in the first century of the common era. Fundamentally, Christians adopted the Septuagint as their canon for the Old Testament while Jews adopted the Masoretic as theirs.
The Scripture of the Old Testament offers an understanding of the Hebrew experience with the Divine and their belief in a special relationship between God and them as a people (and later as a nation-state). This special relationship is shared in three ways: laws whereby the people live according to God’s will, prophetical works whereby the people are encouraged to keep living according to God’s will, and wisdom writings that express God’s will. It is important to remember that these scriptures were committed to writing in a time of exile for the Hebrew people so that even when far from their homeland and dispersed into foreign society they could retain and live into their faith. The Pentateuch seems to be the heart of the Old Testament in that it creates the theology of the Hebrew people through an understanding of their special relationship with God in creation and the subsequent events of human history in which God has a direct presence. Particularly important to the Hebrew people is the Exodus story whereby with God’s direct assistance and through his chosen representative they are freed from slavery in Egypt and in a covenant unique to Israel made the chosen people of God. The history of the Hebrew people then follows with an evolution away from prophets – emissaries of God who remind the people to live righteously and in accord with the covenant – to the creation of the nation-state of Israel with a royal house. This history continues to show the demise of the Israel nation-state through sin and political fracture continuing through exile and return to Jerusalem. It’s a brilliant, impressive and marvelous statement of how the Hebrew people see themselves and more importantly how they see themselves in relation to God.
An equally engaging and inspiring part of the Old Testament are those books know for their wisdom. These books offer not only remarkable common-sense to questions of life then and now, but also see to apply the Divine to the mysteries of our existence. This is to say that these works of scripture bring the reader to a place of thoughtful introspection and reflection on matters both quite serious and sometimes mundane. In addition, the Psalter offers words of awe, celebration, praise, and wonder regarding the complexities of human understanding and the incomprehensible nature of the Divine.
The understanding that the Old Testament offers centers on the nation of our existence from creation to our present time. It offers an explanation of both creation and how sin came into the world. In fact, it offers the very definition of sin as human beings making the conscious choice to exercise the gift of free will in a way that separates human beings from God. The scripture also presents the call of Israel as the people of God first through Abraham then Moses in a special covenant unique among all the peoples of the world. The cycle of sin, judgment, and redemption is presented, and this forms the relationship between the Hebrews and God, as well as later between Christians and God. The evolution of priesthood is presented together with kingship, both of which become very important in the theology of Christian faith. In fact, Christians would offer that the Old Testament sets the stage on which the New Testament is revealed in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Snapshots of Alister McGrath's Christianity: An Introduction - Chapter 2
This short summary was prepared as part of my postulancy studies for the Anglican Order of Preachers.
The second chapter of McGrath’s text provides a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the Christian Bible. It explores first the meaning of the word itself and how this derivative of a Greek term has come to mean sacred or Holy Scripture for those in the Christian church. The Bible itself is really a collection of Hebrew and Christian writings spanning four thousand years. The Hebrew writings include religious law, history and revelation through prophetic works, as well as practical insights into life. The Christian writings include the Gospels – the story of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of the world – and writings of early Christians in the form of pastoral letters and letters about the faith generally ending with an apocalyptic vision. This combination – Hebrew and Christian – of sacred or holy scripture offers mankind a continuing attempt among Jews and then Christians to understand mankind’s relationship with God. It explicitly suggests continuity between the understanding of Hebrew experience of the Divine and that of those who encountered Jesus Christ in his earthly ministry and those whom he charged with sharing his Gospel.
The early Christian church didn’t quickly create the Bible as these congregations were dispersed over most of the Roman Empire. Instead, a gradual consensus among those congregations, or perhaps more appropriately the Bishops of those congregations, regarding those writings to be considered sacred or Holy Scripture emerged. First came agreement on that the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were sacred or holy because of their contents and as a result of their understood author being an apostle of Jesus Christ. It wasn’t until the fourth century CE that the New Testament as we see it today was agreed upon by the Christian church. Authorship, authority and use in worship determined the writings included. In essence, the writings selected after three hundred years of discernment were those that edified and built the Christian church. It should be noted that most of the writings were originally in Greek only later to be translated into Latin. Not until Wycliffe’s English translation in the fourteenth century CE did it move into another language, and then it was only a translation of the Latin (and not the original Greek). Translations of translations, if seems, can be prone to error both as a matter of poor understanding, purposeful or intended adjustment and the passage of time changing the vernacular of a particular language. Perhaps one of the most wonderful outcomes of the Reformation in the sixteenth century CE was the desire to translate the Bible from the original Greek so as to remove any intended or unintended changes therein.
McGrath provides a very useful summary of the methods of Biblical interpretation – literal, allegorical, moral and anagogical – that I’m unfamiliar with and therefore need to study in more detail. This “fourfold sense of Scripture” was a common methodology for Biblical study in the Middle Ages, and for me seems just as relevant and useful today. He then moves into the use of the Bible as a source of Christian spirituality. As someone who has used Lectio Divina as a practice for prayerful study of Scripture, his historical summary of this topic reflects in many ways what the current method used by many appears to be; that is, to study Scripture, reflect and ponder upon it, open one’s heart to contemplate it and then seek prayer through it.
Learning about the Protestant introduction of Biblical commentaries was also something I didn’t realize was a result of the Reformation, but is likewise another wonderful outcome of the Reformation. He ends the chapter with a discussion of Biblical imagery focusing upon “light” and “dark” in his summation of the topic. It would be useful as a Dominican Friar to use this technique in preparing a homily that is more easily understood and useful to those listening. It certainly made for an engaging expression of the concept regarding “light” and “dark” in the Bible.
The second chapter of McGrath’s text provides a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the Christian Bible. It explores first the meaning of the word itself and how this derivative of a Greek term has come to mean sacred or Holy Scripture for those in the Christian church. The Bible itself is really a collection of Hebrew and Christian writings spanning four thousand years. The Hebrew writings include religious law, history and revelation through prophetic works, as well as practical insights into life. The Christian writings include the Gospels – the story of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of the world – and writings of early Christians in the form of pastoral letters and letters about the faith generally ending with an apocalyptic vision. This combination – Hebrew and Christian – of sacred or holy scripture offers mankind a continuing attempt among Jews and then Christians to understand mankind’s relationship with God. It explicitly suggests continuity between the understanding of Hebrew experience of the Divine and that of those who encountered Jesus Christ in his earthly ministry and those whom he charged with sharing his Gospel.
The early Christian church didn’t quickly create the Bible as these congregations were dispersed over most of the Roman Empire. Instead, a gradual consensus among those congregations, or perhaps more appropriately the Bishops of those congregations, regarding those writings to be considered sacred or Holy Scripture emerged. First came agreement on that the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were sacred or holy because of their contents and as a result of their understood author being an apostle of Jesus Christ. It wasn’t until the fourth century CE that the New Testament as we see it today was agreed upon by the Christian church. Authorship, authority and use in worship determined the writings included. In essence, the writings selected after three hundred years of discernment were those that edified and built the Christian church. It should be noted that most of the writings were originally in Greek only later to be translated into Latin. Not until Wycliffe’s English translation in the fourteenth century CE did it move into another language, and then it was only a translation of the Latin (and not the original Greek). Translations of translations, if seems, can be prone to error both as a matter of poor understanding, purposeful or intended adjustment and the passage of time changing the vernacular of a particular language. Perhaps one of the most wonderful outcomes of the Reformation in the sixteenth century CE was the desire to translate the Bible from the original Greek so as to remove any intended or unintended changes therein.
McGrath provides a very useful summary of the methods of Biblical interpretation – literal, allegorical, moral and anagogical – that I’m unfamiliar with and therefore need to study in more detail. This “fourfold sense of Scripture” was a common methodology for Biblical study in the Middle Ages, and for me seems just as relevant and useful today. He then moves into the use of the Bible as a source of Christian spirituality. As someone who has used Lectio Divina as a practice for prayerful study of Scripture, his historical summary of this topic reflects in many ways what the current method used by many appears to be; that is, to study Scripture, reflect and ponder upon it, open one’s heart to contemplate it and then seek prayer through it.
Learning about the Protestant introduction of Biblical commentaries was also something I didn’t realize was a result of the Reformation, but is likewise another wonderful outcome of the Reformation. He ends the chapter with a discussion of Biblical imagery focusing upon “light” and “dark” in his summation of the topic. It would be useful as a Dominican Friar to use this technique in preparing a homily that is more easily understood and useful to those listening. It certainly made for an engaging expression of the concept regarding “light” and “dark” in the Bible.
Snapshots of Alister McGrath's Christianity: An Introduction - Chapter 1
This short summary was prepared as part of my postulancy studies for the Anglican Order of Preachers.
The first chapter of McGrath’s text explores Jesus as a person unique in history and in the religious life of the Jewish people, as well as non-Jews (gentiles). His life, crucifixion and resurrection are according to the Gospels the fulfillment of the ancient covenant between the Jewish people and God from the time of Abraham to Moses. Jesus, both fully human and fully divine, is God and thereby the bridge between mankind and God through redemption of humanity. To live the Gospel, one must live as Jesus abiding in love of God and love of all others. Redemptive salvation is open to all people who believe, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or any other difference among one another, that Jesus died and was resurrected in atonement for their sins to reconcile them with God.
There is a rich, deep complexity to understanding Jesus as a historical figure and as God incarnate. The Christological titles for Jesus of Nazareth demonstrate this fact most clearly, and this is the first time I’ve had a concise outline and explanation of the deeper meaning behind each title. I would like to engage in further study of this manner of understanding Jesus as both person and as God.
It is surprising and very interesting that in the time of Jesus’ ministry, there were apparently denominations among the Jewish people as various sects held their own understanding of their faith; that is, there were active sects including the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots and Essenes each having a set of core beliefs quite different from the other and acting upon those beliefs in how they lived their daily and spiritual lives. The Jews of the Diaspora who lived a more Hellenistic (Greek) way of life were even farther removed from those in Jerusalem. Of particular note is that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of all the dead at the end of time, while the Sadducees didn’t believe in any form of resurrection. Learning more about these various sects would have value in better understanding the spread of the Gospel message among the Jewish people, as well as non-Jews.
I appreciated the mention of Mary, the God-bearer, as a person of devotion and trust in God to be emulated, as well as the role various other women had in the ministry during the life of Jesus. This is a topic that needs more attention in the universal church and is strong validation for equality among all the Baptized in the administration of sacraments and Holy Orders. I would also like the opportunity to examine more thoroughly the parables shared by Christ Jesus with the apostles and those listening to his teachings. These would be a good source for inspiration in teaching and preaching, especially as they apply to our contemporary challenges living as Christians in a postmodern world.
The first chapter of McGrath’s text explores Jesus as a person unique in history and in the religious life of the Jewish people, as well as non-Jews (gentiles). His life, crucifixion and resurrection are according to the Gospels the fulfillment of the ancient covenant between the Jewish people and God from the time of Abraham to Moses. Jesus, both fully human and fully divine, is God and thereby the bridge between mankind and God through redemption of humanity. To live the Gospel, one must live as Jesus abiding in love of God and love of all others. Redemptive salvation is open to all people who believe, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or any other difference among one another, that Jesus died and was resurrected in atonement for their sins to reconcile them with God.
There is a rich, deep complexity to understanding Jesus as a historical figure and as God incarnate. The Christological titles for Jesus of Nazareth demonstrate this fact most clearly, and this is the first time I’ve had a concise outline and explanation of the deeper meaning behind each title. I would like to engage in further study of this manner of understanding Jesus as both person and as God.
It is surprising and very interesting that in the time of Jesus’ ministry, there were apparently denominations among the Jewish people as various sects held their own understanding of their faith; that is, there were active sects including the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots and Essenes each having a set of core beliefs quite different from the other and acting upon those beliefs in how they lived their daily and spiritual lives. The Jews of the Diaspora who lived a more Hellenistic (Greek) way of life were even farther removed from those in Jerusalem. Of particular note is that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of all the dead at the end of time, while the Sadducees didn’t believe in any form of resurrection. Learning more about these various sects would have value in better understanding the spread of the Gospel message among the Jewish people, as well as non-Jews.
I appreciated the mention of Mary, the God-bearer, as a person of devotion and trust in God to be emulated, as well as the role various other women had in the ministry during the life of Jesus. This is a topic that needs more attention in the universal church and is strong validation for equality among all the Baptized in the administration of sacraments and Holy Orders. I would also like the opportunity to examine more thoroughly the parables shared by Christ Jesus with the apostles and those listening to his teachings. These would be a good source for inspiration in teaching and preaching, especially as they apply to our contemporary challenges living as Christians in a postmodern world.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Vergers in the Episcopal Church
Emmanuel introduced the lay ministry of verger during Christmas 2009. While a new lay ministry at Emmanuel, vergers have been serving in the Church of England for hundreds of years.
The verger has its roots in the earliest days of the Anglican church's history. The lay ministry of verger dates back to the Middle Ages when the verger was the "Protector of the Procession." He leads the procession into the church or cathedral, clearing the way for the procession and protecting it from vagabonds and animals that tried to attack it.
As one of the minor religious orders of that day, vergers also became responsible for the order and upkeep of the house of worship, including preparations for the liturgy, the conduct of the laity, and grave-digging. Although there is no definitive historical survey of the verger, evidence from Rochester, Lincoln, Exeter, and Salisbury Cathedrals indicates the existence of vergers as far back as the 16th century.
A familiar sight in Anglican cathedrals, vergers have maintained the buildings and furnishings of the church for many centuries to the present day.
The contemporary verger is experiencing a rapid expansion within the Episcopal Church. Differing from the Church of England, where vergers are often full-time paid employees of the church, American vergers are more often volunteers with a special calling to the ordering and conduct of the church's liturgy.
Today, in many Episcopal churches and cathedrals, you will see a verger ceremonially leading the procession. All vergers wear vestments of some sort – usually known as a verger’s gown – and carries a virge (staff of office) to help clear the way, and to ceremonially point the way for the procession. The basic vestment of a verger is a black cassock. In some places, especially cathedrals, the cassock may be of another color, and in some parishes the cassock is not worn at all. Over the cassock, when performing a ceremonial function, the verger wears a gown. One type of gown is sleeveless and resembles a bishop's chimere; the other is cut more fully and resembles a master's academic gown. The virge is the staff that a verger carries in procession. The name comes from the Latin "virga" which simply means a rod or staff; hence, a verger is one who carries a staff. The virge can trace its history back to the ceremonial maces carried before civic and ecclesiastical dignitaries. The Maces of State used in the House of Lords and the House of Commons of the British Parliament are examples of another modern use of this medieval symbol.
Again, the size and shape of a virge varies from place to place; but one end has a cross or other Christian symbol mounted on it. A longer variation of the virge is called the "beadle", originally used to lead academic processions.
At Emmanuel, vergers are parishioners expressing an interest in this lay ministry, appointed by the rector and trained in this important lay ministry for the purpose of assisting the clergy in the orderly celebration of liturgical services, especially in the marshaling of processions. Vestments for vergers at Emmanuel consist of a black cassock and blue chimere with the seal of the Vergers Guild of the Episcopal Church affixed to the left breast. The virge is a simple oak rod capped with a brass orb and cross.
Vergers, through their lay ministry, relieve the clergy of the burden of liturgical details so that they can concentrate on their priestly duties to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments.
Emmanuel’s vergers are foremost “masters of ceremony” who under the direction of the priest ensure all the actions of the Liturgy are done at the proper time and in the proper manner. It is a servant ministry centered on corporate worship, and hopefully if all is done well helps to create a prayerful worship experience for the body of Christ at Emmanuel.
The verger has its roots in the earliest days of the Anglican church's history. The lay ministry of verger dates back to the Middle Ages when the verger was the "Protector of the Procession." He leads the procession into the church or cathedral, clearing the way for the procession and protecting it from vagabonds and animals that tried to attack it.
As one of the minor religious orders of that day, vergers also became responsible for the order and upkeep of the house of worship, including preparations for the liturgy, the conduct of the laity, and grave-digging. Although there is no definitive historical survey of the verger, evidence from Rochester, Lincoln, Exeter, and Salisbury Cathedrals indicates the existence of vergers as far back as the 16th century.
A familiar sight in Anglican cathedrals, vergers have maintained the buildings and furnishings of the church for many centuries to the present day.
The contemporary verger is experiencing a rapid expansion within the Episcopal Church. Differing from the Church of England, where vergers are often full-time paid employees of the church, American vergers are more often volunteers with a special calling to the ordering and conduct of the church's liturgy.
Today, in many Episcopal churches and cathedrals, you will see a verger ceremonially leading the procession. All vergers wear vestments of some sort – usually known as a verger’s gown – and carries a virge (staff of office) to help clear the way, and to ceremonially point the way for the procession. The basic vestment of a verger is a black cassock. In some places, especially cathedrals, the cassock may be of another color, and in some parishes the cassock is not worn at all. Over the cassock, when performing a ceremonial function, the verger wears a gown. One type of gown is sleeveless and resembles a bishop's chimere; the other is cut more fully and resembles a master's academic gown. The virge is the staff that a verger carries in procession. The name comes from the Latin "virga" which simply means a rod or staff; hence, a verger is one who carries a staff. The virge can trace its history back to the ceremonial maces carried before civic and ecclesiastical dignitaries. The Maces of State used in the House of Lords and the House of Commons of the British Parliament are examples of another modern use of this medieval symbol.
Again, the size and shape of a virge varies from place to place; but one end has a cross or other Christian symbol mounted on it. A longer variation of the virge is called the "beadle", originally used to lead academic processions.
At Emmanuel, vergers are parishioners expressing an interest in this lay ministry, appointed by the rector and trained in this important lay ministry for the purpose of assisting the clergy in the orderly celebration of liturgical services, especially in the marshaling of processions. Vestments for vergers at Emmanuel consist of a black cassock and blue chimere with the seal of the Vergers Guild of the Episcopal Church affixed to the left breast. The virge is a simple oak rod capped with a brass orb and cross.
Vergers, through their lay ministry, relieve the clergy of the burden of liturgical details so that they can concentrate on their priestly duties to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments.
Emmanuel’s vergers are foremost “masters of ceremony” who under the direction of the priest ensure all the actions of the Liturgy are done at the proper time and in the proper manner. It is a servant ministry centered on corporate worship, and hopefully if all is done well helps to create a prayerful worship experience for the body of Christ at Emmanuel.
Saint Dominic lived the apostolic life
There is so much more to the life of Saint Dominic, but this is a concise (albeit grossly incomplete) biography written for my postulancy studies. What I take from the life of Saint Dominic is that a Christian life is very much an apostolic life. That is, we should be patient teachers, passionate preachers and humble servants in Christ Jesus.
Dominic, who founded the Order of Preachers, was born in 1170 of a noble Spanish family. He was studying to become a cleric in the catholic church, and at a young age was appointed canon of the local cathedral by bishop de Bazan of Osma. He clearly loved learning and collected a number of religious texts, which in a time of great drought he sold giving the money to the starving for food. This was only one of many acts of charity made by Dominic. He was also very studious and prayerful, and at twenty-five was ordained.
After becoming ordained, he entered a religious house soon becoming subprior elected by his religious brothers of the house. The prior of the house, Diego de Azevado, become bishop of Osma in 1201 and Dominic was elected prior.
A few years later bishop de Azevado was appointed as an ambassador by the King to negotiate a marriage for the King’s son, and the bishop asked Dominic to accompany him. During the journey to France, they encountered many who were turning to the Albigensian heresy. Albigensian doctrine was based on a dualism of two eternally opposing principles, good and evil, all matter being regarded as evil and the creator of the material world as a devil. When spending the night at a inn, Dominic learned that the inn keeper was an Albigensian heretic. He spent the entire night in conversation with the man convincing him of the error in that belief and bringing him back to the catholic faith. This began Dominic’s apostolic teaching and preaching for which the Order of Preachers was found and continues today.
At this same time, many religious and ordained were living lives very different from the lay people of the day. That is, many in the church were living in very high standards, while much of the common folk were not. Those leading the Albigensian movement began to point out these differences and often lived very simple lives of poverty and asceticism, which many saw as both noble and holy. Dominic observed this himself, and understood the excesses of the religious and ordained to be a poor example of Christ. He took on a very austere life eating bread and soup, sleeping on the floor and wearing only his habit without shoes. He encouraged others seeking to fight the Albigensian heresy on behalf of the catholic church to do the same. He also encouraged his associates to use peaceful persuasion, well-formed dialogue and their personal example of simple living to bring there heretics back to the faith. They taught and preached with only moderate success, and soon the number of his associates dwindled.
Dominic came to understand how women influenced the lives of those around them, so he founded a convent at Prouille to help teach the faith. A religious house for his associates was founded soon after nearby. These two religious houses were to become a source of education and formation in the faith for the region. In the turmoil of what followed as armed struggle between those of the faith and the heretics, Dominic worked passionately in teaching and preaching to both the faith and sought peace in the name of Christ. He was offered a bishopric three times, declining each, so that he could continue his work.
He spent nearly ten years in the region of Languedoc directing the work of his order of preachers. He great desire was to revive the apostolic spirit in the church, specifically among the ordained clergy now known for their excesses rather than their piety. He also began to create formally his new order to be different from others in existence at the time. It would be an order for lay and ordained that used knowledge of theology, prayer and meditation to serve in the role of pastor and preacher while living a simple life. The order would provide the catholic church with expert and zealous preachers who could move from place to place to combat heresy and spread the Gospel wherever it was needed. He received episcopal approval for this new order, and then later papal approval after much delay.
Now that the Order of Preachers was created, a small group that included French, Spanish and English gathered at the religious house in Prouille to begin the work of the order. They adopted the rule of St. Augustine as it seemed most fitting of those rules then in existence and was one of the existing rules from which papal approval allowed. This began the work of the order, and Dominic’s drive and zealousness for preaching and teaching continued taking him to Rome where he created a theology studies program for the Holy See at the request of the pope.
Dominic returned to Prouille and after a short time with his associates charged them to leave in pairs to preach and teach throughout Europe. This began the work in the world of the Dominicans, brothers in the Order of Preachers. To this day the Dominicans continue the work of teaching and preaching around the world.
Dominic, who founded the Order of Preachers, was born in 1170 of a noble Spanish family. He was studying to become a cleric in the catholic church, and at a young age was appointed canon of the local cathedral by bishop de Bazan of Osma. He clearly loved learning and collected a number of religious texts, which in a time of great drought he sold giving the money to the starving for food. This was only one of many acts of charity made by Dominic. He was also very studious and prayerful, and at twenty-five was ordained.
After becoming ordained, he entered a religious house soon becoming subprior elected by his religious brothers of the house. The prior of the house, Diego de Azevado, become bishop of Osma in 1201 and Dominic was elected prior.
A few years later bishop de Azevado was appointed as an ambassador by the King to negotiate a marriage for the King’s son, and the bishop asked Dominic to accompany him. During the journey to France, they encountered many who were turning to the Albigensian heresy. Albigensian doctrine was based on a dualism of two eternally opposing principles, good and evil, all matter being regarded as evil and the creator of the material world as a devil. When spending the night at a inn, Dominic learned that the inn keeper was an Albigensian heretic. He spent the entire night in conversation with the man convincing him of the error in that belief and bringing him back to the catholic faith. This began Dominic’s apostolic teaching and preaching for which the Order of Preachers was found and continues today.
At this same time, many religious and ordained were living lives very different from the lay people of the day. That is, many in the church were living in very high standards, while much of the common folk were not. Those leading the Albigensian movement began to point out these differences and often lived very simple lives of poverty and asceticism, which many saw as both noble and holy. Dominic observed this himself, and understood the excesses of the religious and ordained to be a poor example of Christ. He took on a very austere life eating bread and soup, sleeping on the floor and wearing only his habit without shoes. He encouraged others seeking to fight the Albigensian heresy on behalf of the catholic church to do the same. He also encouraged his associates to use peaceful persuasion, well-formed dialogue and their personal example of simple living to bring there heretics back to the faith. They taught and preached with only moderate success, and soon the number of his associates dwindled.
Dominic came to understand how women influenced the lives of those around them, so he founded a convent at Prouille to help teach the faith. A religious house for his associates was founded soon after nearby. These two religious houses were to become a source of education and formation in the faith for the region. In the turmoil of what followed as armed struggle between those of the faith and the heretics, Dominic worked passionately in teaching and preaching to both the faith and sought peace in the name of Christ. He was offered a bishopric three times, declining each, so that he could continue his work.
He spent nearly ten years in the region of Languedoc directing the work of his order of preachers. He great desire was to revive the apostolic spirit in the church, specifically among the ordained clergy now known for their excesses rather than their piety. He also began to create formally his new order to be different from others in existence at the time. It would be an order for lay and ordained that used knowledge of theology, prayer and meditation to serve in the role of pastor and preacher while living a simple life. The order would provide the catholic church with expert and zealous preachers who could move from place to place to combat heresy and spread the Gospel wherever it was needed. He received episcopal approval for this new order, and then later papal approval after much delay.
Now that the Order of Preachers was created, a small group that included French, Spanish and English gathered at the religious house in Prouille to begin the work of the order. They adopted the rule of St. Augustine as it seemed most fitting of those rules then in existence and was one of the existing rules from which papal approval allowed. This began the work of the order, and Dominic’s drive and zealousness for preaching and teaching continued taking him to Rome where he created a theology studies program for the Holy See at the request of the pope.
Dominic returned to Prouille and after a short time with his associates charged them to leave in pairs to preach and teach throughout Europe. This began the work in the world of the Dominicans, brothers in the Order of Preachers. To this day the Dominicans continue the work of teaching and preaching around the world.
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