Spirituality for everyone

"What was admirable about their [i.e., the Anglican Caroline Divines] work, and what had such a measure of success that it has endured even until our days…is a Divine Office which is not a devotion of specialists but a truly public Office of the whole Christian people. This Office has some defects…but, in spite of these defects, we must admit frankly that the Offices of Morning Prayer and Evensong…are not only one of the most impressive, but also one of the purest forms of Christian common prayer to be found anywhere in the world." (Bouyer L. Liturgical Piety. University of Notre Dame Press, © 1955. 44, 47 )

Jesus Prayer

I am finishing a course on Anglican Spirituality. In this course we are brought up to speed on the history of spirituality and shown how our Anglican context applies proficiency at the parish level. As a future minister this is important. But applying it comes only after living it. It has been well said, "the only way to preserve values is to live them."

Also as a future minister, it is important that I am the example to anyone that I attempt to direct spiritually. This has scared me to death ever since the great fish spat me back onto the shore. I left the pursuit of God's call just after my first seminary experience. When I returned I had picked up some major seaweed! Mostly that was evident in my attitude, but as often it was obvious that I had lost my sense of personal piety. The Evangelical machine caused me to question ALL its results. That was not fair of me. To be a holy man is still expected of all ministers. The Evangelical method may be misguided along the way...but they are still on the way.

The best way to explain this failure of piety is to point out one's language. I have come to regard off-color language quite like body-odor. If a man is a bit skunky, he can easily remedy that...so don't question his piety every time he turns up with b-o. Likewise a man's language is easily curtailed if he is too profane. Don't judge by that alone. I began to apply this to myself liberally. Just ask my wife. She began to hear words from my mouth that don't suit a man committed to following Christ. Jesus' words about the filth coming OUT of us being more important than the food that goes IN seemed to slip my mind. In our culture how do you bring this up to someone?

Guidance and Direction
That is what is missing in the Evangelical Church that I left. If I don't have mastery of Sin then I have no business advising others how to overcome damaging thoughts and behavior. "Blind leading the blind" ring a bell? We all need to live by rules...we all need guidance...we all need direction. We don't need people making up their own rules and foisting them legalistically over others. So I have picked back up another weapon in the fight for my soul. That tool, or weapon, is the Jesus Prayer.

Oh, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Anytime I encounter a tempting thought or image, I now say this prayer. No, that does not make it a talisman nor the foot of a rabbit. I puts me right where I need to be in relation to The King of Glory. In a book I'm reading we are advised, "Whenever Sin knocks, let Jesus get the door." He already proved that He can tackle, trample, repel, overcome, and rid Sin...why not let him help me? By the way, doesn't that quote sound like the cheese you could get from the local Christian bookstore self-help section? Why do I like it so much?

When you begin to struggle (that's opposed to simply wallowing in Sin) against temptation, you are quite wise to take the yoke of Christ and let him pull. Just knowing that you are stuck in a dank squalor is proof that you cannot get out alone. You never could do, and you never will. Also since the tempter is crafty, he will leave you be until you are alone. He don't much like crowds. So temptation is sharper when you are isolated. Who better to call upon than He who is Lord of creation...able to join you at any location, in any situation?

But there are other warriors ahead of us, ready to instruct. We call them pastors, or shepherds. They are best suited to dispense the grace of God as well as 'reign in' wayward sheep.

I want to blog more about spiritual direction after my last class session.

Spiritual Disciplines

Okay, here are my three spiritual disciplines for Great Lent.

First to offset the desserts I will exercise. I had once developed the habit of jogging, but we'll see just what I settle on. Maybe I'll go for a variety of choices.

Second to counter the Facebook infatuation I will read and prepare better for my upcoming class. I love to read, but lately I just haven't been very disciplined to log off Facebook long enough to get a page in edgewise! This should make the efforts of my upcoming class better. I will be composing papers on William of Saint-Thierry's and the Oxford Movement's contributions to Western [primarily Anglican] spirituality.

Third, another admission. In order to combat the tendency to watch too much sport on the telly, I will engage in a better routine with the Daily Offices. I have let that one slip I'm afraid. Clergy are generally expected to keep this as proficient as possible. In case you're lost on this one, Anglicans have a daily lectionary to read through scripture and a daily prayer 'office' that was handed down from the medieval monastic Book of Hours. Anglicans have a Daily Morning and Evening prayer 'office' that leads us through an Old Testament reading, select Psalms, collects, a New Testament reading, a Creed, and several confessions and prayers. Clergy should practice this as a daily habit, lay people should also keep the discipline as often as possible.

"Silence of the Apostles"

Several bloggers within the Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox faith have similar posts challenging the Protestant notion of tradition and history. Since I am a protestant I have delineated the issue farther out to the Radical Reformers...[cough, deFORMERS].

This came to my mind while preparing the next post on Blessed Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr for our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. It is a serious challenge too. I really want to know how a convinced Baptist/Presbyterian scholar [or any Christian that operates outside of the Apostolic Tradition] deals with the question. Here's the question.

If the Incarnation of Jesus Christ began the new Humanity into which we are all Baptised, and if the Son of God succeeded in His promise of granting the Church and the Apostles His gift of the Holy Ghost, and if the missionary activity of the Apostles and their disciples is in fact evidence of the Lord expanding His Kingdom and His Church [I'm trying not to be prolix]...
then when and HOW did they botch the job thereby losing the 'true' teaching of Scripture somehow recovered during the reformation?

If they did not lose it, then why should anyone remain separated from the Body for which Jesus died, and which Body is the mystical company of those that have kept the Apostolic Tradition of Sacraments, creeds, three-fold orders under the Bishop, and liturgical fidelity [to name a few]?

Yes, I am reading Pelikan's The Vindication of Tradition.

To meet a King

Here follows the story of a poor humble steward of the realm called Palsted that got a summons to meet the King.

[I like to think he sounds like C3P-O from Star Wars]

"Oh, I don't know what I will do," he said. "I've never met a king and I want to be sure to address Him, approach Him, and greet Him properly."
Not knowing how to prepare he called upon the wisdom of other stewards and merchants that he knew. Surely they'd help him get ready for this privileged meeting.
Some say "address him as if you are his equal and he will honor you. Stand up straight and give him a firm handshake. That way he'll know that you are worthy of the occasion. Be a 'man' because the king is looking for good sturdy men upon whom to grant favor."
Others to the contrary, "you must bow low to gain His inestimable favor. You are dirt and He is priceless gold--be sure you get that straight. You don't want him to have you arrested for audacious presumption in royal company!"
Perplexed, he went to the library and blew the dust off a book entitled, How to behave in the presence of Royalty. Splendid! A book that will tell me just how to pull it off. Page after page he could be heard sighing, "Deary me, those fellas have never read this book," and "Oh my word, I think I shall have to practice several times a day to get all this straight."
And that he did. Everyone he knew suffered through the fate of playing the king whilst poor Paslted practiced his approach. He stumbled quite a bit on the instruction concerning the proper bow to execute whilst kissing the signet ring. One note read, "the proper way to bow is to bend at the 3rd or 4th vertebrae of your back." No matter how hard he tried he could never seem to bend at the right spot. Making the most of his time, Palsted poured himself into the instructions that would surely meet the King's approval.

The Day finally arrived and Paslted was dressed for the occasion [another fable tells of his travails about picking out the correct vestments to don for this meeting]. Among the fanfare and pomp, Palsted began to feel his knees quiver. "Oh, I hope I don't look a fool and forget something really important!" he cringed. "But worse I hope I don't offend His Majesty with the appearance of being ignorant and unprepared." Just then the King's right hand came into Palsted's view. No time to think now, he simply reacted.
[story pans to a dreamy state in which we've all turned up to school or work in our underpants only]
"So sorry about that 6th-7th vertebrae thing. I guess I must have practiced to much. You know, I am nervous, your Grace."
"As you were, lad. It's good to meet you," the King replied.
"Since I have your company, could you direct me properly upon whether I smooched your signet ring correctly. I mean, is it the fourth facet from the left...or the right, clockwise or counter-clockwise?" On and on Palsted stammered over questionable minutiae until the guards had to escort him away from the celebrations.

I'm sure the King felt very flattered indeed when the poor guy stumbled over the procedure. But after a while don't you think His Grace had had enough of this foolish pandering.

This fable is my witty response to those that insist on "no more-no less" than what the BCP allows for in celebrating either Holy Communion or the Daily Offices. It's what comes to mind whenever I encounter what I can only dub rubrical fundamentalism.

Do let us know when you've removed all the fly scat from your pepper shaker.

1st Funeral

My son had a pet frog. His name was Hoppy; he was a White's Tree Frog. Unfortunately the boy had not apprehended that frogs don't play football! Hoppy entered his eternal peace this day due to multiple contusions to his little legs.

So as I dug the hole behind the back fence, my son runs to tell mommy my instructions..., “Mommy, mommy, daddy needs his pray-book!” I hoped to capture the moment for my son and send Hoppy to heaven with all our best intentions. Coming back outside, I heard him telling mommy this prayer, “Jesus, send us another frog, that's the story of a frog.” So we dropped Hoppy in the hole and read the burial service for a child. Ahem, timely.

Moments later as I sat to write this tale I heard the boy screaming out front as if he'd broken a limb. No, no injuries this time. He's just found the answer to his prayer...a huge bull-frog on the front porch. His screams were sort of terror—marked as those frogs are—and half elation for the quick reply from Jesus. Only one problem...we forgot to specify that we wanted a TREE FROG, not a BUSH FROG!

Don't drop us another BUSH FROG, JESUS! This time we need a TREE FROG.

Lost in Revision

Well, I could not help it. A little levity and satire follows. Don't read any further if you want Holy Stuff to read for your spiritual gut. You were warned.

At the online Anglican community at the bottom of my webpage, I've been a little outspoken lately about revising the language of the prayer book. Some folks support revising (updating) the language (but not theology) of the 1662 & 1928 prayer books that classical Anglicans hold so dear. I put forward a view that we should not do this because we will lose very many beautiful phrases and thoughts that shape us as worshipers. Lex orandi lex credendi and all that.

Mindful that aesthetics are at stake, let me post here some prayers following the translation advice over at www Engrish com. Go there for the rules. Read below the results.
Disclaimer! I don't think updating the language of the prayer book will necessarily produce the following results! Please understand that these examples are meant to overstate the case and be funny. Ahem.

General confession (from Morning Prayer):

Omnipotent God and most mercies deep father; We error, came off from the method like the sheep which is gone. We continued the many our itself central devices and craving. We happened vis-a-vis holy law. Those things we should do, us being canceled, you went away; And we us should do did those things; And there is no health in us. But, of O in our miserable offenders, there is a mercy mainly. The God of O of the people who confess extra their defect. The people who are recovery; Following to thy promise, it declared our main things to the Christ yes Christ's mankind. And subsidy, most mercies for that for O deep father; From now on, being fair in glory of thy holy name, and perhaps us calm life, you live. Amen

Nicene Creed:

I faith the God 1 omnipotent God of the father, am visible in the heaven, and the earth and the eye believe the manufacturer of all things which are not visible: And 1 being main, the son where Christ's yes Christ God is born simply; Before the God all world it is born from that father, very the light/write of God, very God of the light/write of God; It is born, it is not made; It is one substance where the father has been attached; Who where thing everything was made by: It comes, with Mary's the Holy Mother saintly spirit, manifesting, the person, and it makes, high with our people, someone for our rescues from the heaven: And and it was controlled our because under Pontius Pilate; He was buried to suffer,: And, 3rd day he rose following to Hebrews' Bible, stand for the second time: And being risen in the heaven, with the right hand of the father putting: And he comes with glory for the second time, is fast and judges the deceased; Someone's kingdom there is no edge? And I faith saintly spirit of the life which advances from the father and the son, believe the main thing, and the contribution person; It was worshiped together, praised someone of the father and the sons; Story it is high someone, with the predicator: And I believe one holy Catholic teaching and the apostle church: I recognize one baptism for pardoning the crime: And I search the revival of the deceased: And life of the world where it comes. Amen.

If that doesn't do it for you...

The Lord's prayer:

Our fathers who to the heaven are converted the thy name which is holy. Afterlife you. When with the earth there is a heaven, simultaneously, it ended your will. Our everyday pans give this day in us. When we who invade and us vis-a-vis us are permitted simultaneously, permit our invasions in us. And do to lead us to the temptation which is not, but give birth from badness. The kingdom, and power, and glory for your are and. Amen.

I feel better.