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Crosswalk The official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

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Grappling with God s reality The BCP as a book of worship and a statement of belief

e)

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The Prayer Book Church Tracing the history of the BCP

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Need a spiritual bumper ?

Try the Daily Office

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Be careful what you pray for Thoughts on praying for the newly baptized

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The Book and I The Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton talks about prayer, the BCP, and more

Cover photo: Peter Tarpley, Trinity Cathedral, Columbia

Visit our diocese online

www.edusc.org

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Crosswalk FROM THE

Bishop’s desk

Summer 2007

Crosswalk

Official Publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina 1115 Marion Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201 803.771.7800/800.889.6961 803.799.5119 fax dioceseusc@aol.com Crosswalk E-mail Address phill@edusc.org Bishop The Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr. Executive Assistant to Bishop Henderson Jane B. Goldsmith jgoldsmith@edusc.org Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Mark Clevenger mclevenger@edusc.org Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary The Rev’d d’Rue Hazel dhazel@edusc.org Assistant for Administration Roslyn Hook rhook@edusc.org Canon for Finance and Administration Julie Price jprice@edusc.org Director of Finance and Insurance Cynthia Hendrix chendrix@edusc.org Canon for Communications, Editor of Crosswalk Peggy Van Antwerp Hill phill@edusc.org Canon for Youth Ministry The Rev. L. Sue von Rautenkranz suevon@edusc.org Assistant for Communications and Youth Ministry Bethany Human bhuman@edusc.org Archdeacon and Senior Pastoral Assistant to the Bishop The Ven. Frederick C. Byrd fbyrd@edusc.org Assistant to Archdeacon Byrd Bonnie Blackberg bblackberg@edusc.org

Sisters and Brothers, dearly Beloved: People frequently ask me, “Bishop, how may I strengthen my spiritual life?” My response begins not with an answer, but with another question: “Have you started with the basics?” The basics are the Lord, our worship of the Lord, and how we integrate that worship into our daily lives. The Book of Common Prayer is a basic tool to that integration, and essential to continual spiritual growth.

To take a tangential approach: The worship of God is the central factor of a healthy Christian community. For us, The Book of Common Prayer is central to the worship of God. In what ways central? The BCP is a strong bond of unity among Episcopalians, but not only in the Episcopal Church. It is also a strong bond of unity among all of the churches of the Anglican Communion.

A unifying bond There are two reasons for this. First, the Prayer Book links us to the Church of past ages. The creeds, the prayers, and the catechism of the Prayer Book keep us rooted in the faith “once delivered to the apostles.” The BCP continues the apostolic succession through the ordinal (the ordination rites), providing for the perpetuation of the ancient threefold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons who, along with lay people, “are the ministers of the Church” (see the “Catechism,” BCP, page 855). Its liturgies maintain the spiritual heritage of 2,000 years of Christian prayer and worship. In short, therefore, it embodies the faith, ministry, and forms of worship which constitute Anglicanism.

A living, daily link The second reason that the BCP is such a strong bond of unity is that it is a living, daily link to Holy Scripture—indeed, the language of the Prayer Book, including the collects, is the language of the Bible. It is through the worship provided in the Prayer Book that the revelation of God in the Scriptures comes into our lives. Through this worship we come to know the will of God for us personally and corporately, to gain the strength of God’s Holy Spirit, and to receive and experience divine grace through God’s forgiveness.

Sharing the first witnesses Sometimes Episcopalians are criticized for carelessness in the reading of Holy Scripture. But the truth is that, by following the readings during Holy Eucharist through the three-year cycle of the Lectionary (that is, the Bible readings designated for Sundays), one has read, with minor exceptions, the entire Bible. Similarly, by reading the lessons designated for daily Morning and Evening Prayer for two years, one has read—again, with minor exceptions (mostly related to cultic practices, the proper measurements of altars, and other temple spaces)—the entire Bible. A primary value of these daily and Sunday readings: they enable us to share the experience of those who first witnessed God’s mighty acts in the world in Jesus Christ, the Lord.

As Powel Mills Dawley writes in Our Christian Heritage, "the religion of the Prayer Book is the religion of the Bible."

If you have not yet done so, get to know The Book of Common Prayer.

Make it, together with Holy Scripture, a constant companion. It will enliven your life as it enlivens mine and that of so many others.

Faithfully yours in our Lord,

Crosswalk wins 10 awards from national Episcopal Communicators For the third consecutive year, our diocesan publication Crosswalk was named one of the three best by the national Episcopal Communicators, who met in conference in late April in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “Awards of Excellence” were given to the “Anglicans— ^åÖäáÅ~åëW=tÜç= ïÉ= ~êÉ= ~åÇ Who we are and why” ïÜóIÒ=ÄÉëí=áåJÇÉéíÜ=íêÉ~íãÉåí issue (Pentecost 2006) for best in-depth çÑ=~=ëáåÖäÉ=ëìÄàÉÅí treatment of a single subject; to Amy Sander Montanez for best devotional /inspirational writing—“Spiritual direction and journey” (Epiphany 2006); and to Calvert B. Klopp for best critical review—“Answering the call to full humanity” (Christmas 2006).

Other winners: Robert C. Clawson, for “Why I am an Anglican: The culture of Anglicanism” (Pentecost 2006); Timothy Dombek for “Make Way for the Image of God” (Christmas 2006); Jonathan Grieser for “Anglican spirituality” (Pentecost 2006); Roger Hutchison for “Incarnation” (Christmas 2006 backpage illustration); and C. E. Norman for “Feeding faithfully in a fast food world” (Christmas 2006).

All Souls, N.E. Columbia mission, holds last worship on the Feast of Pentecost _ó=íÜÉ=oÉîK=`~åçå=j~êâ=`äÉîÉåÖÉê

Ending a unique and arduous four-year journey All Souls, Upper SC’s N.E. Columbia mission church, held its last worship service on the Feast of Pentecost.

In 2006 Bishop Henderson appointed the Rev. Rich Biega as missioner to All Souls for the purpose of making an overall assessment of the situation there. ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=çå=é~ÖÉ=OO

Please send all Crosswalk address corrections, deletions or additions to: Trevett s Mailing Service 2217 Lake Murray Blvd.

Columbia, SC 29212

Visit us on the Web at: www.edusc.org

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Around the Diocese

phone: 803.781.3150

oÉÅçããÉåÇÉÇ=êÉ~ÇáåÖW=cêçã= qÜÉ=kÉï=`ÜìêÅÜÛë=qÉ~ÅÜáåÖ=pÉêáÉëIÒgÉÑÑêÉó=iÉÉÛë Opening the Prayer BookI=`çïäÉó=mìÄäáÅ~íáçåëI=`~ãÄêáÇÖÉ=~åÇ=_çëíçåI=NVVVK

email: mail@trevetts.com

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E P R AY E R ,

NGAGING

B E L I E F, A N D

_ó=mÜáäáé=eK=tÜáíÉÜÉ~Ç= Sooner or later every Episcopalian should own three copies of the Prayer Book—one for the bedside, one for the workplace, one for the car and church. This is because —for the daily confrontation with reality,* wherever we are, in whatever circumstance.

Worship and belief We are told by those who teach the nature of Anglicanism that The Book of Common Prayer is both a book of worship and a statement of belief. The way Episcopalians worship and the content of our liturgies are not only modes of adoration, supplication, confession, praise, and thanksgiving, but also theological formulations. This idea that The Book of Common Prayer is both a spiritual and a theological text is captured in the Latin fifth-century aphorism attributed to Prosper Tiro of Acquitania: “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi,” the law, or way, of our praying is the law (or way) of our believing. The use of the word law suggests that praying and believing are directives that provide structure and substance to the faith.

R

THE BOOK

Pentecost 1, 2007

EALITY OF

C O M M O N P R AY E R

Africa, expressed their ongoing concern about the Episcopal Church’s discussion of liturgies (prayers) that would offer the Church’s blessing on same-sex unions.

While there was confusion regarding exactly what the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church resolved regarding this issue, the theological implications of such liturgies are strikingly clear. To create such liturgies for the prayer and life of the Church is to believe theologically that a Godly blessing will occur and that, ethically and morally, such a blessing has a right to occur. The idea that prayer teaches what we believe has been taken so seriously in the Anglican tradition that Thomas Cranmer, John Jewel, and Richard Hooker, major architects of that tradition during the Reformation, insisted that the sincere prayers in their prayer books (1549 / 1552) avoid teaching and affirming the Calvinist theology of predestination and the absolute depravity of man.

on Earth and within human history. Is it possible that when we pray we forget that our prayers have something to do with the establishment of God’s Kingdom?

Praying the Kingdom

The link between our talking to God, thinking about what God expects and how we are to act, is intricately woven throughout our prayers, including our prayers for the consecration of a bishop (pages 512–523), for the ordination of a priest (pages 525–535) or deacon (pages 537–547), prayers for rain in times of drought (page 828), for preservation in times of flood, earthquake, and plague (in “The Great Litany,” In the 20th century and early 21st century, biblical page 148), for the safety of those in military combat scholarship, scientific discovery, and cultural changes (page 823), and for the healing of lives beset by marital have challenged the wording, thinking, and turmoil (page 828), addiction (page 831), or disease implications of our prayers, as well as how we think (pages 453–461). Our prayers incorporate concerns for about God, creation, evil, and redemption. the environment on the theological principle that in the Recently, for example, the primates of the Anglican biblical book of Genesis man and woman were expected Communion meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East to take care of the animals and the garden as gifts from We pray for these and a thousand other natural, G Reality áë=ÇÉÑáåÉÇ=~ë=íÜÉ=èì~äáíó=çê=ëí~íÉ=çÑ=ÄÉáåÖ=êÉ~ä=~ë God. social, political, environmental, and medical realities, ~å=ÉåíáíóI=~=íÜáåÖI=~å=ÉîÉåí=çê=~=ëí~íÉ=çÑ=~ÑÑ~áêëK=fí=áë=íÜÉ=ï~ó while believing that there is a relationship between our íÜáåÖë= ~êÉ= ~í= ~åó= ëáåÖäÉ= ãçãÉåíX= áí= áë= çåÉÛë= ÅáêÅìãëí~åÅÉ praying and the establishment of God’s Kingdom here ~åÇ=ÅçåÇáíáçå=áå=~åó=ãçãÉåí=áå=íáãÉK

Anglicanism 101—“Prayer teaches”

Prayer and reason We are indebted to Leonel L. Mitchell, professor of liturgics at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, for his liturgical textbook Praying Shapes Believing. In this book he demonstrates that all theology has a past. Our ancient history of the formation of liturgies included the concept that praying is also thinking! Few liturgists, except those extreme Protestants who have distrusted human reason, would separate their praying from their reasoning.

Prayer and theology Mitchell’s work reminds us that St. Paul, St. Augustine, Martin Luther, Cranmer, and thousands of other religious thinkers had a prayer life, a liturgical life that was foundational to their theology. The Roman Catholic liturgist Aidan Kavanagh, in the Hale Memorial Lectures at Seabury-Western (published in 1983), was not speaking lightly when he said that “the Liturgical assembly is a theological corporation.” This means that when Episcopalians gather for worship, whether in a cathedral or in a newly formed mission, the Prayer Book offers the liturgies for their assembly as well as the theology for the body that is gathered.

There is a relationship between praying and thinking. According to Douglas John Hall in Thinking the Faith, “Prayer is the nomenclature that we assign to our activity as listeners to the Divine Spirit.” In praying the Prayer Book we are to read and think between the lines. Prayer is not mindless babble. It is a quiet struggle with reality as we experience reality; a quiet struggle as we try to comprehend God’s relationship to reality. The fact is, we like to tell God how to deal with our personal reality, but God wants us to grapple in prayer with the way God deals with reality.

Grappling with God's reality Consider the following collect for “In the Morning,” from "Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families" (page 137):

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day; Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all that we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

—continued on page 16

The Book of Common Prayer Ñçê=íÜÉ=béáëÅçé~äá~å=áë=~=ëéáêáíì~ä=êÉëçìêÅÉ=Ñçê=Ç~áäó=äáîáåÖ=EéÜçíçW=m~ã=píÉìÇÉFK

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WORSHIP We’re in this together . . .

THE

FIRST

_ó=oçÄÉêí=`K=`ä~ïëçå

BCPS

The Book of Common Prayer—We use the word Common to indicate, not that the prayer offered is ordinary, mundane, or unimaginative, but to indicate that the prayer addresses the cares, weights, and anxieties of all of us. It addresses our shared experience as humans on Earth, now, in the past, and in the years to come.

So, our book of common, or collective, prayer helps us to navigate through rites of passage as we journey through life by providing prayerful community reflection on our admission into community (Baptism), our adult acceptance of the responsibilities of membership (Confirmation), our commitment to one another and to God (Eucharist), the special calling of some to lifelong commitment to family (Marriage), the special calling of some to lifelong devotion to service of God’s people (Orders), regret for our failure to live up to our responsibilities to God and our fellow human beings (Reconciliation), comfort in our various frailties (Unction), and our passage from this life into the next (Death and Burial).

“The Prayer Book Church” The Prayer Book has, over time, become so important to the character of the entire Anglican Communion, that we are known throughout the world as “The Prayer Book Church.” As Rome has historically expressed her doctrine through the pronouncements of the pope, and Lutheranism pronounced its doctrine through the Confessions of Luther, so the Anglican Church has pronounced its doctrine through The Book of Common Prayer.

Throughout the early history of the western Church, a variety of services and rituals had been used and allowed because the Church was united in hierarchy and theology, and the Church was Honoring the ancestors— confident of its unity. However, as qáíäÉ= é~ÖÉ= Ñêçã= íÜÉ= ÑáêëíI= NRQV= Book of reform movements took root in Common Prayer continental Europe and began to spread clandestinely throughout Britain, variety, or lack of conformity, began to be interpreted as potential evidence of underlying dissent from, disregard for, or even What we Episcopalians now sometimes take for granted as The Book of Common heresy toward orthodox, Catholic theology and liturgy. It therefore became Prayer has a history that goes back to the year 596. It was then that Pope Gregory expedient to standardize the forms of worship to ensure adherence to orthodox and commissioned St. Augustine to take Christianity to England. When Augustine arrived, Catholic practice. Variance from this standardized worship would constitute clear he found that the English and Welsh already had a church with different forms of evidence of Protestant dissent unacceptable to the realm. worship. So he wrote to the pope asking what type of worship he should establish. Pope Gregory replied that Augustine was to choose the best of the customs and, “having gathered them up as it were in a bundle, to deposit them in the minds of the English so as to become their Use.” Because not all bishops agreed to adopt one Use. Aberdeen, Bangor, Exeter, Hereford, Lincoln, Salisbury (Sarum), and York compiled their own. All were in Latin.

The most important and popular of these was the Sarum Use compiled in 1085. Just before the Reformation, the Church established the Sarum Use by law as the one for all of England, and several editions appeared.

Before printing was invented, monks carefully copied Uses in Latin and often beautifully illustrated or illuminated them. The works were expensive and rare, and only some clergy and rich lay people could afford them. Sometimes the Church published in English simple parts of them, such as the creeds, Lord’s Prayer, and a few other devotions. Because their pages were protected by thin layers of horn, these came to be known as hornbooks. The Church also commissioned larger and more expensive The first Book of Common Prayer (1549) was commissioned under the reign of books with more prayers called prymers. People used hornbooks and prymers in their Henry VIII of England and published during the reign of his son, Edward VI. In homes as books of devotion. addition to his concerns for the policing of religious practice, Henry genuinely When Latin fell into disuse, Latin service books and Bibles became antiquated. The desired to reform the Church. Henry wished not only to reform the liturgy to allow first English Bible came into print in 1535 and the Great Bible in 1539. Two years later, for worship in English, the vernacular, so that the masses of people could the English Psalter became available. In 1541, the Church ordered Bibles placed in understand and participate, but also to inhibit the use of practices that might every public worship space. In 1544, the first English Litany appeared and in 1548 border on the superstitious.

English prayers. Also in 1548, King Edward VI appointed a committee of bishops and The 1549 Prayer Book was primarily a translation of the services of the Church other learned people to create the first Book of Common Prayer, which appeared a year from Latin into English, though some revisions were made by incorporating later. Other revisions followed, culminating in the edition of 1662, which is still the material from earlier Roman sources and material from contemporary reform authorized prayer book for the Church of England. sources. There was also an effort to achieve simplicity and increase participation by —Duncan C. Ely the laity. ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=çå=é~ÖÉ=NT

THE

ORIGINS OF BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

^ë=oçãÉ=Ü~ë=ÜáëíçêáÅ~ääó=ÉñéêÉëëÉÇ=ÜÉê=ÇçÅíêáåÉ íÜêçìÖÜ=íÜÉ=éêçåçìåÅÉãÉåíë=çÑ=íÜÉ=éçéÉI=~åÇ iìíÜÉê~åáëã=éêçåçìåÅÉÇ=áíë=ÇçÅíêáåÉ=íÜêçìÖÜ=íÜÉ `çåÑÉëëáçåë=çÑ=iìíÜÉêI=ëç=íÜÉ=^åÖäáÅ~å=`ÜìêÅÜ=Ü~ë éêçåçìåÅÉÇ=áíë=ÇçÅíêáåÉ=íÜêçìÖÜ=qÜÉ=_ççâ=çÑ `çããçå=mê~óÉêK

The first BCP

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BY THE BOOK Only in America. . .

OUR VERY OWN PRAYER BOOK(S) _ó=aìåÅ~å=`K=bäó

The BCP evolves— Our Prayer Book family tree

Although colonists established the Church of England in America in 1607, the American church eventually separated itself from the Church of England after independence by creating the (Protestant) Episcopal Church in the United States of America in 1789. That year, the American church also published its own Book of Common Prayer. There have since been three editions or revisions: 1892, 1928, and 1979.

The Mother Church 1549: The first Book of Common Prayer is issued, during the reign of Edward VI. Primarily a translation of the services of the Church from Latin into English, with some material from earlier Roman and contemporary reform sources, it is generally assumed that this book was largely the work of Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer. Much of its tradition and language remain in the Prayer Book today.

Expurgating the crown

Until 1776 the church in the American colonies, as part of the Church of England, used the same prayer book as the English. This was a problem at the time of the American Revolution because of prayers for the king and England and the use of what were considered unpalatable nationalistic words and phrases. Many extant copies of colonial prayer books have marks striking through the king’s name and altering phrases that made colonists uncomfortable. The compilers based their new American book on the English 1662 Prayer Book in doctrine, discipline, and worship, and made only changes expedient for America’s fledgling new country and new church. The 1789 book continued with only minor changes until the 1892 prayer book was issued.

1552: Edward VI’s second Prayer Book is “a thoroughly Protestant book,” shaped by the religious struggles of its time. For example, many ceremonies found in the 1549 Prayer Book are omitted; the word Mass is expunged; eucharistic vestments are disallowed; and references to the “Body of Christ” during administration of Holy Eucharist are deleted. qáíäÉ= é~ÖÉ= Ñçê= íÜÉ= cáêëí= ^ãÉêáÅ~å 1559: Under Elizabeth I the 1559 Prayer Book is published, mê~óÉê=_ççâI=NTUV charting a middle way, or via media, between Protestant and Catholic, grounded in the liturgy of the Pre-Reformation Church and responsive to the Post-Reformation world.

qÜÉ= ÅçãéáäÉêë= Ä~ëÉÇ= íÜÉáê= åÉï= ^ãÉêáÅ~å= Äççâ= çå= íÜÉ= båÖäáëÜ= NSSO mê~óÉê= _ççâ= áå= ÇçÅíêáåÉI= ÇáëÅáéäáåÉI= ~åÇ= ïçêëÜáéI= ~åÇ= ã~ÇÉ= çåäó ÅÜ~åÖÉë=ÉñéÉÇáÉåí=Ñçê=^ãÉêáÅ~Ûë=ÑäÉÇÖäáåÖ=åÉï=Åçìåíêó=~åÇ=åÉï=ÅÜìêÅÜK

1604: Minor revisions are made to the BCP under James I.

1662: A committee appointed by Charles II produces the Book of Common Prayer that is still the authorized Prayer Book in England and is the basis of almost all of the prayer books of the Anglican Communion to this day. As in 1604, The catalyst for the 1892 revision was prominent priest William Reed Huntington (1838–1909), who revisions in the 1662 edition were minor. thought The Book of Common Prayer needed “liturgical enrichment and increased flexibility of use.” Other The American Church churches, including the churches of Canada, England, Ireland, and Scotland, revised their BCPs during this era for much the same reasons.

1789: The first American Prayer Book—“according to the ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=çå=é~ÖÉ=ON Use of The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America”—appears in 1789. This book, derived HOW DO WE REVISE THE PRAYER BOOK ? from the English 1662 Book of Common Prayer, is, at least Whereas the Church of England requires, literally, an act of Parliament to revise its Book of Common for the major services, very similar to its predecessor.

Prayer, the Episcopal Church needs the approval of two consecutive General Conventions. Originally clergy Prayers for the king and for England, and words and and laity met in various committees and at convention to write revisions. The General Convention of 1928 phrases no longer relevant in the new nation were omitted. established the Standing Liturgical Commission—now the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music— 1892: General Convention approves a modest revision of and charged it with preparing BCP revisions. “Standing” means that it exists continually rather than only the 1789 BCP—“so modest that the most noticeable change meeting when the Church needs a new BCP. The commission now is collecting data, ideas, and material from the 1789 book is that the Magnificat and the Nunc for a possible revision, but General Convention has not yet given a mandate to produce one. In 1994 the Dimittis, traditional canticles at Evening Prayer, appear for Episcopal Church’s Committee for the Status of Women called for a new version to be ready by 2006, but the first time in the American prayer book” (Jeffrey Lee, Opening the Prayer Book).

General Convention did not adopt the resolution.

The commission is always at work on a variety of projects. It produces The Book of Occasional Services, 1928: An extensive revision of the U.S. Prayer Book Enriching Our Worship, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, Lift Every Voice and Sing, as well as other supplemental appears, with greater emphasis on prayers for social justice, resources for worship. Needs within the Episcopal Church and outside influences affect what it produces. omission of liturgies considered outdated, merger of three A current project is to collect suggestions for adding new commemorations to the calendar. And the last baptismal rites into one, and revisions to the Communion General Convention passed a resolution asking the commission to produce litanies and prayers for use service. during time of war.

1979: Our most recent Prayer Book—the “New Prayer No BCP revision has been smooth. During the transition from the 1928 to the 1979 Book of Common Book”—is published, using contemporary language, Prayer, many Episcopalians remembered the similar struggle when the 1928 BCP replaced the 1892 edition. reflecting renewed interest in the worship of the early Whatever the edition, The Book of Common Prayer is a hallmark of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church, emphasizing baptism as the basis of ministry and Holy Eucharist as essential to Sunday worship.

Communion, and unites us as a people of God.

Enrichment & flexibility

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THE DAILY OFFICE–

just do i t .

_óW=j~êàçêáÉ=`~ãéÄÉää I am a terrible bowler. Enthusiastic, but truly abyssal. I throw mostly gutter balls and they all seem to have a left hook. On more than one occasion, I’ve thrown the ball too high and it landed in the adjacent lane. Once, I even ran into the greased section of the lane. I spun around and around, finally sitting feet up facing away from the pins!

I need the bumpers. You know, the rails that can be placed in the gutters. They keep the ball traveling in the correct lane and out of the gutters. I think these rails are designed for children or for very inexperienced bowlers. The gutters allow the bowler to get a feel for the game and to concentrate on actually knocking down the pins.

Spiritual bumper The Daily Office serves as my spiritual bumper. I use it to maintain focus in my day and to routinely realign my soul. I believe prayer is the heart of faith; however, I do far too much praying on the run. I know, praying without ceasing means that I can and should pray anywhere and everywhere. Yet, I’ve found that what truly grounds me is the discipline of pausing to pray at set times. It is then that I’m reminded of who I am and whom I am striving to serve.

The Daily Office is the act of giving thanks and praise to God at the turning points of the day and night. Office comes from the Latin word opus, or “work”. So the Daily Office is most accurately the work of God. It is centuries old but it is relatively new to me. About seven years ago, I decided to make a practice of the Daily Office. I’m certainly not perfect in this practice. On ideal days, I practice Morning, Noonday, and Evening Prayer. On normal days, I do at least one. On some days I absolutely resist the practice altogether. That’s fairly typical of most habits I adopt.

Some days are better than others. Yet even on the days I don’t practice, I’m aware of the void created by its absence. My spiritual life would be much less without this discipline of set prayer. Indeed, there’s never been a time that I wasn’t glad I took the time to pause and be with God.

Rooted in tradition The Daily Office is rooted in the prayer traditions of the Jewish faith and of the early Christian communities. Throughout these histories, specific times of the day were set aside for private and public prayer. At the Reformation, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer combined the eight monastic offices to make Morning and Evening Office. The full form of the Office is found in The Book of Common Prayer, pages 36–146. In addition to Morning and Evening Prayer, there are forms for Noonday Prayer, Compline, and Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families. m Ü ç í ç W = o á Å â = s É ~ ò É ó Each service features psalms, one or two Scripture readings, and prayers.

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içêÇI=çéÉå=çìê=äáéëK= ^åÇ=çìê=ãçìíÜ=ëÜ~ää=éêçÅä~áã=óçìê=éê~áëÉK —Morning Prayer II, BCP, page 80 Because I do my work on a computer, I also use one of the online versions of the Daily Office. This can be found at www.missionstclare.com. In addition, I am a subscriber to a list sponsored by the Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton. Each day I get an e-mail that simply says, “Let us bless the Lord.” When I complete the Morning Office, I reply, “Thanks be to God.” Subscription to this list is available by sending an e-mail to bccrafton@geraniumfarm.org. (See the article on Barbara Crafton on page 12.)

When sharing my experience with others, the biggest argument against the Daily Office is the routine and repetitive nature of the service. Yes, there are times that the prayers get boring and become rote. Many times I’m praying and find that I’m making a to-do list or planning my day. But I also find that when I pray the Office I’m not worrying about my next words. The liturgical rhythm calms the frenetic pace of my life and soothes my spirit. I can relax into the presence of God. Additionally, I am able to rest in the knowledge that my prayer life is not subject to my own emotional whims. I pray when I feel spiritual; I pray when I don’t. I pray if it’s sunny; I pray if it’s rainy. I pray on good days; I pray on bad days. I just do it; it is my practice.

My prayers become less self-serving. I remember to pray for others. I pray for my enemies, for the leaders of the world, for the prisoners, for the poor. I am not as whiny and self-absorbed. I become the person I want to be simply through the praying of these powerful prayers that have been said for years. I become part of the one voice praying for the world. I am connected in corporate worship with all the others who are praying the Daily Office. My prayers mingle with the prayers of those who have come before me and with those who will come after. Through this practice, I am acknowledging that I am part of one communion, one family that is God’s family.

Music for the head & heart I want the liturgical words, the words of the psalms, the canticles, the scriptural verses to be the background noise in my head. My ultimate prayer is that these words begin to shape my thoughts as well as my heart, because I believe that what we think, we become. I have a vision of myself one day in the future sitting in a rocker at the nursing home. I want these mighty words so ingrained in my head and heart that they resonate in my being as I rock and remember.

I rely on this time-tested practice of set prayer. It is my rule to set aside the times to pause and be with my God. And so I continue to live my life with the bumpers— spiritual and otherwise.

—Ms. Marjorie Campbell is a member of Holy Trinity, Clemson.

Read the Daily Office online— www.missionstclare.org

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qÜÉ=mê~óÉê=_ççâÛë=Åêçïå

OUR “PROPER LITURGIES F O R S P E C I A L D AY S ”

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At the center of The Book of Common Prayer is a section entitled “Proper Liturgies for Special Days.” The practice of marking special days liturgically goes back centuries in the Church, but came under fire during the Reformation as part of the resistance to all things “Romish.” The English reformers eliminated many of the liturgies for these days, but never completely. The history of the development of the Prayer Book shows a recovery of these proper liturgies for special days over four-and-a-half centuries, culminating in the 1979 book, in which these liturgies are nothing less than the crown of our liturgical life.

Jewels in the crown What are these proper liturgies for special days? In the context of the Prayer Book they are specifically the liturgies of Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and the Great Vigil of Easter. They are, in other words, the proper liturgies of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.

A big bang Easter is the theological epicenter of the Christian life, and the Great Vigil of Easter is the liturgical expression of that center. The Easter Vigil is something of the “big bang” of Christian identity. It begins in flint and spark, exploding into a new fire that ultimately brings to life a new reality illumined by the light of Christ. All that we are and all that we do derive from this celebration.

The Easter Vigil always includes baptism, or the renewal of baptismal vows, and Holy Eucharist.

Through this liturgy, we proclaim with dramatic story and symbol God’s work of creation and redemption from beyond time and in time; we rehearse the history of salvation, the beginning and end of which is the Paschal Mystery, the Passover of Christ from death into

qÜÉ=äáíìêÖáÉë=Ñçê=^ëÜ=tÉÇåÉëÇ~óI m~äã=pìåÇ~óI=j~ìåÇó=qÜìêëÇ~óI dççÇ=cêáÇ~óI=eçäó=p~íìêÇ~óI=~åÇ íÜÉ=dêÉ~í=sáÖáä=çÑ=b~ëíÉê=~êÉ åçíÜáåÖ=äÉëë=íÜ~å=íÜÉ=Åêçïå=çÑ=çìê äáíìêÖáÅ~ä=äáÑÉK

resurrection life; we appropriate that Paschal Mystery as the shape of our lives in baptism; and we receive the gift and authority to re-enact that Paschal Mystery throughout the year in Holy Eucharist. Through this liturgy, therefore, the two primary sacraments of the Church, Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist, are firmly rooted in the primary proclamation of the Church—the death and resurrection of Christ. Marion Hatchett catches the significance of this liturgy well when he describes the Great Vigil of Easter: [It is] the keystone about which the rest of the church year is built. Other baptisms of the year reflect this primary baptismal rite. Other Eucharists of the year are, to use the analogy of Augustine of Hippo, the repeatable part of this rite. In the Great Vigil of Easter we celebrate and make present (anamnesis) the pivotal events of the Old and New Testament heritage, the Passover of the Hebrews from the bondage of slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land, the Passover of our Lord Jesus Christ from death, and our own Passover from the bondage of sin and death to the glorious liberty of new life in Christ Jesus. (Commentary on the American Prayer Book, pages 242–243.)

The Great Vigil of Easter is the liturgical anchor for all we are and do as the Body of Christ. Each Sunday in church, the celebrant raises and breaks the bread while saying these climactic words following the eucharistic prayer: “Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”

That action and those words recall our identity in Christ. Christ’s Passover from death to life is also our Passover from death to life. And we confidently affirm that new identity in our response: “Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.”

Passion’s center But the Christian Passover embraces not only the Alleluia of Easter, but also the cross of Good Friday.

Christ calls us to follow him, not down a shortcut to paradise but rather through the agony of crucifixion. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

The Good Friday liturgy immerses us into the center of Christ’s passion. The heart of this liturgy is the reading of the Passion Narrative from John’s gospel, perhaps the most haunting rendition of the four. Jesus is in complete control of his destiny throughout the narrative, just as he is throughout the entire Gospel of John. He masters the interrogations with the high priest and Pilate, and, in the midst of his own torture, throws them back on their heels. In a wonderful ambiguity in

^äãáÖÜíó=dçÇI=ïÉ=éê~ó=óçì Öê~Åáçìëäó=íç=ÄÉÜçäÇ=íÜáë=óçìê=Ñ~ãáäóI Ñçê=ïÜçã=çìê=içêÇ=gÉëìë=`Üêáëí=ï~ë ïáääáåÖ=íç=ÄÉ=ÄÉíê~óÉÇI=~åÇ=íç=ëìÑÑÉê ÇÉ~íÜ=ìéçå=íÜÉ=ÅêçëëK=K=K=K= —Good Friday, BCP, page 276 the Greek, Pilate brings Jesus outside to present him to the crowd and sits – or seats him – on the judge’s bench.

The ambiguity begs the question: who is the true judge of the proceedings, Pilate or Jesus, the ruler of this world or the incarnate one? There is no one to carry Jesus’ cross in John’s narrative; here Jesus takes up his own cross.

Finally, Jesus’ last words on the cross are an exclamatory, “It is finished.”

Stepping to resurrection But is it truly finished? Yes and no. Finished is a temporal term. It refers to an ending or completion, and therefore implies a beginning or commencement. Jesus’ death indeed completes his earthly ministry and ends his physical life, a historic segment in time. But John’s gospel displays little concern for history as we view it through chronological time. John is far more interested in eternity, or God’s life beyond time.

John therefore narrates events that occur within the divine life in eternity. The Logos, the Word present “in the beginning,” is incarnate in Jesus. Time and eternity meet in Christ, and in that meeting, God touches our lives in the flesh. Here is the crucial connection with the Good Friday/Easter cycle: as we participate in these powerful liturgies, we enter with Christ into the core dynamic of God’s redemption of the world. The Paschal Mystery is fully revealed only as we step with Jesus through death and the grave, and rise with him on the third day. Cross and empty tomb always go together.

The Good Friday and Easter liturgies are necessarily linked.

Incarnating love The liturgy for Maundy Thursday derives its name from a Latin word that means mandate or commandment. It refers to John’s narrative of the Last Supper. Once again, John departs from the other three evangelists by including a story of Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet, commonly reenacted in the context of our Maundy Thursday liturgy. But John never simply tells a story. He always liberally expounds on its theological significance. ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=çå=é~ÖÉ=NU

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SHAPING US FOR LOVE AND ACTION . . .

H

OLY

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B

There is one Body and one Spirit; There is one hope in God’s call to us; One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism; One God and Father of all.

—BCP, page 299

The genius of The Book of Common Prayer is evident in this opening acclamation of the liturgy for Baptism. The words come from the letter to the Ephesians, a letter scholars teach us contains fragments of the language used for baptism in the early Church.

The claim to be one body and one spirit was bold in the first century. Imagine how daring it was to baptize people by stating there one God and father of all while living under the rule of imperial Rome. The claim is no less daring now. These words shape how we understand ourselves in relationship to our creator and in relationship to all other people; it is a claim most of us benefit by renewing over and over.

A call to deeper knowledge For some, perhaps all of us at times, this statement carries with it the echoes of a variation of the crippling playground taunt “my God is bigger than your God.” Our truer selves understand this claim is meant to call us into the deeper knowledge of God who is creator of all, redeemer of all, sanctifier of all. To recognize that there is one God brings us freedom and joy. To live that recognition requires choice and a will to do so.

This choice is most viable in the community of faith.

The liturgy of Holy Baptism directs us to live out our intentions in the company of others.

Eternal rhythms This direction runs all through the liturgy from the poetry of the words to the rubrics for how we are to practice. Baptism is meant to take place in the context of corporate worship. The liturgy is designed to lead into the celebration of Holy Eucharist. The combination of these two rites is the glory of our common life. The Book of Common Prayer suggests that, insofar as it is possible, baptisms be held on the major feasts of the Baptism of our Lord, Easter, Pentecost, and All Saints’ Sunday, and during the annual visit of the bishop.

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A PTISM

The purpose of this instruction is to focus the dimensions of baptism for us. On the Sunday we mark our Lord’s baptism we highlight our connection to this act which shows his solidarity with all people.

On Easter we mark the understanding that in baptism we share the life of our risen Lord. On Pentecost we reflect on the pouring out of God’s spirit on all people.

On All Saints we acknowledge the call of all people.

On the visit of the bishop we are reminded of our apostolic faith and that our lives are interwoven in the Church universal. Of course, baptism may take place whenever the body gathers for corporate worship.

Connecting baptism to the rhythms of the Church’s calendar keeps us in mind of time beyond our own orchestration.

A corporate life Baptism is public and corporate. The voice of the people in this rite is essential. After the presentation and examination of the candidates the celebrant asks all present this question: “Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?” All of this mind respond with a resounding “We will.” People who answer this way are agreeing to recognize others as Christ’s own forever, to treat them as such, to call out the best in them, to bear witness to the best they know. Asking witnesses for this support makes it clear that the life of faith is a corporate life—there are no solitary believers. This question is an essential part of our practice. We are bound together in faith. Everyone is then invited to renew this faith through the Baptismal Covenant.

Shaped for love & action The Baptismal Covenant has several parts. The Apostles’ Creed, also known as the believers’ creed because these words were used as the examination in early baptismal liturgy, is rendered in question and answer form. The creed attests to our understanding of God as triune. The five questions which follow provide a road map for how to live our intentions. When asked how to respond to God’s call, our Lord said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” These five questions refract of the light our Lord’s response. ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=çå=é~ÖÉ=NV

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR

By Amy Sander Montanez I have several favorite prayers in The Book of Common Prayer. One of them is said during the service of Holy Baptism, and ends with these words: “Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen.”

On a recent Sunday, after watching eight soft, pink, noisy babies and one very happy adult receive the sacrament of Baptism, we prayed this prayer, and I thought, “Could we wish anything more powerful and meaningful for our children? Do we really mean these words?”

“Give her an inquiring and discerning mind.” If she (or he) really got this kind of mind, she might disagree with me. She might have her own thoughts and reach her own conclusions and they might be very different from my own. She might end up believing things about God that I don’t believe. She might be more conservative (or liberal, or free, or tolerant, or prejudiced, etc.) than I am.

She might take me to task on my own thoughts, my blind spots, my orthodoxies, my own unconscious process, and that might not feel very good. In short, she might be my Zen Master. Is that what I bargained for?

“Give him the courage to will and to persevere.” But only, Lord, if he’s not using that strong will and perseverance to push back against me. We don’t like “strong-willed children.” There are even books published about how to deal with these challenging, high-spirited little ones. And yet, here we are, praying for that specifically. And then, Sweet Jesus, if he really gets to know and love you, he might just want to turn life upside down, just like you did. He might not be orderly and diplomatic. He might not be socially or politically correct. He might even be outspoken at church!

And then there’s the “gift of wonder in all your works” part. Children naturally have the gift of wonder, if we don’t scare it out of them. Maybe we’re really praying that for ourselves, so we don’t dry up and miss what is right before our eyes. Do I still have the gift of wonder? I did enjoy talking to the bird that seemed to be calling to me this morning as I sat on the front porch, tying my sneakers for my early morning walk.

“It’s a beeeautiful day, Miss Amy, don’t you agree?

Sparkling! Magnificent! Don’t miss it!”

“Thanks for reminding me, Mr. Bird. But it is only 6:30 you know . . . some people are still trying to sleep.”

“I’m a bird, Miss Amy. This is what I do. I get up early and I sing my heart out. I can’t imagine anyone would take exception to this. You’ve got to be who you are, you know.”

“Good advice, Mr. Bird. I’ve got to be who I am.”

So here’s the prayer for the newly baptized. Be yourself. Grow into the unique God-seed that you are.

Never stop being amazed and wondering at the world.

And if all of that is a little tough on your parents and those around you, be patient with them. They just need to be reminded of what they prayed for. © Amy Sander Montanez, June 2007 Amy Sander Montanez, D.Min., is a member of Trinity Cathedral, Columbia.

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ENCOUNTERING THE I N C A R N AT E O N E I N H OLY E UCHARIST _ó=aK=gçå~íÜ~å=dêáÉëÉê “Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.” The Great Thanksgiving, the eucharistic liturgy of The Book of Common Prayer, begins with these familiar words. They roll off of our lips so often that we may never reflect on what they mean and that is unfortunate, because they set the tone for the whole of the Eucharist. They are among the oldest words that we know Christians have used in worship, dating at least from the mid-third century when _áëÜçé=eÉåÇÉêëçå=~ÇãáåáëíÉêë=cáêëí=`çããìåáçå=~í=píK=cê~åÅáëI=dêÉÉåîáääÉI they are cited by Hippolytus j~ó=OMMTK=EmÜçíçW==j~êÖ~êáí~=pÉêê~åçK=pÉÉ=íÜÉ=ëíçêó=çå=é~ÖÉ=OPKF in the Apostolic Constitutions.

By saying them, we bring ourselves into the presence of God and unite our worship not only with the worship of other Christians throughout history, but also with the heavenly host.

Becoming one In the Eucharist, the distances of space and time collapse, as we become one with all those who have worshipped God throughout history, and with all those who worship around the throne of God in heaven. And we also become one with those around us. The Eucharist is not simply an event that a priest performs on the behalf of the congregation. The gathered community celebrates the Eucharist together; it is united as the Body of Christ at the Lord’s table.

Typically, when people talk about the Eucharist, they focus on what happens to the bread and wine. The Book of Common Prayer grants us great latitude in how we might understand the presence of Christ in the sacrament. There is of course the “real presence”. In Rite I the priest prays “that we may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood.” But when inviting the congregation to receive, the priest also says (and has said since 1552), “feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.” These words open up a symbolic interpretation and reflect the developing importance of the reformed understanding of the sacrament when the 1552 Book of Common Prayer was published. Other aspects of the reformed understanding of the Eucharist have been left aside over the years; for example, the rubric or instruction that the priest should take any left-over bread and wine home and consume it as ordinary food and drink.

—continued on page 21

The Book of Common Prayer grants us great latitude in how we might understand the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. It offers as well various options and resources for celebrating the sacrament: there are two eucharistic rites (I and II), three forms and six versions for the Prayers of the People, and eight eucharistic prayers.

W

Pentecost 1, 2007

a n d e r i n g s

_ó=aìåÅ~å=`K=bäó

Wandering through the Prayer Book WARNING: This is an interactive Wanderings— have a Prayer Book handy!

Life is an adventure, and The Book of Common Prayer is a wonderful companion on the way. I keep one bedside, another in my study, and a third in my car. I try to travel with a Prayer Book but sometimes I forget to pack it. Why don’t hotels supply copies next to their Gideon Bibles?

I love the different revisions. I grew up with the 1928 edition, and its prayers invariably remind me of summer camp in Maine. The 1979 version has a wealth of resources that I draw on for meetings and retreats. Once in a while I have the urge to use a prayer or a passage from the 1789 Book of Common Prayer or the New Zealand Prayer Book. Many editions of the Prayer Book are available online. (Visit http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/.)

Praying a Daily Office is part of my rule of life, and Compline touches me most deeply. When I really don’t have time, I read the Daily Devotions “In the Morning” (page 137), “At Noon” (page 138), “In the Early Evening” (page 139), or “At the Close of Day” (page 140). Notice how short they are, and how beautiful. Sometimes I add things, such as a couple of petitions from The Great Litany (page 148).

Who wouldn’t want the Good Lord to deliver us “From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire and flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine”?

I hate to admit it, but once or twice in my life, while I’ve been worshipping on Sunday, a sermon fails to engage me and my mind wanders. (Don’t tell my wife!) I pick up the Prayer Book and look at part of the Catechism or Outline of the Faith (page 845). I read about the Church’s teachings on such matters as human nature; God; the Old and New Covenants; sin and redemption; ministry; the sacraments; prayer and worship; Christian hope . . . everything you need to know in a concise question-and-answer format.

Has anyone ever asked you about how the Episcopal Church differs from other Protestant denominations? The answer is that our Church has the historic episcopate, or bishops in a line of apostolic succession from St. Peter. Defining Anglican essentials, a group of bishops already set out the answer for you in 1886 and 1888, and you can find it in the Prayer Book in the middle of page 877.

Some Episcopalians aren’t comfortable ad-libbing prayers, and they don’t have to. If someone asks you for grace before meals or a prayer to open a meeting or at some special occasion, open your Book of Common Prayer and look through the Prayers and Thanksgivings (pages 814–841) for all different occasions, or the Collects (pages 159–261).

If this Wanderings sounds like an ad urging you to get your own Book of Common Prayer, maybe it is. But I’m not a publisher and I’m not on commission. I don’t have an ulterior motive other than wanting to share my experience and to emphasize a resource that hugely enriches my Christian journey. . . . We beseech thee to continue thy gracious protection to us . . . defend us from all dangers and mischiefs, and from the fear of them. . . .

And grant us grace always to live in such a state that we may never be afraid to die; so that, living and dying, we may be thine, through the merits and satisfaction of thy Son Christ Jesus. . . . Amen.

—1789 Book of Common Prayer

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oáíÉë=íÜ~í=ÜÉ~äÔ “R ECONCILIATION OF A P ENITENT ” AND “M INISTRATION TO THE S ICK ” _ó=iäçóÇ=bÇï~êÇë The Pastoral Offices of The Book of Common Prayer depict a “womb-to-tomb” pattern of the life of faith.

Some time after Baptism (page 299), we are confirmed (page 413), commit ourselves to some form of Christian service (page 420), are sometimes married (pages 423, 433), and, God willing, have a child or children (page 439). Some time before or after our conception, we encounter the unpleasant fact that we are unwilling participants in the brokenness of the world. We may become alienated from God (page 447), we may become ill (page 453), and we shall surely die (pages 462, 469, 491, and 506!). The BCP provides rites to accompany all these milestones in our life.

All may, some should, none must

token of penance, such as a prayer for the penitent to say. Sometimes discernment is needed, such as the clarification between neurotic guilt (where the penitent has done nothing wrong but feels guilty anyway), and true guilt.

A prodigal returns The second rite is longer. It begins with the penitent and confessor saying together a portion of Psalm 51, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your lovingkindness. . . .” The confessor prays for the penitent and then sets the context for what follows with a sentence from Scripture about the love and mercy of God. The penitent begins his or her confession with a reminder of her or his baptism and a reminder of the Parable of the Prodigal Son: “I have squandered the inheritance of your saints, and have wandered far in a land that is waste.” The confessor asks a question similar to those in the baptismal promises: “Will you turn again to Christ as your Lord?” Then the confessor pronounces God’s forgiveness and concludes with prayers, ending with: “Now there is rejoicing in heaven; for you were lost, and

now are found; you were dead, and are now alive in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The context is love Even a cursory reading of these rites shows the context of confession: the love of God for a penitent, the grace, freedom, and new life that comes with hearing, from someone not oneself, that you are indeed forgiven. How many of us have the experience of exposing that of which we are most ashamed and receiving objective assurance of God’s continuing care for us?

Confession and absolution are among the great gifts of our tradition. They are an integral part of a serious spiritual life. To make a confession takes courage and humility, and so this rite is not used as much as it might be, but its power is so great that it is continually rediscovered in such secular contexts as the fourth step of 12-step programs, psychotherapy, and programs of rehabilitation.

In addition to the confession and absolution that are part of our morning and evening offices and the Holy Eucharist, the BCP provides “Reconciliation of a Penitent” (pages 447–452), a rite for the private confession and proclamation of absolution.

Much has been written pro and con about auricular confession, that is, confession “in the ear” to another human being. My own experience is that I am easy—fully capable of forgiving myself for anything at all—and it is only when I have admitted my alienating behavior to another person that I have really overcome my denial and opened the possibility of dealing with it creatively.

About the auricular reconciliation of a penitent, it is rightly said that “all may, some —BCP, page 491 should, and none must.” (If Episcopalians have a creed other than the two traditional The burial office in The Book of Common Prayer is a resurrection liturgy, ones, that is certainly part of it!)

ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=çå=é~ÖÉ=OM

räíáã~íÉ=ÜÉ~äáåÖ=K=K=K

The Burial of the Dead

f=âåçï=íÜ~í=ãó=oÉÇÉÉãÉê=äáîÉëK=K=K=

“Binding” and “loosing” In the first form of the rite, the penitent begins with a request for blessing. The priest prays for the penitent, that she or he may “truly and humbly confess your sins,” and the penitent unburdens all that troubles his or her heart. The priest pronounces one of two absolutions. Both refer to the tradition, based on John 20:23, that “the Church” has been given the authority to “bind and loose,” ancient Jewish terms for making judgments about which laws must be kept and which may be broken (Matt. 16:19; Matt. 18:18; John 20:23).

This rite provides a setting. It does not specify what the penitent should confess, and it leaves the response of the priest open. Often the confessor will offer counsel, encouragement, blessing, and sometimes a

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marked by Easter joy, a sense of celebration of the life of the person who has died, and a profound feeling of solidarity with those who grieve. Deep gratitude for the gift of life and for the promise of eternal life shape this liturgy and its eloquent expression of our belief that nothing can separate us from each other in Christ.

Generally the office comprises three parts: the Mass of the Resurrection, the Commendation, added to the 1979 BCP in recognition of the fact that not all who attend the funeral will accompany the body to the graveside, and the Committal, from which the gathered community is dismissed with the words “Alleluia, Christ is risen.” Like the other “Pastoral Offices” in The Book of Common Prayer, “The Burial of the Dead” is grounded in the theological conviction that all of life’s events, including the final event, death, are properly understood, in the words of Jeffrey Lee, as encounters “with the paschal mystery of Christ in the church” (Opening the Prayer Book, page 119).

In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection . . . , we commend to Almighty God our brother N., and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious to him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give him peace. Amen.

Peggy Van Antwerp Hill, editor.

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Solemn vows

THE RITES OF CONFIRMATION, MARRIAGE, ORDINATION

By Duncan C. Ely For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

(Psalm 61:5) A vow is a formal voluntary promise made to God or to other people. Vows to God—solemn vows—are more serious; vows to other people involve honor and integrity but do not bear the same weight as a solemn vow.

Vows are all around us: they play a role in our JudeoChristian heritage (there are about 30 Bible references to vows), and they are important in our lives today. Even before we understand what a vow is, godparents make vows for us at our baptisms. In Scouts we vow to “do our best …” and in school we vow to follow the honor code. When we join clubs, fraternities and sororities, civic groups, and other societies, we vow to uphold the organization and support its purposes. Vows bind relationships, such as in weddings. Members of religious communities take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. We vow in court to tell the truth, and we make vows in church as acts of devotion.

made at our baptisms. We claim that faith as our own and receive the laying on of hands by a bishop.

Confirmation is really a renewal of our baptismal vows.

Therefore, the service contains a portion of the same set of questions and answers and the same Baptismal Covenant as the rite of Holy Baptism. The Confirmation service also provides for receiving into the Episcopal Church people baptized in certain other denominations, as well as an opportunity for those who want to reaffirm their own baptismal vows.

? to be “loyal to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of Christ as the Church has received them”;

Defend, O Lord, your servant N. with your heavenly grace, that he may continue yours for ever, and daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more, until he comes to your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

—Confirmation, BCP, page 418

Baptism as framework The Book of Common Prayer defines sacrament as “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace” (page 861) and requires vows for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, marriage, and ordination.

The Book of Common Prayer and the rites it contains are—like our faith—living and dynamic; they have changed over the years and will continue to change. And the vows that are so vital to our lives reflect those changes.

The Episcopal Church requires vows of all four orders of ministry—laity, deacons, priests, and bishops.

In the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, the Church also has provided ways for congregants to renew their vows in different services.

Perhaps the most important vows we make as Christians are those contained in the rite of Holy Baptism—our full initiation into the life of the church (page 299). Since the earliest days of the Church, baptism has been the confession of faith. These vows structure our lives in Christ and in community. (See the article on Holy Baptism on page 8.)

Holy Confirmation If we receive baptism as infants, the rite of Holy Confirmation (page 413) is the “mature public affirmation” of faith and of those vows our godparents

archbishop, but later revisions to the English and American Prayer Books omitted them. Most recent alterations (1979) involve minor changes in form and word. A 1979 addition to all three ordination rites is the congregation’s vow to uphold the candidate in his or her ministry.

Candidates for all three orders make the same vows (but those for bishop omit the provision about obeying bishops and other ministers). The vows are:

Ordination

? to obey the bishop and other ministers having authority over them;

? to affirm their belief in the Holy Scriptures and that the Scriptures “contain all things necessary to salvation”;

? to “conform to the doctrine and worship of The Episcopal Church.”

Part of the ordination service, called the examination, is different for each order. The examination outlines the duties of the deacon, priest, or bishop and asks the candidate for an affirmation or agreement and a public acknowledgment of being called. Strictly speaking, however, these are not vows.

—continued on page 16

Ordination—the rite of conferring holy orders— involves vows for the orders of deacon (page 537), priest (page 525), and bishop (page 512).

Baptismal vows are the foundation for all Christians, including those being ordained.

A candidate for the priesthood will already be a deacon and have made the vows required of a deacon; likewise, a candidate for ordination as a bishop will already be a deacon and a priest and have already made the vows required of those orders.

Throughout Anglican history, vows have changed to meet the needs of the Church and its people. The original English ordination vows included “The Oath of the Praying “The Litany for Ordinations” (BCP, page 548) are Mark Abdelnour, Joseph King’s Supremacy” and required Smith, and Joseph Whitehurst, ordained to the transitional diaconate at Trinity vows of obedience to the Cathedral, Columbia, May 26, 2007.

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qÜÉ=_ççâ=~åÇ=f BARBARA

CAWTHORNE

life with incredible riches.

“Once when my husband Richard’s mother was sick, we decided to take her communion. She was raised on the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, so we decided to use that liturgy and the King James Version of the Bible. Off we went with our books and communion set. Now she didn’t know me from Jack, and, while she did know her son, I think she saw him as a young boy. Since I was ordained after the 1979 BCP came into use, I was more used to those words. At one point, I stumbled on the words of the Prayer of Humble Access, but Richard’s mother sailed along effortlessly, even though she was barely present to us at other times. They were words she knew from childhood. She didn’t know who the president was or what year it happened to be, but she knew those words, and she died knowing those words.”

A gift from God

qÜÉ=oÉîK=_~êÄ~ê~=`~ïíÜçêåÉ=`ê~Ñíçå=íÉ~ÅÜáåÖ=ÇìêáåÖ=ÜÉê=êÉÅÉåí=îáëáí=íç=píK=g~ãÉëI dêÉÉåîáääÉ=EéÜçíçW=oáÅâ=sÉ~òÉóF In June Episcopal priest and author the Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton, known to many as proprietor of the “Geranium Farm” and writer of the “Almost Daily eMo” (The Almost Daily Electronic Meditation) (see “Q & A with Barbara Cawthorne Crafton,” below, for more on these), was special guest at a quiet day sponsored by the St. James Center for Spiritual Development, a ministry of St. James, Greenville (see the box on the next page in the lower right hand corner.) During the course of the day she offered reflections on prayer, the BCP, and aspects of her special ministry.

_ó=g~åÉí=^íâáåë “You know, some Baptists I know have told me they feel sorry for us Episcopalians because we have a book to pray from. ‘They aren’t your words you use when talking to God,’ they say. Well, no, I didn’t write the words. Most of them were written by Thomas Cramner, but I own those words. I didn’t write the Book, but it’s mine. The Book of Common Prayer is a masterwork of English prose written at the same time that Shakespeare was writing. Those people who did write the words of prayers that we have come to know well and cherish didn’t know us, but they cared enough to write them for us. It’s a privilege to know and love the Book. The language settles into our brains and stays with us in difficult times. So, no, I didn’t write the Book, but it is part of me now.” And so began the June 2 quiet day, “A Closer Walk with God: For People on the Run,” led by the Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton at the St. James Center for Spiritual Development, at St. James, Greenville.

f=ÇáÇåÛí=ïêáíÉ=íÜÉ=_ççâI=Äìí=áí=áë=é~êí=çÑ=ãÉ=åçïKÒ Ô_~êÄ~ê~=`~ïíÜçêåÉ=`ê~Ñíçå Riches for the prayer life

12

During her time at St. James, Crafton shared stories about growing up and facing reality. She talked about ways to pray as well as obstacles to prayer. She invited the participants to focus on someone who needed their forgiveness, and to try actively imagining that person in God’s hands or being showered by God’s love. And she spoke to us of the beauty of The Book of Common Prayer, which can fill our prayer

As Crafton taught in her meditations, establishing a daily prayer routine conditions us; in other words, praying makes us pray. Every time a new layer is laid down, the pray-er becomes stronger. If you’ve ever had a wooden boat, you know about layers. Each year that boat needs a new layer of paint. Soon enough there are enough layers so that the gates of hell could not prevail against that boat! Like that paint, prayer protects us from hard things and makes us tough. What Crafton most affirmed for us is that prayer is not a job; it is a gift from God. She shared more thoughts on life and ministry in an interview, which follows.

xmzê~óÉê=áë=åçí=~=àçÄX=áíÛë=~=ÖáÑí=Ñêçã=dçÇK Q & A with Barbara Cawthorne Crafton What and where is the Geranium Farm?

If you visit the farm Web site, www.geraniumfarm.org/home.cfm, you’ll find that the Geranium Farm isn’t really a farm. It isn’t even really a place. There are geraniums, though. And things do grow there. Plants, for sure. But the main thing about the Geranium Farm is people. People relating to God, and to each other, in the best way they know how. Visitors to the Web site can sign up to receive the Almost Daily eMo from the Geranium Farm.

What’s your vision for the Geranium Farm?

A place people can go, no matter where they are on the journey of faith, and find personal warmth and company.

What exactly is the Daily eMo? More precisely, they are the Almost Daily eMos. The eMo is a brief essay that appears in the recipient’s e-mail inbox on most days, intended to be a bit of spiritual reading and a springboard for meditation.

What inspired you to write and send out these messages?

I began them as rector of St. Clement’s in Manhattan, as a spiritual aid to my congregation in their individual prayer lives. They quickly grew from there.

What do you like the most about your ministry?

I love reaching so many people.

What do you like the least?

I hate being away from home.

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CRAFTON AT ST. JAMES

`çåîÉêë~íáçåë=çå=éê~óÉêIíÜÉ=_`mI=~åÇ=ãçêÉ== Do you have a “room of your own” for writing?

Yes, my office, which is painted a creamy yellow and has lots of books and art and overlooks the front garden.

What do you like most about being an Episcopalian?

I love our humane attitude toward human frailty and our wonderful liturgy.

What do you least care for?

I don’t like it when we mistake matters of custom and personal preference for moral issues.

If you were to write a prayer right now, what would it concern?

I’ve written a fair number. Right now it would be about the war and our service men and women. nìáÉí=Ç~ó=~í=íÜÉ=píK=g~ãÉë=`ÉåíÉê=Ñçê=péáêáíì~ä=aÉîÉäçéãÉåí=EmÜçíçW=oáÅâ=sÉ~òÉóF How often do you travel to do quiet days and retreats?

During the academic year, I am away about half the time on weekends. In Lent and Advent, of course, it is much more, since that is when many parishes like to have retreats and quiet days.

Whom do you consider a role model (given that many women priests still wonder who theirs is)?

I was ordained so long ago—1980. Women’s ordination was new then. But I had so many people I admired, both male and female, that I think I could scarcely choose one.

What’s your process for writing?

I get up early, say Morning Prayer, and begin to write. I write almost every day. I believe that writing makes us write, we get better at it the more we do it. In that way, it is just like prayer. I don’t outline things. I often don’t know where I’m going when I sit down. I just sit down and begin.

How do you stay connected with a community of people?

Many readers answer me and I respond briefly. I am also a spiritual director, so I have that pastoral interaction as a regular part of life. I enjoy being with my colleagues in the Diocese of New York. And I am an honorary associate at St. Luke’s in Metuchen, New Jersey, which is right across the street from our house. That’s where I serve when I’m not running around. My husband and I lead a couple of Bible studies there. It’s a wonderful congregation.

What’s your favorite hobby?

I love to garden, to cook and to watch the birds. I love to read and I love to listen to the radio.

In the Almost Daily eMos you often mention the birds and other animals that frequent the Geranium Farm. Tell us more about each of these wonderful creatures.

There’s Benito Avram Schwartz, a tuxedo cat inherited from my daughter.

What’s-Her-Name is a calico cat inherited from my granddaughter. Gypsy is a fat grey tiger tabby also inherited from my granddaughter. Noodle, who is currently on sabbatical, is a thin grey tiger tabby inherited from my granddaughter. Ethel Merman, also on sabbatical, is a female ruby-throated hummingbird. Banana is from next door, and is an elderly grey tomcat. W. C. Fields is a former friend of Ethel Merman.

What is your favorite subject to write about?

Discerning the presence of God in our lives.

Ms. Janet Atkins is a member of St. James, Greenville, and coordinator of the St. James Center.

THE ST. JAMES CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

Perhaps the Atlanta Bread Company doesn’t seem a likely place to give birth to a center focused on prayer and spiritual growth, but that’s exactly where the St. James Center “officially” came to be. In 2005 four friends gathered on an early spring morning over coffee to talk about the possibility of extending a fledgling ministry that had been offering people time for deepening the inner journey.

The mission of the St. James Center for Spiritual Development is to provide avenues for growth and transformation for those on the spiritual journey—days for retreat, study, and reflection and opportunities for regular spiritual direction. In our busy lives, we need to carve out time to listen to God. Some of the more recent Center offerings have included a workshop with Margie Nea, renowned photographer and educator, a day of reflection with the Rev. Fred Burnham, senior fellow of the Institute for Servant Leadership, a women’s bead retreat with Charlie Knerr, and a family parish weekend with singersongwriter Fran McKendree and Diana McKendree, spiritual director and member of the Haden Institute faculty. In addition to these events, there are three regularly scheduled functions sponsored by the Center. On Fridays Karen Eshelman leads a centering prayer group; on Thursdays Royce Ann Woody leads a Bible study; and on the 2nd Monday evening of each month, Janet Atkins offers a dream group. The Center most recently sponsored a Celtic pilgrimage—an 11-day journey through Scotland and England.

In The Exquisite Risk Mark Nepo says: “To journey without being changed is to be a nomad. To change without journeying is to be a chameleon. To journey and be transformed by the journey is to be a pilgrim.” The St. James Center for Spiritual Development is one way people can journey as pilgrims, seeking and finding that deep presence of the Holy in all of life.

For more information on the St. James Center, please visit the Web site, stjamesspirituaitycenter.org. To join the Center mailing list (e- or snail-mail), please e-mail retreats@stjamesgreenville.org or contact Janet Atkins at St. James, 301 Piney Mountain Road, Greenville, SC 20609, 864.244.6358.

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Prayers, catechism, historical documents, tables & the lectionary “Prayers and Thanksgivings” _ó=cÉäáÅá~=tK=pãáíÜ The section of The Book of Common Prayer titled “Prayers and Thanksgivings” (pages 809–841) begins with a helpful index of prayers organized by category for quick location. Throughout the section are cross references to other appropriate prayers.

This section of the 1979 BCP collects prayers that were scattered in earlier editions and includes quite a few additions: 38 new prayers, two new graces, and nine new thanksgivings. The preface to the first American Prayer Book, which appeared in 1789 (found in our 1979 BCP, page 9), sets forth the rationale by which the early American Church fathers revised the Prayer Book they had brought with them from England.

Recognizing that the liturgy needed to refer to “Civil Rulers” (rather than to the Crown) as a result of the American Revolution, the authors of the preface also state: “it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important considerations, according to the various exigency of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, as to those that are in place of Authority should, from time to time, seem either necessary or expedient.”

The substantial increase in the number of prayers in our 1979 BCP is a good demonstration of what Jeffrey Lee calls “ordered freedom”—The Anglican tradition’s

“remarkable capacity to embrace change as a means of remaining faithful to its mission in the world” (Opening the Prayer Book, page 154). The process of revision is never about wholesale change but about sensitivity to a balance between tradition and the need to examine, add, or change.

As we move forward in the 21st century we will continue to need new liturgies, prayers, and resources, and in a variety of languages to meet the needs of diverse congregations. To this end, there is the work of the Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music, whose proposals are integrated into the Episcopal Church’s triennial convention process. (See “How do we revise the Prayer Book” on page 5.)

In “Prayers and Thanksgivings” multiple topics and issues are addressed—from the need for rain (page 828) to the ministry of church musicians and artists (page 819).The prayers can be used in public worship or for personal devotion; they may be amended as the needs of the moment dictate; or they can become models and starting points for new prayer resources.

As a writer of litanies, I am especially aware of the issues of traditional idiom, gender, and ways of naming the Holy in the BCP collection of prayers, and I know that prayers can never be static. In “Prayers and Thanksgivings” we have an instance of the whole being more than the sum of its parts, of a transcendence that overcomes humble human effort. We have a truly valuable, practical and workable resource in which the Holy Spirit is at work and will continue to work in spite of our limitations.

Felicia W. Smith is a member of St. Simon & St. Jude, Irmo.

Everything you always wanted to know about the faith . . .

“An Outline of the Faith, commonly called the Catechism”

A moveable feast, or . . .

Hey, man, when’s Easter?

A catechism, according to Webster’s, is a “summary of religious doctrine often in the form of questions and answers.” The word catechism comes from the Greek katecheo, “to teach by word of mouth.” Our “Outline of the Faith, commonly called the Catechism,” running from page 843 through 862 of The Book of Common Prayer, is described as “primarily intended . . . to give an outline for instruction” and useful as well as a tool for evangelism or the basis for “simple services.”

The catechism in the 1979 BCP, a considerably revised and expanded version of its predecessors, answers basic faith questions we’ve all pondered and many we’ve perhaps never even thought to ask.

Although we may know that Easter is always the Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox, it’s not easy to calculate the date in a jiffy. Other moveable feasts and holy days offer a similar challenge. But the challenge is met on pages 879 through 885 of The Book of Common Prayer, where we learn that in 2089 Easter Day will fall on April 3 and the First Sunday of Advent on November 27. Now, that’s planning ahead!

Q: What does it mean to be created in the image of God? A: It means we are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and with God.

In the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, the lectionary (pages 888–921), or list of scriptural passages prescribed for worship, is patterned on the Roman Catholic lectionary adopted following the Second Vatican Council (“Vatican II,” 1963–1965).

It outlines a three-year cycle of readings for Sunday Eucharist that together incorporate nearly all of both the Old and New Testaments.

In 1983 the Common Lectionary, an ecumenical project that grew out of concern for the unity of the Church and the desire for a common experience of Scripture, was published and went into trial use in the Episcopal Church and other denominations.

In 1992 the Revised Common Lectionary appeared, taking into account suggestions for change based on Common Lectionary experiences.

In June 2006 the 75th General Convention approved the change of our Sunday eucharistic lectionary from what is in the 1979 Prayer Book to the Revised Common Lectionary. This change is to take effect on the First Sunday of Advent, 2007.

The Daily Office Lectionary (pages 943–1001) outlines a two-year cycle of readings for use with any of the forms for daily prayer found in the BCP. Most often two lessons are read at Morning Prayer and the remaining lessons are used for Evening Prayer. (For more on the Daily Office, see the article on page 6.) mÉÖÖó=s~å=^åíïÉêé=eáääI=ÉÇáíçê

Q: What . . . is the Athanasian Creed?

A: The Athanasian Creed is an ancient document proclaiming the nature of the Incarnation and of God as Trinity.

Milestones & landmarks “Historical Documents of the Church” Want to read the preface to the first-ever Book of Common Prayer? How about the “Articles of Religion,” the Episcopal Church’s slight revision of the “Thirty-nine Articles” (1563), summarizing fundamental Anglican beliefs, or “The ChicagoLambeth Quadrilateral,” a four-point assertion of Anglican essentials that are also essentials of ecumenical discussion toward “the restoration of unity among the divided branches of Christendom”? Then get thee without delay to the section of the Prayer Book entitled “Historical Documents of the Church” (pages 863–878)!

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The Lectionary, or . . .

What shall we read today?

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Parish profile

BODY

Pentecost 1, 2007

P • A• R• T• S

St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin

By Christi Stewart Who:

St. Francis of Assisi is situated in the woods of Chapin, SC, at 735 Old Lexington Highway. Phone: 803.345.1550. Rector: The Rev. Canon J. Philip Purser.

Average Sunday attendance: 150.

Where: St. Francis of Assisi is part of a growing community 20 miles northwest of Columbia. Communications vestry liaison, Phil Pickard, says “people are drawn to this area because of its good school district, Lake Murray, and all of the gifts of a small town.”

When: “Our history begins with our first worship service on July 17, 1977,” says Pickard. There were 61 people who transferred from other Episcopal churches under the leadership of then Archdeacon Bill Beckham, later sixth bishop of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina. (In his retirement, Bishop Beckham was a regular worshipper at St. Francis.) The congregation originally worshipped in the Chapin Methodist Church building, fondly referred to as the “Rent-a-Church” because many congregations in Chapin had their beginnings in this building. St. Francis’s current building was built in 1985. On the church grounds there is also a parish hall, a Boy Scout hut, an outdoor chapel, and a cemetery. The appearance of St. Francis of Assisi lives up to the feeling its namesake evokes because the church has an organic presence that blends in with its surroundings. “People often refer to St. Francis as being nestled in the woods or as a place of retreat for the spirit,” Pickard says.

How: “Our church is nurtured in worship, strengthened in formation, growing in outreach and brought together in fellowship. We are welcoming of all God’s children and find ourselves blessed and challenged by our diversity. Our youth and children are blessed with a congregation that goes all the way out for them in many ways. Some of our senior adults, and others, find St. Francis to be not only their faith community, but also their family: so says the rector, the Rev. Canon Phil Purser.

In addition, St. Francis’s desire to learn and grow in God’s grace has brought them together for Vacation Bible School, Lenten programs, Bible study, Education for Ministry (EFM), and adult as well as children’s and youth classes on Sunday mornings.

Five members from the congregation were among the first graduates of the School for Ministry’s Community of Hope for Lay Pastoral Caregivers. “With our rector,” Pickard says, “we take formation seriously as we prepare individuals for baptism, confirmation, and the exercise of the ministry of all believers.”

St. Francis’s outdoor chapel gives parishioners a chance to worship in nature and is an especially appropriate place for the St. Francis Day animal blessing, as well as for their spring picnic and boat blessing.

St. Francis of Assisi is committed to outreach ministry, responding to needs both locally and globally. In tune with diocesan and national Church priorities, they have made a gift of “0.7%” to the Millennium Development Goals. St. Francis has been referred to as the third Photo courtesy of St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin largest giver in the diocese to outreach

Photo courtesy of St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin ministry. Along with four other congregations in the Columbia area, its parishioners are helping to build a school in Chapoteau, Haiti. Members of the congregation traveled to Christ Episcopal Church in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. For many years, their community outreach has helped underprivileged young people go to summer camp for one week each June. “This ability to reach out to others comes from the hard work of the volunteers of our congregation and others at our Thrift Shop,” Pickard notes.

“Our congregation is excited about education for all ages,” according to Purser. Our Lenten study of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian faiths was particularly challenging and rewarding.”

The community itself is also nurtured by fellowship events, which include regular gatherings in homes for monthly men’s group, bridge and games nights, FEAST groups (Friends, Eating and Sharing Together), and regular Episcopal Church Women’s luncheons.

Why:

St. Francis’s mission statement “to love, nurture and affirm others through serving” inspires its members as they endeavor to discover unique gifts and ministries for personal, church, and community growth.

Quote: The Rev. Canon Phil Purser: “We are blessed by surroundings and a church building that speak of simplicity, returning and rest, and being stewards of God’s creation. The view from the congregation to the altar and the windows beyond naturally draws one into God’s creation. People find that just that view inspires and refreshes them for ministry.”

St. Francis of Assisi is formed and blessed as it lives into and out of the prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. (BCP, page 833) Ms. Christi Stewart is interning at Crosswalk until December 2007 when she will graduate from USC with a master’s degree in mass communications.

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Engaging

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We are talking to God, but we are thinking theology also! You have brought us in safety to this new day: What realities have we faced and come through yesterday or during the night? Does God bring us in safety to another day? Preserve us with your mighty power: Do we believe that it is God who preserves and keeps us from being overcome by adversity and sin (our reality)? Direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose: Have our congregations, including the leaders, given us an understanding of the purposes of God in Christ Jesus, so that we can, with direction and courage, fulfill those purposes in the kind of world in which we live?

As you reflect upon this prayer, consider also other BCP prayers, and their theological implications. Take, for example, this phrase from the Ash Wednesday absolution, “Almighty God . . . who desires not the death of sinners” (page 269), or this, from “A Collect for Peace” (Morning Prayer II, page 99), setting forth the Christian belief that God is “the author of peace and lover of concord.”

An evolving theology In the New Church’s Teaching Series, volume 7, Opening the Prayer Book, the author Jeffrey Lee writes: “The Prayer Book has been revised repeatedly over the course of its history—mostly modest revisions until those of the last twenty years or so—but in every revision there are principles, values and theological perspectives that mark the identity of Anglicans.” What this says is that the Prayer Book changes in order for the language and thought patterns of prayer to speak as closely as possible to our reality.

For example, in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer there is a service called “The Churching of Women.”

This service of thanksgiving after childbirth was consistent with the Jewish rite of purification and the medieval awareness of the dangers of giving birth. Now, however, the realities of modern medicine, prenatal care, and advanced birthing centers have changed the way in which childbirth is experienced. The emphasis in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer is on thanksgiving for the birth, the joys of parenthood, and the responsibilities associated with the educational and spiritual nurture of the child. The rite also includes prayers of thanksgiving for the adoption of a child. The theology has shifted from the terrors of childbirth, the possibility

Solemn vows

Prayer and theology If prayer is the nomenclature we assign to our activity as listeners to the Holy Spirit, then, in Hall’s words, theology is “a spiritual discipline in the sense that it assumes the stance of the listener … [toward] an intangible, transcendent, but nonetheless present reality named by our tradition as Spiritus Sanctus.”

In the ongoing debate between science and religion, what differentiates the discipline of theology from all disciplines that can legitimately be called “scientific” is the pneumatic element (pneuma, or spirit) in theology.

Prayer, because it touches psychology, sociology, culture, and history, offers enough data to be analyzed scientifically, but it is not a science! Its primary object is what the Jewish existentialist Martin Buber calls the “Eternal Thou.”

Ultimately, the purpose of prayer is to have a relationship with God. The primary function of the Holy Spirit is to engage us in a struggle that challenges how we think about and how we interpret reality around us. Prayer is conversation with God about what our response to reality should be. Prayer is thought-in-

Renewing vows can be an emotional, exciting, and powerful event, and can be an occasion for us to think deeply and honestly about our vows and to look at them in a new way.

The 1979 BCP provides a way for the congregation to renew its own baptismal vows when attending a baptism. In this diocese, the clergy come together to renew their ordination vows annually on the Monday of Holy Week. Occasionally couples formally renew their marriage vows. Wedding vows have not always been the same either. Women originally vowed to be gentle and obedient in bed and at the table and, until 1928, to obey. The 1979 BCP provides a way for married couples

relationship to a “co-respondent” (God) in whom wisdom, meaning, coherence, courage, and love move us to a truth and to an action that makes a transforming difference in the world.

Four affirmations When we pray using the Prayer Book, we can affirm four things: (1) God wants us to be in relationship to God; (2) In the tradition of the Episcopal Prayer Book, prayer is intellectual “thought-in-relationship” to God, who creates and acts in history to challenge how we are to think and act; (3) The outcome of prayer is always related to the purposes of God; and the establishment God’s Kingdom; and (4) Prayer is a listening to the Divine Spirit, whose breath in a mere sigh—in the form of a chance remark of a physicist, a poet, an adult living on the margins of life, or an innocent child—“can blow away all the certainties of the most dearly held system of thought” (Hall’s words).

In these ways, and others, The Book of Common Prayer is a personal spiritual resource, a statement of foundational Christian belief, and a continuous refreshing understanding of the way the love of God confronts our realities. qÜÉ=oÉîK=aêK=mÜáäáé=eK=tÜáíÉÜÉ~Ç=áë=~= êÉíáêÉÇ=éêáÉëí=çÑ=íÜÉ=ÇáçÅÉëÉK

. . . [T]he Prayer Book changes in order for the language and thought patterns of prayer to speak as closely as possible to our reality.

From “The Churching of Women,” BCP, 1928

From “A Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child,” BCP, 1979

Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God, of his goodness, to give you safe deliverance, and to preserve you in the great danger of Childbirth; you shall therefore give hearty thanks unto God . . . .

Dear Friends: The birth of a child is a joyous and solemn occasion in the life of a family. It is also an occasion for rejoicing in the Christian community. I bid you, therefore, to join N. [and N.] in giving thanks to Almighty God . . . for the gift of N. to be their son (daughter) [and with N. (and NN.), for a new brother (sister)] ... attending the wedding to reflect on their own promises.

In the service for the Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage, we pray that “all married persons who have witnessed these vows may find their lives strengthened and their loyalties confirmed” (page 430).

ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=Ñêçã=é~ÖÉ=NN

Renewal

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of the mother’s death, and the possibility of the child’s dying unbaptized to the joy and wonder of this aspect of God’s creation.

l=Öê~Åáçìë=~åÇ=ÉîÉêäáîáåÖ=dçÇI=óçì Ü~îÉ=ÅêÉ~íÉÇ=ìë=ã~äÉ=~åÇ=ÑÉã~äÉ=áå óçìê=áã~ÖÉW=iççâ=ãÉêÅáÑìääó=ìéçå Keeping the faith íÜáë=ã~å=~åÇ=íÜáë=ïçã~å=ïÜç=ÅçãÉ The Church has realized that vows—especially our solemn vows—should be important enough to us that íç=óçì=ëÉÉâáåÖ=óçìê=ÄäÉëëáåÖ=K=K=K=K we revisit them every so often. Renewing them in —Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage,

community, with that community’s accompanying pledge to uphold us in our vows, is a way for us to stay honest in our faith and dynamic in our relationships.

BCP, page 425 jêK=aìåÅ~å=bäó=áë=~=ãÉãÄÉê=çÑ=píK=mÜáäáéÛëI=dêÉÉåîáääÉK

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ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ= Ñêçã= é~ÖÉ= Q

There were very few rubrics in the first Prayer Book, which indicates that ceremonial was intended to go on much as before. Soon, however, Thomas Cranmer, seventieth archbishop of Canterbury and principal author of this prayer book, and the council that ruled England as a proxy for the child king Edward, forbade use of private gestures, such as making the sign of the cross, the use of lights and bells, and the washing and anointing of the altar. Although these policy changes were generally acquiesced to, the 1549 Prayer Book itself remained essentially consistent with Catholic theology and liturgy. The Book of Common Prayer eventually won the hearts and minds of English worshipers and even became their private devotional manual.

It was also in 1549 that the clergy in England finally were given permission to marry, and previous marriages were recognized, and children were legitimized. By this time, however, stronger winds were blowing through the Church. Though published during the reign of Edward, the 1549 Book of Common Prayer was conceived and formulated by and under Henry. The members of Edward’s council were of a much more Calvinistic attitude than Henry or Henry’s church administrators had been, and scarcely was the ink dry on the 1549 Prayer Book before the powerful of Edward’s government and Church were anxious to revise it.

Theological shift In 1550 many older and traditional bishops were removed from their bishoprics and imprisoned, making way for the wholesale appointment of new bishops who were much more sympathetic to Reformation. Bishop Ridley, the newly appointed Bishop of London, ordered that all altars in his diocese be removed and replaced with removable wooden altars. The magnificent high altar in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London was taken out and destroyed. As always in religious affairs, these physical changes, though not essential to worship in themselves, signified important changes in theological thought and tolerance. With beautiful and ornate altars being replaced by simple wooden ones, the time was ripe to attack the importance of that which was done at the altar. The “real presence” of Christ in the eucharistic sacrament was denounced, and Archbishop Cranmer even published a treatise against the real presence in 1550. Cranmer also began rewriting The Book of Common Prayer.

liturgical attire of the clergy. The saints departed and the ministry of holy angels were no longer spoken of, and the service of Holy Communion no longer contained the Pater Noster or the Agnus Dei. References in the administration of Holy Communion to the “Body of Christ” were deleted, and the reservation of the sacrament was forbidden, which prevented the communion of the sick.

The 1552 Prayer Book did not deny Catholic doctrine, but it was sufficiently silent to allow those who did deny Catholic doctrine freedom to pursue their agendas within the English Church. Furthermore, because the 1552 Prayer Book was so noncommittal on theology, people with widely different religious beliefs could worship under one book.

The upheaval continues The upheaval of England and the English Church while the 1552 Book of Common Prayer was in use reached its most egregious levels with the death of Edward VI in 1553. At the time of his death, bishops had ceased to function in their episcopal capacity, and were merely administrative heads of the religious arm of government. Churches throughout the country had been looted of their treasures and even torn down so that their building materials could be sold. Many of the clergy were quite ignorant of their duties, and some did not know the Ten Commandments or even who the author of the Lord’s Prayer was.

Edward died in his minority, having never reigned in his own right. He was succeeded by his oldest sister Mary, who died a barren and heartbroken woman. At her death, their sister, Elizabeth, ascended the throne. In Elizabeth, Henry, had he been alive, would have found the qualities of courage, intelligence, competency, and longevity that he had always desired for his son. In

Pentecost 1, 2007

matters of religion, had Elizabeth been able to impose her will without opposition, she might have reinstated the use of that instrument of Reformed Catholicism, the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. But the Calvinistic Prayer Book of 1552 was in use, and she knew she could not turn back the hands of time.

1559, 1604, 1662 She therefore embarked on a third prayer book, which would become known as the 1559 Book of Common Prayer. That book, in conjunction with Elizabeth’s authorization to refurbish churches, to once again use eucharistic vestments, and to strengthen the episcopacy by the restoration of bishops to lapsed sees, began to restore strength and a measure of moderation to the Church which had been fatally absent in prior years.

Although King James I made minor changes to the Prayer Book in 1604, Catholic and Protestant strife continued in the Church for many years until King Charles II, on March 25, 1661, appointed 12 bishops and 12 Protestant theologians to propose revisions for The Book of Common Prayer. The result of this committee’s work was the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, to this day the authorized prayer book in the Church of England. Although this book made changes that restored balance and moderation to Prayer Book theology and liturgical practices, the changes were not so great as to unduly excite the passions of the Protestants, and the various prayers and liturgies in this book form the basis of almost all of the prayer books of the Anglican Communion to this day. With the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the Anglican Church had found a prayer book that would endure and be loved.

Mr. Robert C. Clawson is a member of Good Shepherd, Columbia.

Prayer Book #2 Unlike its predecessor, the 1552 Prayer Book was a thoroughly Protestant book.

Among the seemingly stylistic changes that portended great shifts in theological approach was the omission of the word Mass. The use of eucharistic vestments was forbidden, and the surplice and stole became the standard

mÜçíçW=mÉíÉê=q~êéäÉó

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Proper Liturgies

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The story of the washing of the feet provides the occasion for Jesus, who is preparing to die, to leave his followers with a new identity and direction. You should do as I have done to you, he says. And by doing this, by demonstrating humility and gentle service, we incarnate the love of God. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” The agape we have for one another will be our identifying mark.

qÜÉ=içêÇ=gÉëìëI=~ÑíÉê=ÜÉ=Ü~Ç=ëìééÉÇ ïáíÜ=Üáë=ÇáëÅáéäÉë=~åÇ=ï~ëÜÉÇ=íÜÉáê ÑÉÉíI=ë~áÇ=íç=íÜÉãI= aç=óçì=âåçï ïÜ~í=fI=óçìê=içêÇ=~åÇ=j~ëíÉêI Ü~îÉ=ÇçåÉ=íç=óçì\=f=Ü~îÉ=ÖáîÉå=óçì ~å=Éñ~ãéäÉI=íÜ~í=óçì=ëÜçìäÇ=Çç=~ë=f Ü~îÉ=ÇçåÉKÒ

—Maundy Thursday, BCP, page 274

Marking “tomb time” The liturgy for Holy Saturday is not widely experienced. Although Eucharist is not celebrated on this day, the liturgy is in the basic form of a Service of the Word. The appointed readings include one of Job’s laments, and the story of Joseph of Arimathea burying Jesus’ body. Some have referred to this day as marking “tomb time.” The liturgy invites us not simply to grieve the death of Jesus, but to enter the tomb with Jesus on the day of Jewish Sabbath, and wait.

_äÉëëÉÇ=áë=íÜÉ=háåÖ=ïÜç=ÅçãÉë=áå íÜÉ=å~ãÉ=çÑ=íÜÉ=içêÇK mÉ~ÅÉ=áå=ÜÉ~îÉå=~åÇ=Öäçêó= áå=íÜÉ=ÜáÖÜÉëí.

—Palm Sunday, BCP, page 270

Entering the Paschal Mystery The liturgies of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter constitute the Easter Triduum. The word literally means “three days” and points to the three days counted according to Jewish reckoning from dusk on Maundy Thursday through dusk on Easter Sunday. Yet the Triduum encourages us to enter the Paschal Mystery not so much as a sequence of independent days, but rather as a single complex of death and resurrection. Again, cross and empty tomb are inextricably linked.

Palm Sunday foreshadows all of these Holy Week

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Easter Vigil: l=dçÇI=íÜêçìÖÜ=óçìê=pçå=óçì=Ü~îÉ=ÄÉëíçïÉÇ=ìéçå=óçìê=éÉçéäÉ=íÜÉ=ÄêáÖÜíåÉëë=çÑ=óçìê=äáÖÜíW=p~åÅíáÑó=íÜáë åÉï=ÑáêÉ=~åÇ=Öê~åí=íÜ~í=áå=íÜáë=m~ëÅÜ~ä=ÑÉ~ëí=ïÉ=ã~ó=ëç=Äìêå=ïáíÜ=ÜÉ~îÉåäó=ÇÉëáêÉëI=íÜ~í=ïáíÜ=éìêÉ=ãáåÇë=ïÉ=ã~ó ~íí~áå=íç=íÜÉ=ÑÉëíáî~ä=çÑ=ÉîÉêä~ëíáåÖ=äáÖÜíX=íÜêçìÖÜ=gÉëìë=`Üêáëí=çìê=içêÇK=^ãÉåK=(BCP, page 285; photo: Peter Tarpley) events. The Palm Sunday liturgy may be the most emotionally wrenching of all. It begins with the reenactment of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, complete with exuberant crowds shouting, “Hosanna!”

Yet the action quickly turns as we read the Passion from one of the three Synoptic Gospels. By the end of the liturgy, we are faced with every would-be disciple’s choice: will we walk the way of the cross, or seek an alternate pseudosalvation? If we choose the latter, we stand with Peter on the night of Jesus’ arrest, warming our hands by the fire of Caesar’s minions. If we choose the former, we walk with Jesus.

A season to prepare The liturgies of Holy Week and Easter and the dynamic of death and resurrection reflected therein would blow us over if they were experienced alone. They demand a larger context and a time of careful preparation. Ash Wednesday inaugurates that 40-day season of preparation, and helps provide the proper context for our entrance into the Paschal Mystery, the heart of the Christian proclamation. The celebrant in the Ash Wednesday liturgy invites us into that season of preparation by “self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” The recital of Psalm

f=áåîáíÉ=óçìI=íÜÉêÉÑçêÉI=K=K=K=íç=íÜÉ çÄëÉêî~åÅÉ=çÑ=~=Üçäó=iÉåíI=Äó=ëÉäÑJ Éñ~ãáå~íáçå=~åÇ=êÉéÉåí~åÅÉK=K=K=K —Ash Wednesday, BCP, page 265

qÜÉ=`ÜìêÅÜÛë=äáíìêÖáÅ~ä=äáÑÉ=Å~ååçí ÄÉ=ÉñéÉêáÉåÅÉÇ=çê=ìåÇÉêëíççÇ=Ñìääó ÉñÅÉéí=~ë=~=ïÜçäÉK=qÜÉ=mêçéÉê iáíìêÖáÉë=Ñçê=péÉÅá~ä=a~óë==~êÉ=íÜÉ Åêçïå=çÑ=çìê=mê~óÉê=_ççâ=ÄÉÅ~ìëÉ íÜÉó=Çê~ï=ìë=ÇÉÉé=áåíç=íÜÉ=ÜÉ~êí=çÑ íÜÉ=éêáã~êó=`Üêáëíá~å éêçÅä~ã~íáçåK 51, the Litany of Penitence, and the imposition of ashes with the words, “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” may leave us feeling diminished.

But the intention of the Ash Wednesday liturgy and the season it commences is not self-deprecation, but rather honest self-examination. How else could we enter fully with Christ into the Paschal Mystery?

An organic whole The Church’s liturgical life cannot be experienced or understood fully except as a whole. The Proper Liturgies for Special Days are the crown of our Prayer Book because they draw us deep into the heart of the primary Christian proclamation. Yet these liturgies and that proclamation do not stand alone. The Paschal Mystery to which all these liturgies point embraces and redeems all of time and creation. The incarnate one is alpha and omega, the beginning and end. He encounters us in all life now and forever.

The Rev. John S. Nieman is rector of Holy Trinity, Clemson.

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Pentecost 1, 2007

ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=Ñêçã=é~ÖÉ=U

They offer a comprehensive picture of how to follow Christ’s lead. We are shaped as a people for love and action by this covenant. Nowhere is the intended direction of our lives more clear.

Clarity & purpose: BCP, 1979 Previous Prayer Book liturgies lacked this articulated direction. One of the gifts of the 1979 book is the clarity and purpose captured in this language. We are shaped as a people as we take on these promises. They are grounded in the best of our tradition. Our lives are enriched by the practice of this covenant. As a teaching tool it is without peer.

The first question is a direct quote from the Book of Acts: “Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?”

This promise is the backdrop for all our other action.

By it we acknowledge the mandate of our Lord to keep company.

Next we are asked: “Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?’” This reminds us that we always have a choice and that we all fall short. This vow also assures us that our return is anticipated and welcome.

Everyone’s role in proclaiming the Good News is the point of the next vow—“Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?” We are

Ôtáää=óçì=ïÜç=ïáíåÉëë=íÜÉëÉ=îçïë=Çç=~ää=áå=óçìê=éçïÉê=íç=ëìééçêí=íÜÉëÉ=éÉêëçåë=áå=íÜÉáê=äáÑÉ=áå=`Üêáëí\ ÔtÉ=ïáääK (BCP, page 303; photo: Peter Tarpley) reminded that our actions are as important as our words. Our role as people who expect to see God in all and to honor all is the scope of the fourth vow— “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?” Looking for the Christ in everyone is a skill honed over a lifetime. The practice of this skill defines each encounter. In the final vow we state our intention to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” Justice can be understood as relationships where things are in right order, peace where wholeness and well being are the result.

To live our vows . . .

tÉ=íÜ~åâ=óçìI=c~íÜÉêI=Ñçê=íÜÉ=ï~íÉê=çÑ=_~éíáëãK=få=áí=ïÉ ~êÉ=ÄìêáÉÇ=ïáíÜ=`Üêáëí=áå=Üáë=ÇÉ~íÜK=_ó=áí=ïÉ=ëÜ~êÉ=áå=Üáë êÉëìêêÉÅíáçå=K=K=K=E_`mI=é~ÖÉ=PMSX=éÜçíçW=bêáÅ=pÅÜå~ìÑÉêFK

When we have made these vows, we are called to pray for the will to live them. The prayers which follow restate everything that has just been promised in the language of action. They are perfect in their voice and placement in the liturgy.

They are wonderful to use at other times as well.

The pronouns in these prayers are written to address the candidates for baptism. We ask these things for them as part of their initiation. But the prayers are well used any time. We all benefit by using this marvelous form, plugging in our own names or those of our godchildren or, most usefully, the names of our enemies or folks who challenge us.

The covenant is a rule of life. We grow as people when we embrace these words. We grow as a community when we reflect this rule in our way of our meeting each other across lines where we are differ. As the Church seeks to be whole, we do well to visit and revisit this covenant.

Marching orders The baptism follows. Water is poured on the candidate. Then he or she is sealed with oil and marked as Christ’s own forever in the indissoluble branding and gift of God. A welcome follows: “We receive you into the household of God. . . .” Through these powerful words we make clear that there is room for everyone at God’s table. We receive folks with no way of knowing what choices they will make. We offer them a place because we know God calls us to move over and make room.

These words are our marching orders.

It is appropriate that we immediately exchange the peace. This is a reconciliation statement based on our Lord’s post-resurrection appearance as recorded in John’s gospel. When we say “peace be with you,” we are acknowledging that we know peace comes from accepting God’s forgiveness of ourselves and extending forgiveness to others.

And then it is on to the table. Holy Eucharist is the culmination of baptism. We bring folks into the body, then we feed them for the journey. All are called. All are welcome.

There is one Body, and one Spirit; There is one hope in God’s call to us; One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism; One God and Father of all.

Ephesians goes on to say “who is above all, and in all, and through all.” We are most faithful when our actions spring from this music.

The Rev. Susan B. Heath is a priest of the diocese who served most recently as canon theologian at Trinity Cathedral, Columbia.

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Rites that heal

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Crosswalk —continued from page 10

An ancient tradition The rite “Ministration to the Sick” (pages 453–461) is a framework, an outline from which parts may be selected. It begins with a general instruction: “In case of illness, the Minister of the Congregation is to be notified.” Part I, “Ministry of the Word,” is not optional. The minister, who may be a layperson, reads comforting (that is, strengthening) Scriptures to the sick person. Provision is made for confession and absolution.

Part II, “Laying on of Hands and Anointing,” provides for anointing with holy oil and laying on of hands in prayer for healing, one of the most ancient traditions of the Church. It concludes, asking God, to “make you know and feel that the only Name under heaven given for health and salvation is the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Special prayers for healing are provided in Part III, “Holy Communion.” “If a person desires to receive the Sacrament, but, by reason of extreme sickness or physical disability, is unable to eat and drink the Bread and Wine, the Celebrant is to assure that person that all the benefits of Communion are received, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth.”

The Almighty Lord . . . [b]e now and evermore your defense, and make you know and feel that the only Name under heaven given for health and salvation is the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

—Ministration to the Sick, BCP, page 457

Ministry of, by & for the Kingdom One-on-one healing is but part of the Church’s healing ministry. We are a community of the coming Kingdom of God, and, just as Jesus healed people to show what the Kingdom would be like when it came in fullness, so we offer the ministry of healing in many ways for the same reason.

Following the famous Coconut Grove fire in 1942— the deadliest nightclub fire in American history—the survivors were studied extensively to find what helped them most in regaining the level of wellbeing that they had before the fire. Many factors were proposed: quality of medical treatment, nursing care, post-hospitalization care, rehabilitation, and so on. The researchers found that none of these made as much difference as the number of caring inquiries they received by phone and mail, inquiring about their wellbeing. Any congregation can carry out this primary ministry of healing, and it makes a real and measurable difference!

“Outward and visible signs” While Reconciliation of a Penitent is listed as a sacrament and Ministration to the Sick is not, both are “outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace,” the grace of God’s continuing presence and unmatched love for us, even in the midst of our brokenness of body and spirit.

It seems, however, that since healing through prayer has been around much longer than western medicine, it is western medicine that is the “alternative.”

“Alternative” medicine?

What can we make of healing through prayer and anointing? It is being studied in some medical schools as “alternative healing,” one among many other practices, such as foot reflexology. It seems, however, that since healing through prayer has been around much longer than western medicine, it is western medicine that is the “alternative.” There are now more than 3,000 articles in authoritative medical journals attesting to the power of prayer in healing. Fr. Leo Thomas, in his book Healing as a Parish Ministry: Mending the Body, Mind, and Spirit, (co-authored with Jan Alkire) writes: “We believe that the source of misunderstanding with this sacrament is the mistaken belief that religious healing is one more form of health care.”

This graceful healing rite may be compared with the similar rite in the 1928 BCP, which assumes that the person is sick due to his or her sins, and emphasizes the punishment that is sure to come if the sick person dies unforgiven.

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The Rev. Lloyd Edwards is vicar of Church of the Cross, Columbia.

Now there is rejoicing in heaven; for you were lost, and now are found; you were dead, and are now alive in Christ Jesus our Lord.

—Reconciliation of a Penitent, BCP, page 451

As Christians we follow a Lord who came among us healing those he touched, restoring the skin of lepers, bringing sight to a man born blind, curing illnesses of the mind, even raising the dead.

Healing—physical, mental, or spiritual— is at the very heart of the gospel: Jesus came that we might be made whole. And so Christians have continued Jesus’ ministry . . . , asking that God’s healing grace would be present in every situation where there illness, suffering, or death.

— Vicki K. Black, Welcome to the Book of Common Prayer, pages 120–121

LITANY Here in the palm of your hand is a hazelnut, A small thing, round like a ball.

It is all that is made; it is made by Love.

See in this little thing three truths: God made it, God loves it, God keeps it.

In these truths, stay and grow.

ALL: God, of your goodness, give me yourself, for you are sufficient for me.

In you alone is my all.

You will have pain and affliction, trouble and strain and doubt.

But you shall not be overcome and all shall be well.

ALL: Yes, all shall be well, and all shall be well.

I shall find my ground in God, and shall see for myself that all manner of things shall be well.

From “A Julian of Norwich Dialogue: A Light in the Darkeness,”

by J. Janda.

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Crosswalk American Prayer Books ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=Ñêçã=é~ÖÉ=R Ultimately, hardly anything of substance ended up being changed in the 1892 edition, perhaps one reason why the 1892 Book of Common Prayer served the American church for only about 35 years.

The 1928 edition contained more extensive revisions than did its predecessor. Some of the proposed changes that were not incorporated in the 1892 were added in 1928. Other revisions that reflected antiquated theology included omitting rites such as the Visitation of Prisoners. The book also combined three baptismal liturgies, rearranged the communion service, and changed some of its emphases. This edition served the church for 50 years.

“Drastic” revision In the Episcopal Church, a revised lectionary came in 1943 and a series of Prayer Book Studies appeared,

Lift up your hearts ÔÅçåíáåìÉÇ=Ñêçã=é~ÖÉ=V Plumbing the depths As important as our understanding of how Christ is present in the sacramental elements may be, the Eucharist is more than the consecration of bread and wine. From start to finish, it helps us understand who God is and it plumbs the depths of our relationship with the Incarnate Christ.

While the alternative Eucharistic prayers of Rite I and Rite II offer a wide variety of theological emphases, differences in structure and order, there are at least two themes that predominate in all of them. First, the language of sacrifice: the reformers were insistent that the Eucharist was not a sacrifice performed by the priest on behalf of the people. As Rite I reminds us, Christ’s death on the cross was “a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice” and the Eucharist “a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice.” In addition, the Eucharist serves as “our sacrifice of praise and

MONEY

Pentecost 1, 2007

beginning in 1950. The Lambeth Conference of 1958 recognized the need for “drastic Prayer Book revision” among Anglican Communion churches. The Episcopal Church called for a new revision by 1967 and began work on a new BCP in earnest in 1964, which resulted initially in Services for Trial Use. By the time of the 1979 revision, most of the Protestant and Catholic churches were revising their own worship books for many reasons. Scholarly discoveries had renewed people’s interest in early-Church history as well as in liturgy and theology. These findings prompted more emphasis on the orders of laity, deacons, priests, and bishops, and a more involved laity.

The proposed revision incorporated feedback from Episcopalians, Anglicans, and people from other denominations; clergy and laity; scholars, and everyday people in the pews. The General Conventions of 1976 and 1979 ratified the new edition, now known as the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

The 1979 BCP, reflecting the desire on the part of

most churches to recover the spirit of the worship of the early Christians, emphasizes the baptismal and Easter liturgies and reclaims the Holy Eucharist as the principal service. The revision kept most 1928 forms, although some were condensed, revised, or used in different ways. Changes included using contemporary language, reflecting social concerns in litanies and prayers, and allowing more flexibility to accommodate various worshipping communities.

thanksgiving.” All of us, clergy, eucharistic ministers, laypeople, join in making this sacrifice as is symbolized by the presentation of the bread and wine by laypeople, and by the eloquent words of Rite I, “we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies.” The gifts we present, our offerings, and the bread and wine, are first of all God’s gifts to us, which we give back to God in our worship.

ministry in the world. As Prayer C puts it, “Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal.” Like any meal, the Eucharist offers us nourishment, restores us, so that we may live full and rich lives, and go out and do the work that God has given us to do.

The work you have given us to do A second theme that shapes the eucharistic liturgy is our thankful response to the gift of Christ’s presence given to us in the bread and wine. After communion we pray that God will give us the strength and assistance to do God’s work in the world. There is a long tradition in the West, at least since the Middle Ages, to view the Eucharist, and particularly the reception of the bread (and wine) as primarily private acts of devotion. But the Eucharist takes place at a table; it is a meal shared by God’s people, and its focus is not only on our internal relationship with God, but also on our mission and

A living book The story does not end here. Because liturgy is dynamic and alive, the Episcopal Church will revise The Book of Common Prayer again. Although some partial draft proposals already exist, how soon the Episcopal Church tackles another revision is anyone’s guess.

Mr. Duncan C. Ely is a member of St. Philip’s, Greenville.

^åÇ=åçïI=c~íÜÉêI=ëÉåÇ=ìë=çìí íç=Çç=íÜÉ=ïçêâ=óçì=Ü~îÉ=ÖáîÉå=ìë= íç==ÇçI íç=äçîÉ=~åÇ=ëÉêîÉ=óçì ~ë=Ñ~áíÜÑìä=ïáíåÉëëÉë=çÑ=`Üêáëí=çìê= içêÇK —Post Communion Prayer, BCP, page 366 The Rev. Dr. D. Jonathan Grieser is assistant to the rector at St. James, Greenville.

TALK

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Around the Diocese All Souls

—continued from page 2

qÜÉ péêìåÖ= píêìÅíìêÉÒ= çå= e~êÇëÅê~ÄÄäÉ= oç~Ç= áå= kKbK `çäìãÄá~=íÜ~í=ï~ë=ÜçãÉ=íç=^ää=pçìäëK Biega made a thorough review of the ministry, focusing on average Sunday attendance, monetary support from the congregation, the costs associated with continuing the program, as well as a review of primary needs in the community that might serve as a basis for future directions. The review also took into consideration the ongoing debt service, as well as the fact that a major note used to fund the ministry would come due in the near future.

As a result of the study, Biega recommended to the All Souls congregation, to Bishop Henderson, and to the Commission on the Diocese that the most promising scenario for a successful ministry trajectory would be to sell the All Souls’ “Sprung Structure,” its contents, and the building site, and to re-start the initiative in a rented public facility. The consensus of the congregation was that those worshipping on a fairly regular basis at All Souls, numbering from 20 to 30 persons, had no enthusiasm for a re-start in a new facility. With heavy hearts, the leadership team elected Pentecost 2007 as the last day for scheduled Sunday worship at All Souls.

The Commission on the Diocese recommended to Bishop Henderson and the Diocesan Executive Council (DEC) that the building and land be sold and any net proceeds be set aside for future mission initiatives. This recommendation was accepted by DEC. The terms for a contract for sale of both the building (to be disassembled or demolished) and land were negotiated and finalized between the diocese and a purchaser in May 2007. The contents of the building have been transferred to and / or purchased by congregations of the diocese, with some equipment still available for purchase.

Taking the All Souls experience into consideration, the Commission on Congregations has decided to formulate and recommend to DEC a diocesan policy for how new congregations will be developed in the future.

Bishop Gravatt Center begins new chapter

By Peter Trenholm Thanks to the foresight and generosity of the Diocesan Executive Council (DEC), the Bishop Gravatt Center is now an independent entity, in

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ownership of the camp and conference center, in charge of its own funds—and its own destiny. The Center continues, however, to be committed primarily to serving diocesan needs for a quiet, removed, and comfortable place for conferences and retreats— and for continuing the tradition of offering summer camp to the youth of the diocese. In fact camp, which opened June 3, is experiencing one of its best attendance years in its 58-year history.

Gravatt has new by-laws, a new board, including Bishop Henderson and the Rev. Clyde Ireland, director of Gravatt for 15 of its grandest years, and is embarked on a new course of mission and service. Plans have been approved to refurbish the cabins, add new restrooms to the dining hall, and completely renovate Cole Lodge. A new, second conference facility, a larger replica of Cole Lodge, is planned for readiness in fall 2008.

A major priority of the board is the construction of a chapel, which, it is hoped, will be funded by private subscription, of which early contributions are already being gratefully received.

In November 2006 DEC voted to separate the operation of Gravatt from the activities and responsibilities of the diocese. In an action designed to “envision, empower, and endow,” Gravatt became a separate corporate entity, loosely attached to the diocese legally, firmly attached to the diocese as to mission and purpose.

The new provisional board was named and given the twin assignments of evaluating and planning Gravatt’s present and future, and managing the facility during its transformation from an “unappreciated and depreciated” facility into a “new” and vital part of diocesan life.

It was early discerned by the board that one of Gravatt’s greatest assets is its staff. A more loyal, hardworking, and Christian group of energetic and enthusiastic people would be hard to replicate. Please pray for Gravatt and those dedicated to its future and growth.

Ministries Learning Center, offering employment readiness and adult education programs.

Among the many programs McDonald nurtured is the remarkable “Michael’s Way,” which he originated.

The program has transformed the lives of dozens of people through rehabilitation, education, and training—leading many who were homeless into high school and other degrees, homes, jobs, and stable productive lives.

Because of his outstanding work with those in need, Bishop Henderson named him his “Canon to the Poor” approximately two years ago. In acknowledging Deacon McDonald’s ministry, Bishop Henderson wrote, “Please know that I speak personally, and for a grateful diocese, in expressing our boundless appreciation to you for your ministry in Upper South Carolina.” He added, “The liturgy for ordination of a deacon includes this charge: ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, you are to serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely.’ Although I realize that none of us is indispensable, I consider Canon McDonald as virtually irreplaceable. To be sure, our prayers are for him, for his wife Janet, and for all those countless persons who know and love him.”

Celebrating McDonald’s work at United Ministries, executive director the Rev. Beth Templeton noted that he “saved lives directly and because of the lives he affected, those people were able to positively influence the people in their lives. He will surely be missed by many people who have been privileged to work with him, to be taught by him, and to be helped by him.”

The Rev. Eric Schnaufer, rector of St. Peter’s, where McDonald served as deacon, called him “a consistent and fearless advocate for the poor and powerless” and “a good and trusted friend. While Steve is stepping down from all official roles,” Schnaufer continued, “by his very nature he continues to be a symbol of servant ministry. My goal and the goal of St. Peter’s is to help him continue to be precisely that for some time to come.” “Well done good and faithful servant” (Matt.25:21).

Steven McDonald, deacon, diocesan canon to the poor, Healthy Church Initiative helps announces retirement The Rev. Steven R. St. Matthew’s soar McDonald, deacon, has written to Bishop Henderson that he is “retiring from United Ministries [in Greenville] and . . . work within the Church.”

Stating that “My main problem is with my memory”, Deacon McDonald cited “early onset dementia” as the reason for his retirement.

McDonald, who served in several Episcopal congregations, including St. Peter’s and St. Andrew’s, both in Greenville, worked for 18 years at United Ministries, serving the needs of others. He was assistant manager of the Place of Hope, a day shelter for people who are homeless; manager of the Magdalene Project, working with women who were addicts, pregnant, homeless, and/or working as prostitutes; and director of programs and then administrator for the United

By Christi Stewart

The first thing you notice about St. Matthew’s, Spartanburg, is the buzz and excitement swirling about.

There are children of many different nationalities giggling in the halls, couples waiting to see the rector Father Rob Brown for marriage counseling, administrative assistants answering phones and fielding questions. Things are happening around here.

As of 2006, St. Matthew’s had doubled in size. Brisk expansion and development, while exciting and positive, can be difficult to navigate, so the congregation took advantage of the diocesan Healthy Church Initiative (HCI) to help guide this growth and change.

The initiative’s goal is to identify and remove those obstacles that bar the work of the Holy Spirit. The HCI first helps congregations achieve these goals by offering a congregational assessment.

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mÜçíç=ÅçìêíÉëó=çÑ=píK=j~ííÜÉïÛëI=pé~êí~åÄìêÖ Thanks to a generous gift to the diocese, HCI assessments are available free of charge to all Upper SC congregations. During an assessment, Tony Watkins, HCI consultant, helps congregations celebrate what they are already doing well and add some new things; remember their mission as baptized persons; and listen deeply to the story of the community of faith.

After the initial assessment, St. Matthew’s developed a plan for addressing the needs of the church, which included launching a capital campaign that raised approximately $880,000. The money is being used for renovation and new construction to facilitate education and program offerings—two of the congregation’s biggest priorities.

When asked how the Healthy Church Initiative is helping his congregation evolve, Father Rob described the HCI as “the framework that helped us build upon our foundation, which is our ‘Prayer for Spiritual Growth’.” (See that prayer below.)

Leslie “Fergie” Horvath, a co-chair of the capital campaign, thinks the best part of the initiative was the surveys and interviews that helped St. Matthew’s identify core values. When asked if she would recommend the initiative to other churches, Horvath said “Definitely,” adding that “it’s a great way to check the pulse of everyone. The next step is deciding how to respond to the core values—change, stay the same, grow, cut back. The initiative fosters parishioner involvement in a holy leading—a holy change—a holy movement toward something ‘other’—how exciting!”

Carol Wishard, also a capital campaign chair, wants other congregations to know how talented and knowledgeable Watkins is: “He was such a breath of fresh air. He knew how to focus on the important things and answer questions that could derail the whole process if left unanswered or answered incorrectly. With his leadership we were able to get everyone involved, which is usually a task that fails. We had a beginning, a middle, and an ending goal. We did it and accomplished the largest monetary capital campaign pledge drive St. Matthew’s has ever had. God is soooooooooo good!”

When asked how the process impacted her congregation, Wishard said “working as one body brought us to know each other better. It also strengthened our belief in the power of prayer. For the past 10 years, two to three times per week and sometimes more, we pray together our Prayer for Spiritual Growth”:

Gracious Father, we ask spiritual growth for ourselves, our families and friends, and especially for our family St. Matthew’s. Grant us growth in understanding and willingness to be your Body in this world. Empower us to live the mission of Christ: to preach, teach, heal and make disciples. In joyful thanksgiving for the blessing of your presence in our lives, compel us to share you with everyone we meet. May our numbers increase, our commitment deepen, our lives be joyfully yours. Make us a Godcentered people. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Hispanic ministry thrives in Upstate and Midlands

Pentecost 1, 2007

community who missed having a liturgical church home.

The response has been encouraging with multitudes of baptisms and confirmations.

This summer will Pentecost picnic at St. Mary’s, be the third (photo: Marlise Gutllerault) anniversary for this congregation, developed under the guidance and hard work of Alfredo “Fred” Gonzalez and his wife Luisa, both long-time members of St. Mary’s.

San Francisco & Santa María celebrate new ministries, traditions

St. Paul’s, Fort Mill, receives award from York Place

By Elizabeth Gandolfo & Marlise Guillerault

By Lizann Lutz

Despite concerted efforts at growth and a tireless commitment to living the Good News, the longstanding, English-speaking congregation at St. Francis, Greenville, has been gradually diminishing in numbers and financial solvency. As a result, the Englishspeaking congregation made the decision to dissolve and move on to other area churches. Needless to say, this has been a time of great pain, grief, and mourning at St. Francis.

Three years ago, however, the congregation at St. Francis opened the doors to the Hispanic community and has since experienced incredible growth in its ministry to our Spanishspeaking sisters and brothers in the Upstate.

On the occasion of Bishop Henderson’s visit to St. Francis in May, the church overflowed, with more than 350 people in attendance.

Bishop Henderson presided at a special Spanish-language Eucharist that Sunday, during which 45 children received their First Communion. In addition to the children’s First Bishop Henderson adminsters Communion, 16 teens the sacrament of Holy and 4 adults were Confirmation at St. Francis confirmed and 7 adults (photo: Margarita Serrano). were received into the Episcopal Church.

At St. Mary’s, Columbia, the Feast of Pentecost was extra special this year. The entire service of Holy Eucharist was celebrated in both English and Spanish.

The congregation of La iglesia episcopal de Santa María normally gathers at 12:30 while those who attend the 10:30 service are finishing their coffee, but on Pentecost the Spanish-speaking congregation joined the Englishspeakers for a bilingual service and parish picnic.

In 2004 St. Mary’s parishioners opened their doors and their hearts to those members of the Hispanic

Rolling up sleeves, sprucing up and repairing, reaching out to children in need—for these and other aspects of their ministry, St. Paul’s, Fort Mill, has earned a top service honor from York Place, a residential treatment center for children with emotional problems.

At the annual Founders’ Day festivities, the York Place Board of Trustees gave the Henry Richardson Leadership and Service Award to the church for its friendship and hard work. The Richardson Award remembers long-time Board of Trustees member Henry B. Richardson, who was known for his dedication to York Place.

Last year St. Paul’s pledged its outreach efforts to York Place and “adopted” Hart Cottage, a group home for six to eight girls. The church raised money for the Hart Cottage Fund, which helped with the repair costs and with the needs of the girls. One group provided upkeep repairs to the home itself. “We had people with all sorts of home repair experience. We worked together and tackled some of the wear and tear repairs that active homes have,” says Lynn Smalt, one of the repair crew.

“It has been a wonderful experience because so many people are helping by using their talents.” Another group, the ECW, provided holiday fare at Valentine’s Day and Christmas and clothes for the girls for back-toschool and Easter. And the girls are able to have haircuts and manicures, periodically. St. Paul’s fund drive for Hart Cottage allowed the young ladies to be hostesses at a Christmas party for everyone at York Place. The funds also provide allowances to help them manage money.

“Working with York Place is a really good fit,” says Chris Krafft, a member of the vestry at the time York Place was chosen as the outreach project. “State funding for the girls is tight and the cottages, like our homes, can always use sprucing up. Hart Cottage has become part of our family, and we plan to continue.”

“The hard work and initiative of St. Paul’s members have made this ministry a success,” says rector the Rev. Sally Franklin. “We have had such a wonderful experience that we encourage other churches to adopt one of the five other cottages at York Place.”

Contact St. Paul’s at 803.547.5968; York Place by calling 803.684.4011.

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Crosswalk The official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

Diocesan calendar

Almighty and everliving God, . . . hear our prayers for this parish family. For the Parish, BCP page 817 (photo: Pam Stuede) 11 12 18 26

Oct.

Sept.

Aug. Bishop Henderson on vacation Commission on the Ministry of the Baptized, All Saints', Clinton Catawba Convocation meeting, Church of the Good Shepherd, York Diocesan Discernment Conference, Trinity Cathedral Piedmont Convocation meeting, St. Margaret s, Boiling Springs

3

Diocesan House closed, Labor Day

8

DYLC meeting, St. Luke's, Newberry

5

Commission on International Concerns & the Anglican Communion, Diocesan House

9

Bishop's visitation to Resurrection, Greenwood

7

Bishop's visitation to St. John's, Winnsboro

10-12

Fall Clergy Conference, Kanuga

13

Diocesan Continuing Education Day, TBD Commission on Congregations, All Saints', Clinton

16

Bishop's visitation to Good Shepherd, Greer

20-25

Fall House of Bishops

14

22

Adult Leadership Training for Youth Ministry, TBD

17-21

23

Catawba Convocation meeting, St. Peter's, Great Falls Gravatt Convocation meeting, Trinity, Abbeville

27

Commission on Ministry, All Saints', Clinton

28-30

Junior High Fall Retreat, Gravatt

28

Commission the Diocese, All Saints', Clinton

30

Bishop's visitation to Church of the Ridge, Trenton

20 20-21 21 26-27 29

Bishop's visitation to St. Luke's, Columbia Cursillo #109, Gravatt Commission on Convocations, All Saints', Clinton "24 (senior high event), Gravatt Bishop's visitation to St. Thaddeus, Aiken Diocesan Convention Part II, Christ Church, Greenville Diocesan House closed

Midlands Convocation meeting, St. Alban's, Lexington

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