Holy Communion: Prayer of Preparation

Worship should not be rushed; we are all here worshipping the One who has made us, redeemed us through the death of His Son and resides in us in the power of the Holy Spirit. Os Guinness, I think, used the phrase about preaching to the audience of One and the same applies to worship. We have no audience but God: Father, Son and Spirit. Whatever tradition we are in only the audience of the One matters.

Anglican worship typically begins with a lay reader's announcement of the opening hymn which is then sung while a group of leaders 'process' into the church with the 'crucifer'--a person appointed to carry a cross--coming first. Everyone in the procession follows the cross as a general rule both in and out of the church worship area. The priest (word derived from 'presbyter', elder) or if a bishop is present comes last.

Procession members stand before the altar rail and acknowledge the altar.*

Responsive Worship

Anglican worship is responsive worship with the leader (either priest or lay reader) calling and the congregation responding, backwards and forwards. And in this back and forth movement, God the Holy Trinity is centrally involved. 

Following the opening hymn which is announced by the lay reader, the priest (Pr) says
  
The Invocation
Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Blessed be God's kingdom, now and for ever. [Words in bold type are always meant to be said by the people.]

The Greeting
Pr: [Either the words of 2 Cor 13.14] or more simply,

The Lord be with you, (with arms outstretched in blessing)
and also with you.

Pr: Let us pray.

Almighty God,

to whom all hearts are open,

all desires known,

and from whom no secrets are hidden:

cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you,

and worthily magnify your holy name,

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This prayer is known as the Prayer of Preparation or the Prayer for Purity. It is a prayer form known as a co'llect. (Accent on the first syllable.) Collects as a prayer form 'collect' together the silent prayers of all assembled and concentrate them into a prayer prayed aloud by all. (See here for more on this prayer form.) Originally this collect was found in the Catholic Mass in Latin and was translated into an English version by Archbishop Cranmer for the first English-language Prayer Book in 1549.

The first four lines are all God directed and God descriptive.

God is 'Almighty God', El Shaddai, not an indulgent grandpa but One who demands our reverence and worship. And God Almighty knows us through and through and nothing of us is hidden from his eyes.

This designation of God leads us to ask for cleansing for 'thoughts of our hearts' for our hearts, our inner, spiritual centre stand before God. Think of the prophet Isaiah when he 'saw' in a vision the Lord, 'high and lifted up' enthroned in the temple (Isa 6.1-8).

The cleansing comes from the 'inspiration of your Holy Spirit': and what is it about the Holy Spirit that has to do with cleansing? The blood of Christ is the meritorious cause connected with the cleansing of the soul but the Holy Spirit is the efficient cause. The Spirit brings about what the Blood of Christ has procured for sinners (1 Joh 1.9).

'That'

What an important word! Because it signifies a goal for the purity.

The acknowledgement of Almighty God and our tacit acknowledgement of our sinful tendencies lead to a cleansing reception of the Holy Spirit for a purpose: 'that we may perfectly love you [God Almighty], and worthily magnify your holy name'.

The phrase 'perfectly love you' led John Wesley I seem to recall into what he called 'Christian perfection'. What the phrase more immediately reminds me of is the great commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength'. That's the depth of this perfect love. To love God at and with the core of our beings, with our very selves.

Love means in Bible parlance to obey, believe, trust God's promises and to learn to know him, to know his character, his 'name' which equals his 'essential character' as revealed in Christ.

All members of the Trinity are mentioned in the collect which is typical of Anglican worship which is strongly Trinitarian. Our access to Almighty God is 'through Jesus Christ our Lord'. The Son is so important because the Father always listens to the Son and vice versa. One of the Church Fathers (Augustine I think) said that the love between the two is the Holy Spirit!

Amen!

Amen is generally the word for the congregation and we see from the Old Testament. In my earlier Pentecostal days, it was customary for preachers to encourage congregations to use the Amen word. So be it! It's a word of faith, trust and affirmation in God's promises. (See here for a helpful article.)

Anglicans know the above prayer 'by heart' but the danger is that it can become a mere prayer form that is not heart-felt. I think at one stage that Anglicans all knelt for prayer; whereas that is not the case today in my experience. Standing up to pray is acceptable to God I know but kneeling is a posture that reminds us of our status as dependent creatures before God.

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*Evangelicals will sometimes stand still or slightly bend their heads towards the altar at the beginning of a service or when they go to the altar for Holy Communion. (This acknowledgement can be likened to courtroom behaviour.) Others do not show any acknowledgement at all. 
All others bow their heads. The question of 'churchman-ship' arises at this point, a subject too large to be entered into here but differences are evident between Anglo-Catholic High Church and Evangelical Low Church worship. Anglicanism allows for different practices because of its conflicted history.

Markan Parables About The Kingdom of God

Secrets of the Kingdom

In Mark 4.21-34, we have two parables specifically about the Kingdom of God which are introduced by a series of injunctions (Mk 4.21-25) which help to enlighten us further about their meaning. In verse 21, a rhetorical question is answered with the implied answer in the negative. No, we don't put a light under a bushel (KJV, 'a bushel' is measuring bowl or basket) or under a bed. Rather a light or candle is placed on a stand or a candlestick.

Jesus says that the secret and the concealed is to be made open and manifest. It would seem that our Lord is referring both to the Parable of the Sower that he has just made plain to the disciples (Mk 4.10-20) but it might be he is making a general statement regarding the way he is revealing things to the disciples. (In the New Testament, a 'secret' usually means something once hidden but now revealed.)

Ears To Hear

This phrase is one characteristic of our Lord and probably refers to what he has just said. It alerted hearers of that time and us today to the importance of what Jesus has just said about the revelation of the secrets of the Kingdom.

It is important to watch what we hear! It's from that that we give to others. As we give, we ourselves will receive more. But to those who listen to the wrong things, even what they have will be reduced. 

The Blade, the Ear, and the Full Grain (Mk 4.26-29)

Seeds are amazing aren't they? Usually they fit easily into our hands but when placed into earth they will produce first roots, then shoots and finally the fully grown plant. Our Lord is speaking of grain grown for food so he finishes with the action of harvesting the fully ripe crop.

Jesus Messiah packs much meaning into few words. We must keep in mind that he is talking about the Kingdom of God which is the Rule or Reign of God; it is the sphere where the will of God is done 'as it is in Heaven' (Matt 6.9-13). Although this world appears to be so inhospitable to the Kingdom Jesus says that the Kingdom's progress is like a seed that gets planted and grows at first secretly under the ground but then it shows itself more and more until it is fully ripe. The reference to the sickle and the harvest are end-time symbols (Rev 14.14-20). So the Kingdom continues to grow all through this present dispensation until the time of the end.

Mustard Seed Kingdom

Interestingly, according to a great sermon I heard on Sunday from our Vicar, the second parable has certain similarities with the first parable above.

God is the God of small beginnings! We can think nothing is happening with regard to a particular matter but God's angel's are always busy. While Peter was languishing in gaol the angel was on its way to secure his deliverance. At the end of the Acts, Paul is in Rome after appealing to Caesar and it's salutary to ponder the last two verses of the book (Acts 28.30f).

Paul stays there for two whole years! Imagine that! Paul preaches the Kingdom of God to all who are interested and he does this at the heart of the mighty Roman Empire 'quite openly and unhindered' (RSV). Kingdom preaching by an apostle in Rome appeared as something small.

We feel that we are doing nothing of value and then God acts to place someone in our lives for a new purpose. It's seems small at the time but later we look back and praise the Lord for his goodness. We must not despise the day of small things (Zech 4.10).

Second Order:: Holy Communion: Sections of Service

Three Orders ('order' as in an 'order of worship') of Holy Communion are set out in A Prayer Book for Australia (APBA, 1995). 

(Technically, the APBA also allows for a 'Fourth Order' which can be 'created' by a parish priest et al. with the approval of the regional bishop (=overseer) as long as it contains certain features common to Anglican worship)). 

In all three Orders a specific pattern of worship is established with slight variations among the three.

Introduction to Anglican Prayer Book History

"A Prayer Book for Australia"

Anglican worship is typically ordered by the use of a prayer book. In fact, Anglicanism may be said to be recognisably Anglican because of its use of set forms of worship based on a prayer book usually found in the pew for worshippers to use.

In Australia, Anglicans used the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) (1662) until 1978 when the first modernised An Australian Prayer Book (AAPB) was produced.  The Prayer Book was again revised in 1995 to make its language more inclusive; hence A Prayer Book for Australia (APBA) is now commonly used in most parishes using a prayer book today. (The BCP is still in use in some Australian parishes and is still part of Church practice by church law in the Anglican Church of Australia.)


Though some still call the Anglican Church of Australia 'The Church of England', the Anglican Church of Australia was constituted in 1981. However, the history of the English church is relevant to Australia because of the fact that the Anglican Church of Australia is derived from The Church of England.

Church of England in the 16th Century

Catherine of Aragon

All this emphasis on the use of a prayer book will seem strange to those who are Non-Conformists (Pentecostal, Baptist, Church of Christ, Salvation Army, etc.) but the Anglican use of a prayer book arises from its birth in the Reformation period of the middle of the 16th century just as many regular practices thought odd in other churches arise out of their past tradition too.

Henry VIII

Some allege that the Church of England arose simply because King Henry VIII wanted an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and was denied by Pope Clement VII.

Anne Boleyn

Certainly this political event did hasten the formation of a Protestant, non-Catholic wing in the English church but the winds of the Protestant Reformation which were blowing on the continent were also being felt in England.

The Pope's refusal to grant the annulment to Henry led the king to undertake one of the boldest moves in English history. Henry assumed supremacy over the English Church which allowed him to separate from Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn hoping for a male heir.

Again we don't realise the raw courage of Henry in taking this action because many monarchs trembled at the word of the Pope because of his powers to excommunicate. (To be excommunicated from the Church of Rome meant you would be lost forever in the fires of Hell.) It was no small thing to challenge a Bishop of Rome and Henry was duly excommunicated for his defiance along with other Reformers in the Church of England.

Thomas Cranmer(1490-1556)

Thomas Cranmer was a pivotal figure in the Church of England and for Anglicanism worldwide. He had been appointed as an ambassador for the King and while abroad came into contact with continental reformers such a Ulrich Zwingli (Swiss Reformer) and others. However, he got a surprise call to become Archbishop of Canterbury in 1532 at the instigation of the Boleyn family. (He had formerly been the chaplain of this family.)

He became responsible for reform of the Church in Henry's time and then more so in Edward VI's short reign. Cranmer also played a large part in arguing for the validity of Henry as the Supreme Head of the Church in England which led effectively to the annulling of his marriage to Catherine. 

Cranmer was responsible for Church services being conducted in English. We can hardly appreciate this change in our time but imagine walking into church--and everyone went to church; it was mandatory--and hearing for the first time the Liturgy spoken by priest and people together in English!

We might wonder about the slowness of reform but the Protestant movement was a Reformation not a Revolution! (Luther in particular was not interested in starting the Church off from scratch after 1500 years. That's why Luther retained many aspects of catholic practice--as opposed to Roman Catholic practices--at which evangelicals today might baulk. Luther wanted to reform the catholic tradition not obliterate it.)

A Christian Church had been in existence in England by AD 208. It became part of the Roman Church in the AD 664. However, the Church of England as a reforming church wanting to remove doctrines and practices that were forbidden in scripture (indulgences, masses for the dead, prayers to the saints, veneration of the sacrament) but not necessarily removing practices that were not forbidden. 

Edward VI (reigned 1547-1553)

From Henry and Anne's union came Elizabeth (later to be Elizabeth I). Anne was later executed on trumped up charges which left the King able to marry his latest interest, Jane Seymour; she died 11 days after bearing a son, Edward who became Edward VI, a Protestant king guided by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. (Be aware that Henry VIII was not protestant or Lutheran. He regarded himself as 'catholic' but it was a form of personal Catholicism.)

With Henry's death in AD 1547, Edward assumed the throne at 9 years of age and only lived until he was 15 but during those six years the move away from Catholicism became pronounced. For example, in 1549 the first English prayer book was produced through the work of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Clerical celibacy was ended as was the Roman Mass with its view of transubstantiation (which had led to adoration of the host and other superstitions).

The newer English Church did not abandon the whole liturgy it had inherited from the papal church however but Cranmer reformed it extensively. It did not abandon the past because it believed that God had preserved some good things within the old church's liturgical practice even if it had become corrupted by faulty doctrine and practice over centuries. (Rome itself sought to respond to the Reformation by calling the Council of Trent [1545-1563].)

After Edward's short but significant reign, his half-sister Mary became Queen (1553-1558) even though Edward tried to prevent her ascension to the throne. Mary was a fanatical 'Romanist' and persecuted the Reformers by seeking to destroy the English Reformation through martyring Protestants and Reformers. She had 400-500 Protestants executed mostly by fire including Bishops Ridley and Latimer and also Cranmer (who first recanted his Protestant faith and then dramatically changed back again on the day of his execution). These executions made her very unpopular but she didn't relent. Indeed, her subjects disliked even more for her marrying King Philip I of Spain (a fierce opponent of all things Reformed and Protestant).

Elizabeth I (1533-1603)

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth Tudor had waited quietly enough in the wings of a 12-month stay in the Tower for her opportunity to reign which came in 1558. She was a Tudor with all the vigour and determination of her father and as the daughter of Anne Boleyn she was a Protestant. (She never married and so Henry's worst nightmares were realised in the discontinuance of the Tudor dynasty.)

She was wise enough to know that she had many enemies at home and overseas in France and more especially in Spain. (Remember the Spanish Armada in 1588?) She sought a more conciliatory approach to Catholics even while presiding over a Protestant Church of England. She adopted the title Supreme Governor of the Church (rather than the 'Supreme Head' title her father and half-brother had used). Elizabeth II holds this same title to this day.

Her great importance is that she brought the Church of England back to its Protestant form under Edward but she was also stubborn. She had a fear of civil war which inclined her towards conservativism, and according to Zahl, her bishops wondered throughout her reign, 'How Protestant is she?' (p. 21).

Introduction to Anglican Prayer Book History

"A Prayer Book for Australia"

Anglican worship is typically ordered by the use of a prayer book. In fact, Anglicanism may be said to be recognisably Anglican because of its use of set forms of worship based on a prayer book usually found in the pew for worshippers to use.

In Australia, Anglicans used the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) (1662) until 1978 when the first modernised An Australian Prayer Book (AAPB) was produced.  The Prayer Book was again revised in 1995 to make its language more inclusive; hence A Prayer Book for Australia (APBA) is now commonly used in most parishes using a prayer book today. (The BCP is still in use in some Australian parishes and is still part of Church practice by church law in the Anglican Church of Australia.)

Cranmer's Bequest: The Book of Common Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer (BCP)--'common' means 'public' in this context--came out of the fires of the English Reformation and its words have found their way into the English language and into the liturgies of other denominations. We speak of 'the world, the flesh and the devil' which we might imagine is a Biblical phrase but no, it's found in the prayer book during the time of Edward VI (1549) composed by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.

Archbishop: Thomas Cranmer

Cranmer was a genius without doubt, a learned scholar and not a combatant but he was used to translate the former Roman Catholic liturgical forms from Latin into English and purge them from their Romish errors. However, he was no mere translator but an active shaper of the religious consciousness of the English people. He was responsible for the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer (1549, 1552 ). The definitive BCP of the period was appointed for use in the Church of England in 1662.