Commandments, Confession and Absolution

Eleven small (numbered) 'subsections' make up the first section of the Holy Communion Service, titled Gathering in God's Name.

The opening four subsections:

§1. A hymn

§2. An Invocation--the Name of God is invoked

§3. The Greeting

§4. Prayer of Preparation (Collect of Purity)

were referred to in an earlier post.

Then follows subsections §5-7 which is concluded with the Absolution for sin.

§5. The Two Great Commandments, the Ten Commandments or other suitable passages are used

As soon as we hear these commandments being said, we are all reminded of one of the purposes of the Law (Rom 7.7). The law makes us aware of sin: of our deep inclination to wander away from God and seek out other gods.

Each Sunday Anglicans are made aware of their sinful state before God and of their continual need for divine forgiveness.

Thus the hearing of the commandments leads on to a time of silence and then to a

§6. Confession of Sin

The confession is prefaced with the words,
'Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, confident in God's forgiveness'
and usually said by the lay reader, deacon or priest.

All respond with

Merciful God,

our maker and our judge,

we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed,

and in what we have failed to do;

we have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves;

we repent and are sorry for all our sins.

Father, forgive us.

Strengthen us to love and obey you in newness of life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The human heart does not like to be reminded of its failures, particularly of its failure to love God and neighbour. But the church assembled stands before the judgement seat of God in Christ (2 Cor 5.10).

The priest says the following words,

§7. The Absolution

Almighty God,

who has promised forgiveness to all who turn to him in faith:

pardon you and set you free from all your sins,

 strengthen you in all goodness

and keep you in eternal life,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the Anglican Church, only bishops and priests are permitted to say these words in the church. The Anglican priest does not forgive sin but affirms that God does forgive those who turn to him in faith. (I imagine the segment to be alluding to John 20.21-23 which is a disputed passage between the Roman Church and Protestants generally.) I've even heard some priests include themselves in this affirmation so that the words become, 'pardon us and set us free from all our sins etc.).

Faith and Believing Takes Practice!

Increasing our faith may take place during times when the presence of God is most evident. However, paradoxically, it is perhaps likely to take place when we are being sorely tested. It is at just those difficult times when we can learn to practise exercising faith when circumstances don't encourage us.

But we need to practise exercising it by remembering in whom we believe.

Mark describes the healings of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' outer garment and the raising of Jairus' daughter (Mk 5.21-43). In both these incidents of extreme affliction and sorrow faith is mentioned. To the woman with the haemorrhaging condition who had touched Jesus' garment in faith Jesus said, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction' (v 34); and to Jairus in the anguish precipitated by the news that his daughter had died, Jesus said, 'Do not be afraid; only believe'.

In both these people, faith was exercised in Jesus as the healer.

The common belief that just faith in faith is what is required is fallacious. I don't doubt that people may be helped or even healed by having faith in what they cannot name but God has been revealed in his Son and it is in the Son that we are required to have faith.

We are also to remember that it's not the strength or size of our faith that matters; it is the trustworthiness of the One in whom we trust . . . .

'for it is better to have a weak faith in a very strong bridge than a strong faith in a weak bridge' --words spoken by our priest-in-charge Heather Sunday last.

Hearing a Word in Due Season

I've realised that I'm probably not good at hearing what God wants to tell me particularly when the Word comes to me head-on. (Although maybe I'm being unduly hard on myself. I don't know.)

In any case, just recently the Lord 'whispered' into my ear on two occasions. The second time involved our priest/pastor who was talking about the rifts in the Anglican Church among the different brands of churchmanship. She had a burden to promote more unity among the groups. When I asked her further about this issue betraying in the process my allegiance to one of the groups she said lightly (my paraphrase): 'What's important is that the gospel is preached!'

That gentle word brought me up short.

I realised as I began to think about this comment that much of my life and that of my family's life had been nurtured in difference. First, I was raised in a Pentecostalist family in the 1950s and 60s. Second, even this difference was intensified further by the unorthodox views of my grandfathers on questions of the Trinity, the soul's existence after death, eternal torment, and the resurrection.

Such nurturance-in-difference can be associated with intolerance and pride.

Moreover, in my own family, differences with my father was not tolerated. He ruled the emotional and intellectual content of the family like other fathers of his generation. Even the children's different personalities, interests, opinions and gifts were hardly tolerated.

The question now is, where do I go with this new awareness? The temptation is to go off half-cocked which often just makes the situation worse. In rooting out the weeds, we can end up rooting up the wheat as well.

So, I am choosing to sit calmly with what I've been given and see what further things the Lord may reveal.

However, the old adage which seems to have been first used by an undistinguished Lutheran theologian in a tract during the bloody 30-year 'religious' war (1618-1648) also seems appropriate: 'in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity'.

High Church/Anglo-Catholic, Liberal, Evangelical!

Anglicanism has a curious makeup! It comprises three main groupings of 'churchmanship'. (This 'churchmanship' can also occur in other denominations such as the Lutheran Church but is prominent in Anglicanism.)

However, it must be emphasised that individual Anglicans often resist being categorised. Furthermore, Anglicans who seem to belong to one of the three groups will display both beliefs and behaviour that may not fit with the typical characteristics of their supposed group.

Despite these facts knowledge of these three groups is still helpful for navigating Anglican Church opinion on various matters; moreover, it is particularly helpful for understanding why certain Anglican Churches worship the way they do and use/don't use the Prayer Book the way they do.

The Basis of the Unity in the Anglican Communion

Introduction

The Roman Catholic Church finds its unity in the Pope; the Eastern Orthodox Churches find their unity in the decisions of the seven Ecumenical Councils of the unified Church before it split into East and Western Church in AD1054 (although the division between East and West had begun well before that date).

Anglicanism is made up of 38 member Churches (provinces*) which makes up the Anglican Communion. Each of these member churches or provinces is in communion with the Canterbury diocese in England as the first diocese of the Church of England.

But the question arises, where does that communion find its unity? (We need to bear in mind that the question of unity is different from the question of authority which will be dealt with in the next post.)

First, it doesn't have a supreme Bishop or Pope like the Roman Church. Second, nor does it look to historical councils as such for its unity as does Orthodoxy. Yet, Anglicanism does have a basis for its unity.

The unity is found in four so-called 'instruments of unity': the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conferences, the Primates' Meetings and the Consultative Council.

Archbishops of Canterbury

Archbishops of Canterbury do not rule over the Anglican Communion in any way comparable to the Bishop of Rome. Power in the Anglican Communion is more widely dispersed. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury is a special focus of the unity of the worldwide Anglican Communion as it was originally the place of the missionary Augustine who came to England with the gospel, becoming the first Archbishop in AD597. The present Archbishop is seen as the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion worldwide.

Lambeth Conferences

These conferences made up of archbishops and bishops are called every 10 years by the Archbishop of Canterbury to discuss matters facing the Communion. These have been held since 1867. 

Primates' Meetings

The Primates are the Bishops or Archbishops elected as first among equals in a province. The meetings began in 1979 and are held when conditions are such as to warrant their importance for the Church. Of recent times, Archbishop Williams has called them to discuss matters pertaining to sexuality and authority in the Church.

Anglican Consultative Council

This council first met in 1971 and was set up by the Lambeth Conference because of the need for more frequent contact among member churches. It includes bishops, clergy and laity. It meets about every three years in different parts of the world.

* The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion and is therefore a Province.

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.