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Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty and merciful God, you raised up Gregory of Rome to be a servant of the servants of God, and inspired him to send missionaries to preach the Gospel to the English people: Preserve in your Church the catholic and apostolic faith they taught, that your people, being fruitful in every good work, may receive the crown of glory that never fades away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
You may notice that the church seems a little plainer, a little less decorated than usual. You’re not imagining things—it is, and the reason, of course, is because we’re in Lent. Specifically, what you’re not seeing includes: flowers on the altar, and the Paschal Candle in its accustomed position near the baptismal font. In many places there are distinctive altar vestments (purple or unbleached linen) that denote the penitential character of the season, and sometimes different candlesticks are used. The liturgy itself also has a peculiarly Lenten feel: the Christian expletive of praise—Alleluia—is retired until the Easter Vigil, the General Confession is often moved to the beginning of the service. The service music is more restrained in tone. Instead of a blessing at the conclusion of the service, there is usually a “solemn prayer over the people.”
Nonetheless, please note that this is the second Sunday in Lent—the preposition is important, for Sundays in the season are manifestly not of Lent. Lent is a time of penitence and fasting; all Sundays are, by definition, feasts of the resurrection, “little Easters,” whenever they occur. For those observing dietary abstinence as a Lenten discipline, it would not be inappropriate to relax such measures on Sundays in Lent.
The word “Lent” is related to the same Old English root from which we get “lengthen,” alluding to the fact that, in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting longer at this time of year. Christians in the early centuries of the church put a great deal of energy into the annual observance of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Baptisms were saved up to be performed at the Great Vigil of Easter (Easter eve into Easter morning). Those who were under penitential discipline were restored to full fellowship with the church in time to make their communion at the vigil liturgy. It seemed appropriate that there be a time of focused preparation for these observances, a time in which all the Faithful could live in solidarity with those who were going to be baptized or restored. This period of preparation eventually evolved into Lent.
There are two lesser commemorations in our calendar:
Tuesday—St Gregory of Nyssa was one of the bright lights of eastern Christianity as a bishop, philosopher, and theologian in the last fourth century.
Friday—St Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome. Pope Gregory served in the late sixth century and briefly into the seventh. Through his administrative skill and pastoral aptitude, he did a great deal to consolidate the leading position of the Roman church in western Christianity. The plainsong musical idiom known as Gregorian Chant is named for him, as is the Gregorian Calendar. As Anglicans, our particular inheritance from Gregory flows from his sending the monk Augustine on a mission to the English kingdom of Kent (597), where the See of Canterbury was established.
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At Covenant we embrace inter-personal verifiability as a criterion of authenticity. While we thus understand the appeal, and in some cases the perceived necessity, of anonymity, we do not see it as compatible with the peculiar nature of ecclesial discourse: in and after the Word incarnate.
To be an adult Christian is, in the Episcopal Church (as in most denominations), to have made a profession of faith, which amounts to a public confirmation to the gathered community that one accepts the faith of the Church. First, the candidate is presented by another member of the body, only to speak in turn for him or herself: “I do,” two times, and the congregation likewise in turn: “We will.” Then all together recite the Apostles’ Creed in a dialogue with the bishop, followed by more questions, answers, and prayers; till finally the bishop confirms the candidate, laying “hands upon each one” and saying: “Strengthen, O Lord, your servant N. with your heavenly grace.” Like God, therefore, who calls us by name (see Is 43:1), so too the bishop, as the apostolic icon of the community’s tangible, mutually recognizable, and therefore shared life.
In this perspective, it seems to us that an online community, if it is to have a place within Christian mission, will naturally follow the same rules of public identification outside the walls of our churches that we observe inside those walls to the end, as always, of deeper conversion to the love of God and one another, in whose name we dare to converse (incorporating debate, admonition, and encouragement).
These are the “fruit of the Spirit” after which we are called to strive: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22). Disciplining our tongues to avoid rants, sarcasm, and all forms of caustic wit that aim to cut others down, pray that we may advance some steps together in Christian holiness, even on the virtual pages of a blog!
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. - 2 Cor 3:2 Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
