Seven whole days

Here is my contribution to the frenzy about tomorrow’s Royal Wedding. Since I’ve been to the Queen’s back yard at Buck House, I consider Her Majesty to be an acquaintance, even though we never actually met. Owing to my “close” connection to the family, I’ve been avoiding commentary on the coming nuptials. Plus I wanted to pass the security check in the event I am ever invited to another Garden Party.

Anyway, a few years ago, I was in London on fine day in November. As I was walking past Westminster Abbey, I saw some hubbub. Upon asking one of the bobbies stationed nearby, I learned that the Queen and her family were inside the Abbey celebrating her wedding anniversary. So I found my way to the spot where the paparazzi were hanging out and enjoyed the spectacle. About 30 minutes later, the royal family emerged from the Abbey and I was able to get some decent photos of the lot of them. Of course, I didn’t have my telephoto lens with me, so these aren’t the greatest pictures ever. If you enjoy these, go check out the whole set over on flickr.

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Easter Morning, by He Qi.

To see lots of interesting images of Easter, check out this collection at the Bible Paintings.

This post is part of a Lenten series on the 39 Articles.

Article XXXIX: Of a Christian man’s oath
As we confess that vain and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ, so we judge that Christian religion doth not prohibit but that a man may swear when the magistrate requireth in a cause of faith and charity, so it be done according to the Prophet’s teaching in justice, judgement, and truth.

Looking at this last Article, it’s pretty clear the authors didn’t save the best until last. Wouldn’t you think they’d want to end with something powerful — maybe one of the Articles with some poetic text or perhaps one the Articles that speaks to a particularly burning issue? No, they ended with the Article on swearing oaths.

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This post is part of a Lenten series on the 39 Articles.

Article XXXVIII: Of Christian men’s goods which are not common
The riches and goods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast; notwithstanding every man ought of such things as he possesseth liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability.

It always amuses me when people are quick to quote a verse or two from the Bible about whatever moral issue matters to them but willing to ignore everything the Bible says about money. To be clear: the Bible says a lot more about money than it does about sex. The problem, of course, is that the sex bits are always about “other people” and the money bits are usually about us.

Within the 39 Articles, there’s a pretty consistent drumbeat of scriptural authority. Any number of times, the Articles cite scriptural warrant for this or that, or else the Articles insist that we do nothing that is “repugnant” to the scriptures. And then we come to money.

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This post is part of a Lenten series on the 39 Articles.

Article XXXVII: Of the civil magistrates
The Queen’s Majesty hath the chief power in this realm of England and other her dominions, unto whom the chief government of all estates of this realm, whether they be ecclesiastical or civil, in all causes doth appertain, and is not nor ought to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction.

Where we attribute to the Queen’s Majesty the chief government, by which titles we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended, we give not to our princes the ministering either of God’s word or of sacraments, the which thing the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen doth most plainly testify: but that only prerogative which we see to have been given always to all godly princes in Holy Scriptures by God himself, that is, that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God, whether they be ecclesiastical or temporal, and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil-doers. The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this realm of England.

The Laws of the Realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous offences.

It is lawful for Christian men at the commandment of the Magistrate to wear weapons and serve in the wars.

American Version:
The Power of the Civil Magistrate extendeth to all men, as well Clergy as Laity, in all things temporal; but hath no authority in things purely spiritual. And we hold it to be the duty of all men who are professors of the Gospel, to pay respectful obedience to the Civil Authority, regularly and legitimately constituted.

OK, so this one is pretty straightforward, and not very surprising. The state is to be respected. In the English version, capital punishment and war are supported. The Bishop of Rome takes another hit here, as the Article reminds us that the Pope has no authority in England. It’s interesting that the American version omits these things. It would have been easy enough to edit around the “Queen” bits, and to leave everything else intact. Perhaps a commenter will know what the American article omits so many matters from the English version.

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Where charity and love are found, God is truly there. This setting is stunning. Enjoy.

For some other settings, enjoy music from Taize, a setting by Ola Gjelio, Paul Halley’s jazz version, or Morten Lauridsen’s choral version.

This post is part of a Lenten series on the 39 Articles.

Article XXXVI: Of consecration of bishops and ministers
The Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons, lately set forth in the time of Edward the Sixth and confirmed at the same time by authority of Parliament, doth contain all things necessary to such consecration and ordering; neither hath it anything that of itself is superstitious or ungodly. And therefore whosoever are consecrate or ordered according to the rites of that book, since the second year of King Edward unto this time, or hereafter shall be consecrated or ordered according to the same rites, we decree all such to be rightly, orderly, and lawfully consecrated or ordered.

This Article seeks to buttress, along with many of the other Articles, the programme of Reform which the Church in England set out to accomplish beginning in the 16th century. Around the time of the first prayer book of 1549, the church issued new rites for ordination of deacons, priests, and bishops. These are largely Protestant in character, focused on establishing the authority of the clergy based on scriptures, rather than adopting a focus of preparing priests to carry out sacerdotal duties of sacrifice and mediation of God’s authority. Because of this change in emphasis, some might have questioned the legitimacy of Anglican clergy. Others had questions about those who were ordained as Protestant clergy according to the first ordinal (ca. 1549), as opposed to the second ordinal (ca. 1552). So this Article simply asserts the legitimacy of Anglican clergy.

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My blogging archnemesis has been running Lent Madness over at his blog, Clergy Family Confidential. Setting aside the fact that judging saints is against the rules and that it’s a lightweight activity compared with studying the 39 Articles, I have enjoyed Tim’s efforts. Well, he finally wised up and invited four celebrity bloggers to support the Final Four candidates for the Golden Halo. Naturally, I am one of the celebrity bloggers.

Here’s what I offered in support of Thomas Becket. I hope you will read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest these words. And then I hope you will go vote for Thomas Becket. Tell all your friends to vote (at least once)!

Here are some reasons why you should vote for Thomas Becket:

• He is an authentic Anglican saint, martyred as he was in Canterbury Cathedral.
• Though we might today understand Thomas Becket to have been defending clerical immunity from prosecution, he was really defending the church as best he could. He was standing up for the underdogs. He was also working to undermine capital punishment.
• T. S. Eliot wrote a brilliant play about Thomas Becket, “Murder in the Cathedral.”
• Thomas Becket is the only saint to have been featured in a surreal comedic sketch on SCTV — a version of Eliot’s play staged by the Mercury III Players and NASA. It’s got to be seen to be believed.
• Thomas is said to have been humble under his archbishop’s vestments, wearing a hair shirt. That makes him almost as cool as John the Baptist, but with a better diet.
• Though he could have avoided his fate, Thomas stood strong for the faith and for the church, staring down the king’s assassins.
• Four days before his death, Thomas preached a magnificent Christmas sermon, in which he said that he did not expect to preach again. He bound up all joy and all sorrow into God’s glory. He was preaching about his own martyrdom and the glory it would bring to God and to the church.
• The cult of Thomas Becket helped to generate revenue to pay for improvements to Canterbury Cathedral — and still does today. The place is falling apart, so please support Thomas’s quest for the Golden Halo (and maybe help out Canterbury Cathedral a little).

He are some reasons not to vote for Perpetua:

• She is sometimes known as “The Perp”. Is it a good idea to support someone with such a nickname in today’s era of Safe Church training? I thought not.
• Perpetua wasn’t even baptized. You might as well vote for Gandhi (a nice guy, but not a Christian).
• She thought that God’s vision involved dragons. Maybe Perpetua also thought Jesus rode a unicorn into Jerusalem.

This post is part of a Lenten series on the 39 Articles.

Article XXXV: Of Homilies
The second Book of Homilies, the several titles whereof we have joined under this Article, doth contain a godly and wholesome doctrine and necessary for these times, as doth the former Book of Homilies which were set forth in the time of Edward the Sixth: and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the ministers diligently and distinctly, that they may be understanded of the people.

Of the Names of the Homilies.

1. Of the right Use of the Church.
2. Against peril of Idolatry.
3. Of the repairing and keeping clean of Churches.
4. Of good Works: first of Fasting.
5. Against Gluttony and Drunkenness.
6. Against Excess of Apparel.
7. Of Prayer.
8. Of the Place and Time of Prayer.
9. That Common Prayers and Sacraments ought to be ministered in a known tongue.
10. Of the reverend estimation of God’s Word.
11. Of Alms-doing.
12. Of the Nativity of Christ.
13. Of the Passion of Christ.
14. Of the Resurrection of Christ.
15. Of the worthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ.
16. Of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost.
17. For the Rogation-days.
18. Of the state of Matrimony.
19. Of Repentance.
20. Against Idleness.
21. Against Rebellion

In my post on Article VI, I omitted the list of books of the Bible. Who wants to look at a big list of anything? However, I have left the full list of all the homilies here, because I think the range of topics is illustrative of the concerns of the middle years of the 16th century. Apparently, there were a lot of gluttons (hence the bits about fasting) who went to poorly maintained churches wearing fancy clothes. Or something like that.

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This post is part of a Lenten series on the 39 Articles.

Article XXXIV: Of the traditions of the Church
It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or utterly alike; for at all times they have been diverse, and may be changed according to the diversity of countries, times, and men’s manners, so that nothing be ordained against God’s word. Whosoever through his private judgement willingly and purposely doth openly break the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God, and be ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly that other may fear to do the like, as he that offendeth against common order of the Church, and hurteth the authority of the magistrate, and woundeth the conscience of the weak brethren.

Every particular or national Church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolish ceremonies or rites of the Church ordained only by man’s authority, so that all things be done to edifying.

I invite you to read this one several times, slowly. First, try to get the meaning. Second, let the beauty of the words sink in. Finally, let the sense of it all fill you. And then imagine what the Anglican Communion might be like if we all took this one seriously. There’s a lot to chew on here.

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This post is part of a Lenten series on the 39 Articles.

Article XXXIII: Of excommunicated persons, how they are to be avoided
That persons which by open denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off from the unity of the Church and excommunicated, ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithful as an heathen and publican, until he be openly reconciled by penance and received into the Church by a judge that hath authority thereto.

To many Episcopalians, this will seem wholly irrelevant. Excommunication? Do we even do that any more? Well, yes, we do. It is thankfully rare, but the directions are right there on page 409. In fact, it is required that priests excommunicate persons under certain conditions. OK, now that I have your attention, let’s have a look at this Article.

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Long-time readers of 7WD will know that I have an interest in popular culture mashups of the Last Supper. Now before you get all highbrow or holier-than-thou on me, let’s remember that the Last Supper probably looked nothing like your mental image. That image is, in fact, a pop culture mashup from the 15th century. So if you don’t like these, eh, move right along.

In the past, I have posted Last Supper art from BSG, Lost, and the scientific world. Well, just in time for Holy Week, here’s something a bit lighter for you. We begin with the Last Supper in lint (wave of dryer sheet to The Lead; believe it or not, you can see the whole thing here.)

There are more. Plenty.

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