THE MandateMAGAZINE OF THE PRAYER BOOK SOCIETY Volume 33, Number 4 Fall 2010 In This Issue Reflections from the 2 Editor’s Desk A Letter from 5the President Advent 6Meditations The Order of 8 Holy Communion Nine Lessons & 9 Carols Sermon A Theological 11Reflection Foundation of a 16Church Plant News from the 18Anglican Way Preparing for 19Death ADVENT MEDITATIONS lessed Lord, who has caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant Bthat we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of ever-lasting life, which thou has given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Collect for the Second Sunday in Advent Reflections FROM THEEditor’s Desk By Roberta Bayer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Patrick Henry College, Purcellville, Virginia Peter Toon’s Final Book enough importance on the visible church, mani- Certainly the most important news is that Wipf fested through baptism. He wrote: and Stock have published the last of the books writ- The idea that only the “earnest” (those who “desire ten by the Reverend Dr. Peter Toon entitled: Fore- to follow in the footsteps of Christ and know his taste of Heaven amidst Suffering: Living with the Word”) can “hope” to be members of the Church Life-Threatening Disease of Amyloidosis. It is, as the seems directly opposite the teaching on page 292 of title suggests, a reflection upon the last things. This the 1928 BCP, that the inward and spiritual grace in book is available on Wipf and Stock’s website, and Baptism “is a death unto sin, and a new birth unto shall be available through Marketplace. righteousness, whereby we are made the children of grace.” This Prayer book description sounds a lot like More on Women’s Ordination my understanding of Church membership, as we say In the last issue I offered some reasons for why of the newly baptized: “a child of God, an inheritor someone might have reservations about ordain- of heaven, and at this moment the newest member of ing women to the priesthood. Subsequently I was the one Holy Catholic Church.” The Sacrament does asked, interestingly enough, why I did not mention the work of Grace, not any works of mine such as the authoritative tradition of the apostolic priest- desiring or knowing — and I cite Article XXVII in hood. This was not an oversight on my part because this regard. The whole Anglican Way has been based throughout the arguments it was assumed that there on the givenness of the visibility and specificity and is an intrinsic connection between the Scripture and knowability — the absolute instantiation — of the that tradition, in particular if one considers the fact Church. that Christ chose only men to be His apostles. If, as Fr Clarke is exactly right to point out that the Dr. Michael Carreker argues most beautifully in his saving grace of Baptism is a work of Christ and not article in this issue, the Bible is the most transpar- our own work. Furthermore the Church is made vis- ent of windows into the mind of God, and it is the ible in its sacraments as a corporate body — this is a end of Biblical seeing to follow Christ, then surely it mark of the Church. Yet, at the same time, in saying is Christ’s example, given in the Bible, which is the that the Body of Christ, the Church, is a spiritual source of the tradition of male priesthood within the reality, one does not belittle its visible manifestation. Church. Obedience to Christ’s example is anything The Church is both visible and invisible at the same but sexist; for indeed, it is only through obedience time, but the borders of those two realms do not to Christ that each person finds the way that is set entirely correspond. The grace of baptism is given; before them. but it can also be rejected. When St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) pointed to A response to Border Crossing the existence of false Christians within the Church, My comments in the last issue under the topic of and that the City of God, while on pilgrimage in Border Crossing and the Anglican Way elicited some this world has in her midst some who are united commentary from one of our Board Members. Fr. with her in participation in the sacraments, but who Daniel Clarke wrote that my comments do not place will not join with her in the eternal destiny of the Mandate Advent 2010 • Volume 33, Number 4 Editor: Dr. Roberta Bayer • Assistant Editor: Mrs. Auburn Traycik • Design/Layout: Boldface Graphics The Officers for the Year 2010 are: President: The Rev. Gavin Dunbar • Vice-President: The Rev. Fr. Edward Rix Treasurer: Kathleen Stephans of Philadelphia • Secretary: Mrs. Rhea Bright of Oklahoma Mandate is published four times a year by the Prayer Book Society, a non-profit organization serving the Church of God. All gifts to the P.B.S. are tax deductible for U.S. citizens. Recipients of Mandate are encouraged to send at least $28 each year to maintain the ministry. Editorial and all other correspondence: P.O. Box 913, Brookhaven, PA 19015-0913. Phone 1-800-PBS-1928. Postmaster: Please send address changes to the above address. Visit the websites of the Society: www.pbsusa.org & www.anglicanmarketplace.com. 2 THE MAGAZINE OF THE PRAYER BOOK SOCIETY saints, he makes this very distinction between invis- of both rocks and cloaks. The only face one sees is We need your ible and visible churches (City of God 1.35). He had that of Mary; Elizabeth’s face is hidden within her gifts in order to cause to give much consideration to this question in hood. It is as if in the rational and artfully-made clas- carry out your his disputes with the Donatists. Augustine concluded sical architecture of the portico in which Elizabeth that although we cannot in this life discern who will stands, and into which Mary shall enter, El Greco mandate to inherit eternal life, what we do know is we cannot be is foreshadowing how God, in taking on humanity defend the 1928 saved against our wills. through Mary, is about to enter into that house of Book of reason which man had built, to grace it forever. The Further Thoughts on Mary entire picture seems to foreshadow what will eventu- Common Continuing discussion about the ordination ally be accomplished in the history of the Church. Prayer. of women encourages me to note again that it is a Which brings me back to this rather interesting You may send woman, not a man, Mary the Mother of God, who is point about the relation of men to women within the exemplar above all of Christian virtue, for both the church. While men are appointed by Christ to a contribution men and women. In the last issue I mentioned Cran- sustain the Church, to offer the sacraments, and to in the enclosed mer’s reasons for placing the Magnificat as the first maintain the teaching, it is only through the sublime envelope. canticle of Evening Prayer. love of God which can be The Magnificat is Mary’s seen in Mary’s obedience, prayer in praise of God for revealed even in her haste to Please give condescending to use her bring news to Elizabeth of generously. as the means by which he God’s announcement, that Please read our rede- would bring salvation to his the Church, which is after signed website: people. The setting of Mary’s all the Body of Christ, began www.pbsusa.org prayer was in the house of as a child, in Christ Jesus. Contact Dr Bayer at her kinswoman Elizabeth to editor.mandate@gmail. whom she had rushed, after Nunc dimittis com or having been visited by the Cranmer placed the from the PBS website Angel Gabriel: And Mary Nunc dimittis or Song of arose in those days and went Simeon, (Luke 2.29), as the into the hill country with second canticle at Evening haste, into the city of Juda; Prayer. Like the Magnificat, And entered into the house this passage has tradition- of Zacharias and saluted ally been sung at the Eve- Elizabeth. And it came to ning Service since the fourth pass that when Elizabeth century. Simeon, as Luke heard the salutation of Mary, relates, was a man righteous the babe leaped in her womb, El Greco, Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. Courtesy and devout, who lived in and Elizabeth was filled with Dumbarton Oaks, House Collection, Washington, D.C. Jerusalem and was looking the Holy Spirit. And she spake out with a loud voice and waiting for the consolation of Israel. When Mary and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed brought the new born Jesus to the temple in Jerusa- is the fruit of thy womb. (Luke 1.39-42) lem to be presented to the Lord, as was the custom, In the Music Room at Dumbarton Oaks in upon the sight of Jesus Simeon took the child into Georgetown, D.C. there hangs a painting by El Greco his arms and was inspired by the Holy Ghost to pray (1541-1614) of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. An these words to God. intense expression of purpose is depicted on the face The placement of the Song of Simeon after the of Mary as she and Elizabeth salute each other, one reading of the New Testament is entirely logical.