The Ordination Address

In nearly all forms of ordination, there comes a time in the rite where the bishop (or someone in his or her place) addresses the candidate or the assembly. Why?

Such addresses nearly always occur (or should occur) for rites and services that are more unusual and rare. For example, one proceeds the Easter Vigil. Certainly ordination is a more rarely seen rite; it cannot take place just any old time. So, it figures that an address of some sorts accompanies this rite.

But who is being address? The candidate for ordination is an obvious choice, but it is not always so – or at least not always exclusively so.

With the people gathered, the bishop, and the liturgist in his or her stead, has the opportunity to educate the laity on the theological implications of ordination. The address is the best place to do this. The address to the candidate would likely include exhortations for ministry and warnings (yes, I said warnings) on the state of taking holy orders. Frankly it is akin to the address made at a wedding.

No matter who is being addressed or what is being said, the address in the ordination rite is an important fixture which no pastor, priest or reverend will soon forget following their ordination.

Pentecost Vigil

Exciting news! The very rare bird of the Pentecost Vigil is soon to be sighted in the Tallahassee area.

This vigil mass is exceptionally uncommon (though certainly part of the ordo) and as a result there are little resources to be found. It is going to be interesting for me to put it together - not from scratch - but to search for the liturgical traditions for this exceptionally interesting service.

Keep in touch for developments!

Greek and liturgy

Greek has been with us as Christians forever, and it will always be so. The New Testament is written in Koine, the common dialect of Greek. While most of our liturgical language is inherited from Latin, we will always have the Greek "Kyrie" as part of our liturgical lives.

In addition, certain Greek letters have keep their place in our liturgy: the alpha and omega placed on the Paschal Candle; the chi-rho, a monogram for Christ; and less well know, the Greek letters mu and psi that may be blown on the face of the waters when blessing them for a font.

Indeed, Greek is here to stay.

Ritual exsufflation and insufflation

This may be an oddity to us 21^st century folk, but the ritual action of breathing was once a crucial act in the rites of the Church. Most notable, the rite of baptism contained these ritual breaths, the officiate breathing on the catechumenate. Exsufflation – the hard blowing was a kind of exorcism, the symbolic act of blowing away evil and more importantly sin. Insufflation was the gentle breath (that is one proceeded by and "h" – that which would fog a window). Insufflation was the symbolic act of bestowing the Spirit of God upon and individual or even a blessing.

Sure this may seem crazy to us. At best, it is adiaphora. But let us take a closer look. In John's account of the Gospel, Jesus breaths on his disciples (Cf. John 20:22). This is coupled with the assertion of the coming of the Holy Spirit. In essence, this act for John replaces the Pentecost story of Luke in Acts. Notice that this in line with the idea of insufflation – the imparting of the Holy Spirit. There is a reason the Holy Spirit is associated with breath and wind! (also cf. the with Hebrew understanding of Spirit: ruach)

This rich biblical imagery was not lost on Luther who included this ritual breathing as part of his baptismal rite of 1523 (cf. "The Oder of Baptism" in Luther's Works Vol. 53, pg.96). It has fallen out of use in the Roman Catholic world since Vatican II. Could we reinstate this? Possibly though there is little impetus as it is so far down the adiaphora list and more over is nearly forgotten. Nevertheless, this might have a reprieve at and adult baptism were you could explain the symbolism in advanced.

Smells and Bells

Many have used the expression "smells and bells" to generically describe high liturgical forms of worship. However, there is a lot implied in this little phrase.

First is the implication that more than one sense in involved in worship. Indeed we worship with our voices, we see worship with our eyes, we taste the sacrament, we hear the sermon and the music, and with incense we can engage another sense. No harm in engaging our whole being; besides, are we not called to serve God with our whole being, and does that not mean worshiping God with all our senses?

Secondly, the use of incense has been historically used to denote the sacred. Preceding the cross in processions is common as well as incense's use to sanctify the altar, the people and the worship leaders. It is often used in blessings of homes, objects, and people.

Why then do we not see more incense in worship? Perhaps some people are afraid to use incense because it might bother some people; breathing or smelling the smoke might be too much for some. This is a serious concern, but only one. I think quite frankly that most people have this impression of incense but not have firsthand experience. A simple example it to hang a censor on a stand in the chancel – do not even light it or burn anything in it. There often is a noticeable increase in coughing – the ultimate placebo effect. Heaven forbid someone say something about it, you can always say "I didn't even burn anything!"

A Festival of Rededication

This coming Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent. It is also the first day of the new liturgical year. While many use this time to look forward to the coming Christmas season, I would recommend a slightly different approach to this first Sunday in Advent: a new year's celebration.

What do we do when a new year comes? Most of us start thinking about "New Year's resolutions." These resolutions are oftentimes something we have tried to do before but we are now using the New Year as an occasion to rededicate ourselves to our mission. This is exactly what I think the Church should the first Sunday in Advent.

Imagine this Sunday's worship full of pageantry as the altar, the pulpit, the font, and the whole worship space are re-consecrated and rededicated to the service of the Almighty. Our attention is both retrospective – on our baptismal call and our history – and to the forward movement of our parish in the work of God. The worship service would simply be a setting to do all this in; correspondence with Sunday school and bible studies would help to bring the focus in even more.

This Sunday as you worship in your respective parishes, think for a brief moment on how to rededicate yourself to the work of God.

Deacon v. Assistant Minister

In recent years, the new liturgical distinction of the "Assistant Minister" has emerged in our service books. However, in reality the liturgical role has been around nearly forever.

The assistant minister can be a member of the clergy or of the laity. There is little to no distinction between individuals according to age, sex, race, et cetera. It is however the title assistant minister that is new. The role and function of the deacon has been around since the first century. St. Steven – whose tale of martyrdom is found in Acts of the Apostles – is considered the proto-deacon, the first deacon. In those days of the Church, deacons had two main functions: (1) to serve as a worker for the poor, the orphan, the widow, and all the disenfranchised; and (2) to help assist in worship as a kind of worship leader halfway between an acolyte and the priest.

Unfortunately, Lutherans have continually divorced these two roles of the deacon. Today we have diaconal ministers, who play the social role of the deacon; and we have assistant ministers, who play out the liturgical function of the deacon.

I would love to see the state of the deacon restored in the Lutheran Church here in America, a role that once again combines the two roles into one person, one position.