Islam and 'Sunday Christianity'

Before Holy Week, I spent a lot of time walking all over the City of Chester handing out flyers and inviting people to church. I got to meet a lot of people that way, but what impressed me the most were the young, devout, African-American Muslims. I can't tell you how many times I heard, "Thank you, Father, but we're Muslims."

Young men and women in the City of Chester are being attracted in droves to Islam. And the Islam they are practicing is not a religion for lazy people. They are praying five times a day. They are practicing their faith constanty, and it requires real sacrifices from them: sacrifices of time, money, energy, and ethical obligations.

Islam is requiring tremendous things from them. It demands a true conversion of life. And they are finding transformation through it.

One of the gravest mistakes Christianity has made in the 20th Century is to make it easy to be a 'Christian.' Want to be baptized? Come on! Just show up half an hour before the service on Sunday and we'll talk through it. Want to be confrimed? Sure! Come and take a class or two and we'll present you to the bishop. Want to get married but don't feel particularly 'religious?' No problem.

If our faith isn't worth a real, daily committment, how can we expect others to commit to it? If we are not experiencing true conversion of life, do we really expect others to? If we make new life in Christ seem that easy to come by, then of course people are going to think it isn't worth giving up a little free time to seek it out.

Christianity has been built on the lives of holy men and women who gave up everything for Christ. Christianity has been built on countless lives through the centuries completely given to prayer and self-sacrifice and to the building of the Kingdom of God on earth. But somehow, in the past sixty or so years, mainline denominations have taught by our laissez faire attitudes that perhaps Christianity isn't really worth a commitment. And now, we can see the results.

What we need is an Awakening. What we need now is a return to the daily life of prayer and service. What we need now is for our congregations to experience true and profound conversion of life. What we need now is to turn religious tourists into pilgrims (to borrow a phrase from Diana Bass, one of my seminary professors), starting with ourselves.

And with Christ, anything is possible.

Easter Sermon

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is raised indeed. Alleluia.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Resurrection changes everything. In Matthew’s Gospel, the resurrection causes the earth itself to tremble. When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb, burdened with grief, they could never have expected the greeting they receive: “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said (Matthew 28: 5b-6a).” And when Jesus himself finally appears to them, he gives them three commandments: first, Rejoice (the word translated ‘greetings’ in our gospel literally means rejoice); second, do not be afraid; and third, share the message.

Rejoice. Do not be afraid. Share the message. These are the commandments we are called to live by as children of Christ’s resurrection. In our baptism, Christ enters every particle of our selves, souls and bodies, and makes us members of his glorious body. We become ministers of his undying, overflowing, all-consuming love. And the love we are brought into knows no bounds: it pulls us out of the things that entomb us and brings each of us—and all of creation—into a new existence. Resurrection life is glorious, but it is also unsettling.

There is an Orthodox Icon, or holy image, of the resurrection called “The Harrowing of Hell.” In it, the resurrected Christ is depicted in front of a tomb: the tomb of our first parents Adam and Eve. Christ grasps them by their wrists and pulls them out of the tomb. It is not a gentle pull, either. Christ yanks them up out of their dusty resting place, a resting place that is maybe strangely comfortable. It is a state of being they are familiar with and it doesn’t present them with challenges. But they are called into resurrection, and Christ tugs on them until they are dislodged from the earth and brought into new life.

Jesus does the same for us. Easter pulls us out of our tombs and brought into a world that is completely new and different from the world we have known in the past. Easter is about new life. Not even life after death, but new life now. You can wait to experience resurrection after you die, but I don’t recommend it. And I don’t think that’s what God wishes for us, either. You can practice resurrection this very day—if you are brave enough. A phone call can work miracles, or just a hello, or an “I love you.” Or better yet, call someone from whom you are estranged. Pull the pins out of the proverbial voodoo doll. You don’t even have to say sorry. (You may not be sorry, and he may not be sorry, either.) It doesn’t matter. Call him, wish him Happy Easter, and ask him how he is. Not that this is guaranteed to go smoothly. But you will experience a taste of resurrection. All you need to do is rejoice, do not be afraid, and share the message. It might be unsettling, yes, but it is how we share in the new life of Christ and extend it into the world. It is now we experience resurrection now.

There is an ancient sermon for Easter Day, whose author has been lost, where Christ addresses Adam and Eve, freshly yanked out of their dusty rest: “O order you, O sleepers, to awake. I did not create you to be held prisoners in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, you who are the work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you, and we cannot be separated. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you for all eternity.”

Today Jesus rescues us from the power of death and limitation. Today the world is different and new. Today we are pulled out from the tombs of limitation and sin and death. Today Christ gives us limitless and overflowing life. Rejoice! Do not be afraid. Share the message.

And so let us say again, and let us say for ever:

Alleluia. Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!



The Collect

O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

or this

O God, who made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord's resurrection: Stir up in your Church that Spirit of adoption which is given to us in Baptism, that we, being renewed both in body and mind, may worship you in sincerity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

or this

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Holy Saturday

The Collect

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Maundy Thursday

The Collect

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Wednesday in Holy Week

This day is also commonly known as Spy Wednesday in rememberance of Judas' betrayal of Jesus, which is the Gospel appointed for Mass on this day.

The Collect

O Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his back to
the smiters and hid not his face from shame: Grant us grace
to take joyfully the sufferings of the present time, in full
assurance of the glory that shall be revealed; through the same
thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with
thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Tuesday in Holy Week

The Collect

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Monday in Holy Week

The Collect

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

Before the reforms of the Book of Common Prayer 1979, the Sunday of the Passion was a week before Palm Sunday. The current prayer book combines these themes into one day, as do the modern Roman, Lutheran, and other rites. I sometimes wish we kept them as separate commemorations, but alas, I am not on the Standing Liturgical Comission!


Collect at the Liturgy of the Palms

Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our
salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation
of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and
immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect at the Mass

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the
human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take
upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross,
giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant
that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share
in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.

Grant him eternal rest.

The body of Paulos Faraj Rahho, the saintly Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Mosul (Iraq) has been found buried in a roadside grave. He was kidnapped on February 29th and had not been heard from since.

The native Christian minority once enjoyed relative peace and protection in Iraq, but are now in constant danger.

Of your charity, pray for the soul of Archbishop Paulos, and for the safety of the Chaldean Christians of Iraq.

Thought of the Day

The Governor of New York has been caught in sexual misconduct and illegal activity.

The same day that story broke five of our soldiers died in Iraq.

I think the former is grevious, but it grieves me even more that we heard virtually nothing about the latter.

Contemplation

Assist us mercifully with thy help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby thou hast given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

-- The Book of Common Prayer


This collect is appointed for the Liturgy of the Palms at the beginning of the Palm Sunday liturgy in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. I think it is an appropriate entreaty to God at the beginning of such a time as Holy Week. For the clergy and for those who assist in worship, Holy Week is the busiest time of the Church Year and does not afford much opportunity for contemplation.

I know many people who count as their conversion experience the liturgies of Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum, the three holy days which begin with Maundy Thirsday and culminates with the Great Vigil of Easter. Indeed, I count them as mine as well, remembering my baptism at the Great Vigil of Easter in 1997.

Entering with joy upon the contemplation of the acts of our salvation requires us to be present; not only physically but spiritually. It requires us to give ourselves the prayerful space to allow God to speak to our souls in a new way. For me, it means being prepared enough to be able to approach the sacred mysteries without a mind swimming with undone tasks. Whether clergy or lay, truly participating in the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter is a real sacrifice of time and attention, but its rewards are immense.

Our Holy Week and Easter schedule at St. Paul's can be found here. I invite you to join us in this sacred time, and to experience the transformation of Christ's life, death, and resurrection!

The Rubber Room

This American Life had a fascinating segment on the 'Rubber Room,' the nickname for the New York City Department of Education's suspension process for teachers who have been removed from their classrooms for reasons ranging from allegations of misconduct to disagreements with their principal. It's well worth a listen. Also, a production company has made a film called The Rubber Room and you can view the trailer and other features here.

It's a powerful example of (a) the frightening results of bureaucracy gone bad, and (b) the deep problems of New York City's public education system.

Check it out.