felix hominum

Festival of Lessons & Carols

Tickets for this year's Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols for Advent & Christmas will be on sale at the Winspear Centre Box Office beginning Wed., Oct. 4.

Mon., Nov. 27, 2006, 7:30 PM
Sponsored by: U of A Christian Chaplains, Mixed Chorus, &  University of Alberta Dept. of Music

This event is always sold out early - last year 1600 tickets went in the first few days.

As always, proceeds go to the campus food bank.

Sacred Expressions, Art, and Anglican Videos

He was busy makes notes for a little thesis pointing out the superiority of his photographs of  Byzantine Mosaics to the originals.

or some such thing, from a character in Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited"

Well, I must consult my artist friends over at studiosavant on this initiative for General Synod 2007:

Lots to chew on, from any number of acute and obtuse angles.

Introduction

“Sacred Expressions” is an initiative of the Worship Committee of General Synod 2007 and Anglican Video.  The goal of this initiative is to showcase the work of Anglican Artists from across Canada at the next General Synod, to be held in Winnipeg in June 2007.

Digital photographs of the art work that is selected by the Committee will be shown on a large screen throughout the meeting to some 400 Anglicans and visitors.  The group seeks submissions in every medium – painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, quilt-making, fabric art, even photographs.  Only digital photographs of the work will be featured.  The actual piece of work does not need to be submitted.

Theme

The theme of Sacred Expressions is “Draw The Circle Wide; Draw It Wider Still.”  This is also the theme of General Synod.  Artists are asked to submit work that they believe reflects or expands on this theme.  Selection of the theme was based on the following rationale:

“Draw the Circle Wide… Draw It Wider Still”, the theme for General Synod 2007, incorporates concepts of inclusivity: language, race, culture, theology and the dignity of all people.  The circle, with Christ as its centre, can be infinitely wide and draws all to Christ.  The circle, a symbol of creation and life, is significant to Indigenous people representing healing, sharing and teaching.  The inner circle, the Medicine wheel, contains the words of patience, humility, hope and respect. The inner circle shows how we need to be with each other for the circle to be wider. The circle never blocks anyone out and we continue to learn as the circle goes round, ever widening. We hope that graphic representation of the theme can be an open circle, so that the Church is never seen as closed but open and inclusive of all.

A few initial observations.  Good for saying art is a Good Thing, and that to make art, to engage it, and all that stuff is Good.

Tongue in cheek, sort of:  since the submissions are only digital photographs of the works of art, this shows the inherent "dimensionalist prejudice" of this sort of approach.  By the way, I just made up that phrase.  Is it possible for a photo to capture the artistic merit of sculpture?  Let alone other forms of art which are more than 2 dimensional.  Well, I suppose unless you have a few flatbed trucks, you do what you can.

The selection process:    

    •     the piece reflects or expands on the theme “Draw The Circle Wide; Draw It Wider Still.”
    •     the piece is represented well in a high resolution j-peg of a digital photograph
    •     the piece has been created by an Anglican artist (you do not have to be active in your church – you just have to consider yourself a member of the Anglican community).

sol cafe - Sally Ann Sunday

This Sunday, October 1, 2006, starting around 5ish, the sol cafe will be holding it's monthly "service" service, where we meet out in the community and do a little work as worship (although the fellowship is never far behind!).

This month we will be helping out at the Salvation Army, where in the past we've sorted food for food hampers. This time, we might be doing something different, but we'll be meeting at the same place -- Salvation Army depot:  9618 - 101A Avenue.

Also as in the past, we will have someone at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave)
to gather any stragglers or passersby looking for the sol cafe. Or e-mail us if you have any questions.

Holy Land Pilgrimage info

I'm setting up a bit of an info blog on which I'll post the stuff relevant to the 2007 holy land pilgrimage.  It will have (hopefully soon) all the necessary details, forms, etc.  I'll stick over on the sidebar somewhere.  For now.

analysis of the Anglican Church

I was looking for something else, but the search brought me to this particular site, where the relevant text was

One wonders how two kids raised in church could grow up to hate it so much.  OH!  I know how... it was an Anglican church.  The laziest christians in the world go there.  So it's easy to fall off the wagon.  And curse the wagon.  And set it on fire and watch it and it's horses drawing it fall off a cliff and explode on impact...

I gotta confess, this is too funny.  I'm gonna suggest the national church put it on letterhead or something

L'Arche Fundraiser Sept 29

This Friday, September 29,  there will be a fundariser for the L'Arche Communities in Brazil and Mexico

Location:
St Thomas D'Aquin Church - 8410-89 Street, Edmonton

Time:
5:30 pm

What:
An international dinner prepared by the various L'Arche homes around the city, with foods from the various countries with L'Arche connections.  Followed by a talent show and entertainment presented by the members of our local communities, and the auctioning of a gourmet dinner for 6.

Cost:  $10 in advance, $12 at the door;  $25 for a family, and kids 5 and under free.

To get your advance tickets, contact:

L'Arche Edmonton
7708 - 83 Street
Edmonton, AB
T6C 2Y8

Phone: (780) 465-0618
edmoffice[AT]larcheedmonton.org

sol summary - "Holy" and "holy"

The LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
Habakkuk 2. 20

Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.
Isaiah 57. 15

Last night at sol cafe we had a bit of a discussion around that elusive and maligned 4 letter word:  holy.   There is much to say and unsay about this.  As I went through my week trying to pull together what I was going to say, I discovered that really I had less and less to say, until I came to the place described by Habakkuk.  Sometimes the response to the Holy is the simple silence of being aware that one is in the Presence.  Like Job covering his mouth - what is there to say?  I cannot manufacture conditions for the Holy to come, I cannot invoke His Presence by magic or ritual;  there is no manipulation or lever with enough force.

Then there is that wonderful passage from Isaiah - connecting the transcendant Holiness with the simple heart which is humble and contrite - the heart which begins to be holy by knowing that it is not holy.  And in mercy the Holy comes to us and makes us holy.  It is unfathomable that the Holy Spirit comes to us, dwells in us.  As the temple was made holy by the presence of the Holy, so are we being made holy by the presence of the Holy.

I think the redemption of the word "holy" will come about when we see it as a revealed vision of who God is, and in that vision of holiness we catch a vision of what we are called to be.  Hoiness is not dreary:  it is abundantly joyful, and abundantly beautiful.  And yet I do find myself returning to that thought from Habakkuk - there is so much left to unsay...

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness - Psalm 96. 9

heads up - painting & sculpture exhibit

The controversial Edmonton Contemporary Artists Society presents their 14th Annual Painting and Sculpture Exhibition.

Opening: Friday, October 20, from 7 to midnight.

The Location: Planet Ze, 10055-80 Avenue, Edmonton AB CA

via the ever vigilant folks at studiosavant

but don't they believe in the same god?

“Well”, he replied to me, “that depends on how you look at two particular things.”

“And what might those two things be?”, I asked.

“Revelation and reason.  Let me put it this way”, he continued, “I’m going to need another round.”  I ordered up two more espressos.  He leaned forward and began:

“What the guy was actually doing was pointing out in a very clear manner that the only basis for mutual discussion had to be reason, because the revelations contradict each other.  You see, he didn’t talk about the idea of revelation as a ground for discussion because there isn’t much common ground there.  If there is going to be any common ground, it has to come from what everyone has in common – human reason, because he believes we are all made in the image of God.

“Reason is the only possible ground left, because no one wants to mention that if the discussion hinges on revelation, then there are a few problems.  I suppose it depends on answering how you or I or anybody can know anything at all about who God is, and who God isn’t.  If you say that the only way to know God, is by revelation alone, then there won’t be all that much common ground.

“Let me give you a simple example.  Suppose you and I say that we both know someone named Bill.  Do we assume we are referring to the same person just because we are using the same name?”

“Well”, I replied, “what if I start describing Bill to you?  Suppose I tell you that Bill is so tall, and has this color of hair, and this color of eyes, and things like that?  Then we could start to make some comparisons and have a discussion – maybe we are talking about the same Bill.”

“That’s a good place to start”, he said.  “But where do you get those ideas about Bill?  Did you figure them out on your own, by your reason, or were you told those things, by revelation, and came to believe them?  And those are just a few descriptors.  What if we went further, and we looked at more attributes.  Suppose I say to you:  yes, the man I know fits that description.  Furthermore, this man is a single gentleman, he has no wife and no children.  You might reply that I am mistaken;  the one you are referring to definitely has a son.  Oh no, I tell you;  he has no son, it is impossible, either you must be referring to a different Bill, or you have mistaken information about him.”

I fingered the edge of espresso cup.  “In that case, can’t we still be referring to the same person, only one of us does not have all the details, all the information?  I mean, one of knows this person better than the other, but we are still talking about the same person?”

“If it were just a matter of simple things", he said, "like hair color and physical appearance, then the answer could be yes.  It might just be that he has changed something about himself, some accidental quality which isn’t really a defining quality.  But this is only a very limited way of talking about him.  Even when we ask whether or not it is possible for him to have a son, that is still, from a human point of view, not what we would call a necessary quality.

“When it comes to God, is “having a son” a sort of add-on quality, like you or I might have a car or not have a car, live in a house or an apartment?  Those things can and do change, and they don’t make us different persons.  But with God, if “having a son” is not an add-on quality, but in some way is the very essence of who God is, then it is a very different matter.”

“And”, he said, “it is here that religion differs from what you call your ‘philosophy’.  Religion trusts in revelation.  And if my revelation differs from yours, then we have only two options.  Either we have mutually exclusive claims based on faith in our revelations, or we submit both of our revelations to human reason, which we trust is mutually inclusive.”

“I’m not sure I fully buy into that”, I replied.  “Couldn’t it just be part of the mystery of God that things seem to be contradictory?  After all, there are some religions, like Christianity I am told, in which God is said to be divine and human, surely if the God of Christians can claim to be human and divine at the same time, then having some apparently contradictory revelations would not be difficult for God to reconcile?”

“You can be the judge of that”, he answered.  “And in letting you be the judge of that, I have done exactly what he set out to do.  When I say ‘You can be the judge of that’, I really mean it:  I believe that the power of reason placed within you as a gift from the divine makes you equal with me.  It is an appeal to common humanity.”

“But”, I said, “who am I to judge the content of a revelation?  Isn’t that just, well, wrong?”

“For that question”, he laughed, “we shall have to wait.  But the answer does not prevent us from  enjoying an afternoon together in the cafe.  That, at least, should be clear.”

still going to Jerusalem...

even though a recent Israeli gov't publication had a bit of a mistranslation from Hebrew into English:

The sightseeing pamphlet was translated from Hebrew and should have read: "Jerusalem - there's no city like it!".

But instead the slogan in English read: "Jerusalem - there's no such city!", reported the Israeli newspaper Maariv.

from the BBC

oh well, verse of the day:

Hebrews 13:14 "For here we have no lasting city"

David Gunn visiting lectureship

Distinguished Visitor in Religious Studies:
Professor David Gunn, the A. A. Bradford Professor of Religion at Texas Christian University, and a world-renowned scholar in Old Testament studies

Professor Gunn is an internationally renowned scholar whose main field of study is the cultural history and reception of the Hebrew Bible. He has written on narrative in the Hebrew Bible, drawing on literary criticism and feminist criticism; on the representation of biblical characters and stories in art, literature, and movies; and on the use of the Bible in colonial settings. Among his numerous publications are The Story of King David: Genre and Interpretation (1978), The Fate of King Saul: An Interpretation of a Biblical Story (1980), and a commentary on Judges (2005).

Events open to the public (no charge)

*Bible, Violence and Colonialism: A Tale from the Frontier.  Wednesday, 20 September 3:00 pm, CAB 239

*(Town and Gown Lecture) Covering David: Michelangelo's David from the Piazza della Signoria to my Refrigerator Door.  Thursday, 21 September 7:30 pm, Edmonton Art Gallery 

*Biblical Women and Subjectivity: From Peter Abelard to Harriet Beecher Stowe.  Tuesday, 26 September 3:30 pm, CAB 243  

*Bathsheba Bathing: An Illustrated History of a Biblical Woman.  Thursday, 28 September 3:30 pm, CAB 265

*Public Reception Wednesday, 27 September 5:00 - 7:00 pm, Faculty Club (Saskatchewan Room)

 

prayers for Thailand

Thai PM 'overthrown in army coup'

A faction of the Thai military led by the army chief says it has overthrown Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

reports the BBC

major resolution in Canada/Denmark arctic land dispute

Move over, Henry Kissinger.  Diplomacy has a new kid on the block, and he's solved the ongoing dispute over the sovereignty of that frozen island up north where Denmark and Canada have been sparring with GPS units.

His friends and family know him as Cavan van Ulft, but you can call him His Serene Highness, Prince of Tartupaluk.  If they know it at all, Canadians know this new principality as Hans Island.

A few weeks ago, van Ulft launched an elaborate website for the fledgling state he says has wrested sovereign control over the island from Denmark and Canada, which both claim the bitterly cold, 1.3-square-kilometre Arctic rock.

"Tartupaluk becomes the world's 203rd sovereign State and the first country to declare independence since Montenegro on 3 June," van Ulft, 27, announced on Aug. 13, the date he claims to have travelled to Hans Island to take the land for himself.  Since then, the Carleton University biology student claims to have semt more than 200 letters to foreign governments, declaring his new country.  He swears it's not a stunt. "I'm serious about it," he said. "I really believe in this project and I hope to see it grow."

Adds van Ulft's father, Theo: "Some kids go off to Europe after university. This is his project."

the rest is here

Why not drop by the official goverment website of this new country and congratulate His Highness on establishing his reign in such a civilized and peaceful manner.

Perhpas it would not be unsuitable for a delegation to visit the new principality...

UPDATE: It appears that there is a revolutionary movement  threatening the Prince's claim: 
we are not certain at this time as to the extent of the revolutionary force, based out of Greenland; but will keep you posted as the situation develops

In the meantime, I suggest we all  use the most helpful tool of diplomacy:

Alexander Keith was proclaimed mayor of Halifax in 1834, based on his ability to brew a fine beer.  I suggest that the Prince and the Revolutionary movement have a brewing contest;  the winners will become the true sovereigns...

tradition with imagination

It just seemed appropriate given our discussion at sol cafe last evening.

What is "tradition"?  And how do I "hand on" to another what is of value?  It is another one of those words which sometimes stagger under the weight of baggage.

Sometimes we create tradition on a smaller scale;  in our own family we have a few traditions which we've established as part of celebrating who our kids are in Christ.   Maybe they will keep the rituals we've devised, or maybe they will abandon them when they have their own families.  But I hope that they will carry on the tradition  of celebrating our life in God, in whatever form they choose.

I sometimes think of tradition in its best sense as an awareness and connection with our spiritual heritage - knowing our roots. 

Those few who follow this blog on a regular basis know that Mrs. Felix and some of the kids spent a few weeks vacationing in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, earlier this summer.  It is a well-known local joke in Cape Breton that every conversation between strangers begins with the phrase "What's yer fahther's name?"  I am told that in Newfoundland there is another sort of greeting.  They don't ask a person "Where are you from?"  Instead they ask "Where do you belong?"

An awareness of our roots has some bearing on the direction of our growth.

At about this time of day I usually have something caffeine based, a ritual which has become traditional, and in which I must engage...

Image found via ron, taken by jonny , who has a body of work on flickr

Sue Careless: "Discovering Common Prayer"

UPDATE:  had a great evening, got a copy of the book, along with a previous volume, and will post a review next week

Award winning Christian author Sue Careless will be in Edmonton to launch her new book "Discovering the Book of Common Prayer", and talk about her career as a Christian journalist.

The event takes place Tuesday, September 19 at 7:30 pm
St John the Evangelis Church:  11111 - 57 Ave.

She will have an assortment of her books for sale.

(I will be cheap and try to score a free review copy...)

anglican church attacked in Palestine

Flames are seen at the entrance of an Anglican church hit by a firebomb in the West Bank city of Nablus, Saturday Sept.16, 2006. Palestinians wielding guns, firebombs and lighter fluid attacked four churches in the West Bank town of Nablus on Saturday, while gunmen opened fire at a fifth in Gaza, following remarks by Pope Benedict XVI that many Muslims view as disparaging. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

Must do the dishes, but will add some commentary later...

• You can see Fr. Yousuf Saadeeh, a priest in Nablus, over here on the site of the An-Najah National University, located in Nablus.
• If you've ever wondered what happened to the Samaritans, you can find out all about them here, as well as listen to a recording of traditional Samaritan choral music.  The music, they say, is the same as that sung at the time of the Exodus.
• I'm not at this point certain if this is the new church in Nablus, built just a few years ago, with info from here


“Whoever can leave Nablus, leaves it,” says Rev. Husam Naoum, who is in charge of the parish of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Nablus, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rafidia, two kindergartens, and who is the Vice president of St. Luke’s Hospital and the Penman Clinic. The Anglican priest can feel the creeping Exodus of local Christians especially in his own congregation. He believes that 95% of the Christian youth would like to leave the city today rather than tomorrow.

Palestine is the land with the longest Christian tradition. For almost 2000 years Christians have lived here – these days, however, only as a fading minority of less than 2%. Like their Muslim neighbours, Christians undergo an economic, social, and political crisis due to Israeli occupation. But they have a further problem: Around the world many people, including the Christians, do not know that Palestinian Christians exist. And the entire Arab world is either not aware of them or dislikes them for their Western orientation.

There are only 145 Anglicans in Nablus and Rafidia, within a total Christian community of about 700, whereas 20 years ago there were 10,000 Christians in Nablus. The other congregations belong to the Orthodox or the Greek Catholic church.

Every first Sunday of the month Father Husam holds worship services at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Nablus, and the rest of the month in Rafidia, as this is where the majority of the Christians in the area reside. On average only 40 people come here for Sunday Services. “Sunday is not a holiday here. People have to work”, says Father Husam.

Life as a Christian in Nablus is difficult. “When there is a crisis situation, people go to God for help because there is no where else to turn.” Muslim-Christian relations are fine, but when they get together in each other’s social and celebration occasions, they talk social things and do not talk about religion. They seek to find common ground and unity rather than focus on what is different between them.

Rev. Husam Naoum and his congregation have recognized the importance of working for Christian presence and have decided to set a visible symbol for the Christian presence in their city by building a new church. On December 31, 2004, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rafidia was dedicated under the auspices of the Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal. Some 400 people came to witness this unique moment that could also serve as stimulation for places like Europe and America, where Dioceses have started to dismantle churches.

Fifty years ago a family in the congregation donated a parcel of land to the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, in Rafidia, with the stipulation that it be used to build a church. The Anglican congregations of Rafidia and Nablus, under the direction of Rev. Hosam Naoum, have saved for many years to make this day a reality, despite of the dire economic conditions in the West Bank.

Everything in the church was manufactured by local people from Nablus. Only the lamps have been bought at Kuffer Yassif in Galilee, because Nablus did not have the shapes of antique lamps. The woodwork of the church is made of red American oak.

“Building a Church in Rafidia and in Nablus,’ says Rev. Husam, “is a symbol that we as a church give our utmost to keep our community alive and to preserve it. We had two main reasons for building this church. The first one is that this land on which the church was built was given to the church on one condition: to have a church build on it. So, for 90 years people were demanding to have a church for this parish, and it happened at last in the year 2004. The second reason is that this church marks the hope for the people that we will continue to live in this place. We will continue to survive. The church is a sign of newness. A new church means new life. And it means new hope for the people that we are here as living stones of the Holy Land. The church gives us self-confidence.”

On Friday the 27th May 2005 the church had its first baptism. For Rev. Husam and his congregation it was a very joyous occasion “to welcome a new member into the family of Christ in this city at our new church.”

Many Israelis call Nablus “the capital of terror”. For the Palestinians it is the second biggest city in the West Bank, famous for its sweets like „Kanafe“ (a sweet pastry with cheese and sugary syrup), its olive soap production, and its sesame paste. It is the place where our Lord met the Samaritan woman at Jacob´s well.

Nablus continues to be a city under siege. Although violent incursions have ceased, the people of Nablus still do not have freedom of movement and their economic and social situation continues to worsen. Nablus was the economic centre of Palestine once. But choked by checkpoints, the trade no longer comes through. Much of Nablus has been destroyed economically. Even now that the checkpoint is ”open” there is no reason for people to come in to buy goods when they have to wait in line up to 4 hours to get out. It used to be that every Saturday the Arab Israelis would flood Nablus and buy local goods – they were cheaper and nicer than in Israel – but now anyone with an Israeli ID is kept from entering. Even Jerusalem ID holders, who are not Israeli citizens, are kept out of Nablus. At times even tourists are kept from entering, especially big groups.

But Rev. Husam and his congregation continue to work for a fruitful future. The next project will be to establish a modern nursery below the church, once the necessary funds are available. Rev. Husam says that he and his congregation needed to continue to search for such positive projects to keep hope alive.

With these projects of hope Rev. Husam also wishes to reach Christians worldwide, so that they may become more aware of their sisters and brothers in the Land of the Holy One. “Let me start by greeting all people around the world, also the friends of the Diocese, by saying that we care for you as much as you do for us, because we are one family. I pray to you not to forget other members of the body, especially when it is aching. Because I am sure the whole body is aching with it. Help us to maintain our spiritual and emotional connection to make the Church Christ more alive and more caring. This is our mission.”

"self-actualization"

Of all the things I'd like to be,
holy is at the top of the list.

introducing the iSuit

British men’s clothier Thomas Pink recently introduced an iPod nano tie.  Not to be outdone, competitor Bagir is offering a tailored iPod suit.  The company is calling their new suit MusicStyle, but you know that name won’t stick.

Read it all from Magic Statistics.

university of alberta Alpha courses

There will be two Alpha courses offered on campus at the University of Alberta this fall.  One will be held on Wednesdays at 5 pm in the Student Groups Lounge, and the second on Thursdays at 6 pm, in SUB 011.  Both locations are on the lower level of SUB.

Alpha is a sort of introduction to the Christian faith, with presentations, discussions, opportunities to ask questions, and of course, stuff to eat. 

Email me if you want more info, or check out Alpha online. 

prayers for Dawson College, Montreal

After a shooting spree today which saw 4 people die and more than a dozen injured.

HT Bene, who has more extensive coverage.

connect to the live video(CBC) feed from this page.

later reports have revised casualty numbers.

there i am in print

In some rag named the Anglican Planet.

Rag is not, in the old usage, a derogatory term.

L'Arche fundraiser

Our local L'Arche community has partnerships with other L'Arche communities around the world - it is part of the structure of community.

There will be a fundraiser on Friday, September 29, 2006, 5:30 pm at St. Thomas  d’Aquin Church (8410 89 Street) in support of L’Arche communities in Mexico and Brazil.

ps - the L'Arche community gathers for prayer at the same location on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month, at 7pm.  Everyone is welcome.

for the sheer joy of it

I sometimes have to laugh out loud for the sheer joy of being loved by God.

Yes, yes, I know that there is much angst and hard work and projects and stuff to be done in the world which require great amounts of sacrifice and time and personal cost and there are at least 1700 secret keys to living a fulfilled, Spirit-led life, and any number of heart breaking things which come in front of our eyes and you can't just live the Christian life without a serious and committed effort at a continued and growing and maturing discipleship and the more you see the more you know there is work to be done and no end of causes to espouse and there is the perpetual self debasement of unfulfilled challenges and God knows what else

but

at the end of the day I am loved, just as I was at the beginning.

speaking of conspiracy theories

sameo416 has a few things to say about a recent CBC presentation alleging an in house conspiracy sort of thing around 9/11.  He just watched a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation story on the "growing consensus of academics" that support a conspiracy theory around the World Trade Center attacks. 

sameo416 brings a bit of expertise to bear on the events of the day. 

He brings some interesting background to this:

I served with the Canadian Forces fighter force for just over 20 years, primarily within NORAD.  I hold undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and a diploma in aerospace engineering.  I worked as a research engineer in flight test and development specializing in jet aircraft and weapons.  I participated in a number of aircraft accident investigations and I've visited several high-energy aircraft impact sites.  Oh, I have a degree in divinity so I know a bit about theology too.

holy land pilgrimage 2007

brief update that the dates for the 2007 holy land pilgrimage will be April 23-May12.  more info after the weekend.

some elementary Hooker on the Sacraments

No, I mean RICHARD Hooker.

I have my own secret blog & life categories.  Every once in a while I have a Theological Thursday.  I'm of the opinion that priests owe it to their God, the people they serve, and themselves to take seriously those little parts of their vows in which they promise to do things like study stuff that pertains to the faith.  That doesn't mean I understand all that I study or read, but it is helpful to try to keep the rust off.  So, gentle reader, here is a little elementary introduction to what Richard Hooker says about the sacraments.  And if you complain that my interpretation is incorrect, I'll mumble something about "not enough time".  And ps, it's ok to read old books.

When Hooker begins to speak of sacraments in Laws V.L.2, he states that "in the writings of the ancient Fathers...all duties of religion containing that which sense or natural reason cannot of itself discern, are most commonly named Sacraments."  There is in the sense of Sacrament "some such gift or grace supernatural as only God can bestow" (V.L.2), and that "grace is indeed the very end for which these heavenly mysteries were instituted".  This "grace" is a necessary part of the Sacraments, which are "visible signs of invisible grace" (V.L.3).

For Hooker, the doctrine of sacramental grace is dependent upon other doctrines: "For as our natural life consisteth in the union of the body with the soul;  so our life supernatural in the union of the soul with God." (V.L.3)  And this is the parallel which sets up the basis for Hooker's understanding of sacramental grace:

And forasmuch as there is no union of God with man without that mean between both which is both, it seemeth requisite that we first consider how God is in Christ, then how Christ is in us, and how the Sacraments do serve to make us partakers of Christ.  (V.L.3)

In V.li Hooker straightway gives the reader an examination of the Trinity.  The unity of persons in substance and action seems to mean that the Trinity and its relations are the starting points for discussion of our union in Christ in the Sacraments.  Why is this so?  The model for participation in Christ, making us "partakers of Christ" is an understanding of how the Persons of the Trinity themselves show that there is a kind of mutual participation in godhead without the loss of individual identity.  An example from human experience is that "Peter can be the person which Peter is, yet Paul hath the selfsame nature which Peter hath." (V.li.1) 

This kind of partaking is also evident in the Incarnation:

..even the nature of God itself in the only person of the Son is incarnate, and hath taken to itself flesh.  Wherefore incarnation may neither be granted to any person but only one, nor yet denied to that nature which is common unto all three. (V.li.2)

Just as Hooker stated that the end of grace is the union of the human soul with God, so here we see that prefigured in the Incarnation itself - that which is human is united with God.  Christ is that "mean between both which is both";  he is the Mediator who in himself has united both of the terms which are to be joined.  We are to be "adopted sons of God through grace" by "the natural Son of God being Mediator between God and us" (V.li.3). 

   

As Hooker had said, the Fathers noted that in Sacraments the working of "sense or natural reason" cannot fully discern what is taking place.  This is paralleled by our understanding of the Incarnation, which is a doctrine prior to that of the Sacraments.  "It is not in man's ability either to express perfectly or conceive the manner of how this was brought to pass" (V.lii.1) and this "divine mystery is more true than plain" (V.lii.1).  The difficulty of understanding led to many heresies in the ancient Church, which Hooker addresses at some length.   Correct Christology is then a key to understanding the Sacraments, and the reason why he goes to such lengths to present the erroneous and then the correct formulation of this doctrine.

Yet equally important as the notion that both natures (divine and human) were joined in Christ is the notion that they were not so confused as to indistinct.  There is "no abolishment of natural properties appertaining to either substance, no transition or transmigration thereof out of one substance into another..."(V.liii.1) Concerning the two natures of Christ, there is "a cooperation often, an association always, but never any mutual participation, whereby the properties of the one are infused into the other." (V.liii.3)  What this means is that "both natures may very well concur unto one effect...to work both as God and as man one and the selfsame thing." (V.liii.3)

It is in this context that the general notion of grace as gift is found in Christ.  For “touching union of Deity with manhood, it is by grace, because there can be no greater grace shewed towards man, than that God should vouchsafe to unite to man's nature the person of his only begotten Son.” (V.liv.3)

Basing his argument on Scripture, Hooker proceeds to give several examples of how the Father has "given" to Christ many things:  he has "given all things into his hands", the Son has life "by the gift of the Father", he has a glorious name which "is given him".  The chief and highest grace that can be given to man by God is this union with the Divine:

The union therefore of the flesh with Deity is to that flesh a gift of principal grace and favour.  For by virtue of this grace, man is really made God, a creature is exalted above the dignity of all creatures, and hath all creatures else under it. (V.liv.3)

It would seem that the 'prototype' of all subsequent grace given to rest of humanity is the grace which the Father has bestowed on the human nature of Christ:  Christ is the example of what grace is.  What then is the relation between Christ's human nature and this multitude of gifts and grace?  For although the "the natural properties of Deity be not communicable to man's nature, the supernatural gifts, graces and effects thereof are" (V.liv.5).  As Hooker says, the "very cause of his taking upon him our nature was to change it, to better the quality, and to advance the condition thereof." (V.liv.5) 

One of the other important consequences of the Incarnation is that now God has made humanity "his own inseparable habitation" and that "we cannot now conceive how God should without man either exercise divine power, or receive the glory of divine praise". (V.liv.5) I think we may take Hooker to have a two-fold meaning in this.  In Christ of course "man" exercises divine power, and as well Christ who is man also receives glory.   Hooker does not "over-spiritualize" the Incarnation and its effects:  "as God hath in Christ unspeakably glorified the nobler, so likewise the meaner part of our nature, the very bodily substance of man". (V.liv.8)  There is both a spiritual and a bodily, physical aspect to the Incarnation, as there is to humanity.

Hooker turns in chapter LV to the question of "how Christ is present, to the end it may thereby better appear how we are made partakers of Christ both otherwise and in the Sacraments themselves." (V.lv.1)  Hooker seems to base much of his argument on the distinction between the creature and the Creator.  Christ's body (in the physical sense) is not everywhere, since it falls into the category of created, and so is necessarily limited (V.lv.4).  But, as Augustine pointed out, Christ has both natures: "In that he is personally the Word he created all things, in that he is naturally man he himself is created of God."(Aug ep 57, quoted at V.lv.5)  As a man his body remains in one locale, but as Word he is present everywhere.  The graces and gifts that human nature was given in Christ do not change human "substance" into something else.  "Supernatural endowments are an advancement, they are no extinguishment of that nature whereto they are given". (V.lv.6)  So Christ is not present in the substance of his human body or soul anywhere but "in heaven only". (V.lv.7)

How then is Christ present in anything?  At V.lv.8 Hooker indicates that there is some sort of "cooperation with Deity" of the "manhood of Christ" which allows Him to be present everywhere.  Hooker summarizes that Christ "exerciseth both as God and Man, as God by essential presence with al things, as Man by cooperation with that which essentially is present". (V.lv.8)  But that is not all.  For as well Christ's body is "infinite in possibility of application". (V.lv.9)This is to say that the effects of Christ's body (his incarnation, death and resurrection and all the attendant "gifts and grades") are infinite in the possibility of their effects in humanity, in individuals. 

That God can be present in us as a relation of cause and effect needs to be further clarified, and Hooker does this in chapter lvi.  Hooker begins with a definition of our “participation in Christ"

Participation is that mutual inward hold which Christ hath of us and we of him, in such sort that  each possesseth other by way of special interest, property, and inherent copulation...For plainer explication whereof we may ...assume to our purpose these two principles, That every original cause imparteth itself unto those things which come of it", and "whatsoever taketh being from any other, the same is after a sort in that which giveth it being." (V.lvi.1)

Immediately Hooker gives us a discussion of how the persons of the Trinity are 'in' each other (V.lvi.2) and then proceeds to distinguish from this how "all things have both received their first being and their continuance to be that which they are"(V.lvi.5) by God as effects of a Cause.  All things are participating in God generally, for without Him they would cease to exist. 

But this is not the only kind of participation, nor the one which we are especially looking for in grace.  Creation itself is of course a kind of grace or gift - nothing 'deserved' or merited its own creation, but creation is not full participation in Christ.  "Let hereunto saving efficacy be added, and it bringeth forth a special offspring amongst men" (V.lvi.6)  Just as God has loved "eternally his Son, he must needs eternally in him have loved" those who are "descended and sprung our of him" (V.lvi.6).  We are all inheritors of the nature of Adam, but we are children of God "only by grace and favour." (V.lvi.6) It is this eternal "intended admission to life" (V.lvi.7) which is the true ground of our participation, which takes place only within God himself.  To this eternal foreknowledge there must be added something more.  Hooker states:

Life as all other gifts and benefits groweth originally from the Father, and cometh not to us but by the Son, nor by the Son to any of us in particular but through the Spirit...Our being in Christ by eternal foreknowledge saveth us not without our actual and real adoption into the fellowship of his saints in the present world. (V.lvi.7)

Here we see Hooker showing how all three persons of the Trinity act together in saving grace.  The Father is a kind of general cause of our being, and in Christ he eternally loves us, but it is the Spirit which allows grace to be in us "in particular".  Hooker states that "it is too cold an interpretation" that our participation in Christ is nothing else than that he has taken human nature - "For what man in the world is there which hath not so far forth communion with Jesus Christ?" (V.lv1.7)  No, in the sequence of salvation, the Son has indeed taken on human nature generally, but it is the Spirit which allows us to receive grace individually.  Indeed Christ has surpassed the nature of Adam;  for from the latter we all inherit human nature as corrupt, but Christ has "Adam's nature as we have, but incorrupt." (V.lvi.7)  And it is this incorrupt nature which is the key:  "

Christ...deriveth not nature but incorruption and that immediately from his own person into all that belong unto him.  As therefore we are really partakers of the body of sin and death received from Adam, so except we be truly partakers of Christ, and as really possessed of his Spirit, all we speak of eternal life is but a dream.(V.lvi.7)

That which gives us life is the "Spirit of the second Adam",(V.lvi.8)  and "the first degree of communion with Christ must needs consist in the participation of his Spirit." (V.lvi.8)  The flesh of Christ is important because of the Incarnation, but also (even more so) because of his death and resurrection.  This allows for the immortality of the flesh.   Yet Christ himself in the flesh also received the Spirit at his baptism, "giving as God and taking as man the Holy Ghost". (V.lvi.10)  And so "Christ is therefore both as God and man that true vine whereof we both spiritually and corporally are branches." (V.lvi.9)  The body of Christ is the "foundation first laid" (V.lvi.10) without which no other "operations of the Spirit of Christ" can take place.

Thus "the participation of Christ wherein there are many degrees and differences, must needs consist in such effects as being derived from both natures of Christ really into us." (V.lvi.10)  These "further operations" indicate that participation in Christ is "by degrees", and come from "both natures", and so this takes two forms. 

Thus we participate in Christ partly by imputation, as when those things which he did and suffered for us are imputed unto us for righteousness; partly by habitual and real infusion, as when grace is inwardly bestowed while we are on earth, and afterwards more fully both our souls and bodies  made like unto his in glory. (V.lvi.11)

   

In the flesh he suffered and died, and this righteousness of his is imputed, because "it consisteth in such acts and deeds of his as could not have longer continuance...nor belong unto any other..." (V.lvi.12)  What is imputed therefore comes from his singular deeds, his own death and resurrection, and actions which he performed once in his body.   Different from this is the concept of "degrees" which applies to "the participation of Christ's infused grace". (V.lvi.12)  Here, in contrast to his imputed deeds, which like his body are specific to a particular locale (and time), infused grace comes from the Spirit of Christ, and is present in us.  Hooker sums up the difference by way of analogy:  some may be better sons than others, but all are equally sons.  The former may be seen as infused grace, and the latter as imputed. 

Thus, Hooker says, we see how

the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father...how his Church and every member thereof is in him by original derivation, and he personally in them by way of mystical association wrought through the gift of the Holy Ghost. (V.lvi.13)

Turning to the general notion of Sacraments themselves, Hookers disclaims those who think that they have "no end but to teach the mind, by other senses, that which the Word doth teach by hearing." (V.lvii.1)  For there is "undoubtedly some other more excellent and heavenly use". (V.lvii.1)  They are rather "marks whereby to know when God doth impart the vital or saving grace of Christ unto all that are capable thereof, and ..as means conditional which God requireth in them unto whom he imparteth grace." (V.lvii.3)  We are not able "to apprehend or express how" (V.lvii.3) Christ and his Holy Spirit impart all their "blessed effects", but the sacraments plainly show us when it is being done.  They are also "moral instruments of salvation" (V.lvii.4) and are the ordinary means of imparting grace.  The general necessity of sacraments Hooker summarizes as follows:

That saving grace which Christ originally is or hath for the general good of his whole Church, he severally deriveth into every member thereof.  Sacraments serve as the instruments of God to that end and purpose, moral instruments, the use whereof is in our hands, the effect in his...(V.lvii.5)

Of the specific sacraments, Hooker makes the distinction that "by baptism therefore we receive Christ Jesus, and from him that saving grace which is proper unto baptism", while we receive him in the "eucharist often as being by continual degrees the finisher of our life." (V.lvii.6)

The first of the articles in our Book of Common Prayer concerns the Trinity.  It is a belief, a doctrine, which is at the head of all others.  All other things follow from Who God Is.  This is also the logic of Hooker's writings on sacramental grace in the  Laws.  Before he began his discussion proper of the sacraments of baptism and the eucharist, he gave a detailed examination of what are for him "prior" doctrines.  That he ordered his discussion in this way is no accident.  The reader must conclude that the subsequent discussion of sacramental grace is dependent upon the ideas and categories put forth in Laws  V. l-lvii. 

If we are to understand grace, God's gift, we must first of all know something of God.  If we are to know how we participate in Christ, then we must know something of how participation par excellence  takes place within God as a Trinity.  And if we are to know what kind of thing grace is in redeemed humanity, then we must look to the Second Adam, and to the "saving grace which Christ originally is or hath". 

a few local anglican churches

Be all that as it may, I thought I would not subject my colleagues to the Mystery Worshipper experience and give ratings.  There are many flavours of worship in the Anglican Church, and so I thought I would toss out a  few links for some local parishes.  There are several congregations  within range of the University of Alberta.  Today I'm just mentioning a few Anglican churches (not to be partisan - just that I know their addresses already...)

Just half a block west of Lister Hall (across from the Windsor, which has decent wings) is St George's, which recently welcomed their new rector, the Revd. Emma Vickery.  It's where the Felix Clan goes.

In Old Strathcona there is Holy Trinity.  Dr. Conway has had a connection with the University of Alberta for some time, having lectured in the English Dept.

To the south there is St John the Evangelist, which just finished up a great outreach program for the Lendrum neighbourhood.

And in the west end is St Paul's, on the northwest side of the river.

I would be amiss not to mention St Margaret's, where fellow blogger Tim is pastor.

There is also a brief list of campus ministries here at the U of A over on the sidebar.

sol cafe September 10

sol cafe will be meeting at 5 (ish) this sunday at cafe dabar.  more to follow.

the thing Jesus asks

Mike over at Waving or Drowning has a post which caught my attention.  It's a sort of variation on the theme of Jesus telling the rich young man that he lacked one thing.  And it was that one thing which kept the young man from following Jesus.

It strikes me that Jesus' gaze penetrates beyond the general and addresses the particular in our lives.  Jesus told the young man that there are some general things - like the commandments.  But then Jesus looks at this person, and sees what it is that is keeping this person from following him.  It is a part of our journey in disicpleship to look more deeply at ourselves and ask:  what is the particular thing that Jesus asks of me?

I think this has two sides.  On the "negative", there are those things we keep in the basements of our souls, which we don't want brought up into the light.  The thing that is too shameful to deal with, or perhaps too dear to our identity, our lifestyle to part with, even for Jesus' sake.  Those are the things Jesus wants me to name, and hand over to him.

On the positive side, there is the joyfulness of the specific thing or things that Jesus calls me forth to, in partnership with the specific and individual gifts he gives.  Jesus also looks at this person, at the uniqueness and individuality which distinguishes this person, and gives something which brings joy to this person in a way which no other thing can.

gotta go to the Butterdome... where several thousand disoriented 1st year students are hopelessly wandering.

exclusive secret anglican blogger meeting

The annual meeting of the North-West Anglican Bloggers Association took place in Edmonton just a few short weeks ago.  A quorum was reached after StatGuy and Felix Hominum ordered heavy pasta dishes.   

Stat Guy (aka Scott Gilbreath) was on the return leg of a family holiday and we managed to catch up one evening here in Edmonton.  I had a wonderful evening with Scott and his wife, and had a delightful time of sharing our faith journeys and just plain old Christian fellowship.

Scott has been blogging for some time from his hometown of Whitehorse in the Yukon, which is where I suppose we should have next year's meeting! 

UPDATE:  This just in:  it appears that the internet has finally proven the Vast Right Wing Anglican Conspiracy Theory.  The two bloggers pictured above prove the vastness of the conspiracy (stretching across the large expanse of Canada's north-west).   The fact that the two bloggers are on the right hand side of the picture proves - well - you can figure it out.  The most alarming piece of evidence is that both Felix Hominum and Stat Guy are sometimes linked to by someone known as "Fr. Binky".   The duo are, however, sticking to their story that they did not consume any Anglican Chicken Dinners at the event, but opted for Italian cuisine.