Prologue

Some time ago, a ministry colleague handed me a big challenge: “Is that really what the Bible teaches?” We had been kicking around the notion that surely worship, above and beyond anything else, was the main function of the church.

At his church, the pastor had been talking about evangelism— soul winning— as being “what it’s all about”. That thinking, according to my dear friend, had brought about a kind of litmus test for their worship services: If someone “came forward” at the time of the altar call— if they walked the aisle and accepted Christ, or rededicated their lives to Him— then the service was a success. And if not, well, then somehow they had failed in worship. And so most everything they did, especially in corporate worship, was viewed through this lens: That the main function of the church is to win the lost.

Meanwhile at my church, our pastor was having the staff and leadership read a new book, The Kingdom Focused Church, wherein the author listed several what he called “functions” of a healthy church. Best I can recall there were about ten of them, including fellowship and teaching. And at the bottom of the list? Worship.

None of this seemed quite right to us. And so it was that my colleague and I were kicking around these ideas: Just what is the function, or functions, of the church? Is that the best word for it? Are there several, or just one? What does the Bible say?

Finally, I blurted out, “Worship is the purpose of the church. The only one. And everything else she does emanates from it.” My colleague agreed, but then handed me that challenge: “Is that really what the Bible teaches?” I couldn’t give him a direct answer. The concept wasn’t especially new or novel; I had heard others speak or write of similar things, but I had yet to read or hear of someone taking on the direct question: “Is worship the purpose of the church, and does the Bible clearly teach it?” The questions were spinning around in my head: If worship is indeed the singular purpose of the church, then what about the Great Commission? What about the other missions of the church?

Over the course of the next few postings, I want to share with you what came out of that challenge— the exegetical work that I did in my quest to support this simple, provocative, and profound truth: Worship is the purpose of the church. The only one. And everything else she does emanates from it.” Do you believe that worship is the purpose of the church? Do you have a good theological framework to support it? I invite you to dig in and join me for this little series.

Introduction

“God has made all creatures for his glory. …When we, who know we are God’s creatures, worship God together, we gather up the worship of all creation. Our chief end is to glorify God, and creation realizes its own creaturely glory in glorifying God through human lips” (James Torrence, from Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace).

In a November, 2002, address to the Tennessee Baptist Convention, then-President Kevin Shrum said that worship should not be the primary focus of a congregation. “If God wanted worship to be the main priority of the church,” Shrum said, “he would take us on to heaven right after we were saved where we could worship Him perfectly. Satan has used it to divide us. My friends, we’ve got to stop worshiping the worship. While worship is necessary, the essential purposes of the church are evangelism and missions.”

Shrum’s presumably pastoral concern is understandable, but his comments simply do not reflect a thoroughly biblical theology of worship, to say nothing of the witness of church history. Of course we must not worship our worship, but neither should we worship, say, our programs, and we must not worship our work— something easy to do when the work is godly. Modernity was nearly successful in fixing in our minds the self-oriented and potentially idolatrous notion that work or programs are our highest priorities. At church, electric lights and restrooms are necessary. Worship is essential.

Why? As Robert E. Webber put it, the source of the church’s spirituality, its power, comes from its encounter with God in worship. Discipleship and missions, among other tasks, are the fruits of that spirituality. Worship, Webber says, is the “primary celebration” of the church.

Why is worship the church’s purpose? Our answer begins with this foundational truth: Because we were born to worship. It is our reason for being. We must worship; we will worship something. We worship because that is how we were created.

A. W. Tozer writes beautifully on this subject: “One of the greatest tragedies that we find, even in this most enlightened of all ages, is the utter failure of millions of men and women ever to discover why they were born. …Ever since [Adam and Eve], men and women alienated from God and trying to exist on a sick, fallen planet have been pleading, ‘I don’t even know why I was born.’ Those who have followed the revelation provided by the Creator God have accepted that God never does anything without purpose. We do believe, therefore, that God had a noble purpose in mind when He created us. We believe that it was distinctly the will of God that men and women created in His image would desire fellowship with Him above all else. …I am going to say something to you which will sound strange. It even sounds strange to me as I say it, because we are not used to hearing it within our Christian fellowships. We are saved to worship God. All that Christ has done for us in the past and all that He is doing now leads to this one end.”

Worship must be the church’s singular purpose, not only because it is our “chief end”, and not only because it reminds us why we exist, but because it is the very thing that we will continue to do for all time. Worship will never end. The important tasks of the church, though, are temporary. They will someday come to an end. This truth, then, is the reason we must go about them with God-glorifying, Christ-centered, and Spirit-powered enthusiasm. Our response to the world around us— the world that God created— is a response to our worship of him. He is the Creator; we are the created. It must begin with Him.

Looking to the next installment

In the next posting, we’ll be talking about the words “purpose” and “task”. There’s a powerful difference—and the conversation will help us along the way as we ask the question, “Is worship the singular purpose of the church?”

As always, let’s keep the conversation going!

Chris Alford

Chris Alford is the Board Chair of the Ancient-Future Faith Network and Pastor of Epiclesis: An Ancient-Future Faith Community in Sacramento, California.

In June I, and about 25 others, had the privilege to attend the first annual AFFN gathering which was held at the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies (IWS) in Orange Park Florida. Just prior to the gathering many of us were also a part of the IWS alumni event which was held in the same location and was led by Dr. Chris Hall where he spoke about his recent book Worshiping with the Church Fathers. If you are aware of Chris you will have realized that those of us who attended both events we were well primed for the AFFN gathering. Included in the gathering were pastors, educators, missionaries, dancers, board members of the AFFN and pastoral musicians from Canada and the US. Many were graduates of the IWS. Various denominational backgrounds were also represented by the attendees. A particularly notable (amongst many) attendee was the Rev. Dr. Joel Scandrett who is the recently appointed Director of the Robert E. Webber Center at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA. Joel and I share the common notoriety of being the two of the three Anglican Priests present at the gathering.

I share that last bit of information so that you can glean a little about who I am to help provide some context for discerning my motivation to write this article. Other salient qualities are that I am an Evangelical, a lover of worship tradition and liturgy and a worship leader (I really prefer the term facilitator actually). I have also been richly encouraged and informed in my pastoral vocation by the late great Robert E. Webber having met Bob about twenty years ago. This relationship directly influenced my path as a graduate of the doctoral program in the area of Eucharistic liturgy at the IWS.

Now to the task at hand. I could tell you about all that was discussed at the AFFN gathering. I could tell you about the various workshops which were presented. I could tell you about any discussions that were made regarding moving ahead together. I’m not going to do that. Rather I want to tell a little story of and interaction I had with one of the other attendees of the gathering. My hope is that this vignette might help the reader to get a sense of what the AFFN is about. To help to sharpen this sense I want to offer a glimpse of two of the characters who spent their own time and money to meet together for a few days in the lovely late June heat of Florida— one of whom was me.

The other character is in focus of this little vignette is Dr. Carl Peters. Carl and I had just met each other at the IWS this past June. I think what initially attracted us to one another was our common sense of humour. Over the few days at the events we also began to sit beside one another during the sessions. Carl was one of the early graduates of the doctoral program at IWS and he serves on the board of AFFN. Carl is currently ministering at the Anchor Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky in the areas of ministries of worship, music and discipleship.  As his bio on the AFFN website records Carl has a zeal for “renewal in the vital nature of the Table in the Christian sacred assembly.”

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! Psalm 133:1

-and-

[W]ork out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phil 2:12b-13

Now for the story. Right at the end of the last day’s session at the AFFN gathering Carl approached me with a question. It had just been announced that the group of attendees would reconvene in 15 minutes to celebrate Holy Communion together. Carl had just been asked if he would be the Celebrant at that service. Carl must have been desperate because he came to me (I had let slip that my field of interest is Eucharistic liturgy) and he asked me if I could help him to put together a Eucharistic Prayer. Usually it is a long process to write a Eucharistic Prayer but desperate times call for desperate measures! To paraphrase and personalize Psalm 133:1 in the context of this moment: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when Baptists and Anglicans (Americans and Canadians too!) dwell in unity!” We would need that blessed unity if Carl was going to represent well the purposes of Christ in the sacred mystery of the Eucharist given the time restraint that we were under.

I quickly replied in the affirmative to Carl’s request for help. I wasn’t sure of Carl’s understanding of how a traditional Eucharistic Prayer is ordered or what content should be included when writing one. In order to know how to proceed I did a quick “Q &A” session with Carl to discern where he was at in respect to his liturgical knowledge. Carl quickly blew apart any prejudices I had about Protestant Evangelicals and their understanding of the Eucharist. He had been clearly well educated at the IWS.  I was also deeply impressed by his humility and openness as he expressed that writing a Eucharist prayer was something he not equipped to do on his own—especially given the constraint of time!

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. -Hebrews 4:12

Of particular import, with respect to this Q&A, I asked Carl a few deliberate questions to flesh out a sense of what might be possible in creating this Eucharistic Prayer. First off I asked him if he knew about “praying the Scriptures” to which he answered in the affirmative. If you are not familiar with this term praying the Scriptures is simply the incorporation of biblical texts into a liturgy element. This part of our discussion on praying the Scriptures provided the crux of how we would form the prayer itself.

The most obvious example of praying the Scriptures might be the congregational use of the Lord’s Prayer in worship. Another good example is found in the biblical greeting from Ruth 2:4, where Boaz uses the greeting “The Lord be with you.”[i]

When you think about it what better prayers can there be than those which incorporate those God breathed words from the scriptures?[ii] In my opinion the greatest example of praying the scriptures is the incorporation of the “Words of Institution,”[iii] Jesus’ own words, into any Eucharistic Prayer. Pursuant to this I believe the Words of Institution should be an essential part of any legitimate Eucharistic Prayer.

Praying the scriptures can be a wonderful way of gaining access to the power and presence of the Lord. This method of prayer is not a new thing but is an ancient discipline of the worshipping community.[iv] Praying the scriptures is not some magical form of incantation but rather it is a means of participation in the presence of Christ and his purposes through the gift of his grace in faith. This sense of participation derives itself from such biblical texts as John 6:63 where Jesus says “the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”[v] As highlighted by this text I believe that the liturgical utilization of Jesus’ own words, and other God breathed words of Scripture, can be a great aid to worship.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

To help to more fully understand how praying the Scriptures might benefit the worshipping community I would like to introduce the concept of “performative” language.  Recognizing the implicit spiritual power of the biblical texts Clayton Schmit writes:

Words have the power to effect good things…By the words we use, we have the power to shape the lives of those to whom we speak…preachers mold their listeners into the body of Christ through the accumulative power of preaching…The positive power of language can be found in another form. It occurs in language that performs as it is uttered. Such language is known by philologists as “performative” or “performatory” language.[vi]

In the context of praying the scriptures performative words not only express the purposes of the Lord—they do what they say and render the purposes and promises of God, as espoused in his word, to the community of faith. For example, a typical Eucharistic Prayer begins with the relational exclamation expressed by the Celebrant to the gathered community “the Lord be with you.” I’ve already stated that this is a biblical text found in Ruth 2:4. This text expresses an ancient and common Hebrew greeting. These are not just simple polite words of greeting but rather they convey a sense of God’s purposes for his people. The obvious purpose inherent in this greeting is that the presence of the Lord himself would be with his people— to guide, bless and be manifested through them as a holy nation of priests. When uttered in faith, such a greeting can help us to find ourselves tangibly in the presence of the Lord and of his great blessing.

For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these, but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word. Justin Martyr

Now back to the story of my interaction with Carl. As noted earlier we didn’t have a lot of time. Neither of us had a Bible save for those in electronic files our laptops. We borrowed a hard copy (nicely leather bound at that) from one of the other attendees. Next we set out on the task of outlining and creating an Eucharistic Prayer based on texts of scripture. In our Q&A Carl shared that he knew about the Sursum Corda, the Sanctus Benedictus[vii]  and the Words of Institution and how they function liturgically in a Eucharistic Prayer. From the beginning of the creative process these three elements were blocked out on paper and then we began to fill in the gaps between them.

The first gap to be filled was between the Sursum Corda and the Sanctus. This element is called the “Preface.” In keeping with the idea of creating a text which was fundamentally a praying of the Scriptures I pointed Carl to Hebrews 12:22-24a. The Letter to the Hebrews contains a great amount of worship related material. In particular Hebrews 8:13, 9:15 and 12:24 help us to understand the words of promise—the hope of a “New Covenant.” This hope was first expressed in Jeremiah 31:31, but it is fulfilled in Christ, according to his own words in the words of Institution, and renewed in us by our Lord in the Mystery of the Eucharist.[viii] In particular Jesus refers to the blessed wine at the initiation of the Lord’s Supper as the “new covenant in my blood.”[ix] Hebrew 12:22-24a expresses this “New Covenant” in the dimensional context of heavenly worship. Through this text we can see that the Eucharist can be seen as incorporating an ascension into a greater reality where mysteriously the earthly and the divine commune together.

…I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:1-3

The idea that worship somehow causes a transportation of the gathered community into a sort of communion with the heavenly realm brings me to the next scripture that I submitted to Carl. Ephesians 1:3 says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”[x] In my research on the biblical sources for liturgy I had come across the proposition that Ephesians 1:3-10 might very possibly be a fragment of an early Eucharistic Prayer. That would make this text the earliest extant fragment of such a text.[xi] The Ephesians text therefore makes an excellent liaison from the Sanctus Benedictus to the Words of Institution, the central text of the Eucharist, while also providing the great theme of thanksgiving lends its content to the name “Eucharist” itself.[xii]

At this point in our short dialogue we had linked together the elements of a traditional Eucharistic Prayer from the beginning to the Words of Institution. Next Carl suggested the insertion of a “Memorial Acclamation” followed by an “Epiclesis.”[xiii] Time was really running out, and we had to begin our walk to the Chapel, so I left these elements to Carl to knit together. In closing I suggested we say together the words of the Lord’s Prayer and on our walk I just went over the order with Carl and said a little prayer. From memory, to the best of my ability, I’ve laid out the text of this particular Eucharistic Prayer below:

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up unto the Lord.[xiv]

You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.[xv]

Therefore with angels and archangels and the whole community of heaven we laud and magnify your glorious name evermore praising you and saying: holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.[xvi]

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us. For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.[xvii]

(For) the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.[xviii]

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.[xix]

(At this point in the Prayer Carl inserted an Epiclesis or calling down of the Holy Spirit upon the elements of bread and wine. Although this is a part of many contemporary Anglican Prayers, and in other liturgical traditions as well, I prefer to think of the elements as fully consecrated by the Words of Institution. I am not overly dogmatic about this point and have no problem with a simple calling down of the Spirit upon the people of God gathered in worship.)

The Lord’s Prayer.

We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

So your question now might be did we pull it off? My answer would be a resounding “yes!” Carl did an amazing job celebrating the Eucharist given the time constraint he was under as well as his limited experience in leading worship in this particular way. It was incredible how a Baptist an Anglican could come together for jus a few minutes and create something which could be used directly afterwards in worship. I don’t think this could have been accomplished in many other settings! I make this statement based on some experience. For example, I remember while in seminary, during liturgics class, the question about the efficacy of specific liturgies was often summed up as “is this a valid Eucharist?” As an Anglican a Eucharist might not be considered “valid’ if an ordained and licenced Priest were not the Celebrant. Likewise if the liturgy was not episcopally- or synodically-approved it might not be considered valid. In the context of the AFFN Chapel these considerations were thankfully not germane.

In June our AFFN worshipping community was a group of faithful Christians from various places and traditions who were keen to worship the Lord together rather than a denominational community under specific authority. We were simply Christians worshipping together. What we had was a shared love of the Lord Jesus Christ and a humble attitude towards one another coupled with a desire for deep authentic worship. We were also all students of the Gospel and the traditions of the Church. As a community we were willing to be formed in our worship practices by what the Lord has expressed through the Scriptures. There was also a willingness to be informed by the wisdom and testimonies of some of the Lord’s early saints in their writings about worship.

Speaking on behalf of the other worshippers, I think it is also safe to say that we shared a common belief that somehow, by the grace and purposes of God the Father in Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Eucharist is an encounter of Christ present with his people. I do not believe that the Eucharist is just a simple remembering exercise performed by a congregation. It is more to me than that. I believe that the Eucharist can be a means by which God’s people are renewed in the salvific transforming power and presence of our Saviour as his story and person are recalled together. This is called “real presence.” This presence changes God’s people. This presence forgives, renews, sets apart, transforms, transmutates, transubstantiates[xx] and gives hope to the community of faith and the individual members therein. In short, our worship together in that June Eucharist helped to deepen our sense with one another and moreover with Christ himself.

[T]hey devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common…  And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-44, 47b

I hope this little vignette is encouraging to you the reader as you seek to go deeper in your own worship of the Lord or to help others to do likewise. I am convinced that one of the ways in which the Lord seems to be calling his people right now is in the area of worship renewal. In particular I’m hearing through the members of the AFFN, and wider communities, that the Lord seems to be calling his people back to the fundamentals of worship. Much of what is fundamental can be found in the Bible and in the testimonies of the early Church. Sometimes this is expressed in the notion of the three biblical streams of worship: evangelical, charismatic and sacramental. These elements have often been separated from one another, in our various denominational settings, but does this need to be so?

In closing I would like to share a little about Lesslie Newbigin, who has a Bishop in the Church of South India.[xxi]  Newbigin spoke about the three biblical streams mentioned above—evangelical, charismatic and sacramental in the context of missiology and ecumenism. I think that his insights translate well into the subject of worship renewal as well. In a collection of his essays entitled The Household of God: Lectures on the Nature of Church Newbigin wrote:

What is the manner of our ingrafting into Christ? That is the real question with which we have to deal.

I think that there are three main answers to these questions and these answers are embodied in great Christian communions which claim to be the Church.

The first answer is, briefly, that we are incorporated in Christ by hearing and believing the Gospel. The second is that we are incorporated by sacramental participation in the life of the historically continuous Church. The third is that we are incorporated by receiving and abiding in the Holy Spirit.[xxii]

In the context of worship renewal Newbigin’s taxonomy can be extrapolated into the three questions we might want to ask of our worship:

1. Is the Gospel proclaimed and received?
2. Do we have a living, powerful practice of the Sacraments?[xxiii]
3. Are we spiritually open to the presence of God in our worship?

Hopefully the AFFN will continue to help to contribute to our being able to answer “yes” to these three questions. Our band of worshippers at the AFFN gathering was comprised of individuals from the three biblical streams of the Church together. With respect to worship denominational distinctives were never the focus for us. Rather we all felt that we could learn from each other and the traditions that we represented. Hopefully as the AFFN develops and grows we can continue to learn from one another’s insights, challenges, experiences, answers and questions. Certainly that was my experience at the first meeting of the AFFN. I think that was Carl’s too!

Thanks to AFFN members Alan Cooper and Doug Asche for some nice pics from our June 2012 gathering. Want to see more, or higher-res versions of these? Just let us know!

Here’s a group shot (we didn’t quite catch everyone, but managed to get this pic before too many folks had departed our final worship gathering:

Dr. Christopher Hall addresses our gathering:

As did Dr. Joel Scandrett, Director of the new Webber Center at Trinity School:

Very special speaker and AFFN Board Member Joanne Webber:

And now for some miscellaneous shots from our time together:

Teresa Gardner got us up and dancing!

Here’s Ouida Harding and Teresa with some Spirit-led improv.

Ellen Koehler leading us in worship.

Jotting down notes during a session.

Bill Cole directs a “Spirit-storming” session.

The Lords Table at our final worship gathering.

A final blessing.

Connie Bull: Henri Nouwen reminds us that “person” in English is fashioned from the Latin words “per” and “sonare”— literally,  a person is a “sounding through.”  Children are persons, though not always in history were they acknowledged so.  According to Deut. 29:10-12, God required children to be present to establish His covenant: (10)All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God—your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, (11)together with your children and your wives, and the foreigners living in your camps…(12) You are standing here in order to enter a covenant with the LORD your God…

Worship in Spirit and in truth is about God sounding through all who worship, regardless of age.  If we are to cease the worship war and calm the roar of the lions amid our lambs, Isaiah 11:5-7 assures us that  “a little child shall lead them.”

How can children lead in the worship elements of the Gathering of God’s people to worship?  Let us count the ways!

• —  Greeters with bulletins
• —  Spoken call to worship (solo, trio, antiphonal, responsive reading or memorized verse such as Philemon 3)
• —  Musical call to worship (including songs sung such as the doxology, but also bells or chimes played as a Psalm is read)
• —  Call to prayer:  Prayers of the people  (names mentioned in concentric circles of concern punctuated by bells or chimes ringing from balcony or surrounding the congregation; try a low C tone first and then random ringing  all C,D,E,G,A,B.)
• —  Affirmations of faith ( especially the Memorial Acclamation)
• —  Passing of the peace  
• —  Liturgical dance (streamers); opening hymn can be a time that all children are invited to encircle the altar or the people to use God’s tools (not toys) of worship leadership—streamers!  Prior to the use of streamers in worship, train the children first in the   responsibility and awe of the task of worship leadership and then let them celebrate by improvising their welcome to Christ’s presence as he is enthroned in the first song of praise lifted by the congregation.
• — Call to silence*

*Call to silence by bells or chimes.  Bells have been a sign of intercession since the days of the tabernacle and the holy of holies: see http://www.malmark.com to find choirchime instruments: 12 note set = $530 (10 players); or buy the three most useful individual chimes: D5 =$45, (A5 =$42), and B5 = $42; D + B  total= $87 for wow-in-the-now moments; D, A, and B total $129 plus shipping. Make your call a single chime, an open fifth evoking the timbre of the ancient chant days(D-A), or an improvised or change-ringing cluster of tones of your choosing.  More ideas are available by Hal Hopson in Creative Use of Handbells in Worship (Hope,2005). ISBN-10: 555863801X. In order to acquire chimes for use in worship, I recommend Malmark, Inc.: Phone Orders:1-800-426-3235; International:+1-215-766-7200; Fax Orders:215-766-0762; Mail Orders::Malmark,Inc. Bell Crest Park, P.O.Box 1200 Plumsteadville, PA 18949;    U.S.A. Website:www.malmark.com

•  Chiming of the hour (use bell(s) or chime(s) if possible (see above).
• — Opening of the Word”

* Opening of theWord. When: can be placed at beginning of service during prelude or after call to silence OR with heightened effectiveness at end of Gathering; helps shift focus toward Liturgy of the Word to come; can be carried out during silence or an instrumental interlude. How:  A child (if very young, with parent/s) comes forward to open the altar Bible to the (Gospel) reading for the day: Christ-centered, tactile, non-threatening, non-verbal, intentional, reverent, ancient, and future. In churches where I have introduced this to the pastor and worship staff, a round-robin rotation was sent to the children’s Sunday School classes to provide a child’s name each week to the church office so parents can be reminded of their child’s worship leadership role weekly

These are but a few ideas.  Many more can be found in John Witvliet offers many examples of musically and theologically appropriate material for use by children as worship leaders in A Child Shall Lead:  Children in Worship—a Sourcebook for Christian Educators, Musicians, and Clergy. The book includes examples of the liturgy best appropriated for use by choirs for ages 3-5, grades 1-3 and grades 4-6 for litanies, alleluias, processional, acclamations, psalm antiphons, the Kyrie and other canticles, dramatic scripture readings, and various types of prayers.[1]

Who or what we worship is revealed by that which most structures daily life choices and habits.  Children learn constantly.[2] Models abound everywhere and throughout history for worshiping money, power, popularity, ethnicity, jobs, church volunteer work, worry, dogma, possessions, and most any activity or idea that can become the center of one’s existence.  Catherine Stonehouse, professor of Christian discipleship at Asbury Seminary, suggests that much attention needs to be given to shaping moral development early.  If not, “children will be at the mercy of whatever authority gets their attention.” [3]   Let us demonstrate to our children that worship is a verb that not only applies to certain ages or certain holy days, but applies to all created order since the beginning of days. Let our worship be not only corporate, but corporeal. 

To return to the questions raised by Henri Nouwen, children are not only “sounded through” by the Divine, but they also “sound through” to others in the community of faith.  According to Nouwen, personhood unfolds from “ the discipline of community.” [4]  Discipline is a word often associated with children, but the discipline of community is a concept best explored by all and from all perspectives abiding in that community. Children are part of the Christian community and the cosmic community. That which we hear must become that which we do.[5]  If we want children to hear us, then when shall we allow them to act upon what they have heard?

Connie C. Bull is an educator and worship leader. Over the past 10 years, she has served in numerous interim postions, invigorating the music ministry of 8 churches in the East Tennessee area. Since the fall of 2011, she teaches high school by day, and, most recently, in the evenings teaches Worship Practices at Carson-Newman College.

Connie Bull: Across the years, the ages have had different views of life’s beginning stages.  David F. Lancy, professor of world civilizations and cultural anthropology at Utah State University, identifies three of these views of children:  cherubs, chattel, and changelings. 

• Chattel: the view of those who want children “seen and not heard” because they are little more than a nuisance, devoid of value until after puberty.
• Cherubs:  the view of those who overly romanticize childhood; children are to be appreciated from a maudlin, sentimental standpoint; and cherished only for their “cute” factor.
• Changelings:  the view of those suspicious of what children are “up to”; children are seen as devious, untrustworthy, mercurial, and almost alien in nature.

There are yet two other views of children in the latter 20^th century which are being threaded into today’s various worship tapestries:

Cheerleader: The view that children’s presence in worship should be presentational and always greeted and/or concluded with applause to build their self-esteem; children are called on primarily at the “happy” portions of the Christian calendar:  Hanging of the Greens during Advent, Christmas, Palm Sunday, and sometimes Easter. 

Chosen: the view that children and their gifts should be treasured and trained, as adults are, to lead in worship; children are capable of embracing the full Christian Year, capable of leading in both somber and celebrative elements of the four-fold worship model weekly, and capable of being Christocentric—possessing the maturity needed to lead without requiring adulation but instead resonating glory to Christ, through Christ, and for Christ.

If we indeed embrace The Call forged by Robert Webber, we eliminate all the above views of children except as chosen.  The children of dire need in our midst desire to feel chosen warmly and affirmed of their worth; some of them have no place to hear that message but in God’s house.  The children of privileged families in our midst need to feel chosen wisely, not only at high seasons of the year to be paraded out for show as is the lot for some whose “appearances” are planned by detached, self-absorbed and over-scheduled parents.  Moreover, children need to be chosen weekly because that is the rhythm of their presence among God’s people at worship.  Let us be intentional with the children in the fold of God:  choose them warmly, choose them wisely, choose them weekly.

More simply put:  Are we teaching children “Be still”…  “Be still and know that” … or “Be still and know that I am God.”?

Connie C. Bull is an educator and worship leader. Over the past 10 years, she has served in numerous interim postions, invigorating the music ministry of 8 churches in the East Tennessee area. Since the fall of 2011, she teaches high school by day, and, most recently, in the evenings teaches Worship Practices at Carson-Newman College.

In a recent well-known film, one of the characters asserts that people read so that they will know that they are not alone. This is true, but there are other reasons why we should read and study. There is a dynamic correspondence between reading well, self-awareness, and living well.

With these things in mind, it must also be said that we must not be indiscriminate in our reading. Readinganything can be, and often is, worse than reading nothing. The Rule of Saint Benedict, one of the books that helped save and shape Western civilization, urges us to attend to holy reading. This discipline includes the why, how, and what of reading.

Why should we read? Reading good literature can help us become far-more self-aware. We come from and live within the context of history. In order to appreciate where we are in life, and where we are going, we must understand where we have been. As just one example, how can we survive the subtleties of the post-modern denigration of mega-narrative if we have no appreciation of post-modern theory, thought, and history? Do we even understand the implications of this philosophic system? If we do not read, if we have little understanding about self and society, we will not be able to defend ourselves from some of the destructive orientations of this (and other) modern philosophies. And be quite sure that how we think will determine how we live. Our feelings and how we function in life are determined, at least in part, by the philosophies we embrace.

How should we read? Thomas Merton, one of the most influential thinkers of the 20^th century, warns us about being “greedy for words.” His warning was prophetic. Very little effort is required for us to see, hear, and experience the unwholesome avalanche of “words” proliferated by both the media and (at times) each one of us. Billboards, television, radio, as well as a wide array of other public and private forms of media, bombard us with information, misinformation, and disinformation. A great deal is being “said,” but very little is actually being communicated. We are often “greedy for words” because there is frequently a pronounced lack of substance in what is being said.

But there is another reason for our informational “greed.” It is far easier to hide ourselves behind an avalanche of information than it is to face ourselves and deal with others. It is very difficult to face our dis-order, dis-ease, and dis-connection. In contrast to this, disciples of Saint Benedict encourage holy and reflective reading — sacred study. Benedict, as communicated through the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, urges us to “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest” those “texts” which are most important in life and living. Reading and reflection are not intended to distract, but to help us discern what is most important. Learning is for effective living.

What should we read? To a certain degree the answer to this question will depend upon each individual. Every good book, or other vehicle of literature and learning, must suit each person in each of his or her unique life-circumstance. So, once again, what should we read? Although it is tempting to appeal to the “classics,” those books that have endured the test of time, we must not exclusively appeal to them. Some “classics” can be classically dull or damning. Instead, while not disparaging classic literature, we should read and reflect upon texts that demonstrate a clear appreciation for words and language. That is, more pointedly, we should read and reflect upon those texts that tell the truth — even if truth is told from “slant,” including myth, poetry, film, and fiction. Holy reading seeks truth. Holy speaking attends to truth. Attending to reading, wise reading, helps us attend to self and to society. Wise reading can lead to wise living.

The Very Rev. Dr. Donald P. Richmond, a priest with the Reformed Episcopal Church, has been a monastic associate/oblate for over twenty years and connected to St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo California.

In May of 2011, I was privileged to curate worship on the opening night of the Vital Church Planting Conference in Edmonton, Alberta. This is an annual event, co-sponsored by the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton and Wycliffe College’s Institute of Evangelism. The gathering ritual crafted for this event is also well suited for Thanksgiving, as it involves receiving in gratitude, sharing with others, giving back to God, and receiving from God anew to give yet again. It is a welcoming / gathering / offering / sending ritual, all worked through variations on a single motif… the giving and receiving of a flower.

Carnations are an ideal flower for this ritual as they are long stemmed, sturdy, inexpensive, and available in variety of colours. Other flowers could be used, but they must be able to withstand being handled several times. You will need one carnation per expected attendee, and a vase for every twenty-five or so flowers. Personnel requirements include a worship celebrant, music team, one ritual attendant per vase and at least one liturgical dancer.

The Welcoming

Gift is at the core of the ritual, and forms the welcoming to the gathering. Prior to the service, have the ritual attendants at the building entrances, each with a vase. As persons enter, each is presented a flower, and greeted with these words: With the gifts I have received from God, I welcome you to this gathering. Encourage the attendants to use the scripted wording, as this prepares the congregation for the gathering of the community, and the concept of “gift” that is carried through the ritual.

The Gathering

When the congregation is assembled, the celebrant guides them in the Gathering of the Community. Three times, each person is to exchange her carnation with another, while saying to each other: With the gifts I have received from God, I welcome you to this gathering. The three exchanges are to occur with a different person each time. I like the three times as it evokes Trinitarian imagery. Here’s a possible variation. The first time, a person might say: With the Gifts I have received from the Father…  The second time: With the gifts I have received from the Son… Third time: With the gifts I have received from the Spirit… Welcoming, and being welcomed by a mix of people is an important design element, so give clear instructions to move on to two other persons after the first exchange. It may also be helpful to have this text projected through this time.

As the congregation is nearing the end of the exchanges, the music team can start playing a gathering song instrumentally. (For the Vital Church Planting Conference, the song used was Paul Baloche’s “Because of Your Love.”) As people have been moving around and mixing, it may take a minute to get back to their seats.

The Offering

When the congregation is mostly back to their spots, lyrics can start, and the service flows into the offering. At this time, the ritual attendants start at the back of the church, gathering the flowers into the vases, working their way to the front. When all the flowers are gathered, the attendants, one at a time, from the foot of the altar area, present the vases to the dancer, who ‘dances’ the vases  individually to the altar and places them on it, while the song continues to be sung congregationally. The gifts each person has received from God in being welcomed are offered back to God.

The Middle Bit

From here, the service can flow into a music set, sermon and Eucharist, but do be creative as to how these elements can be tailored to suit the context the ritual has provided and to which it will return.

The Sending Out in Mission & Benediction

As a sending song is being played, the liturgical dancer “dances” each vase to the foot of the “stage” and hands it to an attendant. When all attendants have their vases, they then distribute the flowers to congregation, while the congregation continues singing the sending song. As the congregation now has embodied being gifted by God and as they are about to go out into the world, the Benediction will hopefully interweave a variation of the gathering words… something such as: With these gifts you have received from God, go, and welcome others into his Kingdom. With those words, the service closes, and the congregation take their flowers into the world as symbols of the gifts of God they carry for others.

Production Assistance

If your congregation wishes to use this ritual, I will happily assist by answering pre-production questions, and discussing variations. Also, I would appreciate hearing how your team and congregation engaged with and reacted to it. I can be contacted at interfaceworship[at]gmail.com for written comments or to arrange a telephone time.

Regarding materials cost, if your church already purchases fresh floral arrangements for the altar each week, consider using the offering bouquets as the altar flowers to overcome fiscal resistance.

Postscript from Jim:

I think the ritual would also work well for Pentecost. In fact, the genesis and first prototype of this ritual was used at a service I created called “Ascentecost”, which is staged between Ascension and Pentecost. This liturgy views two events as the ‘”bookends” of a singular event, being the birth of the church. I think the ritual well symbolises the church being drawn into the perichoritic dance, and reflects both (i) Cappadocian concepts of Trinity (the abundant surplus of love between/within the Trinity creating space for others do dwell in), and (ii) John van Ruusbroec’s (14th century Flemish mystic) descriptions of Trinitarian relationships (Father & Son flowing outwards in individuation, Father & Son flowing inwards in the beauty and simplicity of singularity. the tension between the two being maintained by a love so perfect it can only be love personified, the Holy Spirit).

Jim Robertson is a lay liturgist and a worship innovator. A restless innovator, Jim has crafted many rituals and liturgical components to be used within alternative worship events. Jim’s major events have become known as lavish celebrations of art and devotion, often featuring multiple artists creating prophetic works, hundreds of feet of fabric, blends of ancient and modern devotional practices, multiple prayer stations, unique Eucharistic rituals that portray the event theme, and a serious probing of deeper theological concepts through the experience of worship. Amazingly, Jim maintains a day job as a criminal lawyer. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with his wife Darlene, and has four grown children.

The Triumphal Entry (stained glass)

In this discussion we’ll follow the Passion account of the Gospel of Mark, bringing in other sources. The entrance of the King (Mark 11:1-25) would be part of the structure of the enactment or renewal of the covenant. Here Jesus comes as a King according to Zechariah 9:9-11. The Zechariah passage contains an explicit reference to the King’s dominion (9:10) and the “blood of the covenant” (9:11). The acclamation of the disciples (“Hosanna,” or “Save us!”) refers to the reappearance of Davidic rule in Israel.

In biblical covenant structure, the Great King proclaims his laws or stipulations of the treaty. Jesus proceeds to cleanse the Temple (Mark 11:15-17) and enunciates his terms: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations” (quoting Isaiah 56:7).

This follows, in Mark, the cursing of the fig tree (11:12-14). The fig tree is a biblical symbol for Israel, which comes under the curse because it has been unfaithful to the covenant (see Deuteronomy 28). This unfaithfulness is manifested in the way the Judaic religious establishment has subverted the intent of the covenant. As given originally to Abraham, the covenant was the Lord’s promise that “by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves” (Genesis 12:3). But in the hands of the Pharisees the covenant has become a badge of Jewish exclusiveness, an impetus to an expectation of a Messianic revolt against Roman domination.

Hence there is a clear link between the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the Temple, where Jesus declares the true intent of the Abrahamic covenant in opposition to the Pharisees’ revolution-fomenting distortion. In Luke 13:1-9, Jesus warns what will happen unless the people repent of this revolutionary mentality. Buildings will fall on them, the Roman sword will slay them — “unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Those things happened, of course, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in subduing the Jewish revolt of AD 66-70. In the interim, Jesus and his apostles had to reconstitute a faithful Israel that would survive those events of “great tribulation,” so that the Abrahamic covenant and the mission of God’s chosen people could go forward. That, of course, is the issue Paul is dealing with in Romans: Who is “justified,” i.e., recognized to be an authentic member of the Lord’s covenant people?

Reading further in Mark 11, Jesus and the disciples return to the cursed fig tree, now withered. Jesus uses the tree as an example of faith (or better, faithfulness). He declares, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea’ . . . what he says will come to pass.” This mountain, of course, is Mount Zion, site of the Temple; “the sea” can be a prophetic reference to the Gentiles or “nations” (for example, Isaiah 24:13-16). Casting Zion into “the sea” means that, through the faithfulness of the disciples, God’s covenant with Israel will expand to include “every tribe and people and tongue and nation” (Revelation 13:7), even though the “fig tree” has been unfaithful to its true purpose.

The same theme of the ruptured covenant, to be renewed in a new people, appears consistently in the narrative of “Passion Week” that follows. The owner of the vineyard (another symbol for Israel, e.g. Isaiah 5:1-7) “will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others” (Mark 12:9). Judgment will come upon the unfaithful religious establishment; “there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down” (Mark 13:2). These things will happen within the lifetime of those listening to Jesus (Mark 13:30). “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mark 13:31); in Scripture, “heaven and earth” are witnesses to the sanctions (blessings and curses) of the covenant (Deuteronomy 4:26, 30:19). Because the covenant has been abrogated, the present “heavens and earth” will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:7), to be replaced by a renewed “heavens and earth” (2 Peter 3:13). In this renewed covenant, “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), there will no longer be a “sea” — that is, the distinction between Jews and Gentiles will no longer be relevant (Galatians 3:28).

What will endure, then, is not the present misapplied covenant with its Pharisaic traditions, but the “words” (enacted teachings or principles) of Christ. Through his death, as a “ransom” (Mark 10:45) the curse upon unfaithful Israel is to be applied so that the covenant, now freed from its curse, can be extended in its Abrahamic fullness to all nations (Galatians 3:10-14).

Perhaps Jesus alludes to the preservation of the “words” (which, of course, became the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament) in his remark about the woman who anoints him at Bethany (Mark 14:1-8). “Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” There will be an ongoing deposit of the “words” of the renewed covenant, so that the apostles are later commissioned to teach all nations “to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 24:19-20).

Immediately follows the narrative of the Last Supper, where the covenantal implications of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem come to a clear focus: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). The background here is the narrative of the Sinai covenant, in which Moses reads the “book of the covenant” (the stipulations of the treaty between the Lord and Israel), receives the people’s pledge of loyalty, and then sprinkles the blood of the sacrifice upon the people (Exodus 24:6-8). Then Moses takes the leaders of the covenant community up the mountain, where “they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank” (Exodus 24:10-11). It is significant, therefore, that Jesus arranges for the meal of the renewed covenant to take place in “a large upper room” (Mark 14:15), symbolic of the ascent to Mount Sinai. Like Moses and the elders of Israel, in the “upper room” the disciples “beheld God, and ate and drank.”

In summary, in the Passion narrative we find allusions to biblical covenant structure, which is also the fourfold pattern of historic Christian worship:

• Entrance — the King declares his presence and dominion
• Word — the King enunciates or clarifies his law, the requirements of the covenant
• Table — a meal celebrates the enactment, or renewal, of the covenant
• Dismissal — the King blesses the people (though in the Gospel narrative it is the curse aspect of the sanctions, rather than the blessing aspect, that is in view)

Dr. Richard Leonard was Academic Dean of The Institute for worship Studies from 1998-2001. Having received the Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Boston University in 1972, Dr. Leonard served as a college professor in Texas and pastor of United Methodist churches in Illinois before transitioning to the C.C.C.C. He was Scripture Editor for The Complete Library of Christian Worship (Hendrickson, 1993), edited by Dr. Robert E. Webber.

St. Benedict

In one of his most profound writings, “Four Quartets,” T. S. Eliot tells us that the answer to our “disaffection” (alienation) is to “descend lower, descend only/ Into the deeper world of perpetual solitude.” Only this can help us to escape from being “distracted from distraction by distraction” (Burnt Norton III). But the price for many people may appear to be too austere, too demanding. The sensual in all its expressions must be answered with what Eliot calls “deprivation.”

The very first word in the Rule of St. Benedict is an austere and demanding word. Its expectation is severe and its experience is deprivation. “LISTEN,” is St. Benedict’s first and foremost rule. Intensifying this word, however, are other words that make even the heartiest of souls to hesitate. We must listen to our “master,” as we “receive”, “carry out”, and “labor” to “fulfill” God’s expectations. We must “renounce” our own will and “pray earnestly” to perfect God’s will.

The cultivation of a listening heart is not an easy task. In fact, listening requires that we “dig” our ears. A great deal of clutter must be cleared, including the clutter of our (at times) resistance. Some of this clutter may be sin, the outrageous cacophony of our “disordered passions” staging riots. At other times the clutter may not be sinful but it may be of secondary (at best) importance. There are other occasions when we must abandon the clutter of the good in order to acquire the best. As an example, Martha was not wrong in her desire to serve Jesus; it was just that Mary had chosen “the better way.” In order to embrace the better way we will need to sink down into silence. We must “descend lower.”

How can we do this? How can we attain and maintain a listening ear?

There are several means for achieving this, some of which were hinted at in previous articles. Seeking solitude, using the Jesus Prayer, and securing a spiritual director are crucial. But there is another means of achieving stillness, silence. It is the way of patterned prayer using the process of Lectio Divina as a guide.

What is patterned prayer? What is Lectio Divina? The desire of every Christian is to speak with God. If we do not have such a desire we are either not Christian or there is some other impediment that must be swiftly addressed. Often, however, when we do pray our prayers are often undisciplined and they have very little connection to the historic church or its life. Our prayers may be of either longer or shorter duration, and are not inherently wrong, but must be more thoroughly grounded in God’s word and in the history of the Church.

The answer to this lack of discipline, or, in many cases, lack of breadth and depth, is to embrace some form of patterned prayer that has been historically tested. At its mos

t simple level this pattern of prayer must include readings from the Daily Lectionary and include reflective reading of the Old Testament, Psalms, Gospels, and Epistles. The careful and prayerful recitation of both the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed, along with silent listening, will be included. So as not to be overwhelmed, especially for novices on patterned prayer, maybe readings exclusively from the Psalms and the Gospels should be capitalized upon.

For a person who is a bit more disciplined, or has more time afforded them, purchasing a Prayer Book might be of use. Several texts immediately come to mind. The Episcopal Church publishes The Daily Office Book which is very easy to use and incorporates patterned prayer with readings from the Lectionary. Similarly, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod produces A Treasury of Daily Prayer. Much like the Episcopal Prayer Book, it differs in its size (one larger volume in contrast to two smaller volumes), text (ESV instead of NRSV), content (no Apocrypha for Lutherans), and price (about one-half the price of the Episcopal text). Apart from these, and although it does not include the daily readings, Dr. Robert E. Webber has compiled a couple of wonderful little prayer books that are useful for beginners: The Book of Daily Prayer and The Prymer. For those who might be inclined toward Benedictine Spirituality, the form of spirituality encouraged by St. Benedict and his followers, the most recently released Saint Benedict’s Prayer Book is very accessible, as are The Glenstal Book of Prayer and The Glenstal Book of Daily Prayer. And finally, for those intrigued by the spirituality of our Orthodox family (often overlooked), Father John McGuckin’s newly released Prayer Book of the Early Christians is a delight — although it too offers no Lectionary readings. All of this, of course, is to encourage a more robust life of prayer — prayer rooted in, moving toward, and cultivating, silence. The first two texts, Episcopal and Lutheran, are far more expansive and will require far more time. As such, for Evangelicals who may not be familiar with patterned prayer, I would encourage them to use one of Webber’s texts (for those who simply want to make a beginning) or the Lutheran Treasury of Daily Prayer (for those who want complete Lectionary readings and want to spend more time in patterned prayer).

These texts all include some form of what monasticism calls the Daily Offices, patterned prayer we pray with the Church. Nevertheless, it is not so much WHAT we pray (within certain guidelines) but HOW we pray. The idea is to create and maintain a contemplative pattern and process of prayer. This is where Lectio Divina comes into play. Father Luke Dysinger, a monastic scholar, has said that Lectio is the prayerful reading and praying of Holy Scripture. This is critical for any Christian of any age to learn. I have highlighted the website in which Fr. Luke outlines this process http://www.saintandrewsabbey.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=35  and I encourage the reader to access Father Luke’s reflections on Lectio.

The cultivation of a listening ear, of attaining stillness, is vital to a robust faith. These keys will, I hope, encourage waiting upon God with a listening ear and a still heart.

The Very Rev. Dr. Donald P. Richmond, a priest with the Reformed Episcopal Church, has been a monastic associate/oblate for over twenty years and connected to St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo California.

Poet Robert Lax

The true and only vocation of every Christian is to be a saint. This rather unusual assertion was pointed out by the poet Robert Lax to Thomas Merton, Lax before his Christian conversion, and Merton long before he entered Gethsemane Abbey. As they were walking down the street, Lax looked at Merton and asked him what he really wanted to be. In response, rather uncommitted, Merton said that he supposed he wanted to be “a good Catholic.” In a flash, Lax told Merton that his response was unacceptable, and that his only true calling was to be a saint. Merton was stunned.

And it is likely that we, also, will be stunned. It is possible that we will begin to think of St. Athanasius, St. Jerome, St.Augustine, Mother Teresa, of martyrs such as Bilney, Latimer, Ridley, and Cranmer (not to mention Thomas More or Edward Campion), or of authors such as Hildegard von Bingen, Julian of Norwich, J. C. Ryle, A. W. Tozer, E.M. Bounds, Andrew Murray, or Thomas Merton, and we will assert that we are not in any way like them — men and women of great passion and commitment. To be sure, we are not these men and women. We are who God has made us to be, and, according to the Holy Scriptures, we are called to be saints.

The question is “how?” Lax suggested to Merton that it was simply a matter of will. Lax is correct. But sainthood is not achieved, nor is it in any way a matter of self-will.

Over the past several decades there have been a great many books about self-help that have been published. Within certain contexts this may be well and good, but not in regard to spiritual awakening, growth, and formation. Flying in the face of monastic tradition (which in most ways I embrace) I am as suspicious about John Climacus’ Ladder of Divine Ascent and St. Benedict’s Ladder of Humility as I am about modern texts that seek to provide the reader with twelve easy steps to Christian maturity. Rarely, if not always, does such an approach lead to anything but pride or frustration.

Of course we must be disciplined. There are priorities and practices (such as Bible reading and meditation, private prayer, public worship, and participation in the Sacraments) we must observe. But this does not mean that we should support any form of “cookie cutter” spirituality — one size fits all. Such an approach is little more than a Christianized form of Babel. One Greek Elder had to remind one of his spiritual disciples that what the Elder said only applied to that particular disciple and to no one else. Luke Timothy Johnson, in Scripture & Discernment: Decision Making In the Church, tells us that “freedom is the most rigorous of all asceticisms.” These are wise words, and it is to the theology of individual freedom in Christ that we must look for help in our quest for sainthood.

St. Paul writes, “All things are permissible, but all things are not profitable.” The committed Christian, the monk in the world or in the monastery, takes this statement seriously. As those who are called and challenged to be saints, we seek to live our lives from the position of profitability and not from permissibility.

But we must be very cautious in this regard. We need balance. People tend toward extremes, and we will often be too “hard” or too “soft” upon ourselves. I am a perfect example. As a child, in imitation of St. Dominic Savio, I slept on sticks in order to mortify my body. Not a wise choice, most especially at ages 7 – 9, because I had no idea what true “mortification” really meant. As an adult, as another example, I have always sought a spiritual guide who would “[spiritually] beat me up as an old world Jesuit.” God has never seen fit to provide me with a director who was hard and harsh. Invariably, my directors were (and are) the most gentle of persons. I sought holiness, I sought to be a saint, but I did not have the insight to be able to bring God’s desire for and in me to fruition.

The insight and inspiration we need requires self-awareness. Most frequently this requires objective insight, an insight that can only be provided by another person who, with us, listens to both the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures as they intersect with the context of living our lives. The Celtic Christian Tradition has said that “a person without a spiritual director is like a body without a head.” We need a spiritual director, a spiritual mentor or guide, to help us along our path of freedom and sainthood —- or freedom to sainthood.

But I must be blunt: I am not talking about accountability groups among peers, as useful as these may be. I am not talking about Bible Study, Cell Groups, or Catechesis — as helpful as these may be. I am not referencing transformative worship. I am not talking about pastoral counseling either. What we need is an Elder (the classic spiritual “Elder” of antiquity), a Starets (of the Russian Tradition, and found in Dostoevsky’s The Brother’s Karamazov), a Soul Friend, or “Anam Cara” (of the Celtic Tradition), a Spiritual Director. We need a mature believer who knows God, the Bible, Church Tradition, human psychology and the traditions of spiritual guidance, to help us navigate our freedom in Christ, our pathway to sainthood.

In his wonderfully inspiring book for young people (gorgeously illustrated by Caryll Houselander), My Path to Heaven, Father Geoffrey Bliss writes these words, “All the roads go to Heaven and to Hell; and they go through all sorts of places with the names of the different kinds of lives. Sometimes I can choose my own road; but generally God chooses it for me, if I keep in the right direction” (emphasis mine). A Spiritual Director helps us to keep our choices profitable, providing us the safest and surest way to God and the grace (SHEER GRACE) of sainthood.

The Very Rev. Dr. Donald P. Richmond, a priest with the Reformed Episcopal Church, has been a monastic associate/oblate for over twenty years and connected to St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo California.