Liturgy for an Election Year

Leader: As we forge ahead in the coming year to make decisions which will impact our country for years to come, let us remember the many blessings our God has bestowed on our nation.

All: Just as God brought forth a great nation from Abraham, he continues to grace our nation today.  He blesses us so that we may be a blessing.¹ Great is thy faithfulness!

Leader: As Christians, we must remember that secular government is authoritative according to the divine will of God.  Just as Jesus himself submitted to Pontius Pilate and the Roman government, we must also submit ourselves to the authority of those in power.

All: Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.² Let us cling tightly to this divine truth in this election year.

Leader: Though the election process can bring great strife and division amongst the citizens of our nation, we must strive for unity with all fellow believers regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum. For by virtue of our Baptism, we now belong to the mystical body of Christ.

All: There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ.  We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so, we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. So, the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.³ Let this spirit of unity be pervasive in our mindset and grant to us charity in all interactions.

Leader: Let us remember that regardless of the result of this year’s election, God is still in control of all aspects of the universe.  Nothing that happens is outside the divine providence of God. Let us not become weary of the temporal state of affairs in our nation, but always keep our eyes on the eternal kingdom of God.

All: But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. We anticipate a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.⁴

Leader: In the midst of this election season, we ask that God would draw us into a closer relationship with Him. May the tumultuous state of our country ultimately point us back to our need for a Savior. Let our relationship with God persevere through the gifts of  Word and Sacrament.

All: Lord, hear our prayer!

Scripture References

1.       Genesis 12: 2-3

2.       Romans 13: 1-2

3.       1 Corinthians 12: 12-14

4.       2 Peter 3:13, Isaiah 65:17, Revelation 21:2

Are We Worthy?

           What a weekend it was! I didn’t do much of anything, which was much needed. I binge watched a Netflix cooking show on Saturday and watched the Indiana Hoosiers blow a significant lead in the closing minute of their game with Maryland on Sunday. If that wasn’t enough of a shock, the news of Kobe Bryant’s passing broke shortly after the Hoosiers’ collapse. I’ve never been a big NBA fan, but there is no denying the greatness of Kobe Bryant.  I saw on Twitter that Kobe had attended Mass earlier Sunday morning. Regardless of your view of Catholicism, it’s still amazing that one of his last hours on Earth was spent in the presence of God – the God he would soon meet face to face. What a sober reminder of the fragile nature of this life here on Earth.

              Several of my recent posts have mentioned Christian musician Andrew Peterson. Peterson has a popular song entitled “Is He Worthy”. Check out the song in the link below – it’s “worth” your time! See what I did there?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIahc83Kvp4

              The resounding answer in Peterson’s song is that Christ is indeed worthy to break the seal and open the scroll to provide us with eternal life! Not that this outcome was ever in doubt, but the song is beautifully written and extremely impactful.

              As I got ready for Church Sunday morning, I pondered the subject of our worthiness as Christians. God quickly brought to mind a verse from the first book of the New Testament – Matthew 8:8. The verse reads as follows: “The centurion replied, Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (An adapted version of the verse is used in the Roman Catholic Eucharistic rite at Mass, phrased as “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed”) Having previously healed a leper earlier in Chapter 8, the Centurion asks Jesus to heal his servant who has been paralyzed.  When Jesus asks if He should come to heal the servant, the Centurion responds with the italicized comment above. Based upon the faith of the Centurion, Jesus grants the requests and heals the servant without even going to see Him.

              Matthew chapter 8 is most assuredly a microcosm of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as the Centurion’s faith in Jesus alone obtained assurance of healing for his servant, our faith in Jesus alone accesses the assurances of eternal life. Just as the unworthy Centurion invited Jesus to come under his roof; through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, He also comes under our unworthy roofs in the person of the Holy Spirit.  I found it interesting that Jesus healed the servant from where He was rather than going to see the servant in person. I feel that this could be a foreshadowing of the work of the Holy Spirit. While Jesus is not physically present with us today, He still performs healing of our soul through the work of the Holy Spirit from afar, just as he healed the servant in Matthew 8.

              The sermon at Church this past weekend focused on John 16:7-15, which helps to explain the role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives. The passage is outlined below:

“7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

              The Holy Spirit’s role is to seal the heart of the believer from falling into error. It is the tireless work of the Holy Spirit that keeps us on the narrow path mentioned in Matthew 7:14. Our Salvation accessed through faith in Jesus is sealed unto eternity by the Holy Spirit. For that, I am eternally grateful! I grow more and more cognizant of the Holy Spirit’s work in my own personal walk with Christ. On a daily basis, the Spirit guides me away from distractions and pulls me back into the Word of God. I could not walk the narrow path in any way without the help of the Spirit.

              So back to the main thesis of this post. Are we worthy of the Graces bestowed upon us by God? On our own merits – absolutely not! However, through Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary we can stand justified before the throne on the final day of judgement. Take heed of this good news, friends. What was once unclean how now been made clean by the purifying blood of Jesus Christ! Good news, indeed.

In Christ,

Kendal May

The Value of Liturgy

            Happy Friday! We’ve persevered through another week. Hopefully 2020 is off to a good start for you.  The beginning of the year is always a busy time for accounts. We’ve been wrapping up our 2020 budget as well as closing out the final numbers for 2019. Since work has been so busy, I haven’t had much time to read theology. When work slows down, I hope to dive into patristic studies and some Christian philosophy. Also, my girlfriend graciously gifted me with several new books that I will be reading as well.  I think she’s a keeper! Among these books are works by C.S. Lewis and SBC president J.D. Greear. I’ll let you know how those books impact me as soon as I get through them!

              For those of you who know my theological preferences, it should come as no surprise that I enjoy liturgy. A quick Google search defines liturgy as “a form or formulary according to which public religious worship, especially Christian worship, is conducted.” I would also say that liturgy can also be used during personal prayer time as well. The use of liturgy is an ancient practice. The first liturgies were written prior to the cannonization of the New Testament of the Bible.

           Over the past year, my girlfriend has introduced me to the music of Christian artist Andrew Peterson. (If you don’t know who he is, I’d encourage you to YouTube his music as soon as possible.) In addition to being a talented musician, Peterson doubles as an accomplished author. Peterson promotes a book recently released by Douglas McKelvey consisting of liturgies for various scenarios (I’ll have more about this book later). Inspired by the work of Peterson and McKelvey, I set out to write a liturgy of my own. My liturgy was intended to be used at the start of each new year and includes parts to be read by a leader as well as parts to be read in unison. See the link to my liturgy below:

https://kendalwordandsacrament.blogspot.com/2020/01/liturgy-for-new-year.html

It is my hope that this liturgy will be a blessing to you and your family at the start of each new calendar year.

So why is liturgy important? Does liturgy have value?

              Growing up Catholic, liturgy was a way of life. Liturgy was the very foundation of our public worship of God. But it’s not just Catholics who have engaged in liturgy over the years. Liturgy is familiar to the Eastern Orthodox, the Anglican Communion, and many confessional Protestants. Unfortunately, liturgy has fallen out of favor in much of today’s Evangelical culture. I’m not going to debate exactly when or why this happened nor whether this shift in worship philosophy is favorable. I’ll simply give my reasons for the value of liturgy.

              Oftentimes, extemporaneous (spoken or done without preparation) prayers are seen as having more value as they are considered to “come from the heart”. This is in opposition to liturgical prayers which can be seen as rote, tepid, and dry. To be honest, I often find my extemporaneous prayers to be rote, tepid, and dry. I find myself repeating the same lines and requests over and over again when praying before meals or other occasions. In fact, you might consider my extemporaneous prayers to be a really poor liturgy!  I often feel stressed when asked to provide a meaningful prayer in front of a group of people.

              Using liturgy can remove the pressure of prayer. Prayer does not have to be conjured on the spot in order to be heard by God. In fact, 1 John 5:14 tells us “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” If we pray with the will of God in mind, He will hear our prayer whether the prayer is extemporaneous or a pre-written liturgy! There is nothing “cheap” about the use of liturgical prayer in either corporate worship or our personal prayer lives. There's just something special about reading a liturgy out loud and letting the Words and truth you speak wash over you.

              Secondly, liturgy can shift the focus of our prayer away from ourselves and back toward the almighty God.  When I pray extemporaneously, I find that my prayers are often self-focused and centered on my perceived needs and desires. Given the universal (not meant for any particular person) nature of liturgy, it is much easier to approach prayer with the will of God in mind as exhorted by 1 John 5:14.

              Finally, the use of liturgy develops Christian community. As I mentioned above, liturgy most often has parts to be read by a leader and other parts to be read by the entire group. Romans 12: 4-5 tells us that all Christians are part of the mystical body of Christ: “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Use of liturgy in a group setting serves to edify the body of Christ and to foster Christian community.  According to Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Other than the liturgy I wrote and linked above, there are inexhaustive resources available that provide access to liturgical prayers and rites. Below are a couple good ones:

Every Moment Holy – By Douglas McKelvey

https://www.amazon.com/Every-Moment-Douglas-Kaine-McKelvey/dp/0998311235

              I personally have been blessed by the book of liturgies since picking up a copy at Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The book contains liturgies for every imaginable scenario – not the least of which is a liturgy for changing a dirty diaper. I’m not kidding! The book is very reasonably priced and is worth every penny. I know that I will wear out my copy.

Anglican Book of Common Prayer (2019 Version)

http://bcp2019.anglicanchurch.net/index.php/downloads/

              First published in 1549 by Thomas Cranmer, the Book of Common Prayer has faithfully served the Anglican Communion over the past several centuries. The book is filled with beautiful prayers that will undoubtedly enrich your prayer life. I plan to order a copy for myself to use in conjunction with “Every Moment Holy”.

I would love to hear how you make use of liturgical prayer. Comment below with your experiences with liturgy in both corporate and personal settings.  If you are not currently using liturgy, I pray that you will be open minded and give this method of prayer a fair chance. Please note that I'm not discouraging the use of extemporaneous prayer - not by a long shot! Extemporaneous prayer can be beautiful! However, a little variety in our prayer life can go a long way.

In Christ,

Kendal May

Liturgy for a New Year

Liturgy for a New Year

Leader: As we look to the new year, let us pause to remind ourselves of the Lord’s continuing faithfulness to us.

All: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Great is thy faithfulness. ¹

Leader:  May the turn of the calendar renew in us the Spirit of Christ.

All: Let the law be written on our hearts so that we may walk worthy of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Not of our own doing so that no man may boast.²

Leader: As we trudge through the monotonous, damp days of late winter, let not our hearts grow as cold as the bitter breeze. May our faith not become as barren as the trees now robbed of their summertime majesty. Even in the darkest days of the year, let us serve as a beacon of the great light of Jesus Christ.

All: The people living in darkness have seen a great light. The light of Christ has transcended darkness to bring eternal life to whosoever believes upon Him.³

Leader: In accordance with His perfect timing, winter slowly makes way for spring. Just as the towering trees gain back the leaves that winter stole from them, through Christ we are made heirs of a restored relationship with the Father than was poached from us by Adam. In the same way that the seeds of the fall harvest must be fertilized in the spring, we must fertilize the seeds of spirituality planted within us by our God.

All: Let us be nourished by the word of God, sealed by His promises made to us through our Baptism, and fed by the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Leader: Slowly, the pleasant spring months acquiesce the long, hot days of summer. Let not our faith wilt like the lush suburban lawns amidst the sweltering heat but thrive with the life-giving waters that divinely flow from above.

All: Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. ⁴

Leader: In the blink of an eye, the lazy days of summer pave the way for cooler temperatures and grandiose leaf displays. The seeds so dutifully nurtured throughout the spring and summer produce bountiful harvests. Though the fertilization of our spiritual seeds may produce earthly harvests, we perpetually look forward to the eternal harvest – an eternity in the presence of God.

All: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Produce in us a faith that perseveres in all circumstances. ⁵

Leader: As the people of God, let us resolve to make this year one in which every thought and action is driven by a love of Him and desire to know Him more intimately. We must share the message of the Gospel with an unshakable boldness that can only come through faith in Christ. But most of all, let us rest in Christ and His eternal promise and victory won for us on Calvary.

All: Thanks be to God!

Scripture References

1.       Hebrews 13:8

2.       Romans 2:15, Colossians 1:10, Ephesians 2:9

3.       Isaiah 9:2, John 3:16

4.       Revelation 22:17, Romans 6:4

5.       Galatians 6:9

A True New Year's Resolution

           Happy New Year everyone! What a month it’s been. I was in Iowa over Thanksgiving break, attended Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God concert (make plans to see it next year!), and returned to Indiana over Christmas break. As amazing as it was, it’s now time to get back to the real world. It’s year-end close at work which can be a very hectic time for accountants. The good news is that my Company just finished a record year. Great results make things easier to explain in management meetings! After year-end close, it will be time to flip to a new year and set our sights on new goals and challenges.

              Did you make a new year’s resolution? Do you have you own goals and challenges you want to meet in 2020?

·       Do you want to start eating right?

·       Want to make the gym a priority?

·       Planning to read the Bible more?

·       Hoping to get back into Church?

·       Desiring to join or lead a new small group?

These examples (among many others) are noble and worthy endeavors to be sure. I plan to get back on a healthier diet and return to my workout regimen. I’ve really failed in those areas over the past year! The annual talk of new year’s resolutions calls to mind Romans 11:36 “All things come from God, through God, and return to God. Praise him forever! Yes, it is so!”. This verse got me to thinking about the foundation of our new year’s resolutions.

       Of the partial list of resolutions above, most of them are self-focused. I’d imagine this is the case for most everyone that makes a new year’s promise (let’s be honest – we are going to order a large pizza with extra cheese by the weekend). I fully believe that this is the reason most resolutions never come to fruition or maybe don't even get off of the ground. The foundation and premise of secular resolutions is to make us into the best version of ourselves. There is nothing wrong with that in and of itself. The issue isn’t with wanting to improve, but rather with our mindset on how the change is accomplished. Rather than looking inward at ourselves for motivation to improve ourselves, we must resolve to look upward towards a great and merciful God. It’s worth re-reading Romans 11:36. Read it slowly this time.

“All things come from God, through God, and return to God. Praise him forever! Yes, it is so!”. 

              Yes, everything is of God and from God. Our heath, our desire to eat right and exercise, our fervor for studying the Word, our reception of the Sacraments – all gifts from God! So, if this is true (and it is!), then we must necessarily reorient the focus of our collective new year’s resolutions. Let’s resolve to turn the spotlight away from ourselves and choose to bask in the Grace and glory of God, instead. When we come to embrace the truth revealed in Romans 11:36, we can then revel in the good news that is found in Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” We cannot improve ourselves through our own merits and efforts. Self-driven improvement is the very antithesis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In Philippians 4:13, the apostle Paul says it simply and profoundly “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

In 2020, let’s ditch the new year’s resolutions and allow the Holy Spirit and Grace of God to perform the work of sanctification and continually conform us to the image of His son. I hope that 2020 gets off to a great start for you and your family. I am working on an exciting new project for the blog that I hope to reveal soon!

In Christ,

Kendal May