This past Sunday we began exploring the so-called "three tables"--the three strategies we at Church of the Resurrection pursue as we make disciples of Jesus Christ who are rooted, restful and relational. The first table is "communion with God"--that vertical relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit which we, individually and corporately, pursue through worship.
I want to share a few more resources with you here, specifically about how Anglicans conceive of communion with God.
I shared with folks Sunday the wonderful poem call "The Altar" that begins George Herbert's cycle of poetry entitled The Temple. I used "The Altar" as an example of the way that Anglicans see the LORD Table as a place deepening our relationship with God, of receiving the riches of His grace in and through the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Before any effort on our part, it is the grace of God which goes forth and draws us in to repentance and into a renewed relationship with Him. I love how Herbert captures that sense that the LORD's table is the place where his heart of stone can become a heart of flesh--itself an altar of sacrifice to the LORD.
In the preparation of a sermon, sometimes good things--really good things!--get left as it were on the cutting room floor. This Sunday, I left out another George Herbert gem from The Temple, the poem "the Holy Communion." Here are the slides which we did not show you!
Again, notice how Herbert the heart of the Eucharist is the experience of transformation by God's grace. We say that a sacrament is an outward and visible sign which conveys an inward grace. The grace of the Eucharist is deeper communion with God through our union with Christ in His one sacrifice, once offered for us. That celebration is also a thank offering of ourselves as we receive the body and blood of Christ.
George Herbert concludes The Temple with a third poem on love called, fittingly enough, "Love (III)":
Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lacked any thing.
"A guest," I answered, "worthy to be here":
Love said, "You shall be he."
"I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee."
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"
"Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat":
So I did sit and eat.
I love the dialogue between Love (the LORD Jesus) and the human soul. Sin, guilt and shame are the basic experience of the soul without Jesus, but Herbert movingly conveys how the lovingly grace of the LORD calls out to us in our sin, guilt and shame. How He makes us worthy and then He serves us.
I also shared a prayer by another one of my favorite Anglicans, Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626). Bishop Andrewes's Preces Privatae (Private Prayers) were published after his death and are a rich collection of personal, devotional prayers. (He was also a gifted preacher, who regularly preached before kings and queens, and oversaw the King James translation of the Bible. So, yeah, kinda a big guy.)
In my sermon I shared a prayer of his for grace. There are numerous of those in the Private Prayers, a different one for each day or each occasion--so pressing did Andrewes feel the need for grace. I conclude this post, though, with a wonderful Litany which, it seems, Andrewes prayed daily:
LITANY
GLORY be to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.
Glory to Thee who givest me sleep
to recruit my weakness,
and to remit the toils of this fretful flesh.
To this day and all days, a perfect, holy, peaceful, healthy, sinless course,
Vouchsafe O Lord.
The Angel of peace, a faithful guide, guardian of souls and bodies, to encamp around me, and ever to prompt what is salutary,
Vouchsafe O Lord.
Pardon and remission of all sins and of all offences
Vouchsafe O Lord.
To our souls what is good and convenient, and peace to the world,
Vouchsafe O Lord.
Repentance and strictness for the residue of our life, and health and peace to the end,
Vouchsafe O Lord.
Whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever just, whatever pure, whatever lovely, whatever of good report, if there be any virtue, if any praise, such thoughts, such deeds,
Vouchsafe O Lord.
A Christian close, without sin, without shame, and, should it please Thee, without pain, and a good answer at the dreadful and fearful judgment‑seat of Jesus Christ our Lord,.
Vouchsafe O Lord.
I think we can all say a hearty "Amen!" to this!
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