A Psalm for Holy Week

I recently attended a workshop – on Zoom of course – with the well-known composer of hymns and worship leader, John Bell.  The workshop was through the auspices of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine in Toronto.   This workshop was not about hymns, not directly in any case―it was on the psalms.  Even though I would have enjoyed an exploration of some of John Bell’s many hymns, it was in no way a disappointment.  The journey of exploration of the psalm on which John took us was wonderful and gave me an appreciation of the psalm I hadn’t known previously.

As an aside, John started the workshop by apologizing for his somewhat shaggy appearance and noted that he was overdue for a haircut due to COVID restrictions in his home in Scotland.  This rather small point seemed to truly bring home to me how daily life has been disrupted by the pandemic in many countries in small ways as well as the very large ways which we know first hand.

One of the explorations of the psalms which particularly engaged me was on what is probably the best-known psalm – the 23^rd – you know, the one that begins, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  John noted that this psalm is a favourite for weddings and funerals.  I can attest that it is certainly a go-to psalm for funerals from my experience presiding at many funerals.  However, what I didn’t know was that this psalm was often used during Holy Week which Christians are marking this week.  Holy Week is the time between Palm Sunday when Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the waving of palm branches and shouts of ‘hosannah’, and the events that are celebrated on Easter with the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday and the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

John noted that Holy Week is the fulfillment of the 23^rd psalm.  Here it is in full from the King James Version:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

We have Jesus who proclaimed himself as the Good Shepherd in one of the ‘I am’ statements in the Gospel of John.  The passage gives a pastoral image of green pastures and still water that care of the sheep by the Good Shepherd who searches for the lost sheep in the parable of Jesus.  Jesus walked through the valley of death in the Garden of Gethsemane and did not fear the evil of the cross. 

The preparation of the table reminds us of the Last Supper which he shared with his disciples in the presence of Judas who betrayed him.  The anointing of his head with oil was fulfilled by the unnamed woman who anointed his head with costly nard to the objection of Judas who believed that this was an extravagant waste and the ointment should have been sold and the money spent of the poor. 

Goodness and mercy did follow him throughout his life through his care and healing of others.  On the cross Jesus assures the robber crucified with him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”   

For those of you who are on the journey with Jesus this Holy Week may you have the blessing of the 23^rd psalm as your companion. 

Putting the Passion in the Palms

Sunday was officially The Sunday of the Passion with the Liturgy of the Palms in the Church Year .  The events of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to the adulation of the crowd waving palm branches and crying Hosanna in the highest were contrasted with the events of Good Friday and the passion of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. 

When I was growing up, I can remember that these two events were ‘celebrated’ on different days.  Palm Sunday recounted the entry into Jerusalem and the passion of Christ was marked on Good Friday – which it still is today.  I attended the United Church of Canada in the first part of my life and in my memory, Palm Sunday was reserved to mark the events of the entry into Jerusalem.  When I started attending an Anglican Church at the mid-point in my life – as I measure it at this point – I was surprized that the two events of Palm Sunday and the Passion were celebrated together and then the Passion was marked on Good Friday – where, to my mind, it rightly belongs. 

I must confess that, in the years that followed which included my formal theological training, I did not explore, what seemed to me, a strange convergence of the two Gospel narratives.  The issue was never addressed and I also did not raise it.  However, I have always thought that it made more sense to keep them separate as I had experienced it in my earlier life.  Well, with circumstances being what they are this year i.e. churches being closed due to the COVID -19 pandemic and with us being thrown on our own devices for worship albeit with lots of material available on-line and other places – ironically there is an embarrassment of riches in this context -  I decided to make the best of the opportunity and investigate how this came about in the current liturgy of our church.

It says in scripture, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened, I sought and knocked on Google’s door and it did open.  I came across an article from the United Methodist Church in the United States which addressed this issue. The author is not named but it is under the publication Discipleship Ministries https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/why-palmpassion-sunday-and-not-just-palm-sunday.   The author notes that he or she was one of the representatives of their denomination that was involved with the change which came about with the development of the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) which is used today in most churches.  The article puts to rest the rather common belief that this change was made so that church goers who perhaps were lax in their attendance on Good Friday worship services would hear the Passion story.   The reader is assured that this was not the case.  Rather, it was to address the perceived need to re-establish the dual event as a connection between Lent and Holy Week:

As a result of all this work by all these Christians, worldwide, over all this time, we are where we are now -- with a recovered Palm/Passion Sunday as the hinge between a recovered Lent and a more intense Holy Week.

Behind this was the goal of re-establishing and addressing the need to strengthening the discipleship of the followers of Jesus Christ by building on the Lenten observances and the foundational events of Holy Week:

The recovery of Lent was not simply about re-syncing our current calendars with more ancient ones. Instead, it was primarily about recovering the church's mission of discipling people in the way of Jesus, and realigning our worship practices to support that mission.

These are very lofty goals; however, I believe that something vital has been lost as a result.  By binding the two events inexorably together it does not enable the worshiper to experience the full impact and importance of the events of that triumphal entry of Jesus who was fulfilling the scriptural role of Messiah or king riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9).  We need to have the full effect of being one of the crowed massed along the route hoping against hope that here is the long-awaited saviour who will address all the wrongs we have suffered in our lives.  Here is the anointed one who will make right all the wrongs in our lives and magically give us a new creation, a New Jerusalem.

Unless we have that experience as fully as possible, we will not have the full impact of being one of the masses that will turn on that failed saviour with the rage of our disappointment when those unrealistic expectations are unfulfilled.  We will never have at least a taste of the experience being part of the crowd that cries “crucify him”. 

If we are honest with ourselves will we admit that each of us would be with that crowd; or perhaps we would “only” be with Peter and would deny knowing him when push come to shove.

Blessings on your journey this Holy Week.

Nicodemus’ Journey to Easter

We are now in Holy week as we move with Jesus towards Jerusalem and the Day of Resurrection next Sunday. One of the most poignant parts of story for me is often overlooked.  I am always moved when I remember the part played by Nicodemus.  He is what could be described as a minor character only appearing in the Gospel of John and only making three appearances in that Gospel.

What always grabs me in this story is the journey which Nicodemus makes in his relationship with and to Jesus.  Initially we encounter him as a visitor who has come to see Jesus and talk with him.  We are told that he is a Pharisee and has come at night.  In effect, he is a leader of the Jewish people who perhaps does not want it to be known what he is associating with someone form Nazareth―after all we hear just before this that nothing good can come out of Nazareth.   In any case, Nicodemus is revealed to us as someone who is a seeker.  He has questions about God and his relationship with God and hopes that Jesus can supply the answers to his questions. He is also someone who seems to be obtuse.  He doesn’t get what Jesus is telling him.  He is a concrete thinker who has a hard time thinking symbolically:

 “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?”

We aren’t told if Nicodemus does get what Jesus is telling him.  However, the next time we encounter Nicodemus he is with the Temple authorities who are planning to have Jesus arrested.  Nicodemus is arguing that Jesus should receive a trial as their law requires.  He is summarily dismissed on the same basis i.e. nothing good can come out of Galilee,

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, 51“Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” 52They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.” 53Then each of them went home,

As anyone who has been a lone voice in a group knows, it took great courage for Nicodemus to stand up to the other leaders and defend Jesus from the arbitrary decision of the other leaders.  Where before he had Jesus visit him in the night and was afraid of being associated with Jesus, now he is a lone voice against the injustice.  We can see from this that is initial encounter with Jesus did have a profound affect on him and he is well on his journey with Jesus.

The final scene of our play, which I could tentatively entitle Nicodemus’ Journey to Easter, comes on Good Friday.  Nicodemus comes with Joseph of Arimathea bringing 100 pounds of spices to prepare Jesus’ body for burial.  This extravagant amount is reminiscent of the woman anointing Jesus feet with ointment which could have been sold for 300 denarii. 

As we continue our Journey to Easter Sunday let follow the example of Nicodemus and respond to the Good News of Easter by an extravagant response for what Jesus has done for us.

Blessings on your journey. 

The Christian Family Tree

With Palm Sunday being celebrated last Sunday, we are now in Holy Week with the anticipation of the Great Triduum; The Great Three Days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, The Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.  I know this actually is four days but that Religion for you.  But actually, it is counted from the evening of the Maundy Thursday service, with the foot washing, to the end of the Great Vigil Saturday evening in which the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour is celebrated with the return of the light of Christ to the world.  It recalls the passion, crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. This is the foundational story of Christianity. 

I was reminded of how important this is to us when I attended a session on a class on Luther a few weeks ago.  Lorna is taking that class at Huron University College, Luther: Love Him? Loath Him? Learn from Him, which commemorates the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation.  I audited the class on that occasion being April 1^st as we were in London to celebrate my birthday (yes, I am an April Fool and am proud of it). 

The professor, Murray Watson, who is a very engaging teacher, provided a hand out entitled, The Christian Family Tree compiled by Rev. Nathan L. Bostian.    This diagram has Jesus Christ as the “root and foundation” with all the major branches of Christianity which have sprung up in the two thousand years since then.  It has all the main branches which we are familiar with including the Anglican dated in 1536.  It gives the Denomination rating with such things as “T” for Use of Tradition, “W” for Style of Worship and “S” for Structure with a scale from 1 to 10 for each.  Anglicans are rated T4 with 1 begin conservative in tradition and 10 being liberal; W2 for with 1 being sacramental and 10 experimental; and S2 with the range between hierarchical and congregational.  This seems to be fairly accurate for Anglicans.  Of course there is a great range of difference between Anglo-Catholics and whatever the opposite is within the Anglican Church.  But overall it is a reasonable rating.  I can’t speak for the rating for other denominations but I sure there is similar variation within each denomination similar.

The thing that strikes me as I look at the chart is the diversity that has developed in the way we humans can decide to worship our God or gods.  We all believe we have basically the correct understanding of whom and what God is and the way God should be worshiped.  This is true for atheists who have their own god in my view (I leaned in grade 9 math that even a null set is a sub set of a factor) i.e. even non-belief is belief in something.

I am not absolutely certain of many things about God but I am sure that Jesus Christ did not have any idea, despite being fully divine (I’m not absolutely certain about that), that what he started would end up where it is today.  Being a good Jew he likely did not anticipate there being a new Religion named after him or at least after his title of Christ. 

I believe if we are to be at all true to what Jesus wants us to be we must focus on the root of who we are as Christians which is Jesus Christ.  If we all have this in common we should not worry so much about the differences in doctrine and liturgy.  That being said I am glad I have found the “one true faith” of Anglicanism which can worship God along with the other true Christian faiths. 

 To all my brothers and sisters in Christ have a blessed Holy Week and Great Triduum.