RichardWorthington
17-02-2008, 05:58 PM
Based on what I have read and heard, especially regarding the Eucharist, for some time now I have been toying with the following idea and wondered what people thought:
Properly speaking, there is only one valid sacrament: the one where the Uncreated Divine Light appears.
This is not to say that when the Divine Light does not appear that we are robbed of God’s loving grace (far from it!), but merely that we should not consider the Church primarily as a worldly organisation, as an administer of ‘portions’ of grace. Of course, due to human weakness (which I also have!), the Divine Light does not appear in any of the sacraments/mysteries of the Church - except to chosen holy individuals. However, it dawned on me that most of the problems with all the churches (Orthodox or other) stem from the notion that the ‘concession to human weakness’ was considered to be almost the totality of what Christ gave to humanity as the Church. This ‘concession to human weakness’ is the outward form of certain possible aspects of the churches in the world: ‘pharisaical’ use of canon law, organisations of a ladder of a seemingly vain-glorious ascent, at times claiming to act in the place of an absent Christ, thinking that reading a certain book ("the Bible") magically converts people, and so on.
In this worldly view, the grace of the sacraments merely helps us ‘on our way’. While this is true, it seems to be forgotten that by cooperating with grace we can actually attain to being as createdly perfect as God is perfect. When this happens, then deification becomes a reality and the sacraments can be seen to take on their true role: delivering the creation "from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). At least, this is my idea - but as I know that this is an innovation, I would like to check it with others: is it an innovation which clarifies the reality of the Church, or an innovation which detracts from the Church’s glory?
Going through the standard list of seven sacraments (order as in the Hapgood translation of the service books, except for the Liturgy) reveals the following:
1) Baptism: After the person has been baptised, they are clothed in a white garment. However, when the priest puts this on he says, "The servant of God N is clothed with the robe of righteousness", and then the choir sing, "Vouchsafe unto me the robe of light, O thou who clothest thyself with light as with a garment, Christ our God, plenteous in mercy." (Hapgood, p. 280)
2) Chrismation: When the Holy Chrism is applied the priest says, "The seal and gift of the Holy Spirit" (Hapgood p 281), which is a reference to such verses as, "you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13). Yet the "Promise of the Father" is what was sent to the Apostles on Pentecost, "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Acts 1:4-5), and as the Forerunner himself said, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Luke 3:16).
3) Eucharist (Liturgy): At the end we sing, "We have seen the true Light": see this post (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?p=54920#post54920) for more.
4) Confession: In Psalm 51, said at the start, it is written, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). This ‘snowy whiteness’ is mentioned in a prayer for the Lesser blessing of the waters, "Do thou … who hast granted unto us to clothe ourselves in the garment of snowy whiteness by water and the Spirit" (Hapgood, p. 475). This sacrament is not properly a ‘second Baptism’, but merely a re-manifestation of our one and only Holy Baptism of Light.
5) Marriage: During the service the priest asks that "they may shine like the stars of heaven, in thee, our God" (Hapgood p. 296). However, I was so impressed with what I read there that I have put other similar ideas in a new thread (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?p=59321#post59321).
6) Ordination: At the start of the setting apart of Readers ("the first degree in the Priesthood"), the Bishop prays, "Do thou, the same Lord, array in thy fair and spotless vesture this thy servant … that he may be illumined"; the Reader is then at the end clothed in his tunic (Hapgood p. 306, 308).
Further, at the ordination of a bishop the troparion and kontakion for Pentecost are sung, the kontakion being, "When the Most High came down and confused the tongues, He divided the nations; But when He distributed the tongues of fire, He called all to unity. Therefore, with one voice, we glorify the all-Holy Spirit!" After this, the presiding bishop prays, "strengthen him by the inspiration and power and grace of thy Holy Spirit, as thou didst strengthen thy holy Apostles and Prophets" (Hapgood p 324-hymn OCA translation, p 329).
7) Anointing of the Sick: I have not read through this particularly, as the Divine Light would manifest Himself through the actual required healing if not directly due to our weakness. Jesus was asked, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?", to which He replied, "the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Luke 7:20-22); if no healing takes place, then to what extent are those outside entitled to ask us, "Is this the Church, or do we look for another"?
Surely the sacraments of the Church are more than nice and pleasant displays of ‘relig-ianity’?
I saw a new heaven and a new earth
Revelation 21:1
Richard
Properly speaking, there is only one valid sacrament: the one where the Uncreated Divine Light appears.
This is not to say that when the Divine Light does not appear that we are robbed of God’s loving grace (far from it!), but merely that we should not consider the Church primarily as a worldly organisation, as an administer of ‘portions’ of grace. Of course, due to human weakness (which I also have!), the Divine Light does not appear in any of the sacraments/mysteries of the Church - except to chosen holy individuals. However, it dawned on me that most of the problems with all the churches (Orthodox or other) stem from the notion that the ‘concession to human weakness’ was considered to be almost the totality of what Christ gave to humanity as the Church. This ‘concession to human weakness’ is the outward form of certain possible aspects of the churches in the world: ‘pharisaical’ use of canon law, organisations of a ladder of a seemingly vain-glorious ascent, at times claiming to act in the place of an absent Christ, thinking that reading a certain book ("the Bible") magically converts people, and so on.
In this worldly view, the grace of the sacraments merely helps us ‘on our way’. While this is true, it seems to be forgotten that by cooperating with grace we can actually attain to being as createdly perfect as God is perfect. When this happens, then deification becomes a reality and the sacraments can be seen to take on their true role: delivering the creation "from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). At least, this is my idea - but as I know that this is an innovation, I would like to check it with others: is it an innovation which clarifies the reality of the Church, or an innovation which detracts from the Church’s glory?
Going through the standard list of seven sacraments (order as in the Hapgood translation of the service books, except for the Liturgy) reveals the following:
1) Baptism: After the person has been baptised, they are clothed in a white garment. However, when the priest puts this on he says, "The servant of God N is clothed with the robe of righteousness", and then the choir sing, "Vouchsafe unto me the robe of light, O thou who clothest thyself with light as with a garment, Christ our God, plenteous in mercy." (Hapgood, p. 280)
2) Chrismation: When the Holy Chrism is applied the priest says, "The seal and gift of the Holy Spirit" (Hapgood p 281), which is a reference to such verses as, "you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13). Yet the "Promise of the Father" is what was sent to the Apostles on Pentecost, "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Acts 1:4-5), and as the Forerunner himself said, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Luke 3:16).
3) Eucharist (Liturgy): At the end we sing, "We have seen the true Light": see this post (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?p=54920#post54920) for more.
4) Confession: In Psalm 51, said at the start, it is written, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). This ‘snowy whiteness’ is mentioned in a prayer for the Lesser blessing of the waters, "Do thou … who hast granted unto us to clothe ourselves in the garment of snowy whiteness by water and the Spirit" (Hapgood, p. 475). This sacrament is not properly a ‘second Baptism’, but merely a re-manifestation of our one and only Holy Baptism of Light.
5) Marriage: During the service the priest asks that "they may shine like the stars of heaven, in thee, our God" (Hapgood p. 296). However, I was so impressed with what I read there that I have put other similar ideas in a new thread (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?p=59321#post59321).
6) Ordination: At the start of the setting apart of Readers ("the first degree in the Priesthood"), the Bishop prays, "Do thou, the same Lord, array in thy fair and spotless vesture this thy servant … that he may be illumined"; the Reader is then at the end clothed in his tunic (Hapgood p. 306, 308).
Further, at the ordination of a bishop the troparion and kontakion for Pentecost are sung, the kontakion being, "When the Most High came down and confused the tongues, He divided the nations; But when He distributed the tongues of fire, He called all to unity. Therefore, with one voice, we glorify the all-Holy Spirit!" After this, the presiding bishop prays, "strengthen him by the inspiration and power and grace of thy Holy Spirit, as thou didst strengthen thy holy Apostles and Prophets" (Hapgood p 324-hymn OCA translation, p 329).
7) Anointing of the Sick: I have not read through this particularly, as the Divine Light would manifest Himself through the actual required healing if not directly due to our weakness. Jesus was asked, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?", to which He replied, "the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Luke 7:20-22); if no healing takes place, then to what extent are those outside entitled to ask us, "Is this the Church, or do we look for another"?
Surely the sacraments of the Church are more than nice and pleasant displays of ‘relig-ianity’?
I saw a new heaven and a new earth
Revelation 21:1
Richard