Monthly Archives: February 2010

The ‘Great Litany’ Adaption

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I was asked by my friend Gabriel Lawson to prepare something “liturgical” for the  young adults that meets on Sunday mornings at First Alliance Church in Lexington, Kentucky.  Being a good Wesleyan, I went strait for my Book of Common Prayer and looked up the litany. I adapted some of the language (dropped the “Thou”s and “Thee”s), made it more gender inclusive, and changed a few words/phrases that didn’t culturally jive.  I also included a “what” and “why” section below for those of you who aren’t familiar with litany or liturgical practices.

What is “litany”?

The word litany comes from the Latin: litania and the Greek: λιτανεία (litaneía), which in turn comes from: λιτή (litê), meaning “supplication”.  My definition of litany is a type of corporate prayer that is in agreement with the supplications of saints throughout all the history of the catholic (universal or according to the whole) church.

Why the “litany”?

The litany is historical; it has endured over 1500 years of church history.

The litany is ecumenical; chanted (occasionally sung) by Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics, and some Protestants.

The litany is corporate; including the collective supplications of the local (and universal) church to the Lord.

My Prayer for you, when you pray this “litany”:

May you “know the surpassing love of Christ which surpasses knowledge”.

May you know that you are praying in agreement with the saints down throughout the ages.

May you be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

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The Great Litany (adapted from the Book of Common Prayer by rm Kocak)

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,

Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful,

Have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,

Have mercy upon us.

Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, nor the offenses

of our forefathers; neither reward us according to our sins.

Spare us, good Lord, spare your people, whom you have

redeemed with your most precious blood, and by your mercy

preserve us forever.

Spare us, good Lord.

From all evil and wickedness; from sin; from the crafts

and assaults of the devil; and from everlasting damnation,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From all blindness of heart; from pride, vain glory, and

hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all want

of earthly treasures,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From all unwarranted and sinful affections; and from all the

deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From all false doctrine, heresy, and church division; from hardness

of heart, and contempt of your Word and commandment,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire, and

flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From all oppression, conspiracy, and rebellion; from

violence, battle, and murder; and from dying suddenly

and unprepared,

Good Lord, deliver us.

By the mystery of your holy Incarnation; by your holy Nativity

and submission to the Law; by means of your Baptism, Fasting, and

Temptation,

Good Lord, deliver us.

By your Agony and Bloody Sweat; by your Cross and Passion;

by your precious Death and Burial; by your glorious Resurrection

and Ascension; and by the Coming of the Holy Spirit,

Good Lord, deliver us.

In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in

the hour of death, and in the day of judgment,

Good Lord, deliver us.

We sinners beg for you to hear us, O Lord God; that

it may please you to rule and govern your holy Church

Universal in the right way,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to illumine all Church laity and clergy with true knowledge and understanding of your Word;

and that both by their preaching and living, they may

set it forth, and show it accordingly,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to bless and keep all your people,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to send forth laborers into your

harvest, and to draw all humanity into your kingdom,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to give to all people increase of grace

to hear and receive your Word, and to bring forth the fruits of

the Spirit,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to bring into the way of truth all such

as have erred, and are deceived,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to give us a heart to love and fear

you, and diligently to live after your commandments,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to rule the hearts of your servants:

the President of the United States of America, Congress, the Supreme Court,

Wall Street as well as Main Street,  and all others in authority,

that they may do justice, and love mercy,

and walk in the ways of truth,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to see wars cease throughout the entire world;

to give unity, peace, and harmony to all nations;

and to bestow freedom upon all peoples,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to show your pity upon all prisoners

and captives, the homeless and the hungry, and all who are

desolate and oppressed,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to give and preserve to our use the

bountiful fruits of the earth, so that in due time all may enjoy them,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to inspire us, in our several callings,

to do the work which you have given us to do with singleness of

heart as your servants, and for the common good,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to preserve all who are in danger due to their vocation or their travels,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to preserve, and provide for: all

women in childbirth, the unborn,  young children, and orphans,

the widowed, and all whose homes are broken or torn by strife,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to visit the lonely; to strengthen all

who suffer in mind, body, and spirit; and to comfort with your

presence those who are failing and in poor health,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to support, help, and comfort all who

are in danger, in need, or experiencing tribulation,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to have mercy upon all humanity,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to give us true repentance; to forgive

us all our sins,  our carelessness, and our ignorance; and to sustain

us with the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives

according to your holy Word,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to forgive our enemies, persecutors,

and slanderers, and to turn their hearts to you,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to strengthen our resolve; to

comfort and help the weak-hearted; to raise up those who

fall; and finally to beat down Satan under our feet,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.


That it may please you to grant to all the faithful departed

eternal life and peace,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to grant to this fellowship of believers at

First Alliance Church along with all the saints throughout the world, to attain to your heavenly kingdom,

We boldly ask you to hear us, good Lord.

Son of God, we boldly ask you to hear us.

Son of God, we boldly ask you to hear us.

O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,

Have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,

Have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,

Grant us your peace.

O Christ, hear us.

O Christ, hear us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Now would you please join me in praying as the Lord Jesus Christ taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Ephiphany, Week 5 – Beauty Reflections (Part II)

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“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.”Augustine of Hippo (Algeria/354-430).

Beautiful Theology

This is my second reflective post on beauty during the fifth week of Epiphany. In my last reflection on beauty, I focused on the beauty of a united Christian community. Today’s reflection on beauty focuses on theology. The goal is not to share a deep theological treatise on what is beautiful, but a reflection on the beauty OF theology.

I was blessed recently in a Sacramental theology class taught by a visiting professor, Dr. Bob Stamps. Dr. Stamps once said something that stuck with me, “Our theology needs to be as beautiful as it is correct.” This summer during my chaplain candidate tour, I engaged in a lot of theological discussions with chaplains of different denominations. Somewhere during the theological dialogues with these friends our theologies and our souls became more beautiful. Now, theologically I am Wesleyan and they are Reformed, but the dialogue sharpened us and made us more like Christ. Once we moved beyond the differing ‘theology’ and got focused on the ‘theos’ (gk. for God), we found our desire to be more like Christ greater than our desire to be more like a John Wesley or a John Piper. A beautiful theology should bring life (and not death) to a Christian friendship. I am not suggesting a relative understanding of truth, but a desire to know the embodiment of the truth (and the way and the life), Jesus Christ.

When you leave the place where you worship on Sundays, do find yourself humming to the theological message of the Pastor’s sermon? Or maybe when you are walking around at your school or work, do you find yourself quoting TULIP, systematic theology, or the ontological argument? No. You usually find yourself chanting a creed, singing the great hymns of the church, or perhaps belting that line from a contemporary worship song that touched your heart in a meaningful way.

Beautiful theology is theology that is sung. This is why the ‘worship leader’ is such a vital role in a church. As John David (JD) Walt, Asbury Theological Seminary, dean of the Chapel, said many times, “the worship leader is the practical theologian of the church.” Revelation 14:3 reminds us that before the eschatological throne of heaven we won’t be saying the right things, but singing a beautiful new song, “And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.”

Being able to sing your theology gives it wings more beautiful than angels.

Ephiphany, Week 5 – Beauty Reflections (Part I)

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Beauty and Christian Community

” Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.” Augustine of Hippo (Algeria/354-430).

The Bible that I am reading through for morning devotions this year is called the Mosaic Bible. At the beginning of this Bible is the Christian Church calendar broken down into weekly meditations. We are currently on the fifth week  in the season of Epiphany, a season celebrating the light and the witness of Jesus Christ to the whole world. This season leads up to the reflective forty-day season of Lent.

The meditative theme for week 5 of Epiphany is Beauty. What is truly beautiful? When thinking of beauty our culture has trained us to think of movie stars, cosmetics, runway models, physical attractiveness or even appreciation for the ascetic beauty of nature. Could it be that this cultural type of beauty is only a surface understanding of what it means to be beautiful? It is a beautiful thing to see a child being born, an African sunrise on the equator, the deliverance of an evil spirit, the restoration of a broken family, and the return of a Prodigal son (see yesterday’s blog).

There is beauty also in community. How we love one another can be a beautiful thing. More beautiful even than the Sistine chapel or any work of man or nature. To see a community that loves extravagantly, forgives generously, and shares their hope compassionately is truly a beautiful thing to behold. To see a united church as Christ prays us to be, to see the church act as one body as Paul told  the Corinthian church to be, and to see the church adorned with grace, mercy, love, and humility is to behold the bride of Christ.

To Whom Do I Belong? – Reflections on the Prodigal Son(s) (Part I)

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Luke 15:11-32

There are some books that take me a long time to finish reading. Usually this is neither due to the number of pages nor the density of thought, but precisely because of the callousness around my heart in implementing the lessons held within. There are those books that you read, and then there are those books that you attempt to live out. Recently, I have been slowly working through Henri Nouwen’s book,  The Return of the Prodigal Son. There is a question that has been haunting me on page forty-two, ” To who do I belong? To God or to the world?”

The proper Christian response comes to me as swiftly as the sun setting on the equator, “to God, of course, to God.” But lately I have been examining my responses to life events. As Socrates reminds us,” the unexamined life is not worth living.” My responses have been telling me a lot about the real answer to this question. I think of how quickly depressed I can get when someone critiques me or saddened  by a friend or family member who make destructive choices. On the other hand, when my wife compliments me, or a professor praises me for my writing, I am all of a sudden confident and sure. The truth is that I am seeking love based on condition. If I just do this one thing, then _____ will respect me/accept me into their PhD program, ect. So to whom Do I belong?

The truth is that I am still much like the prodigal son, coming back from a far away place. The foundation of this present world we live in is one of conditional love. -What you do, determines how you are loved. As Nouwen shared in his book, ” I am the prodigal son every time I search for unconditional love where it cannot be found.”  The addictions we see in the world arise from the world’s inherent inability to quench the heart’s need to be loved without condition. No matter where the son is in the story, he remains his Father’s son. We are never in a land that is so far away that we can never return to the unconditional love of our heavenly Father. His embrace awaits us.

Rob Bell in Context

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An article from Christianity Today was sent to me recently from a dear friend, Joshua Toepper. The content of this article was an interview with the sometimes misunderstood pastor from Mars Hill, Rob Bell. You can read his interview, Tying Clouds Together, on how he comes up with his sermons here,
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/preachingworship/preaching/tyingcloudstogether.html?start=1

I skimmed the interview over and quickly popped off three points that the article could suggest (not that they are true about Bell, but that the interview could suggest them). 1- art and history are as (if not more) important in exegesis as a commentary or lexicon. 2- The “truth behind the truth” is what you want to preach (albeit, I argued it is a subjective and nebulous truth) 3- Rob Bell has a lot of good experience and knowledge to share, but at times he overutilizes metaphor and hyperbole which can lead to him being confused.

Well these quick responses were sent off to a group from the Seminary and I felt like I really had to firm up my points a bit, because I could have came across as “anti-Bell” which I most certainly am not. The main point I wanted to flesh out was this,  Rob Bell is misunderstood a lot by evangelicals and mainline Protestant denominations, but understood well by his community (and those who give him time to finish his thoughts).

I have read Bell’s books (except the latest one) as well as listened to some of his sermons from Mars Hill and for the most part, I am a fan of his ministry. He’s just someone that you have to wait for to “finish the circle” — What I mean by this phrase is that Rob Bell has the tendency to make edgy comments or statements to make his points (i.e. the title of the article, Tying the Clouds Together) and you have to allow space and time for him to back up what he means (ex- the ‘being born of a virgin’ comment in Velvet Elvis. People grossly take this comment out of context and say that Bell doesn’t believe in the virgin birth, but in the context of his book he was attempting to show that our faith in Christ is more than new research/opinions about Christ). Metaphor can be a tricky thing. It is a very useful literary device, but we always have to remember to ask the question as readers, “Is the weight of my interpretation of what I think the author is trying to say too heavy for the metaphor to bear?”
The translatability of the Gospel requires the sermon-smith to forge a contemporary Gospel message in a way that is understandable to their intended audience, but also trustworthy to the original meaning. The process of translating the Gospel, however, must start with an exegetical exploration of the Scripture before it can be translated into any cultural vernacular. Starting with the intended audience or culture to find the meaning of a text causes an irresponsible eisegetical reading into the Scripture. Such negligent hermeneutical practices have led to the rise of the prosperity gospel, Montanism, Arianism, the Apartheid (supported by the Dutch Reformed Church), and the Left Behind Series. NOW I KNOW THIS IS NOT WHAT ROB BELL DOES – I just have a hard time reading interviews with Rob Bell since they don’t usually allow him to finish his “circle of thought”.

Rob Bell can teach us a lot about the application phase of Exegesis/IBS/ect… Not that we all should start making trendy modern day parable videos and wear cool black glasses when we preach, but perhaps we can talk to our black, rural, northern, southern, Hispanic, white, first nation, or suburban congregations in a way that allows them to understand the message most clearly. This doesn’t mean observing Rob Bell, but observing the community you are called to.

What is your take on Rob Bell’s methods to preaching?