Random Ramblings

At this very moment, dear friends, I am listening to Pachelbel’s Fugues on the “Magnificat.”  If you thought Pachelbel was nothing but his Canon in D Major, listen to this stuff.  It’s Baroque organ music; now, I’m not an organ afficionado, truth be told.  I only own a CD of Bach’s organ music because I find Toccata and Fugue sufficiently dark and dramatic to warrant inclusion in my collection.  Nonetheless, this is good stuff.  People talk about Christian art and Christian music, usually referring to something along the lines of art and music with Christian content.  This is great music in part because there are no words!  Wordless hymns.  It’s like praying in tongues only with an organ.  And organ music played well truly is prayer and worship and can pull the spirit into the heavenly realms.

Organ music is one response to the saints.

Yesterday was the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or the Dormition/Falling Asleep).  The Classic Canadian makes mention of it over at his blog (which you all should read).  He’s Roman Catholic.  I’m Anglican, generally of the low church evangelical variety.

So what is my take on the BVM?  What am I, a Protestant, to do in relation to this woman, this Mother, who is blessed among women?

Good question.  I’m still working on that one and have been thinking off and on about it since Advent 2007.

You see, back in Advent, there was organised at our low, evangelical Anglican church a study group on Advent themes.  The first week was on St. Mary, but unfortunately we got on this stupid, endless discussion of whether or not the virginal conception of our Lord is an essential doctrine and never really got into how to honour the Mother of our Lord.  I tried, but never got any further than “talking to her.”

I hold nothing against those who seek the intercession of the saints, generally (if individual Anglicans do it, I’ll leave that up to them; the only setting that it bothers me is in Anglican corporate worship  — see below).  I know some people who do, calling it “praying to the saints” and saying that it detracts from the glory of God.  I don’t know.  I cannot pass judgement on those who pray to saints because I have met too many Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians who truly know what it means to be a Jesus follower and who display virtue and biblical understanding and a biblical worldview AND too many Protestants who make me wonder what they think the Gospel is really about.

Nonetheless, I don’t pray to saints.  I’m a Prayer Book Anglican, and Article of Religion XXII in my BCP says:

The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well of Images as of Reliques, and also invocation of Saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God. (Bolding is mine.)

I reckon a couple of things here: First, the Anglican Reformers, unlike some of their counterparts elsewhere, were very, very thoughtful and tried to strike a balance between the Tradition and reforming the Church.  Thus we believe in the Divine Presence of Christ in the Eucharist but have always preferred to receive that his precious Body and Blood with an English language liturgy.

Second, I have chosen to be an Anglican.  I don’t have to be an Anglican.  I could get chrismated into the Eastern Orthodox Church if I wanted, or be received into the Roman Catholic Church, or become a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, or join the Charismatic Episcopal Church (no relation to The Episcopal Church; also the most attractive non-Anglican option), or any other church in the smorgasbord of religion in Canada (Church of Christ Celestial, Presbyterians, New Apostolic Church, the United Church, the Alliance Church, etc).  Nonetheless, I am an Anglican.  I was baptised Anglican, confirmed Anglican and believe that there is something special about being Anglican and that God has a special role for us to play (unless we splinter into a thousand bits and explode).

As an Anglican, to live with integrity is to submit to the tradition I am a part of.  The 39 Articles, the three creeds, the Solemn Declaration of 1893 — these define Anglicanism.  The tradition of Anglicanism as articulated in the Reformation and handed down to us does not include invocation of saints.

Neither, therefore, do I.

But what can I do?

Well, first of all, I have come to an understanding of the term Theotokos, or “Mother of God” (this event occurred on this blog here).  Furthermore, I can meditate on what makes St. Mary the Mother of our Lord special.  When done properly, this sort of cognitive meditation stirs the heart and mind up towards God.  This is because, when we look at the saints and what makes them special, what makes them saints — holy ones — it is God and His interaction with them.

And God is superawesome.

So perhaps someday soon, since this rambling has gone on long enough, I can post a meditation on St. Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of God.

Until then, here’s a prayer to tide you over, from the First Things article “Evangelicals and The Mother of God”:

And now we give you thanks, Heavenly Father, because in choosing the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son, you exalted the little ones and the lowly. Your angel greeted her as highly favored; and with all generations we call her blessed and with her we rejoice and we magnify your holy name.