Ember Wednesday in Advent
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| Christ Banishes the Tradesmen from the Temple Sicily Wikipedia Commons |
Quicken the smouldering embers now by Thine almighty breath. (Revive thy work, O Lord).
While the “Ember” of this day does not refer to actual embers but to a special time (tempora/tembora) for Prayer, Fasting and Penitence, the four Embertides of the Christian year and their emphases (Advent-Peace, Lent-Mission, Pentecost-Unity, Holy Cross-Labour & Industry) are all about renewalinthe gift of the Holy Spirit. On Ember days we pray especially for those who have been or are about to be ordained.
Our readings help us think about priesthood, the priesthood of Jesus Christ, our common share in that priesthood as baptized into Christ, and the particular priesthood of those ordained as such. There is sometimes a false tension between the ordained priesthood and the priesthood of all believers. Both are errors if they in any way eclipse or obscure the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is our Bishop, and our Priest, and our Deacon! We share in his work and dignity, in his service, intercession, and pastoral care as baptized into his body, and while some are especially ordained, their ministry is to point us to Jesus’ ministry and our share in that.
We have before us Christ’s High Priestly prayer and as priests we are all called to share in his life of intercession. Just as we are called to pray for one another, so we are bound to give thanks for one another. The Ember Days are calls to prayer. In our prayer and supremely in the prayer he taught and commanded we give voice to the mystery of the incarnation of the Word of God and of our incorporation into him.
In commenting on the Psalms, the Prayer Book Christ, Augustine teaches us to hear in them the prayer of Christ and our own. He writes on Psalm 85:
When we speak to God in prayer for mercy, we do not separate the Son from Him; and when the Body of the Son prays, it separates not its Head from itself: and it is one Saviour of His Body, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who both prays for us, and prays in us, and is prayed to by us. He prays for us, as our Priest; He prays in us, as our Head; He is prayed to by us, as our God. Let us therefore recognise in Him our words, and His words in us.
This the mystery of our participation, our communion, in Christ. With Christ we share in an unimaginable dignity and glory. We are a Royal Priesthood. Peter tells us that we together share in the priestly and royal anointing of Christ, and that we are the spiritual temple of Christ our Priest, and the spiritual palace of Christ our King!
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father;
to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1
Advent recalls us to prayer, the privilege, dignity, and power of prayer. We, the Church, are to be a House of Prayer for all nations. Let us reclaim time and space for prayer in our lives. And let us pray for Steve+ and Gillian+ and all our clergy and for Larence Kopp+ as our Archbishop receives him as a priest this evening, that with them we may be renewed in the gift and power of the Holy Spirit.
The mosaic from Sicily portrays Christ cleansing the Temple (John 2) where prayer had been supplanted by shopping. The seller of sheep and cattle and the money changer have their hands up in a position which could be prayer but is more likely acceptance. Or is it rejection? Are they saying “Okay Okay” or “Back off”?
Johnny Cash makes the hair on my arm stand up in his rich blending of biblical images of the coming again and judgement of Christ.
Bishop Michael Hawkins
When the Man Comes Around Johnny Cash
Please join us in prayer also for Bishop Michael as he is appointed Assistant Bishop at the service of Reception of Holy Orders this evening, Wednesday, December 17 at 7:00 PM.
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