Grassroots Liturgist

There are some words that we use so frequently that the original power of that word can diminish. Take the word disciple , for example.   Most of us would say that disciple means follower , and leave it at that.   We may be thinking that no more needs to be said; the disciples followed Jesus.   Simple!   But the modern English usage of the word follower doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what it truly means. Jesus, of course, was born, lived and died a Jew, and the Hebrew word for disciple is talmid .   This word stresses the relationship between rabbi (teacher or master) and disciple (student).   At the time of Jesus’ ministry, a talmid would give up his entire life in order to be with his teacher.   And what that disciple sought from his teacher was not simply some head knowledge, as you might if attending a lecture or talk today.   No.   Rather than simply wanting to know what the rabbi said, the disciple wanted to b...

Have you ever seen a baby, a few months old, in his mother’s arms at a social event?   Everyone gathers round to take a look and, inevitably, some will ask to hold the baby.   Maybe after just a few seconds, maybe having been passed on to a second or third cooing adult, the baby gets upset, agitated and distressed, and begins to cry loudly.   Finally, the baby is handed back and only then, in the arms of his mother, he calms down.   The baby looks up at his mother and is reassured; he feels safe….he is at peace. I have often seen this scene played out, and they came to mind several times this Eastertide, which ended last weekend with Evening Prayer on Pentecost Sunday. The first words that the Risen Jesus said when he appeared to the apostles on Easter Sunday were, “Peace be with you.” In the original Greek of the New Testament, the word used is ε ἰ ρήνη ( eiréné ), and it has connotations of peace of mind.   In the Hebrew, shalom , there are ideas of hea...

It is often said that Pentecost is the birthday of the Church.   But why is this? First, let us look at the purpose of the Church, if we may speak in those terms.   We can identify three reasons why the Church exists.   Each is distinct but intimately connected.   Each is clearly visible when the Church as a whole, or a local parish community, is healthy and balanced.   Each nurtures the other two and, together, they build up the Christian community.   They are: the exaltation of God, the edification of the saints, and the evangelisation of the world.   In other words: to praise God, to increase the holiness of its members, and to spread the Good News to others.   These three are the signs of a living, Spirit-led Church or parish community. Looking back on my youth, there seemed to be a culture of ‘franchising out’ our evangelical responsibilities.   We raised money for the missions, in much the same way that we raised money for chariti...