"Advent is the harbinger to make way for the Queen-feast"

Henry Killigrew's sermon before the King on Advent Sunday 1666 is an example of how observance of Advent was recognised in Restoration Anglicanism. The sermon begins with reference to the Gospel of the day:

Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest.

These words are the Acclamation of the people, at our Saviour's entering in Triumph into Jerusalem, and part of the Gospel appointed for this Day, the first Day of the Church's Year, as appears by the Cycle or Round of Collects begun this Day. Christians, with good reason; observing yearly, double sort of year, an Ecclesiastical from the Advent of our Saviour, as well as a Civil from the Return of the Sun. For the Times and Seasons of the Church are measured, her spiritual Growths fostered, not by the Sun in the Firmament, but by the Sun of Righteousness, not by Planetary Motions or Influences, but by the Star of Jacob, whose Dawn, or Rising upon the World we at this time solemnize.

Advent do's not imply that Christ is come, but coming; not his Presence, but his Approach; Christmas is the high Celebrity of his actual Arrival, this day only reports and noises abroad his drawing near. Advent is to Christmas, as John was to the Gospel, vox clamantis, the Herald or Harbinger that made way for it; so Advent is the Harbinger to make way for the Queen-feast to succeed with more Majesty, Royal Personages not only having Followers, but Fore-runners for greater State.

Killigrew also points to the Advent collect as defining the piety of Advent:

The Offices of the Church for this day best instruct us, how to welcome our Lord's Coming. What in the Collect we pray, let us set our selves to practice. To cast away the Works of Darkness now in this Mortal Life, in which Christ came to visit us in great Humility. What the People here do in my Text, let us transcribe and imitate; use their Acclamations ... Hosanna to the Son of David, and again, Hosanna. Reiterating and repeating these Ave's and Good Wishes to Christ in our Souls, a second, third, and fourth time ...

Holiness and Righteousness make the Esclat or Splendour in Christ's Feasts; when Men's Hearts are full of Grace, then his Houses are hang'd, and his Tables prest with rich Provisions: 'twas not the Curious and Busy House-wifery of Martha, but the Pensive and Abstracted Faith of Mary that made the Entertainment at Bethany; and if we will Treat our Lord acceptably it must not be from the Shambles, or the Mercers; with the Cooks or the Tailor's skill; but with the Sacrifices of Obedience, and the Adornings of the Holy Spirit. Our Feasts upon Earth must resemble these they typify in Heaven, where Righteousness is the Robe, and the Contemplating and Glorifying of God, the Cheer and the Rejoicing.

Is there a contemporary relevance in this Restoration Advent sermon? While Advent purists might want to question the focus on Advent as preparation for Christmas, this understanding both reflects and shapes a popular practice and piety, and ensures that Advent is related to the anticipation of and preparations for the festive season. In other words, considerable pastoral wisdom is evident in this approach, rather than fighting - and inevitably losing - a rear-guard cultural action which insists upon a meaning and piety for Advent apart from and separate to the forthcoming festive season. Rooting our preparations for Christmas in Advent ensures that the season both has a popular relevance and resonance and also offers the opportunity to deepen festive preparations, rather than being understood in sectarian fashion as a protest against such preparations.

Why I support the ordination of women: a High Church reflection

A number of commenters on this blog have asked about my occasional expressions of support for the ordination of women to all three orders. With some hesitation, I have decided to post a summary of my own views on this matter. The hesitation is because I have sought on this blog to focus on issues and themes which can unify those who identify with or have respect (grudging or otherwise!) for what we might term 'classical' Anglicanism (the Anglicanism of the Formularies and - yes - of the Old High Church tradition). Some oppose the ordination of women (and I have friends and colleagues who do so, Anglo-Catholic, High Church, and Reformed Evangelical). Some of us support it (again, friends and colleagues covering a wide range of theological traditions). Below, I have organised my thinking around 5 points (needless to say, no reference to Dort is implied). 1. The Declaration for Subscription required of clergy in the Church of Ireland states: (6) I promise to submit ...

How the Old High tradition continued

Charles Gore's 1914 letter to the clergy of his diocese, ' The Basis of Anglican Fellowship ', can be regarded as a classical expression of the Prayer Book Catholic tradition. A key part of the letter - entitled 'Romanizing in the Church of England' - addressed the "Catholic movement", questioning beliefs and practices within it which tended to "a position which makes it very difficult for its extremer representatives to give an intelligible reason why they are not Roman Catholics". Gore provides the outlines of an alternative account and experience of catholicity within Anglicanism, defined by three characteristics. What is particularly interesting about these characteristics is their continuity with the older High Church tradition. Indeed, the central characteristic as set out by Gore was integral to High Church claims over centuries: To accept the Anglican position as valid, in any sense, is to appeal behind the Pope and the authority of t...

Pride, progressive sectarianism, and TEC on Facebook

Let me begin this post with an assumption that will be rejected by some readers of laudable Practice , but affirmed by other readers. Observing Pride is an understandable aspect of the public ministry of TEC. On previous occasions , I have rather robustly called for TEC to be much more aware and respectful of the social conservatism of the Red states and regions in which it ministers. A failure to do so risks TEC declining yet further into the irrelevance of progressive sectarianism. At the same time, TEC also obviously ministers in deep Blue states and metropolitan areas - and is the only Mainline Protestant tradition in which a majority of its members vote Democrat .* With Pride now an established civic commemoration, particularly in such contexts, there is a case for TEC affirming those aspects of Pride - the dignity of gay men and lesbian women, their contribution to civic life, and their place in the church's life - which cohere with a Christian moral vision. (I will n...

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