"We are now come to the close of another ecclesiastical year"

From Parochial Sermons, from Trinity to Advent Sunday (1846) by Henry James Hastings (who was also the author of A Plea for the Prayer Book As It Is, 1858), an extract from the sermon for the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity, the Sunday before Advent. This powerfully combines the collect's opening petition, "Stir up", with the Gospel of the day, St. John's account of the miracle of the loaves:

Let us all keep duly in mind that we are now come to the close of another ecclesiastical year. In looking back upon it, have we not reason to fear that much has been lost of spiritual good and advancement, through our own negligence and supineness and sloth and indifference - means of grace have been abused, sacraments have been neglected, sabbaths have been wasted, the word of God has been put aside, religious habits have not been cultivated, the Saviour has not been loved and trusted in. Will not these things lie heavy upon us in eternity? Let us gather up the fragments that remain. Improve at least this day of holiness. Pray that the means of grace may not be attended this day in vain. Determine to redeem the time that remains. Gather up its morsels, that you may be ready to engage in all holy services, that your heart may be seasoned with grace, that you may be fed and nourished with the bread of heaven. Let it be your desire so to profit by the ordinances of the church and the provision which your spiritual mother sets before you from year to year, that you may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may abound in the fruits of righteousness. Let nothing of spiritual good be lost through your neglect and wastefulness, that you may secure your soul's salvation, and in your appointed time be transplanted from the church on earth to His church in heaven. Now it is your privilege to feed on the bread of life in the tabernacle below - then you will be permitted to eat of the hidden manna, and you will go no more out to labour for ever.

(The photograph is of November in Jeremy Taylor country.)

Comments

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...

laudable Practice

Search This Blog