John Chrysostom: Homily 42
I am conscious that I have not written here since last weekend. Aside from generally not being in the mood to write after a normal day’s work, I have struggled to find something to say that is appropriate. The news is continually a source of anger as we go from one controversy to another. Readers at NEO will note the bleak tone of my recent comments there.
There are trivial things I could write about, such as food, but readers of this blog typically expect something of spiritual, ethical, or political significance. Christians also disagree about our approach to the world: some say that if we ignore it, we become introverted and selfish, while others say that if we pay it attention, it is apt to distract us from Christ and the everlasting kingdom that the righteous shall inherit. In truth, there is no general answer: managing one’s mental health depends upon one’s circumstances and temperament.
I have set out below part of John Chrysostom’s homily on John 6 (taken from the Catholic site, New Advent):
“Beloved, let us not contend with violent men, but learn when the doing so brings no hurt to our virtue to give place to their evil counsels; for so all their hardihood is checked. As darts when they fall upon a firm, hard, and resisting substance, rebound with great violence on those who throw them, but when the violence of the cast has nothing to oppose it, it soon becomes weaker and ceases, so is it with insolent men; when we contend with them they become the fiercer, but when we yield and give ground, we easily abate all their madness. Wherefore the Lord when He knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
went into Galilee, to quench their envy, and to soften by His retirement the wrath which was likely to be engendered by these reports.”
There is wisdom here. There is a time for resisting, but also a time for retiring. In Ecclesiastes, it says: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…a time of war, and a time of peace” (3:1,8). Wisdom lies in knowing what time it is. Some people will not be persuaded, no matter how hard we try. Sometimes, the best thing is to retire.
God has a great day of judgment in store. Though we may not be vindicated in this life, though the war on truth may continue apace, that does not mean there is no reckoning, no rebuke. Each person must stand before God at the Last Day and answer for their words, thoughts, deeds, and omissions. Nor will God abandon this world to the god of this age. One day Christ will return and the kingdoms of this world will become His. He will reign in glory from Jerusalem and delegate the rule of the nations to His faithful saints.
Why I like traditional Anglican liturgy
I’m not really an Anglican, although I have spent many a Sunday at Anglican services (not to mention some Friday morning communion services). Traditional services provide a quiet space for reflection. They tend to avoid the excesses that I have seen in various contexts.
This is important. Sobriety and focussing on God are a necessary balm in these difficult times and form a stark contrast to certain forms of churchmanship that have a tendency distract and misplace our focus. YouTube is filled with videos of people who have left churches (whether to join other ones or to become atheist or agnostic) because of cultures and doctrines that were detrimental.
Traditional liturgy also helps the Christian to feel part of the wider church, both spatially and in terms of the chain of history. Its ancientness reminds us that Christians of times past have faced persecution and difficulties, but overcame through their faith in Christ. Its stately solemnity reminds us that the vicissitudes of this life are temporary. God’s kingdom is everlasting.
The Anglo-Catholic manner of conducting it (and even the less ornate choir-dress style) reminds us that our brethren are found in all denominations. We may disagree on various points, but we all worship the Holy Trinity and confess that Christ died for our sins and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
All Along the Watchtower 
I like the Anglican liturgy because, as a person once complained to me, lol, it never changes. It never changes because God never changes. Jesus never changes. The promises and assurances never change. Aside from the readings, which change based on the seasons of the Church, I know exactly what prayers are going to be said, what thanksgiving is going to be said, what Creeds are going to be repeated. It is the ‘sameness’ that is the reinforcement, the reminder of what’s important, that focuses our attention properly, that causes us to choose, each Sunday, to follow Christ.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, I used to like the sameness, especially of Friday morning eucharist at chapel. It gave me a sense of stability and made me feel I had started the day right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Wisdom lies in knowing what time it is.” 25 or 6 to 4″? 🙂
Yes, to all you say about the traditional liturgy, Anglican, orthodox, or Lutheran (and sometimes Catholic as well). The other thing is that as an organized and thought through order of service – a liturgy – it covers the essentials in worshipping God, and avoids the excesses of many modern services which far too often seem to worship man instead.
I’ve always found it interesting that Catholics, Anglican, and most Lutherans (others too) all use the same lectionary, a three year one designed to cover the Gospels in that time frame. There is also a historical one year Lutheran lectionary is service in parts of the Confessional Lutheran Church.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hopefully there are some good Lutheran churches streaming their services at the moment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are, although given most are in red states, many are simply again open as they should have always been.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I forget who said this, but I saw an interesting comment on social media recently that made the point that social gatherings have always carried risk and it’s just that the risk had been very low (in the West) in the past 50 years or so because of advances in medicine. The odds are considered unacceptable only because we are considering them relative to our most recent history, relative to a longer sweep of history they don’t appear that bad, especially compared to various other pandemics. All that is not to minimize the suffering and anguish of patients and their lived ones, but to get some perspective on this and the impact it has had on us as. Closing churches is indeed a serious thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s true enough. The bigger point I think is that so many of our people want to live in a risk free environment, and that simply doesn’t exist. Nor does it help that the panic has been strongly encouraged by politicians and media, which is the real point. This ain’t the Black Death, not even the Spanish Flu but oup peoples are acting like its worse than the two combined.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicholas – out of curiosity I did look at a recent comment you made on NEO’s blog, as you invited us to do. You wrote
‘The West is dying, the poison is in our veins. They killed my country and they are kiling yours. They have already come for the Christians – pastors are already being imprisoned in Canada and the USA, and street preachers have been fined for “public order offences” in my country for years.’
Now I find this somewhat sad and alarming – basically because whatever you may believe, I don’t see any evidence of the `fruit of the Spirit’ there. Something far wrong. It shouldn’t be like that for a person of faith.
LikeLike
Aren’t you angry at what has happened to the UK and USA? How can you not be grieved about street preachers being fined and people being imprisoned for standing up for the gospel. Just because we know the world is under the sway of the god of this age as St Paul calls him, doesn’t mean we should not feel angry about it. Daily we see attacks on truth and our institutions. There comes a point when, even though I have faith that God will prevail, I must say something.
LikeLike
Nicholas – you mean preachers such as John Bunyan being banged up in Bedford Gaol? Yes – well, I suppose that is a new and sinister development and one that gives serious cause for concern. Note that it was your beloved Anglicans who were responsible for that …….
Yes – there are developments that give serious cause for concern – but on the whole I’m relieved to have been born in the mid-1960’s rather than the mid-1890’s as my grandfather was, to have had the chance to go to university (unlike him), to have missed fighting in world wars and that sort of thing.
There is much that gives grave cause for concern – but St Paul never said things along the lines of `the poison is in our veins’, etc … etc …. There is something here that disturbs me and seems to go way beyond my understanding of righteous anger.
LikeLike