A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW
By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt
THE CACOPHONY of Christmas commercialism, with all of its jingles and expensive advertising, felt like it had started early this year.
No sooner had we stepped away from the table at our Thanksgiving gatherings, even before we had invested in any Halloween treats, we were being encouraged to acquire “stuff”, that would change, yes, and even enhance our lives, more than we could ever ask or imagine.
Then, just as I was pondering what special item I would acquire to gift you with, Dear Reader, I encountered an insight as to what would truly enhance our lives, even much more than we could ever ask or imagine. Bishop Townshend recently reflected:
…In addition to being a learning, just and diverse church, we would benefit from being a praying church.
In his Charge to Synod 2024, our Diocesan Bishop went on to say:
So, Turning to Grace, involves a life of continual conversion to the goodness of God and a habitual way of living that becomes a resource for healthy life in community. Deepen your practice of prayer, fasting, study, worship, confession, forgiveness, sabbath, scripture, sacraments. All of it leading us to Love and Serve the poor, the weak, the lost in Christ’s name. God is found in these practices. Or better, God finds us in and through them.
In a recent prayer experience following the pattern of the Prayer to the Four Directions, I was drawn to note that as in that particular devotional prayer there is a physical act of turning to different points in the compass, I also heard the quiet whisper of a question which is asked in the Service of Holy Baptism:
“Do You Turn to Christ?“
How easy is it for you and for me to build the activities of our busy daily lives on a foundation of our faith? Taking time to engage in prayer and have a conversation with God may feel like it takes a great deal of time and effort. However, if we remind ourselves of the Baptismal commitment we have made or which we re- affirm when we witness a Baptism, then, as we turn to Christ and have Him as the compass point towards which we orient our lives, there is an ease for us as we enter into a time of prayer.
We do not live our lives in isolation. Every facet of our identity as Christians who live out our faith within the framework of the Anglican experience gives us the gifts and insight which, in turn, deepens our faith. As a part of a parish family we seek to support each other in the life of our community of faith. As a deanery family, at our best, we support each other and the ministry we offer in the local communities we serve. As a diocesan family we are drawn together in an historic ministry in Southwestern Ontario which has been a faithful witness for many decades. As a part of the Anglican Church in Canada we learn from others through the diverse experiences of the Church throughout Canada, and we live with the impact that the Church has had on the history of our nation. As a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion we speak with a prophet’s voice, calling those who generate conflict in our global village to discover peace as a viable option to be claimed and cherished.
You may imagine, in the midst of life’s turmoil, what a personal joy it was for me to read these words:
My dearest Lord,
be a bright flame before me,
be my guiding star above me,
be the smooth path beneath me, be a kindly shepherd behind me,
today and evermore.
(St. Columba, c. 521 - 597)
This brief prayer comes as part of a collection of thirty - one prayers, one for each day of the month, which has been put together in a collection, entitled “Prayers Through the Ages”.
The collection, which is readily available through the Diocese of Toronto website, is intended for the use of anyone seeking an inclusive and accessible prayer resource. I share it with you: www.toronto.anglican.ca/spiritualrenewal
The call to renew our personal prayer life is neither new nor radical. The Anglican experience of the Christian Faith has always been rooted in a pattern of Prayer, Sacramental Worship and Service. In our foundational Book of Common Prayer our days may become structured around services which are entitled, The Order for Morning and Evening Prayer, “Daily Throughout the Year”! There is a brief prayer service for use at mid-day and the service of Compline may be offered later at night. A shorter form of Prayers for Families may also be used on a daily basis. If you take a moment to read the Introduction to The Divine Office found in the Book of Alternative Services (pages 36-43) you will be able to delve deeply into an overview of how the liturgical life of the Church has evolved over time.
Another thoughtful resource for you to consider is reading through The Archbishop’s Test, written by E.M. Green in 1914. You will find it is available on the Internet.
The circulated eleven-page story, although it is couched in the language and culture of what now feels like a different world, has a resonance with our own time, even as it has a history stretching back more than a century. One of the essential messages of the brief story (spoiler alert!), is that we have the devotional tools at our disposal to engage in a relationship with God which is built on a foundation of a life pattern of prayer.
And so, my Christmas present to you is one which you already have. I suspect that there will be those who will criticize my action of “re-gifting”. If I could wrap up each of the devotional resources that I mentioned, and place them under your Christmas Tree, I would. However, more than the resources themselves my gift to you is an invitation to an experience. It is an experience of prayer and devotion which is both life changing and life affirming. Being open to the power of the Holy Spirit moving in your life is a joy during this Season of Celebration as we listen well to the familiar story of how God’s Son came into the world. Prayer is both an opportunity to speak and an opportunity to listen.
Phillips Brooks wrote words which are a part of many celebrations during the Christmas Season:
How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given
As Love imparts to human hearts the blessings of God’s heaven!
No ear may hear His coming; but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ enters in.
(O Little Town of Bethlehem - Hymn 120)
May that be true in your life and mine.
Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt has retired from full-time parish ministry but continues to offer priestly ministry in the Diocese.
Photo: Charlotte Poolton