Mon, Apr 4th - 9:11PM
BRETHREN DOCTRINES
The Communion
Climax to the Brethren love feast is that which is celebrated in common with many other denominations, the communion. All other parts of the love feast are preparatory and lead the participant to the taking of the bread and the cup. The fact that it is held as a climaxing part of a larger service does not in the least detract from its significance but instead adds to its solemnity. All Brethren who have participated in a love feast testify to the impressiveness of that moment when the entire assembly turns its attention from its own happy fellowship to the acts of God which are the ground of that fellowship.
What does communion mean? It is the same as it is for Christians all over the world and throughout time. It is the maximum peak of all sacraments because it is symbolic of the central fact of the gospel. The bread which is broken by individuals and the cup which we bless are the communion of the body and the blood of Christ through which the forgiving love of God is vouchsafed to us. All the poetry of all the world's languages is insufficient to set out the meaning of this fact. We can only stand amazed as we partake of these emblems and say, with Paul, "He loved me and gave Himself for me!"
This communion, or eucharist, is a memorial of Christ's death and passion. Christians from the very beginning spent much thought in recounting the death of their Lord and in trying to fathom the depths of its meaning. It is not unusual for movements to celebrate the birthday of their leaders. But it is highly significant that the Christian movement has celebrated also the death-day of its leader. This is not only done on Good Friday but as often as they eat this bread and drink this cup. It is done in remembrance of Christ Jesus and of what He accomplished through His willing death, burial, and resurrection.
It is also a recollection of the redemption which we have personally received. The tedious weight of gnawing guilt has been removed because our sins are now forgiven It has become our emancipation proclamation, our independence day, our spiritual birthday, our new year of jubilee. If any person is in Christ he/she is a new creature. The communion symbolizes this fact of the gospel. It is finally, a foretaste of the future. It has not only a backward and an upward look, but also a forward look into the deep mysteries of the Christian's hope. "For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He come (I Corinthians 11:26)." And Jesus Himself declared to such communicants: "I will raise Him up at the last day (John 6:54)."
I hope that this helps some to better understand a few of the Brethren doctrines and why we do certain things. God bless you all, and may His mercy and grace flow abundantly in your life this day and in the days to come!
~Eric
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Sun, Mar 20th - 9:20PM
BRETHREN DOCTRINES
The Feet Washing Ceremony
In doctrine and practice the love feast has been regarded as a whole evening's ceremony which consists of three main parts: the preparatory ceremony of feet washing, the central ceremony of a fellowship meal called the Lord's Supper, and the climaxing ceremony of the communion or eucharist.
What is the meaning of the feet washing ceremony? The most obvious meaning of a washing ceremony is that of cleansing or purifying. It does not refer to the actual feet, or else it would have been performed by Jesus at the disciples' entrance into the room. It is obviously a symbol of that continual cleansing of the heart without which we, like Peter, would have no part with the Messiah. Baptism refers to that original washing of regeneration whereby we are justified before God and are born again. That aspect of our conversion is "once for all." We became a member of the family of God. But after that initial act and experience of regeneration, there is necessary a continual cleansing and purifying from sin in order to keep ourselves in the love of God. This is the process of sanctification or growth in grace. It is much like a bather who walks home from the bath house, and, though he was thoroughly bathed, needs still to wash the dust of the journey from his/her feet. "He that is bathed needeth nt save to wash his feet (John 13:10)"
Foot washing is also symbolic of love humbling itself for service. This applies particularly to the one who is doing the washing of another's feet and is of unusual significance to the entire love feast. For it is the particular sin of pride, superiority, striving for place, which is the chief barrier to Christian fellowship and which requires the cleansing mentioned above. It was this which disturbed Jesus on that last evening with His disciples, and it was in order to eliminate this that He instituted this realistic and amazing drama. The besetting sin of the disciples was this overwhelming desire for status. A recurring question among the disciples was which of them was greatest and, according to Luke, it broke out anew on that very evening at the dinner table. Over against their yearning for position Jesus' humility stands in strong contrast. He who counted not the being on an equality with God the Father a thing to be grasped, and who came not to be ministered to but to minister, used an instrument fitting to His Spirit-He took a towel. He might have taken a scepter or a sword, He might have taken a political majority or a radio hookup, but He took a towel, the symbol of love humbling itself for service.
Indeed, this is our own burdensome sin, not drunkenness, not lust, not bitter hatred, but the pervasiveness and incessant concern about status. It is one of the most subtle forms of temptation and is the ever-present barrier to our growth in grace as individuals and to our growth in fellowship as brethren. We are familiar with this pride as it shows up i the ambitious folk who are forever elbowing their way forward or upward. Their fevered pushfulness irritates us all and always. If they are unable to get on themselves, they are busy pushing others down and back so that they appear to be getting ahead. We are familiar with this pride also in the form of the smugness which marks those who have attained some eminence or status. They do not shout about it. They are very polite and quiet and seemingly gracious. But the air they carry is stifling because underneath their poise is that cold smugness whose prayer is ever and always "I thank thee that I am not as other men are." This is less easily detected than ambitious pride, but it is just as great a barrier as that to personal growth in grace and fellowship.
We are usually less aware of the pride and the desire for place which are exemplified among those who lack status and do not seem to desire it. It shows up in their jealous judgments and carping criticism of others It has an air of self-effacement and humility. But its very very concern with the concern of others for position stems from its own concern for position. Why were the disciples so incensed, so filled with indignation at the sons of Zebedee, whose mother pushed them forward? For the same reason we are indignant. We would like to have had that same position for ourselves, but they thought of it first and somebody had the boldness to ask for it! Too often our lack of assertiveness is not the fruit of lowliness and simplicity but is due rather to lack of enterprise and courage The true antithesis of the proud Pharisee is not the jealous judge of the proud Pharisee, but rather the truly humble publican who is so burdened with his own sin that that he is not bothered by the pride of others.
Now all these forms of pride are barriers to growth in grace and, in particular, barriers to fellowship. The significance of the feet washing ceremony is that it excises this inordinate pride and opens the flood gates of grace and allows fellowship to flow unhindered. Thus Jesus gave us, as He clearly said, an example that we should do to one another as He had done to His disciples when He washed their feet. Rather than calling for a regular servant to come and wash all of their feet, Jesus lead by example, humbling Himself and kneeling while He washed and dried their feet. ~from The Brethren Love Feast, by William Beahm
Perhaps we all ought to take time during this remembrance of the Passion Week and ask ourselves "Why do I criticize those in leadership roles within my congregation?" "Why am I frequently doubting God's Word as being true?" "Why can't I forgive and forget, just as Jesus has forgiven and forgotten my sins?" Perhaps we too frequently are tempted to desire to be the "right-hand person" to the pastor or priest. Truth be told, we could become that person, if only we would become a servant to everyone else first. As an American, I can admit that our culture inhibits us from freely embracing the truth that we all must become bond-servants to Christ Jesus before we can ever become adopted sons and daughters of God. Americans tend to fiercely defend their liberty, to not take kindly to others attempting to dominate them, to lord it over them. So we have a much more difficult time surrendering ourselves and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master. We tend to chaff against being told that we have been bought for a price: the shed blood of Jesus upon that cross on a hill called Calvary. What, don't we know, that we are not our own anymore?
To God be all of the praise, honor, power, and glory!
~Eric
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Mon, Mar 14th - 7:52PM
BRETHREN DOCTRINES
The Fellowship Meal
What is the meaning of The Last Supper? Beyond any doubt, it is a ceremonial dinner of intimate fellowship, of social interaction at the highest level. At its most fundamental level, a meal is the consumption of energy for our biological systems. But all of our eating of food has taken on a social and symbolic character. It has become so much so, that to do it alone on a frequent basis causes health problems. Any social group is more intimately knit together by sharing a common table of food. This is even more intensely true among those simpler cultures where they share a common dish. Our most intimate friends are those whom we invite to eat with us. Think about that for just a minute. On that last night with His disciples, Jesus chose to eat a sacred meal with them. It was a meal that very closely resembled the Passover, but it clearly was transformed into a new thing which He instituted as an occasion of exquisite fellowship. The atmosphere was electric, intensified by the impending doom of the cross and the presence of the betrayer. Jesus sought to bind His disciples to Him in everlasting bonds. He appears to have made a special effort to win Judas Iscariot back into the fold of love and light. Conversation at the table was beautiful and loving, so courageous and true, so penetrating and revealing, that it as if a certain glow emanates around the record of it in John 14-17. The heart of God is clearly revealed as Jesus prays to the Father in heaven for those dearest to Him. The name given to these meals in early times was agape. This was a Greek word for love, but it was a distinctively Christian type of love which finds its highest joy not in what it gets but in what it gives. It is a love given without any strings attached, no conditions required in order to receive it. The early Brethren at Schwarzenau helped to revive this practice as its claims and significance became clear to them. For them, the church was primarily a fellowship of people bound together intimately by their common redemption and their living Lord. It was not simply a togetherness, but togetherness of the deepest level and of the intensest quality. This is the essential meaning of the Lord's supper. It is probably the most characteristic sacrament of a congregation of believers which holds the name of Brethren. This meal therefore is more a reflection of the bare bones meal that the Israelites were forced into eating in Egypt the night that the Angel of Death passed through Pharaoh's lands. At the Last Supper of the Lord it was not a banquet, but more of a simple meal which helped its participants prepare themselves for the coming Sabbath Day. It is not a time to gorge oneself but rather to stop and reflect upon that Last Supper and the immediacy of the cross on Calvary. Thus, this meal normally consists of fruits, perhaps some cheese, and a simply made soup consisting of rice and beef. There can be rolls provided as a means to sop up the juice in the soup. Water is the only beverage offered. Of course, there are Scriptures and some singing involved immediately before sitting down to the meal, which actually follows the first part of a Brethren Love Feast. Next time I shall backtrack and write about Feet Washing.
Grace and peace be yours during this season of Lent!
~Eric
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Sat, Jan 9th - 3:48PM
Brethren Doctrines
THE BRETHREN LOVE FEAST
In doctrine and practice the love feast has been regarded as an entire evening's ceremony which is composed of three parts: preparatory ceremony of feet washing, the central ceremony of a fellowship meal called the Lord's supper, and the climaxing ceremony of the communion or Eucharist. The obvious meaning of a washing ceremony is that of a cleansing or purifying. This does not refer to the actual feet, or else it would have been performed by Jesus at the disciples' entrance into the upper room. It is obviously a symbol of that continual cleansing of the heart without which we, like Peter, would have no part with the Master.
In the love feast this is symbolic of the preparation for the fellowship meal and Eucharist which are to follow. We need to keep our relationship to God clan and up to date. The channels of grace need to be opened for the free flow of God's blessing to be poured out upon us. This is the meaning of the feet washing for the one whose feet are washed. Feet washing is also symbolic of love humbling for service of one another. It applies particularly to the one who is doing the washing of another's feet and is of unusual significance to the entire love feast. For it is the sin of pride, superiority, striving for place, which is the chief barrier to Christian fellowship and which requires the cleansing mentioned previously here. The besetting sin of the disciples in the upper room was the overwhelming desire for status. The question recurring among them was which of them was greatest and it raised its head afresh on that very evening at the table. Rather than grab a sword or a scepter in His hand, Jesus grabbed a towel, the symbol of love humbling itself for service to others.
Today this is our own personal sin, not drunkenness, lust, or hate, but the all pervasive and incessant concern about status. It is one of the most subtle forms of temptation and is an ever-present wall to our growth in grace as individuals and to our growth in fellowship as brethren. We are least aware of the pride and desire for place which are exemplified among those who lack status and do not seem to desire it. But it shows up in their jealous judgments and carping criticism of others. It has an air of self-effacement and humility. But its concern with the concern of others for place stems from its own concern for place. Why were the disciples so worked up with indignation at the sons of Zebedee, whose mother pushed them forward? They would like to have had that same place for themselves, but they thought the Sons of Thunder had already taken it. Too often our own lack of assertiveness is not the fruit of lowliness and simplicity but is due to lack of enterprise and courage. The true antithesis of the proud Pharisee is the truly humble publican who is so burdened with his own sin that he is not bothered by the pride of others. All of these forms of pride are preventatives to growth in grace and to fellowship. Thus Jesus gave us an example that we should do to one another as He had done to His disciples when He washed their feet.
Next time I will continue to quote from a Brethren .org booklet written by William M. Beahm and address the fellowship meal. My intent here is to reveal to many people some of the doctrines of the Church of the Brethren so that there will be less misunderstanding.
~Eric
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Tue, Dec 29th - 9:00PM
WORSHIP; In search of the real thing
What is the significance of familiarity of worship traditions? Well, worship traditions are the combination of all of its rituals, symbols, and metaphors. As I pointed out in my last post, these are not all that different from what we experience in football games and weddings. The major difference is that instead of enabling us to celebrate a human event, they help us celebrate God. The vast majority of our worship traditions began at some point in the past and have simply been passed on to the present generation of worshipers. Informal evangelical worship has its traditions as well. There will be a "mass mingle" prior to the worship leader starting the first praise song; the worship leader's joke for the week; clapping to the beat of the songs; short, catchy worship responses; commercial-like announcements and a speech to guests about not putting money in the offering plate; a moving solo before the sermon/message; etc.
The inherent problem with worship traditions is that the meaning of any ritual, symbol, or metaphor gets lost between generations. We must continually be aware of the need to keep them relevant by updating them regularly. If these traditions are to do do what they were originally intended to do, connect us with God, they must remain profound and significant. Getting rid of outdated worship traditions is the wrong approach to fixing what is broken. It is impossible to eliminate traditions completely since we are always creating new ones. Thus, we must learn to discern which ones to keep and update versus those we ought to stop doing.
In most denominations verbal traditions predominate the worship service. We tend to shy away from the use of visual symbols and rituals involving something other than the spoken or sung word are rare. Communion and baptism are dominated by the spoken word and verbal exchange. Yet most of the people who are unchurched are used to communication of a much different sort. They relate to life through the highly visual medium of television and the tactile areas of recreation, food, and sex. We should not then be surprised that they want to experience God with something other than the left side of their brain! If we dismiss their past as unimportant or even heretical, we do so at the risk of not reaching them at all. The early Christians understood that just as God in all God's divine and infinite mystery became incarnated in human flesh, tangible to us in Jesus Christ, God again becomes tangible to us as we use all of the resources of creation in worshiping Him. Churches must get over their inherited paranoia about utilizing the visual arts. Since we live in the video age we should be using this medium on a fairly regular basis in worship services. Something must be done to break up the logjam of "spectatorism" that afflicts our congregations today. We have been trained to watch and not to do. That is part of the legacy of television availability 24/7.
It is ironic that church boards do not hesitate to use business terminology like "short-term goals," "maximizing effectiveness," or "quality control." They do not worry about establishing savings accounts, building accounts, retirement accounts, or investment accounts. It is because we have welcomed corporate America into our midst with open arms and uncaring minds. Corporate America is our model for fashion, communication, management, strategy, and even architecture for several decades now. But now corporations have become rather cold and harsh towards their employees. They have become so in response to the economic recession that lasted for several years and even now has not lifted from every section of America. In this day what everyone desires and needs is less spiritual high-tech and more spiritual high-touch.
Culture today requires us to place some traditional and overtly spiritual worship back into our programs. Life is moving in the ultra-fast lane and people need something to grab and hang on to. People need to feel connected to others when they lack this feeling in the workplace. While establishing these connections with people, the church must also begin to teach the relevance of our American religious lexicon. People must be informed so that they will not remain ignorant of church traditions and rituals. How can we accomplish this feat? For the majority of Americans there is no returning to traditionalism. What went on in the 1950s can't be recreated and effective today. It means repackaging the product. It is what recording companies have been doing for decades with Christmas music. It means taking the basic content and delivering it in a different way. Musically this means Madonna singing "Silent Night" and listening to Josh Grobin sing Christmas carols; it helps us connect the past with the present. Repackaging occurs when Scripture is acted out in a drama. It occurs when children put a Psalm in their own language and read it to the congregation. Repackaging occurs when the Lord's Table is shared in small, intimate groups spread out through the sanctuary. It means taking a fresh look at the familiar and presenting it in a new way. Remember that worship that witnesses takes the new and makes it true, and takes the old and makes it new.
Of course, we can not become so culturally relevant that we become hostages to our culture and we no longer have anything to say to the culture on behalf of God. We must lose sight of what the Apostle Paul declared to us in his letters. That we are to be culturally relevant so that we can cause even one unbeliever to repent and accept Christ as Lord and Savior. He said to speak to people in terms that they can understand and relate to. Worship that dares to witness also dares to be a bridge, to acknowledge the unbelievers' culture by using their best stuff, not the trash. It will incorporate some of their music, their turn of phrase, and their distinctive pattern of celebration, and do it excellently. Worship that witnesses is also a bridge to a relationship with God through Christ Jesus. Therefore, we are called by Christ to transcend the culture with the whole Truth of Scripture and the Gospel, not just with a few sound bites and glitzy music.
Finally, I would say that relevance takes a backseat to authentic encounters with God during the worship service. We must always genuinely celebrate God's awesome and anointed presence, proclaiming Christ, responding to His love, and being genuine in our responses. Unconditional love must be palpable to visitors, demonstrated vulnerability and authenticity must be visible in order for visitors to make a connection and want more.
I sincerely hope some of what I have posted makes sense with some of you who choose to read it. The church in general is in huge trouble today. Declining membership, declining new members, apathy, and lack of support afflict just about every Christian denomination. There are more pastors quitting the ministry than ever before and it is harder to find qualified people to fill the vacancies simply because there are fewer and fewer people who understand what the Christian life is really all about. If people do not believe that they commit sin, then they feel no need to repent of sin, and therefore feel no need to accept Christ to be redeemed from their sin. The logic can't be argued against. That is all for tonight beloved, I pray that you have blessed final days of 2015. See you next year!
~Eric
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Name: E J Rajaniemi
