The Circumcision of Christ

Today was the celebration of the Red Letter Holy Day, The Circumcision of Christ. These “major” or “Red Letter” days get their nickname from the color their titles are printed in the Book of Common Prayer:

The Circumcision of Christ.

[January 1.]

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the law for man; Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit; that, our hearts, and all our members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all things obey thy blessed will; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The first day of the calendar year brought another cold Santa Ana condition to Mount Olympus with a sunrise temperature of 41°F. The winds were 25 knots, gusting to 35. With this miserable weather, the Under Beadle weather canceled the New Year’s Day Trail Ride. That did free up the Beadle, Under Beadle and Deputy Beadle to attend the service at Victoria House. With seven people attending, there were too many for the small chapel and the service was held in the dining room.

Alice Acker read the Epistle for today, which came from Paul’s letter to the people of Philippia, starting at the Ninth Verse of the Second Chapter. The portion of the letter used as today’s Epistle is relatively short. God has sent His Son to earth and given him a name above all others, Jesus. Paul exhorts his fellow followers to continue to follow the Lord, not only while he is watching them, but at all times. God will give them the will and ability to do good, but only if they do their best to follow Him.

God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The Gospel for today came from the Gospel according to Saint Luke, the Second Chapter, beginning at the Fifteenth Verse. Today’s Gospel recounts the angels visit to the shepherds who came into Bethlehem to pay homage to Jesus in the manger. It also documents the circumcision of Jesus, bringing Him under the Law. He who: Is, Was and always Will be, put Himself under the Law, that He might fulfill the Law and be our salvation.

Our salvation from the Law came from the perfect sacrifice one time for the sins of all mankind for all time. It could only come from one who was perfect, to enter in to the Law, one had to be subject to the Law. Thus, Jesus submitted Himself unto the Law that he might in the end have dominion over the Law.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Sermon - The First
There really was no sermon today, but Father Acker reminded us that not only is this the first day of the calendar year, but through Christ it is the first day in a new beginning for each of us. If we take the new life Christ offers us on this New Year, to make a New Life, we can move forward.

There is a problem, in that we are not perfect and will fail the test.

Not to worry. Each Sunday, Christ brings us a new chance at the New Life.

There is a problem, in that we are not perfect and will fail the test. Not to worry. Each day brings a new chance at the New Life.

Each day we are willing, we can go forth as Paul’s New Man, with the New Life given us by Jesus, the Christ.

Father Acker’s Icons
One of the very interesting features of Victoria House is Father and Alice’s icon collection. After the service today, Father Acker gave Greg Chase a “tour” of Victoria House’s icon collection. Greg was particularly interested as his son, Nelson, who is studying to be an Orthodox priest has the Orthodox predilection for icons.

Icons are somewhat controversial. Anglicans tend to view icons as religious decorations, aids to focusing one’s thoughts and perhaps soul on God. Orthodox churches seem to view icons somewhat differently. It is difficult for Anglicans to grasp the Orthodox’ veneration of icons. Like many other aspects of worship, the Orthodox have a complex set of rules to cover the veneration or honoring of icons. Take this gentle reminder from an Orthodox church bulletin:

VENERATING ICONS

When you enter the temple it is customary to venerate the holy icons. Usually there are icons in the narthex and/or at the entrance of the nave, and many temples have icon stands at the front near the iconostasion as well. Newcomers to the Church are often confused or perplexed about venerating icons. In a very traditional temple there will be an icon on a stand at the entrance or in the center of the nave; this icon is venerated first. Then the icon of Christ which is to the right, before the iconostasion, is venerated, followed by those icons that are accessible on the south (right) side of the temple. Crossing over at the rear of the temple, the icon of the Theotokos which is to the left, before the iconostasion, is venerated, followed by those icons that are accessible on the left (north) side of the temple. In many Byzantine temples in this country, the only icons available for veneration are those in the narthex. It is customary when venerating an icon, especially the principal icons, to make two reverences (sign of the cross followed by a bow), sign of the cross a third time followed by kissing the icon, then a final reverence (sign of the cross followed by a bow).
When venerating (kissing) an icon, pay attention to where you kiss. It is not proper to kiss an icon on the face; after all, you wouldn't go up and kiss the Lord or His Mother on the lips, would you? Rather, you would kiss their hand. Pay attention to what you are doing. When you approach an icon to venerate it, kiss the Gospel, scroll, or hand cross in the hand of the person depicted, or kiss the hand or foot. In fact, the hands and feet on some icons are covered with metal for just this purpose and so as not to damage the icon itself. As you venerate an icon, show the proper respect due to the person depicted; the same respect you would show them in person. Remember blot off that lipstick first!

The immediate reaction of many is it is worship, or at least borders on worship of the Icon rather than simply honoring the Saint depicted. After all, most Anglicans have pictures and do use them to remind them of people, yet they do not bow to them or kiss them. It is the bowing and kissing of Icons that seems to cause the most problems. Anglicans see in these actions a potential "worship" of the item. From the outside, it can look a lot like the icon is an idol .

Honoring is good, worshipping is not. Reference Chapter Twenty-Two of the Book of Revelations, the Eight and Ninth Verses:

And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. {9} Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

Why does bowing and kissing an icon come across to us as bordering on an act of worship?

There is a twofold reason. First, our culture does not have the same meanings behind these actions that were common at the time the Bible was written. Second, the use of an inanimate object can make it appear that we are doing these actions to the object and not to a person; the concept of "icon" has been lost.

In our American culture, Anglicans don't do a whole lot of bowing and kissing. We rarely bow to anything, except in prayer to God. The bowing and kissing when greeting another has been replaced with the handshake, and if real familiar, a hug. Respect for another is demonstrated by being kind and using good manners. Even with the President of the United States, usually a standing ovation is how he is greeted with respect when he enters the chambers of a gathering. The only context that Anglicans have for bowing is in prayer to God. So, when we bow to another person or an icon representing another person, Anglicans tend to lump the action together along with prostrations as an action of worship simply because they have no other cultural context for it.

There is a big difference between an icon and an idol. The idol is seen as a god in itself or as pointing to a god other than the God of Israel. The icon only points to another person that cannot be present with us. They really serve the same function as our photographs do, to remind us of loved ones, though we must define "remembrance" as a making present of a heavenly reality, veritable "Windows into Heaven." The physical pictures of the Saints and Christ remind us they are alive, they are a "cloud of witnesses" surrounding us, and we join them in worship around the throne. The reality of the Saints is pointed to by the icons of them in our midst.

Icons are things of artistic beauty and wonder. At the same time, some people like them, some don’t. Some love them, others abhor them. They are to be respected, not worshipped. Perhaps the best approach is to understand what they are for – Windows into Heaven. If they help you see better, they are good. If they don’t, leave them to others.

Having said all of that, your Beadle’s view is icons can be things of beauty that can inspire one to follow God’s will for us. They can be a Window into Heaven or not, depending.

Why do we celebrate The Feast of the Circumcision?
Few in the Episcopagan church are familiar with the Feast of our Lord on 1 January as "The Feast of the Circumcision" because it is now referred to as "The Feast of the Holy Name.”

The feast dates from the sixth century and was celebrated until the “re-ordering” of the church when it became known as "The Feast of the Holy Name.” This was said to have been done either to emphasize the Name of the Son of God or the role of his blessed Mother. It is true there is significant symbolic meaning in the Name of Jesus ("the Lord our salvation") on which we all ought to meditate, there is also deep symbolic meaning in the fact that Jesus was circumcised because, put simply, he was a Jewish boy, not a girl, and born within the Mosaic covenant of grace.

It seems rather odd in a time and culture where there is much explicit "sex", that the Church should cease to refer directly and publicly to the day when Jesus was circumcised! At least in liberal progressive contexts, this cessation is attributable to their self-conceived idea that Jesus is androgynous and thus specific talk of circumcision is irrelevant.

The very fact Saint Luke tells us he was circumcised takes on great significance. Every Jewish boy was circumcised on the eighth day. This is what God commanded Abraham, and what Moses simply continued.

But, what does it mean that Jesus Christ was circumcised? Circumcision was the entrance into the Covenant of the Law, the Mosaic Covenant, and the person receiving it involved himself in every other obligation of the Law of Moses

What does it tell us about creation and redemption, and God’s love for the human race?

As the Collect points out, Jesus Christ would fulfill the Law. The Law required atonement for sin. The only way to atone for ultimate sin was an ultimate sacrifice. As Adam whose sin made the many guilty, the sinless One, by His obedience unto the Law made the many righteous.

It is in this first shedding of blood by circumcision He begins to obey and to fulfill the whole Law; no one else ever did it perfectly. No one else could. No man in heaven or earth was worthy to open the scroll, says the Book of Revelation, except for the One who was like a Lamb that had been slain, and is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

What else does His circumcision tells us? It tells us that we can identify Him as an individual in history. This is very important, indeed essential, to believing that His Incarnation was real and not allegorical.

It is common and good to speak of Jesus as the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the whole world, as being involved in two necessary aspects of obedience to God his Father through the Law. One is active obedience, his daily commitment to obey God through the law in thought, word and action; and this he did willingly and wholly to the moment that he expired on the Cross. The other is passive obedience (from pascho, to suffer), his passion, his suffering as the innocent for the guilty, as bearing the pain and punishment as the substitute and representative on behalf of his people (see Isaiah 52: 13 - 53: 12). Both these important aspects are signified in the act of circumcision; for here the first shedding of his precious blood points to his passive obedience in the shedding of the blood of Atonement at the Cross of Calvary, thirty or so years later at the close of his Messianic ministry.

One further point is worthy of noting and considering with respect to the circumcision of Jesus. In his human nature, he was male, for he became Man, not an androgynous human person. This may be offensive to some of strong feminist commitments who prefer to speak of the Child of God and suggest this Child was androgynous. On the other hand, it is fact, not fancy.

The near future, as well as Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Second Sunday after Christmas and there is a lot going on in the next little bit. Next Sunday, Father Acker will be starting a new class series. Or, maybe he will talk a bit more about the liturgical year. You need to come to church to find out before the Beadle’s Report comes out.

12th Night Celebration
At 1830 (6:30pm) On Saturday, 5 January 2008, the 12th night of Christmas, we’ll have a burning of the greenery for the lighting of the Epiphany at Victoria House. Bring a piece of your dry Christmas greenery to add to the brazier (no more than 6 inches with the fire danger). If you don’t have any, we’ll have some extras. After the service we’ll have dessert and sherry to close our Christmas season and welcome Epiphanytide.

See you next week on Sunday!

Father Acker posts a .pdf version of the current Beadle’s Report on the church website:

http://alpineanglican.com/BeadleReports.htm

An alternative version of the Beadle’s Report a single photograph and simple text is available at:
http://thebeadle.blogspot.com/

or with one photograph per issue and colorful text at

http://web.mac.com/thebeadle/iWeb/BeadleBlog/Blog/Blog.html

All back issues of the Beadle’s Reports are available on request from:

thebeadle@mac.com