The Gray Monk

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January 31, 2005

Something to ponder

Every now and then I am surprised by something in a service at the Abbey, and recently it was the wording of the "Collect" for the day. The Collects from the Book of Common Prayer were written largely by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in his service book for the Church of England first published in 1549 and rewritten (because it was "too Catholic" according to the hardline faction) in 1552. A hundred years later, in 1662, the present Book of Common Prayer was written revising the 1552 - by now considered to be "too Protestant"- and providing a balance between the two factions. Sadly, it was now far too Catholic for the extreme Protestants who eventually broke away to form a range of "Non-Conformist" Churches.

But, the Collect which "surprised" me was this: -

O God,
who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many great dangers,
that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright;
Grant us such strength and protection,
as may support us in all dangers,
and carry us through all temptations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Read that opening line carefully - and then think in terms of the many natural disasters that have recently beset us. From huricanes in Florida, Typhoons in the Pacific, and Cyclones in the Indian Ocean, tornadoes in the US (and here in Britain) and tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, and the potential to be wiped from the face of this earth by any number of apparently random events. See what I mean? Perhaps this is what we have lost in our thinking on life, the meaning of it and our relationship with God, the planet, and all that is in it.

We think in terms of our own Godhead, yet we can control none of this. We talk in terms of "managing" the climate, "managing resources", and creating a "stable and safe environment", yet how many of us can guarantee we will even wake up in the morning?

Perhaps we need to rethink our understanding of our place in this marvelous creation. We certainly need to rethink our opinion of our contribution to the planet and to the environment we so arrogantly believe we can adapt and manage to our own benefit.

Archbishop Cranmer set in train, with his first Prayer Books, a chain of events which would reshape, indeed are still reshaping, the Western Christian Church. He died a martyr's death under the reign of Queen Mary 1 - Bloody Mary - burning at the stake rather than recanting his part in the creation of the Church of England. His form for the Collects, based on the Lord's Prayer in their "Salutation, Supplication, Glorification" format, are models, even today, of prayer which is focussed on God and says succinctly what we understand and hope for. This particular one sets out quite clearly the understanding of the human condition which we delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped. We have not, and the tsunami in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere has come as a sharp reminder of this.

I invite you all to consider the words of this Collect carefully, and to use it in prayer when you consider the various dangers that we face daily. Use it, and be very sure that, no matter what you face, God will be there with you, sharing your fear, your exaltation, and whatever awaits you.

The three lines concluding the main part of the prayer should be on all our lips whenever we embark on any enterprise, no matter how large or small.

May the Lord be with you in all things.

Posted by The Gray Monk at January 31, 2005 11:39 AM

Comments

Posted by: Groendraak at February 6, 2005 02:20 AM