Readings: 2 Samuel 6.1–5, 12b-19; Psalm 24; Ephesians 1.3–14; Mark 6.14–29
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord.
When I came to prepare this sermon, two themes stood out.
First, John the Baptist and my “relationship” with him.
I’ll come back to that in a moment.
The other theme from our readings is …
Well … it’s dancing!
David dancing before the Ark;
Salome dancing before Herod.
Now it’s a bit of a co-incidence
that they are paired here together:
we’ve been hearing the story of David
over the last few weeks,
and we just happen to arrive at this episode
as the gospel gets to this interlude in Jesus’s ministry.
But I expect lots of you watch tv programmes about dancing –
Strictly Come Dancing anyone?
So perhaps you’re imagining David and Salome
as celebrity contestants in Strictly.
There’s David, king of Israel,
stripped down to a “linen ephod”
whatever that is,
but it definitely sounds a bit scanty doesn’t it?
Dancing, ooh, the quickstep, perhaps.
And the princess from Galilee, Salome,
(though she is called Herodias
in our bible translation this morning) –
young and attractive,
dancing something a bit raunchy, a tango, maybe.
In popular modern culture
it’s the dance of the seven veils,
though that was only invented by the writer Oscar Wilde –
the biblical text lacks the eroticism
which we might imagine into the story.
As for David,
the ephod that he wore was a priestly garment –
knee-length, open at the sides, belted at the waist –
perhaps a bit like the vestment
that a deacon sometimes wears, a dalmatic.
But back to John the Baptist.
I have, as I mentioned, a bit of a history with John.
It’s getting on for 40 years since Karen and I moved here –
and when not serving, I’ve usually sat somewhere over there:
right by Comper’s statue of John the Baptist.
But long before that,
from when I was born,
I went to a church dedicated to John the Baptist:
I was a choirboy and then a server,
and I was formed as a young Christian.
Now that church was a great Victorian barn of a place,
bigger than here.
And one feature I remember vividly
was a set of three big windows at the east end,
behind and above the altar.
In the lower part of each window
there’s a scene from the story of John the Baptist,
and above each of them a parallel scene
from the story of Jesus.
So the left window depicts the Nativity of Jesus,
a manger with a shepherd and worshipping angels,
while below are scenes from Luke’s account of John’s birth.
And the bottom of the centre window
shows the story we have heard today.
There is Salome dancing –
fully and demurely robed I hasten to add.
There is John
kneeling before the executioner wielding his sword.
There is a man opening a door,
presumably bringing in the head of John,
though that horror isn’t shown.
So, why do the windows pair these scenes?
Well John was an important figure to the gospel writers,
and all four of them include him in their stories.
He’d been the major figure in what we might call
a religious revival,
and crowds had flocked to see him,
a bit like some Billy Graham rally perhaps.
Among them came Jesus.
Are the gospel writers a little embarrassed about this?
About Jesus being baptized by John?
About Jesus perhaps playing second fiddle to John?
They want us to understand
that from their point of view,
from our point of view,
John was preparing the way for Jesus.
The first readers and hearers of Mark’s account
must have included people
who had been followers of John,
who perhaps had come out to the Jordan and been baptized,
but maybe had had little involvement with Jesus.
The gospel writer wants these people to see
that Jesus is continuing John’s proclamation:
repentance and new life.
But Jesus brings a new twist to the proclamation.
John had preached repentance
as preparation for the arrival of God’s kingdom.
But Jesus proclaims that God’s kingdom has arrived already,
here, now:
Jesus’s followers – you and me –
can repent
and move from the ways of this world
and live instead in the kingdom of God,
where the hungry and poor,
the troubled and the dispossessed
are lifted up
and people are reconciled
with each other and with God.
And there’s a second message from today’s gospel.
Following Jesus isn’t always easy.
It can be hard to lift up the lowly
and be reconciled with others,
and sometimes others don’t want to be reconciled,
sometimes people don’t want the lowly lifted up,
perhaps because they like to have people to lord it over
or to exploit.
Sometimes there are hard consequences.
Certainly there are hard consequences for John –
that’s the story we have heard today:
John is condemned and executed by Herod.
And soon Jesus in his turn
will be condemned and executed
on the orders of Pontius Pilate
and with the connivance of this same Herod –
and of others who are challenged
by the idea of God’s rule, God’s kingdom.
In death, as in life,
John is the forerunner of Jesus.
And this is what can be seen
in the middle window at my old church:
above the panel with the beheading of John,
we see the Crucifixion.
Jesus pays the ultimate price of love and reconciliation,
put to death by the Roman governor
on charges brought by the Temple leadership,
a conspiracy between the rulers of this world
to attempt to defeat … love.
And there’s one more window to look at.
The third window at my childhood church
reminds us of one more thing.
It shows, in the bottom, the end of today’s story:
John’s disciples come and carry away his body
and place it in a tomb.
It is the end for John.
But the upper section of the window
shows a very different scene.
The follow-up to the death of Jesus
is the empty tomb,
the bursting from the grave,
the defeat of death.
The triumph of hope.
That is to go beyond the story we have heard today, with the message of Jesus:
Love conquers all.
You see,
John had proclaimed
that the end of the world was coming,
and people needed to repent.
And John had been killed and buried.
Jesus, though, proclaims something new:
not the end of the world,
but the end of the age,
and a new age
where God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
And Jesus too is killed and buried … and …
rises to new life.
And that’s what we see in the last of the windows,
that similarity-and-difference between John and Jesus.
John buried; Jesus resurrected –
resurrected to new life,
life in the new age where God’s will is done.
As we heard Paul remind us in his letter to the Ephesians –
Jesus’s death on the Cross
reconciles us to God and also to one another.
And Jesus’s resurrection brings us
to share in life in God’s kingdom.
Right here and now.
So,
unlike John, we are Jesus’s followers.
But, like John,
our role does include preparing the way for Jesus:
preparing the way for Jesus
in the hearts and lives of those around us.
John’s life – and John’s death –
remind us that this might not be easy
but the example he sets
is one of boldness in telling the truth
and in proclaiming the gospel,
the good news that, in Jesus,
the kingdom of God is among us.
Let us each consider this week
how we might begin
to prepare the way to Jesus
for just one person.
Amen.
0 CommentsThe Mirfield Liturgical Intitute has recently announced a PGDip / MA in Worship and Liturgical tudies. The qualification is validated by the University of Durham, and can be studied part-time online. The publicity says:
Would you like to
- Deepen your understanding of how and why Christians worship God?
- Gain a postgraduate qualification that will support you in your ministry in the church, lay or ordained?
- Refresh your approach to worship?
- Equip yourself to teach others about liturgy and worship?
To find out more, contact the course director, the Revd Dr Jo Kershaw jkershaw@mirfield.org.uk or at https://college.mirfield.org.uk/academic-formation/the-mirfield-liturgical-institute/
Disclaimer: I should point out that Jo Kershaw and I are not related at all, and our families even come from opposite sides of the Pennines (though Mirfield is on the right side).
0 CommentsLast week I participated in a “colloquium” organized by Praxis on the subject of the Coronation, giving an introductory talk on the elements of the service or liturgy at previous coronations. (We don’t yet have details of the 2023 service.) The other major presenter was the Very Revd Dr David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster, who is closely involved in the planning and will be a major participant at the service.
The slides I used at that talk can be found here, in two versions – a large illustrated version and a small version with no illustrations.
Both versions contain some notes, and they can also be read in conjunction with my earlier post on the Coronation liturgy.
Additionally a recording of the colloquium is available on YouTube. My section starts at about 7 minutes in – do watch all the recording if you have time.
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The oil that will be used to anoint the king and queen at their coronation on 6 May has been consecrated in Jerusalem by the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop. The Archbishop of Canterbury’s website reports the details here, and that article is archived below.
0 CommentsThis is a longer version of an article published in Praxis News of Worship, March 2023.
In 973 at Bath Abbey, Edgar was crowned King of England by Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. The Coronation service in use derives directly from that compiled by Dunstan over a thousand years ago. It has gone through several revisions or “recensions”, with the third being used through the later Middle Ages and (in translation) for the first four Stuarts. The last major revision was made in 1689 by William Compton, Bishop of London, for William III and Mary II, but it has been tweaked for each subsequent occasion, with new monarchs usually wanting a shorter ceremony than their predecessor’s, and new anthems or settings being commissioned. It remains to be seen how much will change in 2023, but the principal elements are clear.
The coronation is set within the Eucharist, as it has been since 973, and since 1689 most of the ceremonial has taken place after the sermon and Creed (though there has been no sermon since 1911). There are five main elements:
The coronation of a Queen Consort follows.
The service begins with the entrance procession. Since 1626, verses from Psalm 122 (“I was glad”) have been sung, and in 1902 Sir Hubert Parry incorporated into his setting the acclamation (“Vivat”) by the scholars of Westminster School. This setting is now an established tradition.
Next the Sovereign is introduced as the rightful monarch and acclaimed by the congregation, a vestige of the ancient election of the monarch. In 1953 the Oath was moved to follow this, having previously been at a later point. The monarch promises to preserve and protect the Church and to obey the laws of the land. In 1953 the Presentation of the Bible to the monarch was moved to this point having since its introduction in 1689 been immediately after the Crowning. Only when the Oath has been sworn and the Eucharist begun does the service move on to the Anointing. “Zadok the Priest” has been sung as an anthem here since 973, and Handel’s setting has been used since 1727. The sovereign moves to King Edward’s Chair (which holds the Stone of Scone) placed in the Crossing of the Abbey before the Altar, and is stripped. Under a canopy to protect their modesty, they are anointed in the form of a cross on the head, breast, and palms (in the reverse order in 1937 and 1953). Afterwards a white linen undergarment is put on, the Colobium Sindonis, and a golden robe, the Supertunica, and then the Investiture begins.
The regalia now used were largely made in 1660 for Charles II, the earlier items having been wantonly destroyed by the republican government of the Commonwealth. The ancient regalia, crowns, sceptres, rods and vestments, are thought to have been taken from the tomb of St Edward the Confessor when he was translated to a new shrine in 1269, and were used at every subsequent coronation at Westminster down to Charles I in 1626. These sacred items never left the Abbey, being deposited by the monarch at the end of the service, and a vestige of that tradition remains.
The Spurs are brought and touched to the monarch’s heels (in 1953 to the Queen’s hands), and then the king is girded with the Sword (in 1953 it was put in the Queen’s hands). He straightaway ungirds it and places it on the Altar as a gift to the Abbey. It is redeemed for 100 shillings and carried by one of the Peers.
Next come the Armills (bracelets) and Stole Royal. These were made in 1953 and their form and role has been unclear since the originals were lost in 1649. The sovereign is next vested with the Robe Royal, a great cloak of cloth of gold embroidered with roses, thistles, and shamrocks – and imperial Roman eagles, a reminder that from 973 the English were copying the symbolism of the Byzantine emperor.
Each stage of the investiture is accompanied by prayers. Since 1689 these prayers have careful to bless the person receiving each item, the monarch, rather than blessing the item itself.
The Orb – symbolizing the globe surmounted by the cross – is placed in the monarch’s hand, and immediately given back and replaced on the Altar. The ring, sapphire with a ruby cross, is put on the fourth (ring) finger of the monarch’s right hand. Historically the next item was the Crown, but since 1689 this has been the final item to be presented. Next comes the Sceptre, topped with a cross, and the Rod, with a dove standing on the cross at the top.
Finally, the culmination of the investiture, the monarch is crowned with St Edward’s Crown, made in 1660 to replace the lost crown taken from the saint’s tomb. The congregation acclaim the monarch “God save the King”, trumpets sound, and a gun salute is fired from the Tower of London.
After the Crowning the monarch is solemnly blessed by the Archbishop, and up to 1902 the Te Deum was sung at this point.
The sovereign now moves from King Edward’s Chair to the Throne to be enthroned there. The Archbishop and other bishops do their Fealty together, promising to be “faithful and true” and the Archbishop kisses the king’s left cheek. Then the royal dukes and the other peers pay their Homage and the leading peers kiss his cheek. Historically this has been a lengthy part of the service even when significantly shortened so that each degree (dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts and barons) pays homage together, and might be further shortened in 2023.
The Queen’s Coronation follows, almost unchanged since that of Mary of Modena in 1685. She is anointed – in recent times only on the head, but up to 1761 on the head and breast, her apparel being opened for that purpose – invested with a ring, and then in a survival of the earlier order, crowned. Finally, she receives a sceptre and a rod, and is enthroned next to the king.
The Coronation itself is now complete and the Eucharist resumes at the offertory, including in 1953 a congregational hymn (Old 100th, “All people that on earth do dwell”), instead of an anthem. Traditionally the monarch makes an offering of the bread and wine, an altar-cloth and a pound-weight of gold, and a queen consort another altar-cloth and a “mark-weight” of gold.
The service follows the 1662 order, as it will in 2023, with the prayer for the Church militant, the General Confession and the Comfortable Words. The Sursum Corda is followed by a proper preface, Sanctus (sung to the melody of Merbecke in 1911 and 1937), Prayer of Humble Access, and Consecration. The Archbishop and assisting clergy receive Communion followed by the King and Queen. There is no general communion. The service continues with the Lord’s Prayer, post-communion (‘O Lord and heavenly Father’) and the Gloria. The monarch then moves into St Edward’s Chapel, where they are disrobed of their golden vestments – historically St Edward’s vestments and crown were not removed from the Abbey. Since 1911 the choir sings the Te Deum at this point. Finally, the monarch and consort process out through the Abbey to the west door, in velvet robes and the monarch wearing the Imperial State Crown.
For the text of the Coronation service, as used at each coronation from 1689 to 1953 see oremus.org/coronation
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My Almanac for the liturgical year 2022–23, the year beginning Advent Sunday 2022 is now available. The Almanac is a complete and customizable download that can be added to the calendar on a desktop/laptop, a tablet or a smartphone providing a fully-worked out calendar and lectionary according to the rules of the Church of England. Several download formats are provided, giving access to most calendar software on most devices.
As before, download is free, and donations are invited.
The Almanac is also available as a web page that can be installed as a web app on smartphones and tablets for easy access to all the data. New features include
This Almanac is offered free of charge, and without warranty, but as you might imagine it takes some effort to compile. If you would like to make a contribution to my costs then donations may be made via PayPal at paypal.me/simonkershaw. Alternatively, Amazon gift vouchers can be purchased online at Amazon (amazon.co.uk) for delivery by email to simon@kershaw.org.uk .
The Almanac has been freely available for over 20 years. There is not and has never been any charge for downloading and using the Almanac — this is just an opportunity to make a donation, if you so wish. Many thanks to those of you who have donated in the past or will do so this year, particularly those who regularly make a donation: your generosity is appreciated and makes the Almanac possible.
0 CommentsBeginning with the coronation of James I in 1603 there have been sixteen English-language coronations of English, or from 1714 British, monarchs. Before that, upto and including the coronation of Elizabeth I, the service had been conducted in Latin. The seventeenth, for King Charles III, is scheduled to take place on Saturday 6 May 2023.
As a small boy, over half a century ago, I was captivated by a souvenir of the 1937 coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth which belonged to my grandparents, and which contained the text of the service along with copious illustrations and some historical notes. From 1994 I have collected copies of the order of service of every coronation back to that of George IV in 1821, along with reproductions and editions of the earlier services back to 1603, as well as the music editions that have been published since 1902.
For some time I have thought of producing an historical edition of the coronation service with the different texts in parallel columns, making it easy to see the changes that have been made over the centuries. This is a bit complex to produce as a book (and perhaps not commercially viable) but a web page is easier to create, and can have other helpful features such as hiding or showing different sections of the page. So now there is a new page at oremus.org/coronation that contains the text of all the coronation services from 1953 back (currently) to that of George II in 1727. Work on adding earlier texts continues.
In each column the texts are aligned so that corresponding rubrics and spoken words match across the page. Individual columns can be hidden, making it easy to compare different years. Hiding rows, or sections of the text across all columns, is a feature that will be added soon.
The coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra scheduled for June 1902 was postponed because of the king’s illness. When it did take place in August, a number of modifications were made to place less stress on the convalescent king. Both the June and August texts are included in parallel columns.
With the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla scheduled for next year, I hope this will be a useful historical archive.
0 CommentsThe death of the head of state of a country is a significant event, even more so when that person has been head of state for 70 years, and is head of state of more than one country. The death of Queen Elizabeth II, guaranteed to come at some point, was nonetheless an event that touched many people, and millions if not billions of people around the world mourned her in some way.
For the first time, Orders of Service for the funeral at Westminster Abbey, and the Committal at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, were published online, enabling those watching on television to follow the text and join in if they desired.
For future reference, copies of these Orders of Service are attached to this post:
0 CommentsStations of the Cross is a traditional devotion for Lent, and especially for Holy Week. It originated in Jersualem, where pilgrims would literally walk along the route from the centre of the city to the traditional place of Christ’s execution, stopping en route to recall various incidents recorded in the gospels, or elsewhere in the tradition. The number and names of the stations were later codified at fourteen (to which a fifteenth station of the Resurrection was added in more recent times). Many sets of words and prayers have been written to acccompany the walk. I compiled this particular set for an ecumenical service in my home parish, and subsequently published them on the Thinking Anglicans blog. It envisages a scenario in which some of those who participated in or witnessed the original events are gathered to remember what happened on that day.