I actually like this. My parishioners often invite me to special and important events in their life - not just the "churchy" ones, but also the mundane. They want me there at birthday and retirement parties and ask for a prayer and a "few words." I think this is good: they are responding to the Christian desire to sanctify "all things with the Word of God and prayer."
I've said prayers at the burial of a dog - I'd be happy to grab my surplice and pastoral companion when the mortgage is paid off.
+HRC
Taking part in such moments, as you described doing so, is commendable. But after taking the chance to watch the video linked in the story, I must say that a couple aspects of this particular event strike me as odd.
ReplyDelete1. As the speaker began to toss the papers into the fire, he said, "We now burn this mortgage in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Can anyone explain exactly what that sentence means?
2. Must every celebratory moment among modern LC-MC Lutherans be marked by the singing of "Praise God from whom all blessings flow"? If you hear that hymn, and close your eyes, you could just as well imagine the retirement of a district president, or the election of a third vice something or other of any synod office, as the burning of a mortgage. Perhaps one of the signs of a resurgence of the liturgy among us will be when this song starts to be replaced with the Te Deum. (My fear is that if this happens, it won't actually be the Te Deum, but a modern hymn based on that hymn.)
sorry, I forgot I had a third observation. Namely, Dr. Meyer said that this was "a retirement of debt service." This implies that there is a liturgical thing called "retirement of debt." Such is not merely a sloppy way of speaking, but also liturgically dangerous.
ReplyDeleteRev. Deacon,
ReplyDeleteI think your points are generally on the mark - there could be improvements to such observances. But overall, I'm glad for the liturgical approach to mundane things.
+HRC
My wife was surprised when she saw it on facebook. She asked, "is there really a rite for the retirement of a debt?" I then went and grabbed my agenda and showed her the rite as it is outlined in the LSB Agenda. It does in fact include singing the Common Doxology or another hymn appropriate for the occasion. I don't have the page number (it is on my desk at church).
ReplyDeleteOh my. I'm thinking this might be fodder for a lampoon.
ReplyDeleteI recall the rite for blessing of new hymnals. How special that was.
It's fine to have a prayer and say a few words, but I must agree, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, with the deacon.
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