Why is there a pink candle in the Advent wreath? (repost)

For those familiar with the liturgical calendar, there are four Sundays in the season of Advent. A common practice in churches and homes during the season of Advent is the progressive lighting of four candles – three purple and one pink. Each week, another candle is lit as a symbol of expectation for God’s presence on earth. On the first, second, and fourth weeks in Advent, a purple candle is lit. On the third Sunday, (yes, on the third Sunday – December 14 this year), a pink candle is lit.

In every liturgical act of the church, there is special purpose and meaning behind the patterns, symbols, and practices employed in worship. As can sometimes be the case with liturgical acts of the church, the purpose and meaning can be left neglected even though the practice persists. When uneducated, the church is left in confusion and with unanswered questions.

Lighting a pink candle on the third Sunday in Advent tends to be one of the more ambiguous practices some churches continue to do. Each Advent I hear questions and witness confusion concerning the lighting of the pink candle. For starters, there is usually debate on whether the pink candle is lit on the third or the fourth Sunday. In addition, I frequently hear the following two questions asked:

1)Why is there one pink candle in the midst of three purple candles?

2) Why is the pink candle lit on the third Sunday in Advent?

If you have asked those same questions or know someone who has, I hope the liturgical and historical context I share in this post will help give clarity to the purpose and meaning of the pink candle.

 

From catechism to calendar…

First, I think it is fitting to give a little background to the season of Advent. The development of the season of Advent arose from catechetical practices in the ancient church. As early Christians moved into increasingly pagan areas of the world, it became important for the church to find regular patterns to teach and train new converts in Christian belief and behavior. Likewise, the church wanted new converts to hear, know, celebrate, and experience God’s redeeming story through the life of Jesus Christ. To aid in new converts’ identification with the life of Christ, as well as to provide regular patterns for the church to celebrate the story of God, a yearly cycle was established for worship.

Over time, the yearly structure of worship was organized into what is commonly known today as the liturgical calendar. The liturgical calendar divides the year into a regular rotation of seasons, each signified with its own mood, practices, theological emphases, and scriptural focus. Worship is structured through cycles of light and darkness, in patterns of feasting and fasting. Particular colors displayed in paraments around the church and in the vestments worn by clergy represent each season of the liturgical calendar. All of these factors contribute to one common goal – to shape Christian life and worship in God’s story.

 

From Epiphany to Advent…

In the ancient church, two main feast days were celebrated as the most notable of all in the liturgical calendar: Epiphany and Easter.* Epiphany signified the revelation of Jesus Christ through his birth and baptism as God in human form. Easter signified victory over sin and death through Christ’s death and resurrection.

The church’s reason for highlighting Epiphany and Easter as focal points in the liturgical year was due to the importance of these Christ-events in the Christian life. Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection is the means of human salvation. The sacrament of baptism is the act of identification with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, Epiphany and Easter became the services where new converts were baptized and fully welcomed into the church.

Since the ancient church considered baptism the mark of a life completely re-oriented in Christ, a season of baptismal preparation was established preceding Easter and Epiphany. This season was an intense time of prayer and scrutiny, a time to commit one’s self to the purification of sin and transformation into Christ-like righteousness. In time, the season of baptismal preparation prior to Easter developed into the season of Lent, while the season of baptismal preparation prior to Epiphany developed into the season of Advent.

 

From repentance to joy…

In many ways, the season of Advent has been and continues to be quite similar to Lent. Both are seasons of penance and repentance, sacrifice and simplicity. They are contrite seasons observed with solemn prayer and fasting. Furthermore, according to their historic purpose, they each call the church to reflect on the baptismal reality of dying and rising with Christ. Yet, where Lent is a time for the church to focus on Christ’s salvation through Christ’s life, death, and ultimately his resurrection on Easter, Advent is a time for the church to focus on hope through Christ’s incarnation revealed in his first coming in human form, and anticipated in his second coming in final victory.

The traditional color chosen for paraments and vestments in the church during Lent and Advent has traditionally been a deep purple, signifying royalty, repentance, and suffering. This often sets a quite somber and melancholy tone for the seasons of Advent and Lent. Still, in the midst of such solemnity, the ancient church recognized that Christians are never a people without joy. When true repentance occurs, joyful obedience is the result. Thus, there is joy to be celebrated even in the most penitential times. Moreover, joy is not only a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in an individual’s life, but it is also a characteristic common in God’s Kingdom.

 

From purple to pink…

To embody such a joyful attitude within patterns of worship during the seasons of Lent and Advent, the ancient church set aside one Sunday in each season to focus on joy. On this Sunday, the color of the paraments and vestments changed from purple to pink. The color pink (or more accurately, rose) actually only appears two weeks of the liturgical year – the fourth Sunday in Lent and the third Sunday in Advent. Each of these Sundays falls close to the middle of the seasons as a reminder for the church to never cease rejoicing.

It is believed that the use of the color pink actually began during Lent. In the ancient church, a practice began on the fourth Sunday of Lent where the Pope would give a pink rose to a citizen, emphasizing the daily joys Christ brings. In that same mindset, the church began to change the paraments and vestments on the fourth Sunday in Lent from purple to pink. To center the church’s worship on joy, services began with the statement, “Laetare Jerusalem” (or “Rejoice, O Jersualem”), causing the fourth Sunday of Lent to become known as Laetare Sunday.

The church later brought the practice of wearing and displaying the pink rose vestments into the season of Advent. The third Sunday in Advent was called Guadete (or Rejoice) Sunday, so named for the use of Philippians 4:4 as a central scripture read and sung in worship: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.” The candle in the Advent wreath was changed from purple to pink on the third Sunday in Advent. Even today, the third candle in the Advent wreath is commonly referred to as the joy candle.**

 

From confusion to awareness…

As many of us prepare for worship this week, let us not forget that in the midst of the solemnity of Advent there is joy! We rejoice that Christ has come incarnate into this world! We celebrate with hope and eagerness that he will come again!

In closing, I think it is appropriate to consider some ways that joy can be emphasized in the midst of Advent. Many churches (mainly Protestant) do not continue to use the traditional “Guadete” as a focal point of worship. Other churches may not do candle lightings, or if they do, may have intentional reasons for choosing all purple candles. In the midst of diversity of Advent practice, how can an awareness of joy be brought into worship this week?

Here are a few (meager) suggestions:

• Have a prayer time that focuses on joy in the midst of waiting/preparation. Share praises and celebrations that allow the church to rejoice in the Lord.
• Allow a time for testimonies where repentance as led to joyful obedience in Christ-like living.
• Sing or recite lyrics to the hymn “Joy to the World.” (This hymn by Isaac Watts is often sung as a Christmas hymn, though he wrote it as a song to focus on the second coming of Christ. Read it sometime with that perspective. Viewing the lyrics in light of Christ’s final reign often brings my heart to overflow with joyful expectation.)
• Commit to acts of mercy throughout the week that can help bring joy to another person’s life. Prayerfully consider who may need such joy to break through the darkness during this season.
• If you light a pink candle this week, find an appropriate way to provide background or explanation to its meaning and purpose. Be careful to not be too didactic within worship itself, but consider how you might intentionally inform your church about joy in the midst of Advent.

Admittedly, my list of suggestions is small and limited, but hopefully it can spark an idea or prompt some form of practice. What suggestions would you add? Are there any practices you have done to help the church focus on joy in the midst of Advent?

I pray that the joy of Christ fills our worship as we journey through the season of Advent. May we proclaim in confidence with joy that Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again!

 

 

 

*It could easily be argued that in the western church today the two highest days of celebration are Christmas and Easter. However, many ancient liturgical documents show Epiphany as being both older and having a more important place in Christian history than Christmas. Many eastern churches still give prominence to Epiphany over Christmas.

**The development of the practice of candle lighting during Advent is somewhat obscure. At one point, the church did a similar practice of lighting seven purple candles during the season of Lent. Perhaps the practice was simply carried over from Lent to Advent. There is also speculation that the liturgical act originated in Germany, adapting a pagan practice where the Germanic people would light candles during the long December nights as a symbol of hope in the darkness.

 

12 Days of Christmas Readings

In recent years, I have tried to develop practices that help me observe Christmas as a season of worship. Historically in the church the celebration of Christmas was not a single day, it was a season. In fact, the Christmas season lasted for 12 days (from December 25 until January 5) as it led up to the high feast day of Epiphany on January 6.

Last year, I put together for Seedbed a series of 12 excerpts from historical writings and sermons, one for each of the 12 days of Christmas, that focus on the incarnation of Jesus Christ. I have found each writing/sermon to be meaningful for devotional contemplation as well as significant to my own observance of the Christmas season.

Below are links to each of excerpts published last year by Seedbed. I invite you to join me in reading each one as part of a daily devotion and act of worship throughout the 12 days of Christmas. May the wisdom presented from these saints of the church both challenge you and bring your heart to deeper delight in God over this Christmas season. Merry Christmas!

December 25, 1st Day of Christmas: St. Augustine of Hippo from “On the Mystery of the Incarnation” 

December 26, 2nd Day of Christmas: John Chrysostom, from “Christmas Day Sermon, Antioch, 386 A.D.”

December 27, 3rd Day of Christmas: St. Athanasius, from “On the Incarnation of the Word”


December 28, 4th Day of Christmas: St. Leo the Great, from “On the Feast of the Nativity”


December 29, 5th Day of Christmas: John Donne, from “The Showing forth of Christ”

December 30, 6th Day of Christmas: Fanny Crosby, “Sing Hallelujah!”


December 31, 7th Day of Christmas: George Whitfield, from “The True Way of Keeping Christmas”


January 1, 8th Day of Christmas: Martin Luther, from “The Story of the Birth of Jesus and the Angels’ Song”


January 2, 9th Day of Christmas: Charles Wesley, “Hark, How All the Welkin Rings”


January 3, 10th Day of Christmas: St. Bridget of Sweden, from “The Revelation of St. Bridget”


January 4, 11th Day of Christmas: Gregory of Nazianzus, from “A Christmas Sermon”

January 5, 12th Day of Christmas: John Wesley, from “The More Excellent Way”


Why is there a pink candle in the Advent wreath?

For those familiar with the liturgical calendar, this upcoming Sunday (December 15) is the third Sunday in the season of Advent. A common practice in churches and homes during the season of Advent is the progressive lighting of four candles – three purple and one pink. Each week, another candle is lit as a symbol of expectation for God’s presence on earth. On the first, second, and fourth weeks in Advent, a purple candle is lit. On the third Sunday, (yes, on the third Sunday), a pink candle is lit.

In every liturgical act of the church, there is special purpose and meaning behind the patterns, symbols, and practices employed in worship. As can sometimes be the case with liturgical acts of the church, the purpose and meaning can be left neglected even though the practice persists. When uneducated, the church is left in confusion and with unanswered questions.

Lighting a pink candle on the third Sunday in Advent tends to be one of the more ambiguous practices some churches continue to do. Each Advent I hear questions and witness confusion concerning the lighting of the pink candle. For starters, there is usually debate on whether the pink candle is lit on the third or the fourth Sunday. In addition, I frequently hear the following two questions asked:

1)Why is there one pink candle in the midst of three purple candles?

2) Why is the pink candle lit on the third Sunday in Advent?

If you have asked those same questions or know someone who has, I hope the liturgical and historical context I share in this post will help give clarity to the purpose and meaning of the pink candle.

 

From catechism to calendar…

First, I think it is fitting to give a little background to the season of Advent. The development of the season of Advent arose from catechetical practices in the ancient church. As early Christians moved into increasingly pagan areas of the world, it became important for the church to find regular patterns to teach and train new converts in Christian belief and behavior. Likewise, the church wanted new converts to hear, know, celebrate, and experience God’s redeeming story through the life of Jesus Christ. To aid in new converts’ identification with the life of Christ, as well as to provide regular patterns for the church to celebrate the story of God, a yearly cycle was established for worship.

Over time, the yearly structure of worship was organized into what is commonly known today as the liturgical calendar. The liturgical calendar divides the year into a regular rotation of seasons, each signified with its own mood, practices, theological emphases, and scriptural focus. Worship is structured through cycles of light and darkness, in patterns of feasting and fasting. Particular colors displayed in paraments around the church and in the vestments worn by clergy represent each season of the liturgical calendar. All of these factors contribute to one common goal – to shape Christian life and worship in God’s story.

 

From Epiphany to Advent…

In the ancient church, two main feast days were celebrated as the most notable of all in the liturgical calendar: Epiphany and Easter.* Epiphany signified the revelation of Jesus Christ through his birth and baptism as God in human form. Easter signified victory over sin and death through Christ’s death and resurrection.

The church’s reason for highlighting Epiphany and Easter as focal points in the liturgical year was due to the importance of these Christ-events in the Christian life. Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection is the means of human salvation. The sacrament of baptism is the act of identification with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, Epiphany and Easter became the services where new converts were baptized and fully welcomed into the church.

Since the ancient church considered baptism the mark of a life completely re-oriented in Christ, a season of baptismal preparation was established preceding Easter and Epiphany. This season was an intense time of prayer and scrutiny, a time to commit one’s self to the purification of sin and transformation into Christ-like righteousness. In time, the season of baptismal preparation prior to Easter developed into the season of Lent, while the season of baptismal preparation prior to Epiphany developed into the season of Advent.

 

From repentance to joy…

In many ways, the season of Advent has been and continues to be quite similar to Lent. Both are seasons of penance and repentance, sacrifice and simplicity. They are contrite seasons observed with solemn prayer and fasting. Furthermore, according to their historic purpose, they each call the church to reflect on the baptismal reality of dying and rising with Christ. Yet, where Lent is a time for the church to focus on Christ’s salvation through Christ’s life, death, and ultimately his resurrection on Easter, Advent is a time for the church to focus on hope through Christ’s incarnation revealed in his first coming in human form, and anticipated in his second coming in final victory.

The traditional color chosen for paraments and vestments in the church during Lent and Advent has traditionally been a deep purple, signifying royalty, repentance, and suffering. This often sets a quite somber and melancholy tone for the seasons of Advent and Lent. Still, in the midst of such solemnity, the ancient church recognized that Christians are never a people without joy. When true repentance occurs, joyful obedience is the result. Thus, there is joy to be celebrated even in the most penitential times. Moreover, joy is not only a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in an individual’s life, but it is also a characteristic common in God’s Kingdom.

 

From purple to pink…

To embody such a joyful attitude within patterns of worship during the seasons of Lent and Advent, the ancient church set aside one Sunday in each season to focus on joy. On this Sunday, the color of the paraments and vestments changed from purple to pink. The color pink (or more accurately, rose) actually only appears two weeks of the liturgical year – the fourth Sunday in Lent and the third Sunday in Advent. Each of these Sundays falls close to the middle of the seasons as a reminder for the church to never cease rejoicing.

It is believed that the use of the color pink actually began during Lent. In the ancient church, a practice began on the fourth Sunday of Lent where the Pope would give a pink rose to a citizen, emphasizing the daily joys Christ brings. In that same mindset, the church began to change the paraments and vestments on the fourth Sunday in Lent from purple to pink. To center the church’s worship on joy, services began with the statement, “Laetare Jerusalem” (or “Rejoice, O Jersualem”), causing the fourth Sunday of Lent to become known as Laetare Sunday.

The church later brought the practice of wearing and displaying the pink rose vestments into the season of Advent. The third Sunday in Advent was called Guadete (or Rejoice) Sunday, so named for the use of Philippians 4:4 as a central scripture read and sung in worship: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.” The candle in the Advent wreath was changed from purple to pink on the third Sunday in Advent. Even today, the third candle in the Advent wreath is commonly referred to as the joy candle.**

 

From confusion to awareness…

As many of us prepare for worship this week, let us not forget that in the midst of the solemnity of Advent there is joy! We rejoice that Christ has come incarnate into this world! We celebrate with hope and eagerness that he will come again!

In closing, I think it is appropriate to consider some ways that joy can be emphasized in the midst of Advent. Many churches (mainly Protestant) do not continue to use the traditional “Guadete” as a focal point of worship. Other churches may not do candle lightings, or if they do, may have intentional reasons for choosing all purple candles. In the midst of diversity of Advent practice, how can an awareness of joy be brought into worship this week?

Here are a few (meager) suggestions:

• Have a prayer time that focuses on joy in the midst of waiting/preparation. Share praises and celebrations that allow the church to rejoice in the Lord.
• Allow a time for testimonies where repentance as led to joyful obedience in Christ-like living.
• Sing or recite lyrics to the hymn “Joy to the World.” (This hymn by Isaac Watts is often sung as a Christmas hymn, though he wrote it as a song to focus on the second coming of Christ. Read it sometime with that perspective. Viewing the lyrics in light of Christ’s final reign often brings my heart to overflow with joyful expectation.)
• Commit to acts of mercy throughout the week that can help bring joy to another person’s life. Prayerfully consider who may need such joy to break through the darkness during this season.
• If you light a pink candle this week, find an appropriate way to provide background or explanation to its meaning and purpose. Be careful to not be too didactic within worship itself, but consider how you might intentionally inform your church about joy in the midst of Advent.

Admittedly, my list of suggestions is small and limited, (and I am posting it quite late for the purposes of worship planning), but hopefully it can spark an idea or prompt some form of practice. What suggestions would you add? Are there any practices you have done to help the church focus on joy in the midst of Advent?

I pray that the joy of Christ fills our worship this Sunday as we continue through the season of Advent. May we proclaim in confidence with joy that Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again!

 

 

 

*It could easily be argued that in the western church today, the two highest days of celebration are Christmas and Easter. Many ancient liturgical documents, however, show Epiphany as being both older and having a more important place in Christian history than Christmas. Many eastern churches still give prominence to Epiphany over Christmas.

**The development of the practice of candle lighting during Advent is somewhat obscure. At one point, the church did a similar practice of lighting seven purple candles during the season of Lent. Perhaps the practice was simply carried over from Lent to Advent. There is also speculation that the liturgical act originated in Germany, adapting a pagan practice where the Germanic people would light candles during the long December nights as a symbol of hope in the darkness.

 

The Pursuit of Holiness (or Asking Some Really Tough Questions)

Holiness. What an awfully packed word. It is an idea that seems so foreign to human nature, yet so central to Christian life. Holiness is the state of being pure, righteous, and perfect before God. It is His nature made real within us.

God is holy. It’s crucial to His character. He calls us to be holy. That’s the difficult part.

It is easy for me to believe my achieving holiness is unattainable. I am constantly aware that my thoughts, desires, and behaviors do not always match up to God’s holy standards. I fall short. And unfortunately, my failures mean I often become complacent and believe that holiness is a far-fetched and impossible standard, so I dismiss the pursuit of it altogether.

Thankfully, my attitude hasn’t always been the outlook of everyone.

Almost three-hundred years ago, a group gathered weekly at Christ Church, Oxford to encourage one another in the pursuit of serving God every hour of the day. This group included peeople such as John and Charles Wesley, George Whitfield, John Gambold, and John Harvey. Group members committed to daily set aside time for prayer, study of scripture, study of classical theology, and examination of life. In addition they fasted weekly, took food to poor families, regularly visited those in prison, and set up centers where they could teach orphans to read.

As a way of examining life, members of this group daily asked themselves the following questions,  accountable to report any shortcomings to the others in the group:

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I’m better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on what was told to me in confidence? Can I be trusted?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self justifying?
6. Did the Bible live in me today?
7. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what I am doing about it?
20. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?

Holiness was the standard of life for this group. It wasn’t a far-fetched idea but a daily pursuit. Instead of throwing their hands up in the air in forfeit to sin, they set in place regular means of accountability to holy standards.

The church today needs leaders – lay and pastoral – who will dedicate themselves to such a daily pursuit of holiness. The pursuit of holiness requires both dedication and obedience. As easy as it is for me to pass blame for my shortcomings, I need to realize that I am responsible for my own thoughts, desires, and behavior. And the manner in which each is being formed is of the utmost importance. I pray for the willingness to follow in the footsteps of this group from three-hundred years ago, striving toward the holiness God commands and continuing to find ways to encourage one another in the pursuit of serving God every hour of the day.

Augustine, Aquinas, and the Apollo 13 (or Home Sweet Home)

April 11, 1970

On April 11, 1970, at 1:13 PM central time, the American spacecraft Apollo 13 launched from the Kennedy Space Center In Cape Canaveral, FL. The crew of the Apollo 13 was comprised of three men – Commander James A. Lovell, Command Module Pilot John L. Swigert, and Lunar Module Pilot Fred W. Haise. The objective of the Apollo 13 mission was to explore the Fra Mauro formation located in the highlands on the near side of the moon. This mission was to be NASA’s third lunar landing attempt.

Over the first two days of its mission, the Apollo 13 looked to be the smoothest flight the space program had made. 46 hours, 43 minutes into the flight, Joe Kerwin, the NASA CapCom on duty in Houston, reported to the Apollo 13 crew, “The spacecraft is in real good shape as far as we’re concerned. We’re bored to tears down here.” At this point for the Apollo 13, its goal, the moon, lay ahead as they left home behind.

 

There’s no place like home

The idea of home is a concept both common to all humans and distinct to every individual person. The word ‘home’ encompasses a complex range of emotional experiences and cognitive meanings. Memory and nostalgia are often associated with the idea of home. A longing for security and a desire to be established can also be common sentiments. For some, the thought of home conjures up anxiety and fear. For others, it symbolizes warmth and comfort. The affective range is broad and most likely varies with each person. Regardless, we are all familiar with the idea of home and know its importance in our lives.

In ancient Greek societies, the term ‘home’ signified the place that stood at the center of the world. This was not to be taken as a geographical location, as if the universe revolved around a singular space. Rather, this ‘place at the center of the world’ was to be understood as the central place of all existence, the place from out of which the world could be discovered. Home was the starting point of every journey and the place that made sense of the world.

Over time, the idea of home has expanded. One common way of comprehending home is in terms of land or ancestry, displayed through cultural traditions and patriotism. More individualistic definitions of home tend to particularize a specific location or address, considering mainly one’s personal dwelling place. A more sociological method of categorizing a home describes it as a place of protected refuge connected to the comfort, relationships, family, friends, and traditional rituals that give meaning to life. In this sense, some may consider home to be a church, a camp, a school, or any number of places.

However we may define it, home is a formative place of life. Whether our experiences may be good or bad, I believe we can all agree with the words of Dorothy Gayle: “There’s no place like home.” I also believe that Inside of every one of us is a longing for a place to call home, and we spend our lives in pursuit of finding a home that cannot be destroyed, broken, or stolen.

 

April 13, 1970

On April 13, 1970, 55 hours, 54 minutes, and 53 seconds into the Apollo 13 journey, as Captain John L. Swigert was performing a routine check of the hydrogen and oxygen tank stirring fans, the crew heard what they described as “a loud bang.” Initially, the crew believed a meteoroid had struck the ship. Soon they discovered that it was an explosion of one of the ship’s oxygen tanks that caused the noise. The mechanical force of the explosion resulted in a rapid deterioration of the remaining oxygen tanks, also causing the fuel cells in the command module to shut down, leaving the ship to run on nothing more than very limited battery power. The goal of the lunar landing was abandoned. The crew of the Apollo 13 sat helpless 173,790 nautical miles from the surface of the earth.

In that moment, the entire goal of the Apollo 13 mission changed for both the astronauts in space and the NASA crew on the ground. All efforts, motives, desires, and objectives shifted focus toward a new mission. In Captain Jim Lovell’s words, “The only thing we were doing was trying to figure out how to get home.”

 

The end of all things

For many of us, it may be typical to think of home as a place or location from where we have come – our launching point, which makes sense of the world. It is equally suitable, however, to see home as the destination to where we are heading. Home is not only our launching point; it is the returning point of our journey. In an ontological sense, home is the final destination of our existence, the end that orders our every commitment and behavior.

The teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo help us better appreciate how the end shapes us in the here and now. Augustine taught that the Christian life is centrally and solely formed by the telos, or ultimate purpose and aim, of our existence. Our telos shapes our every desire and motivates our every action. For Augustine, the telos of all life is only one thing – full delight in God. The true home we aim for is heaven, the place of eternal delight in God. Every thought, action, and desire is directed toward this end. To place desire in anything or anyone else does not satisfy.

Similarly, St. Thomas Aquinas taught that our telos is understood in terms of completion, perfection, or well-being. Achieving such completion, however, requires a range of intellectual and moral virtues that enable us to understand the nature of delight and motivate us to seek it with integrity and consistency. For Aquinas, final happiness consists in union with God. Such an end lies far beyond what we through our natural human capacities can attain. For this reason, we not only need the virtues, we also need God to transform our desires and perfect our nature. We need God’s help to bring us home.

 

Materialism vs. Consumerism

Augustine also taught that all things that exist are good. In other words, if something exists, then it necessarily contains some degree of goodness. For Augustine everything that exists can be divided into two categories: incorruptible things and corruptible things, with the latter being inferior to the former. If something is incorruptible, then by definition it cannot be made worse; that is, it cannot lose whatever goodness it may have. On the other hand, if something is corruptible, then it can be made worse. Thus, a thing’s corruptibility presupposes its having goodness, otherwise, it would not have any goodness to lose.

Augustine believed our desires should be set on the incorruptible, i.e. our heavenly home where we find delight in God. He does not, however, sweepingly condemn corruptible things. Instead, he teaches that corruptible things can be useful as they direct our desire and will toward God.

In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks to heaven as our eternal home – an incorruptible place where no moth or rust destroys and where no thief breaks in or steals. Making a contrast to materialistic concerns which can occupy our attentions, in Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus urges his disciples to keep proper focus, both by giving priority to eternal issues and also by trusting their heavenly Father to meet their needs here on earth. The warning of Jesus in Matthew 6 is that real danger comes when our habits and tendencies seek enjoyment in inferior material things instead of in God.

To be primarily concerned with material possessions not only shows wrongful perspective but also is foolish since such possessions cannot last. God alone is eternal, thus God alone can truly be enjoyed.

It has become common in western Christianity to condemn the stuff of this world as evil. We often presume that the main problem we face in the first-world west is an over-attachment to money and the materials available to us. The dichotomy seems obvious – either we desire God or we desire material things. But perhaps another way of looking at this it not in terms of attachment but instead in terms of detachment.

In his book, Being Consumed, William Cavanaugh makes the profound observation that materialism has become an easy target for us to condemn because in truth, the majority of today’s world is not obsessed with hoarding riches. We are not materialists because we are not overly attached to our stuff. Instead, we are consumerists. What characterizes a consumer culture is not attachment but detachment. We do not hoard money; we spend it. We do not cling to things; we discard them to buy other things, often the newer version of what we already own. Our desires are unsatisfied and our thirst goes unquenched. As Cavanaugh writes, “Consumers are categorized by a constant dissatisfaction with material goods. This dissatisfaction is what produces the restless pursuit of satisfaction in something new.”

 

Uncontrolled consumption and unbridled desire

Bringing Augustine’s teachings into a discussion of consumerism, I believe Augustine would say that our attitude of detachment fails to appreciate the goodness of the things of this earth. Thus, it becomes easy for us to condemn the stuff of this world because it no longer helps us find delight in God.

Consumerism is an important subject to discuss in our spiritual lives because it is a spiritual disposition – a way of looking at and interacting with the world around us. Where we begin to seek delight in the things of this world, we can find no satisfaction. Likewise, when objects are cut free from their chief end, consumption is simply done for the sake of consumption. Proper focus and appreciation is lost. At this point freedom of delight in God disappears and we become slaves to our own need for desire, turning into consumptive addicts of sex, alcohol, pornography, shopping, food, etc. Ultimately, we are left not wanting too much, but left with the desire to continually consume with no idea why. When we lose sight of our telos, we do not find ourselves delighting in the wrong things but instead cease to find delight in anything at all. Our desires cease to be filled, so we keep searching for the right thing to fill them.

Though often criticized for their extreme ascetic practices, the early desert monastic orders took the purification of desire seriously. They viewed the habit of uncontrolled consumption as ‘gluttony’ and the habit of uncontrolled desire as ‘lust.” For the desert monks, these were dangerous gateways to sin. Uncontrolled consumption and unbridled desire are spiritual doorways allowing sin to take a foothold. Accordingly, to combat sin, the desert monks believed spiritual doorways to virtue were the practices of fasting and prayer. Fasting directly opposes consumption, as it is the practice of self-denial. Through fasting, a spiritual door is opened to abstinence and discipline. In proper practice, fasting accompanied with prayer helps us center on the One who truly supplies our needs with incorruptible things. Additionally, fasting and prayer bring corruptible things back into proper focus, allowing appreciation for them as God’s good gifts to grow. As the soul is purified through prayer and fasting, it draws nearer to God through honest commitment and good behavior, shaped by His desire.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 serve as both a warning and a directive. Even good spiritual practices such as giving to the poor, prayer, and fasting can become harmful when separated from their heavenly purposes. Jesus reminds us to not seek to find our desires filled by the things of this world, but instead to find our desires consumed by the things of heaven. For if our heart is in heaven, there too will our treasures be.

 

April 17, 1970

April 17, 1970, 142 hours, 54 minutes, and 47 seconds after first leaving home, the crew members of the Apollo 13 landed safely in the South Pacific Ocean, once again back home on earth. The efforts and support of many men and women aided to the success of their return. Though facing a seemingly impossible task of returning the crew of the Apollo 13 safely, ground control flight director Gene Kranz said failure was never an option. In fact, he believed the strength provided through the collaborative effort of all those involved made the return of Apollo 13 NASA’s finest hour. The reason – everyone involved never lost sight of what was always the ultimate goal of the mission, to bring the men of Apollo 13 home.

The Christian life is centrally and solely formed by the telos, or chief end, of our existence – full delight in God. Achieving full delight in God motivates every desire and every action. Thus, our telos has essential implications on our commitments and behavior as Christians. Though there are many we could name, I want to offer the following two in closing*:

First, our desire for God calls us to be active and creative participants in this material world. One tangible way of doing this is to become more involved in production. Being an active producer reminds us that we are not merely spectators of life. We don’t just sit back to consume the gifts God has given us or the entertainment, food, and materials that others make. Instead, in being an active producer, we share in the creative activity of God. We discover goodness and value in corruptible things. Making things gives the maker an appreciation for the labor involved in producing what is consumed. I encourage you to find delight in God by making your own homemade bread, writing your own song, building your own bookshelf, etc. Discover ways to actively participate in the creative activity of God.

Second, when God’s incorruptible desires consume our own, it manifests itself in charity. There is a continual call throughout the scriptures for God’s concern to care for the widow, the alien, and the orphan – those lacking a home. Likewise, Christ tells us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the imprisoned. The truth is that self-interested consumption does not do any of these things. A consumerist mentality creates a competition between others’ desires and my own. But when I am consumed into the divine life of the Triune God, it beckons me to actively share in the self-giving love of God, doing my part to care for others and bring them home.

* A book I highly recommend, Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire by William T. Cavanaugh, formed many of my thoughts throughout this post.

Epiphany Sermon: St. Leo the Great, from “Epiphany – the Star invites all nations to find Christ.”

(The following excerpt is from an Epiphany sermon given by Pope St. Leo the Great for the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.  “Epiphany” means revelation or appearance.  On this feast, the church celebrates the revelation of Christ to the world.)

Dear friends, now that we have received instruction in this revelation of God’s grace, let us celebrate with spiritual joy the day of our first harvesting, of the first calling of the Gentiles. Let us give thanks to the merciful God, who has made us worthy, in the words of the Apostle, to share the position of the saints in light, who has rescued us from the power of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. As Isaiah prophesied: the people of the Gentiles, who sat in darkness, have seen a great light, and for those who dwelt in the region of the shadow of death a light has dawned. He spoke of them to the Lord: The Gentiles, who do not know you, will invoke you, and the peoples, who knew you not, will take refuge in you.

This is the day that Abraham saw, and rejoiced to see, when he knew that the sons born of his faith would be blessed in his seed, that is, in Christ. Believing that he would be the father of the nations, he looked into the future, giving glory to God, in full awareness that God is able to do what he has promised.

This is the day that David prophesied in the psalms, when he said: All the nations that you have brought into being will come and fall down in adoration in your presence, Lord, and glorify your name. Again, the Lord has made known his salvation; in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

This came to be fulfilled, as we know, from the time when the star beckoned the three wise men out of their distant country and led them to recognise and adore the King of heaven and earth. The obedience of the star calls us to imitate its humble service: to be servants, as best we can, of the grace that invites all men to find Christ.

Dear friends, you must have the same zeal to be of help to one another; then, in the kingdom of God, to which faith and good works are the way, you will shine as children of the light: through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with God the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

Why study church history? A brief introduction…

As someone who has studied and taught church history for a number of years, I am often faced with the question why study history? One standard answer this query brings, and rightfully so, is that history teaches us who we are and from where we have come. To this point, many of the earliest historical writings were created to address these particular mysteries: the Atrahasis creation account, the Babylonian creation epic, ancient Greek lore, the Enuma Elish, Genesis 1 and 2, etc. Today these stories are frequently qualified as myth, which, in a post-demythologization age, has tended to diminish their value.

The church often speaks of history in terms of tradition and heritage. Both give a sense of identity and past values. Yet, whether from disinterest or for the sake of innovative thinking, study and consideration of history is ceasing to be a common practice in the church. Why, then, study history?

Eusebius of Caesarea was a pioneer in the study of history, especially church history. In the early fourth century, Eusebius wrote Ecclesiastical History, a development of Christianity from the first to fourth centuries. The introduction to Ecclesial History gives rationale to Eusebius’ intent in writing. Here is a sampling of paragraphs from the introduction to Ecclesiastical History:

It is my purpose to write an account of the successions of the holy apostles, as well as of the times which have elapsed from the days of our Saviour to our own; and to relate the many important events which are said to have occurred in the history of the Church; and to mention those who have governed and presided over the Church in the most prominent parishes, and those who in each generation have proclaimed the divine word either orally or in writing (Book 1, paragraph 1. Bold emphasis added mine).

But at the outset I must crave for my work the indulgence of the wise, for I confess that it is beyond my power to produce a perfect and complete history, and since I am the first to enter upon the subject, I am attempting to traverse as it were a lonely and untrodden path. I pray that I may have God as my guide and the power of the Lord as my aid, since I am unable to find even the bare footsteps of those who have traveled the way before me, except in brief fragments, in which some in one way, others in another, have transmitted to us particular accounts of the times in which they lived. From afar they raise their voices like torches, and they cry out, as from some lofty and conspicuous watchtower, admonishing us where to walk and how to direct the course of our work steadily and safely (Book 1, paragraph 4. Bold emphasis added mine).

Having gathered therefore from the matters mentioned here and there by them whatever we consider important for the present work, and having plucked like flowers from a meadow the appropriate passages from ancient writers, we shall endeavor to embody the whole in an historical narrative, content if we preserve the memory of the successions of the apostles of our Saviour; if not indeed of all, yet of the most renowned of them in those churches which are the most noted, and which even to the present time are held in honor (Book 1, paragraph 5. Bold emphasis added mine).

As I read these paragraphs, three key insights stand out to me as valid motivations for the study of history in the church:

1. History proclaims the divine word of God.
2. Voices from history “admonish us where to walk and how to direct the course of our work steadily and safely.”
3. History tells our story as it is found in the overarching narrative of the story of God.

Over the next couple of weeks, I plan to address each of these points as separate posts. As a disclaimer, I will say that I, like Eusebius before me, consider the history of the church to begin with the stories of the Old Testament, not in the book of Acts. But more on that later. For now, I leave you with the following questions: Why study history? Especially in the church? Have you found the practice of studying church history to be overemphasized or underemphasized in your church experience? What dangers are there? What benefits?

For further reading:

Eusebius Pamphilus. Ecclesiastical History. Tr. C.F Cruse. Merchant Books, 2011.