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Rhoda Schuler

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Order of Christian Initiation of Adults: Handing on of the Creed

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We continue (as Kent coined it) our “nerdy” series comparing the Roman Catholic Church’s new OCIA translation with the earlier RCIA translation. Following the practice of the early church, the period of the Enlightenment (third stage of the catechumenate) includes “the handing on” of the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer (OCIA translation; the RCIA text says the “presentation of …”). The OCIA’s translation, although more clunky in English, follows the goal “of rendering the original texts faithfully and accurately” (Liturgiam Authenticam, 49). From the Latin word, traditio, comes tradition—the handing down of values and beliefs from one generation to the next. This “handing on” is the beginning of a process for the Elect to learn by heart these core Christian texts. The Creed, of course, is a core part of the baptismal rite, at which the elect will publicly assent to this summary of the work of the Triune God for human salvation.

Both sources call for the ritual to take place during a weekday mass, following the homily, which “explains the meaning and importance of the Creed” (RCIA, #159). Following the homily, the elect are invited forward, and the celebrant speaks the first line of the creed (either the Apostles’ or Nicene, although the Apostles’ is the “A” option), “And then he continues alone or with the community of the faithful” (OCIA). The RCIA is more explicit: “As the elect listen, he continues with the assembly of the faithful.” There is an exhortation to pray, time for silent prayer, and then a prayer for the elect. Here are the texts of both, with major differences highlighted in italicized bold; the numbers correspond to the analysis of section that follows.

RCIA
(1) Let us pray for these elect,
that God in his mercy may make them responsive to his love,
 
(2) so that through the waters of rebirth they may receive pardon for their sins and have life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All pray in silence. Then the celebrant, with hands outstretched over the elect, says:
 
(3) Lord, eternal source of light, justice, and truth, take under your tender care your servants N. and N.
 
(4) Purify them and make them holy; give them true knowledge, sure hope, and sound understanding, and make them worthy to receive the grace of baptism.
Amen.		OCIA
(1) Let us pray for our elect,
that our God and Lord will open the ears of their innermost hearts and the gate of mercy,

(2) so that, receiving remission of all sins through the cleansing waters of rebirth, they too may be found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All pray in silence. Then the celebrant, with hands extended over the elect says:
 
(3) O Lord, fount of light and truth, we invoke your eternal and supremely just compassion upon these your servants, N. and N.:

(4) cleanse and sanctify them, bestow on them true knowledge, firm hope, and holy doctrine, that they may be made worthy of attaining the grace of Baptism.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

  1. In both translations, God is the acting subject, but the OCIA translation has stronger concrete, albeit odd, imagery: “open the ears of their innermost hearts.” Perhaps the crafters of this language felt that if Paul could use the phrase “eyes of the heart” (Eph 1:18), an image of the heart with ears is equally evocative. If only this nerd had time to look at the Latin! The evocative image wins this round, beating out (pun intended) the terse RCIA version, even with the lovely way in which the RCIA phrasing puts the focus on the attributes of God’s love and mercy.
  2. Comparing first the verbs at the end: The RCIA “have life in” wins a point for more evocative language than the passive “be found” of OCIA. Note the addition in the OCIA of “cleansing” to modify the “waters of rebirth.” Here, I appeal to Luther, who was not a big fan of “cleansing” as an image for baptism, as it implies that the problem of sin is mild and external, remedied with soap and water. Not only that, but to pair “cleansing” with “rebirth” seems to muddy the waters (pun intended) of the birth language—the life-giving event that commences when the woman’s “water breaks” and the birthing process begins. RCIA scores another point.
  3. Oh, to have the Latin text before me! What is the verb form of the Latin? An imperative addressed to God (RCIA “take”) or the first-person plural indicative (OCIA “we invoke”)? Is the Latin the noun justitia (“justice,” paired with “light” and “truth” in the RCIA) or the superlative form of the adjective justus (“supremely just,” modifying “compassion” in the OCIA)? Lacking the time to answer these questions, the simplicity of the RCIA form wins the day. The OCIA may meet the translation goal “of rendering the original texts faithfully and accurately,” but it fails the pastoral, aural test; reading both versions aloud ought to convince the skeptic. Keep the language clear and plain for the sake of the elect and assembly.
  4. Working from bottom to top, there are three issues. First, to be “made worthy to receive (OR of attaining) grace” is an oxymoron in Lutheran theology, even when God is doing the “making.” Grace, by definition, excludes one’s worthiness; it is an undeserved gift. Period. For Lutherans (or others not governed by canon law) who want to include the “handing on” of the Creed as a ritual in their catechumenal process, a suggested wording is “so that they may enter the water of rebirth with rejoicing.” Second, while I suspect that “holy doctrine” may be a more faithful, accurate translation, let’s play a modified form of the Sesame Street game “One of These Things.” Which noun better completes this trio: “… knowledge … hope” …”? To choose “understanding” over “doctrine” seems self-evident. Point for RCIA. Finally: To cleanse or to purify, that is the question. As noted earlier, “cleanse” is quite tame, signifying a simple remedy. To “purify” indicates a problem deep within; in a literal sense, it requires serious chemical reactions from a catalyst like fire that separates the dross from a precious metal (Malachi 3:3). From a Lutheran perspective, the metaphor of purifying wins, and the RCIA translation is worthy (as defined above) of another point.

Readers, did you keep score? We hope not; rather, our goal is to set forth some principles for making sound theological and pastoral decisions when borrowing rites and prayers from a variety of sources. Our nerdiness is earnest and with good purpose.

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Image: The Apostles’ Creed; European Tapestry, circa 1550-1600
Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Apostles_Creed_MET_SC105541.jpg

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Field Trip to Explore Multicultural Ministry

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We (Kent and Rhoda) will be presenting the opening plenary address at Concordia Seminary’s Multiethnic Symposium, May 6-7, 2025. Our concern to have concrete, firsthand data coalesced with the desire of a pastoral team in Springdale, Arkansas, to have outside “consultants” visit and make recommendations for strengthening congregational faith formation across generations. It was a match made in heaven and came to pass through the work of the Holy Spirit and a generous grant from the Mid-South District of the LCMS.

On Saturday, February 22, we arrived in Springdale and received a warm welcome from Pastors Adam Gless and Brandon Martin, who serve the bilingual Salem Lutheran Church. During our four-day visit we worshipped with the congregation; broke bread with congregational members; attended Bible studies and faith formation gatherings for adults and for youth and their parents; and interviewed a variety of members.

And yes, there was time for relaxation and fun, as the banner photo and gallery of photos indicate. Those who know Kent will not be surprised to see him under the banner of Rendezvous Junction Brewery. A thoughtful colleague, he made Adam and Brandon aware that my beverage of choice is wine, that, according to the Psalmist, “gladdens the heart” (Ps. 104:15). The bartender “poured”—squeezed is more accurate—a generous glass of rose from the “dregs” of the bladder of the (un)boxed wine. One can see the seriousness with which each of the guys approached the flights of beer as they hunched over the beer rating apps on their cellphones. As we parted after a sumptuous breakfast Thursday morning, the four of us gave thanks to God for our time together; we pray our research will be a blessing for the people of Salem Lutheran and for the church at large.

To learn more about our findings, we recommend attending the Multiethnic Symposium. Click for more information.

Rating each flight sample: There’s an app for that!
There’s no beer in heaven, so they’re drinking it here.

Banner photos by anonymous, friendly person at table next to us at brewery. Gallery of photos by Rhoda Schuler.

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Baptism as Incorporation into the Body of Christ

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Last week Kent concluded his post with a quote from Max Johnson noting the importance of the role of the Holy Spirit in questions “about faith, justification, ecclesiology, eschatology, and the meaning of the eucharist.” With that assertion in mind, we turn to the final chapter of Images of Baptism, Baptism as Incorporation into the Body of Christ. Johnson’s thesis (echoing both/and statements typical among Lutherans) claims that in baptism the person is incorporated into both the Head, Christ, and his body, the church:

It is not that we are first initiated into union and communion with Christ and then as a consequence into the community of the church. Rather, baptism itself signifies and effects both at the same time (Images of Baptism, 109-10, emphasis in original).

Reflecting his own ecumenical spirit, Johnson draws on Roman Catholic theologians Karl Rahner and Edward Schillebeeckx before turning to Lutherans Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Carl Braaten to support his thesis. A quotation from Braaten draws together the Christological, ecclesiological, and eschatological dimensions of this chapter: “The church is Christ as his bodily presence in the world, prefiguring the future of the world in the kingdom of God” (Braaten, Mother Church, 7 in Images of Baptism, 111, emphasis added by Johnson).

After warning against chasing after a romanticized ideal of “the church” as a cozy community, Johnson offers three biblical images as “proper” ways to understand what the church is, and, more importantly, ways to live as the body of Christ in the world.

Church as a Priestly Community

… the community of the church is a particular kind of community, one that knows itself as engaged in active priestly ministry and self-sacrificial service in the world. The body of Christ is not a community bent on its own survival or self-preservation. The body of Christ, who is Priest, Prophet and King, exists that it may die in Christ, so that it may extend itself for the life of others as it continues its baptismal pilgrimage through death to resurrection (Images of Baptism, 118).

Church as an Ecumenical-Inclusive-Catholic Community

… we are not really baptized “Catholic” or “Lutheran” or anything else. We should strive to remove such an incomplete theology of baptismal identity from our vocabulary (Images of Baptism, 121-22). [Referencing 1 Corinthians 1:13 and Ephesians 4:4-6 he says,] Christian unity is, above all, not a demand, not a call, but already a gift to be received and further realized gratefully…. Through baptism all are incorporated into the one Christ, the one church, the one body of Christ (Images of Baptism, 121, emphasis in original).

The Community of the Church as the “Communion of Saints”

To be incorporated into that body is to be incorporated into communion with the “great cloud of witnesses” who have gone on before us and who, according to the Letter to the Hebrews (11–12), fill the great stadium to cheer us on as we follow Christ, our great pioneer in the pilgrimage to the eschatological City of God (Images of Baptism, 128).

His trinity of images speaks to our current context, evoking ways to imagine the church that can inspire us

  • To be a priestly community “not … bent on its own survival or self-preservation” but for the sake of others;
  • To live with gratitude that, in spite of the fractured witness of the church, we, as the body of Christ, are already one;
  • To rest in the assurance that the communion of saints transcends space and time; we are not alone in our priestly pilgrimage.

We have made it possible for readers to comment on our blog posts. What insights have you gained from this series on Images of Baptism? We would gladly receive your comments.

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Image: Padua Baptistry
Frescos by Giusta de’ Menabuoi, 14th century
Photo, © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, 2016
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Communion_of_saints_-_Baptistry_-_Padua_2016.jpg

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Images of Baptism: New Birth and Adoption

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To read Images of Baptism is a bit like being back in the classroom (as I was three decades ago) with Maxwell E. Johnson, whose teaching style was direct, straight forward, to the point, and thus quite engaging. His introduction to chapter 2, “Baptism as New Birth and Adoption,” begins by stating liturgical scholarship’s “accepted” evolution of baptismal theology in the early church: Eastern traditions had an emphases on regeneration, new birth, and adoption “rooted in Jesus’ own baptism in the Jordan” and the West had a focus on “baptism as a ritual of death, burial resurrection in Christ” (Images of Baptism, 39). He continues, “To say that baptism as ‘new birth’ or adoption ‘by water and the Holy Spirit’ is only a characteristically Eastern image or focus, however, is simply incorrect…. The image of new birth and adoption is as much Western as it is Eastern” (42, emphasis in original).

Johnson’s goal is to expand our baptismal theology to include the full range of images and metaphors expressed in Scripture; as he says, “How one thinks of baptism will shape how one views Christian life and identity” (64). He succinctly summarizes the two primary images of baptism shaping Christian identity:

For one spirituality, baptism is the tomb in which the sinful self is put to death in Christ. For the other spirituality, baptism is the womb through which the Mothering Spirit of God give new birth and new life (64, emphasis in original).

In good Lutheran fashion, Johnson does not see these images as either/or but rather as both/and, embracing the seeming paradox of baptism as a sacrament that calls for the death of the sinner while at the same time declaring that the one being baptized is a beloved child of God. This latter image, with the baptism of Jesus as the paradigm, links Christians to the Incarnation, as Athanasius said, “God became what we are so that we could be made what he is” (quoted by Johnson, 64).

I close with two of the questions Max Johnson poses in this chapter (Images of Baptism, 64-65), inviting comments from you, the reader (a new feature to our blog posts).

What might it mean to say in our catechesis of parents who present their children for baptism, that in a real sense they are presenting “their” children for “adoption” into a whole new family network of relationships …?  

What might such [language] mean for the identity, nature and mission of the church in the world, empowered by the baptismal Spirit, which understands itself to be so closely united with Christ that, as the very body of Christ, it shares in the divine nature?

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Banner photo: Font at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Wheaton, Illinois. By Rhoda Schuler.

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More Wisdom from Author Chad Lakies

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In this video interview, Dr. Lakies suggests that a “winsome witness” includes a willingness to enter into conversation with others in order to see people “in the complexity of their full humanity.”

The video is six minutes in length. To view, one must be logged into Google.

Pastor Lakies has been on the podcast circuit since the publication of his book. To learn more about the book, here’s a list of podcast options (click on the orange title for the link to each):

Concordia Publishing House
August 31, 2024; 41 minutes

Topics include:

  • Looking at the commonalities we share with others (sports teams; civil goals, such as good education for our children) and connecting with folks in these ways.
  • Unpacking of his statement “Disagreement does not equal hate.”
  • A nuanced understanding of “authenticity”
  • Navigating some of the difficulties of maintaining relationships with others of differing views
  • Three goals of the resilient church (patience; forgiving; if you want the third, you’ll have to listen to the podcast.)

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Make It Simple, “Junk Drawer Jesus Series”
December 10, 2024; 39 minutes

The hosts are Matt Popovits, pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Houston, and Rachel Ryder. This podcast is a discussion of Matt’s book, Junk Drawer Jesus, and Chad’s book.

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Tangible: Theology Learned & Lived
“Exploring the ways theology permeates all aspects of life”
Concordiatheology.org; November 15, 2024; 35 minutes
Host: Jessica Bordeleau; with Chad Lakies and Dale Meyer

As I’m a big fan of Rev. Dr. Dale Meyer, President Emeritus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, this one is my favorite. Topics include:

  • Back in the day: the church had a voice of relevance and trust
  • The book attempts to address the emotional state pastors serving today: frustration, anger, and sense of humiliation at the loss of relevance of the church in society
  • The church’s public witness is impacted by this emotional state of pastors and congregations; how can we offer a “winsome witness”?
  • Responses of congregations: Resignation, trying to be relevant, and resistance (a response to fear)
  • Historic liturgy as museum piece; worship is God breaking into our lives with Jesus and his word!
  • Navigating the “Two Kingdoms” theme from Luther’s theology
  • To soak ourselves in the Word of God is a way to renewed vitality in the church—and that’s a communal process
  • Things are not “going our way” today; there are lessons for us today from the early church
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A Conversation with Author Chad Lakies

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The Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies is the Vice President of Ministry Engagement for US Ministries at Lutheran Hour Ministries and author of How the Light Shines Through: Resilient Witness in Dark Times. The first of today’s video is from the beginning of our lengthy conversation on Zoom and touches on the connections between this book and Kent’s and my research on congregations with robust adult catechumenate.

This first video is less than four minutes; to watch it, one must be logged into Google Drive.

This next link is a bonus video in which Rev. Lakies offers the “testimonial” of his journey from “nonbeliever” to a person with faith in Christ. It is just under five minutes long. Chad speaks about the Holy Spirit working through the proclaimed Word of God, extravagant hospitality, and relationships with mature Christians. Next week’s post will be another video clip from this interview and a list of podcasts in which Chad speaks further about his book.

IMG_0132 Epiphany textile

Christmas Greetings from Kent & Rhoda

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Christmas greetings to our subscribers from the Annual Meeting of the North American Academy of Liturgy (NAAL), which we both started attending in the late 1990s as graduate students. This year’s gathering is at our Alma Mater, Valparaiso University, where worship at the Chapel of the Resurrection fostered in both of us a love of graceful and grace-filled liturgy. Attending NAAL is a time for scholarly discussions with other academics and practitioners as well as a time to enjoy the fellowship of others who share our conviction that liturgy is not an end itself but the primary means through which the faithful encounter Jesus Christ in the proclamation of the Gospel (in preaching, liturgy, and song) and through participation in the sacraments.

Here we are at our Alma Mater! In between Kent and me is Noel Snyder from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Noel and other staff at CICW have reviewed our book manuscript, so over dinner and adult beverages, we had a lovely chat about the long process of our research (funded by CICW) and the writing of our book, now in the hands of our publisher, Wipf & Stock. It will be part of a CICW series on Christian worship.

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Banner photo (by Rhoda Schuler, June 2024):
Adoration of the Magi, textile; back yoke section of a cope in the Cathedral Treasury, Cologne, Germany.

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Enlightenment during Advent: Joseph as Model of Faith

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In our continuing series exploring a catechumenal process during the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons, Kent’s blog last week reviewed the Gospel texts for Advent 2 and 3, both of which highlight John the Baptist, who comes “to prepare the way of the Lord (and) make his paths straight.” Today’s post concludes this series with a look at the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (year A), Matthew 1:18-25, where the Advent time of preparation gives way to the narrative of Mary’s pregnancy and Jesus’ birth from the perspective of the “righteous” Joseph.

Filled with catechetical and homiletical possibilities, this text offers three fitting themes for those preparing for baptism (or renewal of baptism).

  • Joseph’s story is one of a life turned upside down, filled with unexpected turns in this brief text. For many, the path of conversion to Christ can hold a similar pattern of unexpected turns.
  • In the midst of seeming betrayal by his betrothed, the angel who appeared to him in the dream turns that ugly, unwelcomed report into the astonishing good news that “God is with us.” For those seeking God, this text is a reminder that unwelcomed events and broken relationship will still be part of their lives, but God is with them.
  • Joseph responds with trust in the word of God delivered by the angel, a trust that led to obedience: “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took [Mary] as his wife” (Matt 1:24).

The Christian life is one of faith (trust) in the promises of God, a trust that calls forth obedience to God’s call, even when the path forward looks difficult and unpromising. In a culture where the message of Christmas has been obscured by our consumerist culture and reduced to pious platitudes of “peace” and “joy” in commercial Christmas card, Joseph’s narrative reveals both complexity of the Christian life and the simple and gracious promise—that God is with us—a promise that brings true joy and peace.

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Banner photo: Icon Nativity and adoration of the Magi, 19th century; public domain via Wiki Commons; NB: Joseph and the angel who appeared inhis dream are in the lower left of the icon.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nativity_and_adoration_of_the_Magi.jpg

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Enlightenment during Advent: Repentance and Healing

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A full and robust catechumenal process has four stages: inquiry, catechesis, enlightenment or final preparation (which culminates with the sacrament of baptism or a rite of remembrance/renewal for those already baptized) and mystagogy. Our current Advent Series is exploring an alternative timing of the catechumenal process. We are taking a close look at the lectionary readings leading up the festival of the Baptism of our Lord, as a suitable time for the final preparation or stage of Enlightenment. Last week Kent’s blog reviewed the final two weeks of the church year, noting the themes from the appointed gospel texts in the lectionary that correlate with themes of discipleship for this stage of the catechumenal process.

Today we flip the calendar (and lectionary year) to the first Sunday of Advent (Year A, with Matthean gospel texts). In the Roman Catholic catechumenal process, these Sundays include “the scrutinies,” which are “rites for self-searching and repentance … meant to uncover, then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect” (Catholic Rites Today, 91-92). The corresponding ecumenical Journey to Baptismal Living rites of “Healing and Deliverance” have a similar purpose (and a more eponymous title). As Kent noted, our starting point is the LSB lectionary, which is closely aligned with the Revised Common Lectionary (RLC). For Advent 1, the two lectionaries are nearly identical, and themes appropriate for this third week in the stage of Enlightenment run as a golden thread through all the appointed texts.

The Advent 1 Old Testament reading, Isaiah 2:1-5, is filled with beautiful language of “all nations” that “stream to [the Lord’s house]” (2:1). The people of all nations are quoted: “Come … [so that the Lord] may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths” (3). The Lord’s house, the temple in Jerusalem, is located on “the highest of the mountains” and the verb “to stream” evokes the image of moving water. Contrary to the natural world, where water flows downhill, the nations (in Isaiah’s day the enemies of the people of God) are streaming uphill—going against the flow of worldly life—and are drawn to the ways and paths of God. The text lends itself to the stage of Enlightenment, to the movement away from sin that separates people from God and toward a repentance heart, ready to listen to “instruction … out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (3). God’s judgment has the power to “beat their swords in plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (4), to end conflict and war. The text concludes with an exhortation to the people of Israel to do the same as “the nations”: “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” (verse 5).

That final phrase, “walk in the light,” is the image picked up in the epistle reading from Romans:

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:11-14

Quoting again from the RCIA explanatory notes for the scrutinties, this is a most suitable text “for self-searching and repentance … meant to uncover … all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect,” and to prepare them to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” in baptism.

The traditional gospel text from the one-year lectionary, Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11), is list as the first of two options for Advent 1 in the LSB lectionary; the alternate LSB gospel text is the text appointed in the RCL, Matthew 24:36-44. Contextually, this latter passage is part of the eschatological discourse of Jesus spoken to his disciples who “came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming of the end of the age?’’’ (Matt 24:3). The appointed text primarily answers the “when” question: “About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (24:36). It will be “as the days of Noah were,” unexpected to many people; and as Noah was saved, so will some be at the “coming of the Son of Man” (24:37): one of two working in the field; one of two women grinding meal together (24:40-41). “Keep awake,” Jesus warns, and “be ready” (24:42, 43), language that evokes the same theme Paul wrote to the Romans: “now [is] the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near” (11). These texts speak to the Elect in these weeks of final preparation, reminding them that baptism is not an end but a beginning, one that calls disciples to stay alert to the temptations of the world, to stay on the paths of the Lord, to hold fast to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, to “keep awake” so that they are prepared for his Second Coming.

Finally, we consider Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the question it evoked (Matt 21:10). “When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’” The text has given clues, by quoting from Zechariah, “Look, your king is coming to you,” and by recording the shouts of the crowds: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” This text may evoke for the Elect how they felt during the first stage of the catechumenal process, inquiry; perhaps some were “in turmoil” and asking “Who is this” about Jesus. The Elect (and the whole assembly) can be reminded on this Sunday of who Jesus is, the Word made flesh who lives among us and whose birth is anticipated with hope in this season of Advent.

To complete the circle, we return to Isaiah 2, filled with the powerful symbolism of the city of Jerusalem, from which comes instruction, and with the “house of the Lord,” the dwelling place of God. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, it’s Passover, and Jews from all over the Roman Empire have streamed to the holy city; they long for a king who will bring the peace of the pruning hook and plowshare—of agricultural abundance, not of the Pax Romani, maintained by the sword. Enter Jesus, who comes as a gentle king, who, if one reads further in Matthew 21, is healing “the blind and the lame” in the temple (21:14). It is this Jesus who comes to the Elect on this day to “heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the [their] hearts.”

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Sources Referenced

Catholic Rites Today: Abridged Texts for Students, edited by Allan Bouley. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1992.

https://journeytobaptism.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/04/Rites-Booklet-2024-07021745.pdf

Banner Photo

Christ Enthroned in the Heavenly Jerusalem: Christ is flanked by archangels, with an empty space representing Lucifer’s vacated position. From left to right, the five archangels are: Uriel holds the sun; Michael is a glorious figure in armour; Gabriel bears the lily of the Annunciation; Chemuel (Camael), the angel of the Sangreal, stands next him with the sacred cup; and Zophiel (Jophiel), to his left, holds the moon. Mosaic at the St Paul’s Within the Walls, an Episcopal church in Rome, Italy, 1885.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_Enthroned_in_the_Heavenly_Jerusalem,_St_Paul%27s.jpg
http://romananglican.blogspot.com/2014/09/st-pauls-within-walls-episcopal-church.html

Advent_u_Čakovcu_2023.4cropped

Expanding the Seasons for Baptismal Preparation

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All four congregations where Kent and I did our research on adult faith formation followed a similar calendar, one inspired by many early church literary sources from the fourth and fifth centuries. Like the early church, these congregations shaped the stages of the adult catechumenate so that the stage of “final preparation” for baptism or for the renewal of baptism culminated with Easter Vigil. Thus, the language and imagery of the Lenten three-year lectionary served as inspiration for the public rituals associated with the stage of final preparation. The Roman Catholic Church paved the way in the 1970s with the development of the Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults; various Protestant denominations have revised and adapted the RC rituals since then.

By the time Kent and I were in graduate school in the 1990s, liturgical scholars were critiquing the limitations of this annual process for pastoral and theological reasons. Pastorally, scholars noted that messy nature of adults seeking to connect (or reconnect) with Christ and the church. Offering a catechumenal process only once a year raises a host of complications and barriers. Theologically, scholars pointed out that while the Lent/Easter pattern was well suited to the baptismal imagery of Romans 6, the biblical language and imagery for baptism is multivalent and richer than this one image or metaphor.

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. [Romans 6:1-4, 5-11]

Many of the scholars critiquing the Lent/Easter model proposed the season of Advent/Christmas as a suitable, alternate time for final preparation, with baptisms/renewal of baptisms taking place on the First Sunday after Epiphany, the Baptism of our Lord. Two working groups associated with the North American Association for the Catechumenate (aka, Journey for Baptismal Living) are currently engaged in some preliminary work on catechetical and ritual materials that draw on the Advent lectionary for images and themes, and it’s been my privilege to be part of one these “conversations.”

As background for our upcoming blog series highlighting themes in the Advent lectionary appropriate for the stage of final preparation, I’m sharing a summary of the “western conversation” proposal and rationale. Those part of the “western conversation” agreed it was important to mirror the five weeks/Sundays of the Lenten season and came to consensus on two points. First, theologically, the lectionary readings for the fourth Sunday of Advent anticipate Christmas and the Incarnation and carry themes with more affinity to the birth and baptism of Jesus. Not only does the Advent 4 lectionary move away from the emphasis on the call to conversion and repentance in the first three Sunday of Advent, by Advent 4 many people are traveling. Thus, we agreed that Advent 4 does not lend itself to Sunday rituals involving candidates and sponsors in the stage of final preparation. Second, by extending back into the final Sundays of the previous church year (the readings appointed for November 13-19 and for November 20-26), we would have five Sundays to mirror Lent with appropriate lectionary themes.

Thus, the Season of Advent is imbedded in a five Sunday pattern of final preparation for baptism/renewal of baptism, with these lectionary themes (from the Gospels of the three-year lectionary):

  • The Gospel readings for the final two Sundays of the church year have common themes about the end times. Because the Gospel reading for Sundays between November 13-19 include some form of call to repentance and faith, this is a fitting Sunday for both rites inaugurating the stage of final preparation: the rite for Calling to Baptism or for the Call to Continuing Conversion.
  • The Gospel readings for the final Sunday (November 20-26) share the theme of Christ as king; our group agreed that this call to confess Christ as King and Lord lends itself to the ritual of handing on the creed of the church.
  • The Gospel readings for the First Sunday of Advent continue the end-time theme with Jesus teaching his disciples; the readings share themes of dread from the events in the world and include warnings to be awake or alert for the coming of the Son of man. This Sunday would feature the first of three rites for repentance, healing, and deliverance—the primary themes for the stage of final preparation.
  • The Gospel readings for the Second and Third Sundays of Advent introduce John the Baptist and his call to conversion and repentance. These texts also fit well with the rituals of repentance, healing, and deliverance.

In the coming weeks, Kent and I will examine in detail the appointed Gospel readings for these six Sundays—the last two Sundays (using Year C lectionary) and the four Sundays in Advent (using Year A lectionary), drawing out images and language from the biblical texts that can inform the accompanying rituals. Rather than focus on the current lectionary texts, we have chosen to write about the appointed lectionary for a year from now; perhaps our work will inspire a reader to inaugurate an adult faith formation process next year that will culminate with the core rituals on the Baptism of Our Lord. If so, it is our prayer that these posts may serve as a resource.

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Banner Photo: Snowy 2023 Advent in Čakovec, Medjimurie County, Croatia; Silverije, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Advent_u_%C4%8Cakovcu_2023.4.jpg

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