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Easter Vigil 2019 (95)

Mystagogical Catechesis: Formation through Paschal Mystery for Life

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To couch this in the language of George Lindbeck, we in the LCMS are thoroughgoing cognitive-propositionalists. Our catechetical instruction and formation proceeds out of the (often unexamined) assumptions of the Enlightenment that the primary means of formation go through our heads. The catechumenate calls us to give attention to the variety of ways in which we learn and to a more holistic pedagogy. Catechesis in the catechumenate is not only about the head, but also about the heart and the body. We learn intellectually, emotionally, psychologically, relationally, and physically. Mystagogical catechesis aims toward such a holistic formation through the entire catechumenal process. Not only during the period of Mystagogy. In that sense, the catechesis of the period of Mystagogy should be a deepening of what took place throughout the rest of the catechumenate.

But what is mystagogical catechesis? [I’m going to rely on Roman Catholics here because they understand what mystagogy is in ways that we as Lutherans are only beginning to penetrate.] I find Roman Catholic scholar Timothy O’Malley’s description compelling: “Mystagogy is a stance toward the entirety of life, seeing every part of our existence through the mystery of Christ” (Divine Blessing, 128). That mystery is that the Triune God rules in grace and love over his creation through the life, death, and resurrection of God the Father’s Son Christ Jesus.  Mystagogy is seeing all of life through the paschal mystery. Roman Catholic Diana Macalintal describes the mystagogical catechetical task this way, “We bear the great responsibility of translating, interpreting, and helping seekers…see the world in which they live through the eyes of faith. We also have the great gift of presenting the longing and needs of our seekers to God whom we believe by faith will heal them and draw them closer to Him in love. When we do this, we make the mystery of God no less mysterious but all the more knowable” (Your Parish is the Curriculum, 99).

Mystagogical catechesis during the period of Mystagogy interprets the initiatory experience of the newly baptized (their baptism, anointing, and reception of communion for the first time through the paschal liturgy). It interprets and applies that ritual experience to their lives of faith in this world through the Word of God that they hear week in and week out. It is to interpret life itself in view of the experience of baptism and the Lord’s Supper within the story of God in Christ as that story is rehearsed Sunday to Sunday. O’Malley again argues that the period of Mystagogy “is the right time to teach a way of reading time in a liturgical key. What do I mean? During the season of Easter, we come to see how every dimension of human life can be transformed through the resurrection. On Easter, food is blessed. Water is blessed, All creation is blessed. Thus, we’re especially aware at this time of the way that the church can bless all of life, all of time, all of space. Everything” (Divine Blessing, 129). Mystagogical catechesis guides the newly baptized into such an interpretation of all of life.

Diana Macalintal advocates that we ask these kinds of questions to facilitate this mystagogical reflection, this holistic catechesis during Easter:

Encounter: First, participate in Sunday liturgy and so encounter the crucified and risen Lord.

Recollect: How did you encounter Christ in that event? What did you see, hear, and do in your initiation into Christ and in the Sunday liturgies that followed?

Reflect: What was most memorable moment about encountering Christ in that initiatory event and in the Sunday liturgy?

Catechesis: How does the Word of God inform the nature of the encounter with Christ in all those liturgical events and in events in the parish’s life? (Your Parish is the Curriculum, 103).

Facilitating reflection in this way allows catechists and pastors to weave doctrine and confession into lives of faith in light of the baptismal and Eucharistic experience and formed by the story of God told through God’s Word.

Immanuel Valpo Baptismal Pool #3

Un-catechesis: Catechesis during the Period of Enlightenment

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Lutherans tend to approach catechesis in a one size fits all mode. Grounded in Luther’s Catechisms (which is, of course, a good place to be grounded), the approach is often fairly uniform across times and locations. It is very intellectually-focused, seeking to expose the catechumens to what Scripture and the church teach so that they might own it and confess it themselves. The pastor as pedagogue (hear: lecturer) has predominated. The catechumens become passive recipients of rich doctrinal content.

I am not suggesting that there is no place for this approach. Nor am I suggesting that the handing on (tradition) of doctrine is undesirable. But there are other ways in which catechesis can take place. And a prime opportunity for such a different approach to catechesis, or Un-catechesis, is during the period of purification and enlightenment. This period aims to facilitate the final steps in the process of the elect’s conversion, a process that most often culminates at the Triduum with the elect’s participation in their baptism, anointing, and the Lord’s Supper. Catechesis during this period focuses around reflection on the experiences the catechumens have had throughout the catechumenate and that they will have during the season of Lent. This intentional reflection intends to lead both the elect and the church into discernment. The elect should discern their readiness for baptism, for participation in the life of the body of Christ, and for the journey into a life lived by faith in the Triune God. The church should discern how ready they believe the elect are for those same things. Catechesis in this period aims to facilitate that reflection for the sake of discernment.

Central to are reflective questions and both corporate discussion and individual conversation about those questions. The questions should encourage the catechumens to reflect on the experiences of the catechumenate: hearing the Word in the Sunday divine service; anointings and blessings they experienced; the practice of prayer; discussion of the Word of God and the church’s teaching; and their conversations in the catechumenate group and personally with catechists and sponsors.

During the period of Enlightenment the elect will continue to break open the Word, but—as Dr. Schuler indicated last week—will consider the primary biblical narratives used throughout Lent that focus on the encounter with Jesus as Savior and Lord. They will reflect on the implications for them personally of meeting Jesus through these readings and their preaching. They will reflect on the significance of the scrutinies in which they renounce the devil, sin, end evil; their reception of the Lord’s Prayer as their own model of prayer and of the Creed as their personal confession within the church’s confession of the Triune God. The catechesis should prepare them for their 3-day journey into God’s life in Christ culminating at their experience of baptism, anointing and the Lord’s Supper at the Easter Vigil. The Un-Catechesis of this period should not primarily download doctrinal information to them—although there will certainly still be some of that—but it should unfold their experiences in and through the Word of God. Doctrinal unpacking will continue in the period of mystagogy after they are baptized. As Roman Catholic Timothy O’Malley says, “Lent is not the time for such explicit instruction of the catechumens. It is time to enter with the elect into the desert, to walk with them as they prepare to become sons and daughters of the living God through baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist (Divine Blessing: Liturgical Formation in the RCIA, 112). The catechesis in this period prepares them for the ongoing transformation of their identity. It is catechesis that directs them, in the words of Welcome to Christ, “to live in the covenant of their baptism . . . and lead godly lives until the day of Jesus Christ” (44).

the king resized

Life in Christ: The Goal of Narrative Catechesis

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Slow Walking Series

This is part 2 of my video conversation on adult faith formation with the Rev. Dr. Adam Filipek, pastor of Holy Cross and Immanuel Lutheran congregations in Lidgerwood, North Dakota.  In this excerpt, Pastor Filipek references the key scriptural texts emphasizing the presence of God that serve as turning points in the biblical narrative. I quote here from Pastor Filipek’s notes sent to me before our conversation:

 … catechesis is no longer simply “teaching people about Jesus,” … but rather employs a coherent, unified, grand-sweeping biblical narrative of God’s salvific work in Christ, while simultaneously situating and incorporating an individual’s life into the larger context of this ongoing salvific narrative in a way that cultivates a love of the One True God and a desire to dwell here in time: weekly in the Divine Service, and daily in our respective vocations; and there again in eternity: where we “appear with him in glory” and dwell with him forever. In other words, catechesis should “form Christians” to live their lives in Christ.

This video is about five minutes long. You must be logged into a Google account to view it.

Pastor Filipek’s book on adult faith formation, Life in Christ, will be published by CPH in June 2023. We hope to interview him again to discuss his book when it is available.

Narrative Catechesis

You must be logged into a Google account to view this video.

 

Photo: “The King,” one of the windows at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lidgerwood, North Dakota, juxtaposing an Old Testament with New Testament narrative to highlight the presence of God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Artist: Darla Ruger, http://www.sgofargo.com/index.html

Easter Vigil 2019 (25)

A Ritual Journey: Formation in Enlightenment

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This post, focusing on formation in the Period of Enlightenment and Purification, will be the last in this series on the ritual journey through that period of the catechumenate. Formation in this period is in a pronounced way liturgical. That means that the liturgical experience through the various rites that we have discussed over the previous weeks is the primary context in which formation and catechesis toward a life of faith takes place. For the elect the shape and knowledge of the Christian life that is taking shape should flow from and be referenced to the liturgical and ritual experiences they encounter. This ritual formation leads the elect into the Word; walking with the Lord in the church through the liturgical year; into hearing and praying what the church believes (the Creed); into being formed by what the church prays; into the nature of living the Christian Way of life; into catechesis embedded in ritual; and into an apprenticeship into the church’s mission. Let me provide a brief description for each of these.

Formed by the Word

The proclaimed and written Word permeates the liturgical celebration. Many of the rites are ritual enactments of or encounters with the Word. The elect encounter Christ, the personal Word, as these Word-laden rituals strike them. And those liturgical encounters inform and guide their ongoing reflection upon the Word.

Walking with the Lord through the Liturgical Year

The encounter with the Word occurs in the context of the liturgical year. So the biblical narrative focused upon the revelation of the One sent from the Father full of grace and truth and who as Lord will pour out His Spirit on all living things surrounds the rites of the period. Each Sunday’s Word within the year’s arc provides the primary point for catechetical reflection on the Christian faith.

Creedal Formation (praying what we believe)

The texts of the rites throughout this period are intended to inform Christian faith and belief. They convey the basic narrative of the rule of faith/creedal story. The ritual texts and actions bear this narrative and shape the Christian to live by faith according to it.

Formed by the Church’s Prayer

Prayer permeates all the rites in this period. It is prayer that reflects the biblical narrative and that prays for the elect to confess and live under the lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives.

Living into the Body of Christ and the Christian Way of Life

The enlightenment journey leads the elect to experience the life of the Body of Christ and the reconciling way of Christian life. The rituals reveal Christian practices that are intended for daily Christian living and sharing in the church.

Catechesis embedded in Ritual

Catechesis doesn’t arise out of textbooks or curriculum. It springs forth from the liturgical experience within the gathered community. As Diana Macalintal says, “The Parish is the Curriculum.” The life of the parish ultimately forms the elect into living as disciples of the Lord Jesus.

Apprenticeship in the Church’s Mission

Finally, the liturgical journey of the elect apprentices them into the church’s mission. When shaped with intentionality and purpose the rites of the entire catechumenate mold the newly baptized into being witnesses to the Word and as those who pursue God’s justice in their vocations and relationships.

St. John gospel reading from aisle

A Ritual Journey: Rites of the Word

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The Catechumenate stage in the RCIA is filled with a number of minor rites, minor in comparison to the major rites by which catechumens move from one stage to the next, such as the Rite of Election. These minor rites include: Celebrations of the Word of God; Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings of the Catechumens. All of these rites are means by which God is working on the catechumens through the Word. They all flow from and lead back to the service of the Word in the Sunday liturgy. In subsequent weeks we’ll take a look at the exorcisms, blessings, and anointing, but let’s focus on these rites of the Word.

The Celebrations of the Word of God are the most significant of these minor rites. The RCIA says of them, “During the period of the catechumenate there should be celebrations of the Word of God that accord with the liturgical season and the needs of the community” (RCIA 81). Essentially these celebrations of the Word are mini-services of the Word, although they might include all of the elements of the Sunday service of the Word— collects, readings, psalm, hymn, brief homily, and blessing. They may conclude with one of the other minor rites such as a rite of blessing or anointing.  The RCIA describes the purpose of these celebrations in the following way

  • To implant in their hearts the teaching they are receiving;
  • To give them instruction and experience in the different aspects and ways of prayer;
  • The explain to them the signs, celebrations, and seasons of the liturgy;
  • To prepare them gradually to enter the worship assembly of the entire community (RCIA 82).

Celebrations of the Word focus on catechesis and formation, shaped by the story of God in Christ through the liturgical year.  They unfold the mystery of Christ through the Word in the church year. They function as a regular hearing and catechesis in the Word of God. As such, it is appropriate to observe these brief services of the Word (around 20 minutes maximum) every time the catechumens gather, including their weekly or regular catechetical sessions. These celebrations of the Word allow the Word and prayer to permeate the journey of the catechumens, centering their lives in the Word, prayer, and the community’s liturgy. Through these celebrations the Word penetrates the daily life, decisions, and actions of the catechumens.

In addition, the Word fills the lives of the catechumens every Sunday. Here the story of God in Christ by the Spirit shapes faith and daily life. The catechumens feast on the Word every Sunday and then may be dismissed to discuss what they have heard and taken to heart. These dismissals prior to the service of the Lord’s Supper, while unfamiliar to Lutherans, allow the catechumens, under the guidance of trained lay catechists, to reflect on the import for their faith and life of the words they have heard. While it might be a foreign practice, the dismissal of the catechumens fits the fellowship doctrine of the LCMS and promotes a serious catechesis in the Word of God. Through that catechesis the Word is broken open to the catechumens and they learn what it means to be conformed to that Word.

While some might think that the dismissals are inhospitable, as Bill Corcoran says in Preparing the Rites of Initiation, “This sending forth is a form of hospitality because the catechumens can not yet join us at the Eucharistic table…Simply by leaving, they remind the whole assembly of the dignity of baptism and the importance of the eucharist….It invites them to experience Christ’s presence in the sharing of the Word” (23-24).

Through the dismissals to reflect on and be catechized in the Word and through the regular Celebrations of the Word of God, catechumens are fed a steady diet of the Word. And in so doing, they become what they eat.

St. JOhn Sunday liturgy

A Ritual Journey: The Stage of the Catechumenate

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Over the last several weeks we have explored in detail the Rite of Welcome/Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. Once the inquirers cross this ritual threshold they enter into a new status in the church. They are now officially catechumens, intentionally committed to exploring the faith of the church and life within the Christian community that will lead to baptism. The catechumenate period, which ideally would last 6 months to a year, allows a much deeper exploration of the gospel and Christian faith than the Stage of Inquiry. It is a holistic immersion in the faith that intersects the catechumens’ lives with the Word of God, worship, prayer, the church’s ministry in the gospel and its service in the world. It explores not only the assembly’s life in faith but Christian life beyond the assembly in the world both near and far. As Ronald Lewinski says in his book An Introduction to the RCIA the catechumenate stage “gives reason to faith and enables [the catechumens] to live by faith in the world” (36).  One of the primary agents for facilitating this holistic immersion are the catechumens’ sponsors. They walk with them throughout the process, attending as many catechumenal activities as possible, and serve as partners in reflection on the gospel and the way of Christian life that flows from the gospel.

Reflection is a central aspect of the catechumenate stage. The catechumens’ reflection on the meaning of faith in the gospel and its implications for life begins with listening to the Word. As the Rule of St. Benedict says one should “Listen with the ear of your heart.” This implies an in-depth exploration of the meaning and significance of the Word of God. Hearing the Word and reflection on the Word is the heart of the catechumenate stage. Every gathering of the catechumenate should focus on the Word. Ideally, the weekly lectionary and the church year serve as a focal point for forming the catechumens into the Christian way. This provides a rhythm, grounded in the gospel readings, for reflection on the gospel and faith. This rhythm may include dismissing the catechumens after the service of the Word each Sunday to discuss the readings just heard. Or it may include focusing on the readings, especially through the lens of the gospel, in midweek gatherings. Pastors, catechists, and sponsors facilitate reflection on the meaning of the Word and its significance for the daily life of the community and of the catechumens now immersed in that community.

And the Word cannot be contained just to the Sunday assembly and reflection on it. The Word should permeate the entirety of the assembly’s life: worship, prayer, ministry, teaching, fellowship, service, and mission. The catechumenate stage brings the catechumens into engagement with the Word as it is heard and gives shape to all the varied areas of parish life. This is why, as we noted in a previous post, Diana Macalintal refers to the parish as the curriculum of faith formation. Catechumens should be exposed to the ways in which the Word interpenetrates the entire assembly’s life. This will initiate the catechumens into God’s mission through the congregation. It will allow them to “see” God’s mission in motion beginning in worship but stretching out through the parish’s life in service to one another and in witness to the world.

Like the Word, catechetical teaching permeates the catechumenate stage. It thoroughly introduces the catechumens to a host of catechetical and doctrinal topics. Yet, those topics should be grounded in the Word that the catechumens are hearing from Sunday to Sunday. In other words, the Word in the weekly assembly and permeating congregational life should prompt the kinds of topics taught and reflected upon in catechesis. As Ronald Lewinski says of catechesis, “The object of catechesis is communion with Jesus Christ. Catechesis leads people to enter the mystery of Christ, to encounter him, and to discover themselves and the meaning of their lives in him” (37).

And just as the Word permeates congregational life, so does conversation with God or prayer. The catechumenate stage is a mentorship in prayer for the catechumens. They should be formed toward a life of prayer and taught how to pray. Prayer, perhaps encapsulated in brief rites or devotions, should begin and end each catechumenal gathering. And sponsors ideally will model a vigorous life of prayer with their catechumens. Developing fellowship centered in prayer and the Word also encourages regularly eating a meal together whenever the catechumens gather.

The end of the catechumenate stage leads to the crossing rite of Election/Enrollment for Baptism. Each catechumen, their sponsors, the catechists, and the pastors navigate a path of discernment as to when each catechumen is ready to cross the threshold with the intention of preparing for baptism. It is important for each person to take as long as is necessary for them to be ready to cross that threshold.

Until that point there are practices and rites throughout the catechumenate that form the catechumens on this journey. We’ll explore those practices and rites in subsequent weeks.