February 17, 2016

In the service of Morning Prayer, one of two sets of Suffrages follows immediately after the Lord's Prayer.  These Suffrages are conveniently and unoriginally labeled as A and B.  For most of the year, I utilize Form A for no other reason than it comes first.  The second petition within that set has always caught my attention:

Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.

For those wondering, this particular petition mirrors Psalm 132:9, yet again proving that so much of the Prayer Book is in the Bible.  That aside, there are two reasons why this petition has caught my attention over the years.

First is the request to clothe God's ministers with righteousness.  We need to remember for whom this petition is concerned.  At first glance we might think it has to do with anyone wearing a collar.  For those at St. Luke's, that would mean Bishop Michael, Deacon Joani, and myself.  But if that's what you think when you read this petition, you are forgetting your Catechism.

The Catechism of the Episcopal Church states, “The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons.”  Everyone in the Church is a minister of the Church.  Everyone has a job to do, and only some of them wear collars.

This Lent, as you work to incorporate whatever discipline you chose to take on or give up, may you remember that you are one of God's ministers in this branch of what Presiding Bishop Curry calls “the Jesus movement.”  As you make your Lenten journey, may you be clothed in righteousness.

Second is the request to “let your people sing with joy.”

No matter where I have said Morning Prayer, and no matter what group of people are around me during that service, when we get to that line everybody instinctively emphasizes the word sing.  It's as if they don't want to simply say that word, but they want to sing it out as we pray the Suffrages.  There is always a hint of joy there, and it always causes me to smile just a bit.

We need to remember, especially in Lent, that our worship of God should be a joyful occasion.  Lent is certainly the most somber of our seasons, but that does not mean we need to behave, as a comedian once said, like we are sucking on green persimmons.  We can be appropriately reverent, but we can also allow our worship to be infused with joy.

This Lent, as we come together to worship God, remember that we are participating with heavenly hosts, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, as we worship God in the beauty of holiness.  That fact alone should cause us to sing with joy.

You are ministers of God – may you be clothed in righteousness.
You are children of God – may you sing with joy.

Amen.