That is the second essay is a particular sequence by the Rev. Dr. Nathan Jennings, Professor of Liturgics at Seminary of the Southwest. There shall be eight installments on this sequence introduced in intervals via the winter of 2026. A “spherical up” with hyperlinks to all eight essays shall be obtainable within the spring.
Half II. When Is the Sermon? A Mystagogical Reply
On this sequence, I supply sensible recommendation on sermon preparation by creating a liturgical theology of the Sermon. Liturgical theology takes the ritual motion of Christian liturgy significantly, and develops what is known as “mystagogy,” from reflection upon the form of our shared Christian Eucharistic ceremony. A service of the Holy Eucharist is mystagogical. Mystagogy means “main into the thriller.” On this second submit of the sequence, we are going to have a look at how the sermon should do its half to steer the trustworthy into the thriller.
Liturgical theology affirms the essentially eschatological nature of the Christian sacramental liturgies. Liturgical theology focuses on the eschatological actuality enacted by the ceremony, quite than specializing in the phrases used within the service, alone, unbiased of its ritual form and eschatological nature. It focuses on the enactment of the eschaton quite than different, later, symbolical meanings imposed upon the ceremony as a consequence of a misplaced sense of its eschatological enactment, or of its form. Within the title of this submit, I’m making a mild play on phrases. When the Sermon falls within the ritual can also be when it occurs eschatologically, as a result of mystagogy reveals how the Holy Eucharist enacts the Finish of the World.
The Liturgy is the Finish
Let’s begin by trying on the placement of the Sermon within the Eucharistic ceremony. Within the 1979 E book of Frequent Prayer, the super-heading underneath which “The Sermon” falls is “The Phrase of God.” Along with “The Holy Communion,” the Phrase of God types one of many two main ritual actions or actions throughout the common celebration of “The Holy Eucharist” as a complete.[1] Zooming in, the heading “The Sermon” falls after the heading for “The Classes,” and earlier than the heading for “The Prayers of the Individuals” (BCP p. 326; 358).[2] The Holy Eucharist, amongst different mysteries, enacts the dominion of God: “Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and without end. Amen” (BCP p. 355).
The Holy Communion enacts the good “Eschatological Banquet” (Isa. 25:6) on the final day, once we will say “Blessed are those that are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9), when many will come from the north, the south, the east, and the west, and feast with Abraham within the kingdom (Matt. 8:11; Luke 13:29); God will dwell within the midst of us, we are going to commune with him and each other, and God shall be all in all (Rev. 21:3; 1 Cor 15:28).
The Phrase of God enacts the Remaining Judgment. On the Remaining Judgment all of the folks, raised from their graves (Baptism) shall collect earlier than the Mercy Seat; books shall be opened and browse aloud, and from these we will be judged; we are going to hear the excellent news of the Lamb who was slain, we are going to pray for mercy, and God will forgive us and restore us to peace—the peaceful kingdom, God’s promised shalom for Israel (Rev. 20:11; Rev. 21:3; Isa. 11:6-9).
That is precisely what occurs within the service of the Phrase of God. These raised in Christ collect, books are opened and browse aloud; from these we obtain judgment and listen to the Gospel of Our Savior Jesus Christ; we then pray for the entire state of Christ’s Church and the world, confess our sins, obtain absolution, and cross the Peace.[3]
We’re gathered by the Phrase and gospel proclamation to God’s folks—to make us his folks—the physique of the Phrase made flesh. Then we reply to what we’ve got heard with prayer, asking for forgiveness, having heard the Phrase of judgment, but additionally approaching with boldness the throne of Grace, having heard the excellent news. And, as in a thriller, it’s Christ himself, as the top of the gathered physique, who proclaims his excellent news, for it’s his gathered physique on Earth via whom he acts, tabernacling once more amongst his folks. And it’s Christ himself who prays to the Father, and we with him, as residing members of the Residing Phrase.
The Sermon is inherent to the enactment of the Phrase of God, just like the way in which wherein the Phrase of God is inherent to the enactment of Holy Eucharist as a complete. We can not rejoice Holy Communion till we’ve got, amongst different issues, acquired the Phrase of God and the Holy Gospel via the Sermon. The Sermon is a part of, and inherent to, our Communion with God and each other. Thus, the Sermon is a part of, and inherent to the Holy Eucharist, our sacred act of Thanksgiving. The Sermon allows communion and thanksgiving, along with, and enjoying its half inside, the service of the Phrase of God.
Within the enactment of the Christian Eucharist, the Sermon (1) connects the Phrase of God learn to the incarnate Phrase of God gathered as this native church. The Sermon (2) proclaims the Gospel (even when different texts are preached). The Gospel proclaimed culminates all different readings, connecting the traditional textual content that was learn as Phrase and gospel to the excellent news God has for his folks gathered on at the present time, on this place, underneath these situations. The Sermon then directs us to the remaining unfolding ritual motion. The preacher stays cognizant of the place of the sermon as part of mystagogy throughout the liturgy as mystagogical enactment.
Upshot
Turning to how we will join the form of the liturgy with preaching, we word that the sermon should do its half to steer the trustworthy into the thriller. Mystagogy is critical if we’re to attach a struggling congregation with the God of Scripture.
The Sermon is crucial to the Eucharist. It isn’t optionally available. Within the service of the Holy Eucharist, the Sermon is crucial to the Holy Communion correct, getting ready us for, directing us to, fellowship with God and his folks. The Sermon is thus important to our giving thanks—even when not an specific expression of thanks, it should set us up for the thanksgiving to observe. The Sermon extends the Gospel into the lifetime of the congregation, and that of every congregant. As a part of the Service of the Phrase, it gathers the folks and God dwells amongst us once more.
The preacher stays cognizant of the place of the Sermon as a speech act throughout the liturgy as a ritual act. What instantly precedes the Sermon within the unfolding ritual motion? We all know for sure that readings of Scripture and proclamation of Gospel precede. Then what instantly and in the end follows? Is the rapid motion the Creed? A Baptism? The Prayer of the Individuals? The Confession of Sins? When a priest is current, what in the end follows is the Holy Communion. The Sermon is a bridge. Our sermons hyperlink, circulation from, and result in these ritual actions. Once we have a look at the form of a selected Eucharistic service, we ask, what aspect of the thriller unfolds at this second of formality mystagogy? The Sermon connects the Scriptures preached to the subsequent ritual motion throughout the whole ritual act. Thus, the Sermon brings us to the desk and brings the longer term into our current.[4] The Sermon is at all times a speech act of the eschatological proclamation of the gospel, the excellent news of Jesus Christ. In my subsequent submit on this sequence, we are going to develop a liturgical theology of the excellent news.
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[1] The Phrase of God should be enacted earlier than we will enact the Holy Communion. We can not maintain a service of Holy Communion with out additionally celebrating the service of the Phrase of God. The Phrase of God is critical to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist; and it’s, in our encounter with time, crucial for this to happen earlier than we share communion with God and with each other. Reflection on this yields perception into the multifaceted Christian thriller.
[2] For Sundays and Feast Days the Nicene Creed is appointed and offered, with no heading, displaying it to fall underneath the heading for “The Sermon.” That’s fascinating, however I’ll need to take that up elsewhere, because the recitation of the creed shouldn’t be crucial for each celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
[3] Like turning a single diamond completely lower with pluriform sides, some components of the ceremony can transfer to different locations throughout the ceremony and thus enact a distinct aspect of the thriller. For instance, we will transfer the confession to the Opening Ceremony utilizing the Penitential Order. We will transfer the Peace to the Fraction. (Once we transfer the Peace, the service is extra nested and fewer dialectical and binary. The Sermon prompts the prayers and the whole lot else that follows.)
[4] I’m grateful to Steven Tomlinson for giving me this felicitous flip of phrase.
The Rev. Dr. Nathan Jennings is the J. Milton Richardson Professor of Liturgics and Anglican Research and Director of Group Worship at Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, TX.
