Though I worked in the Diocese of London for a few years before beginning my formal ordination training, I’ve never considered myself a member of the Church of England. Thus, it is always interesting for me to go to worship down there and encounter their little ways.
Last evening I was at holy mass in St Paul’s Cathedral, London. It was a splendid service, in the round under the dome. There was a visiting choir from St Mary’s, Nottingham who were singing Kodály Missa Brevis, which I just love. It was a good service and there were hundreds of people at it. Modern without lacking in dignity, thoughtful without being stuffy. (All this was in honour of good St Bartholomew, whose feast day was yesterday).
What brought me up a bit short was the affirmation of faith which was used in place of a creed.
It went thus:
We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
I’ve no problem with most of that, but what on earth does the first sentence mean – “We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named”?
(Actually I might want to bicker a bit about the Holy Spirit coming from on high, but we’ll let that be for now as I do at least understand it).
Does anyone have any idea what it might mean? I kept my mouth shut at the time lest I found myself committing a sin by asserting something heretical.
I’ve checked, and that Affirmation is part of Common Worship, the Church of England’s vast collection of authorised liturgical resources.
But it is still bugging me a day later. What does that phrase mean? Does anyone with better theological enlightenment, or perhaps a better knowledge of our dear cousins in the Church of England know?
As to what it means to the C of E – I would guess it means that a nuclear family which has a father in it is in some way an especial revelation of the nature of God. What I strongly suspect the writer of Ephesians (not in my view Paul) actually meant was ‘from whom the various heads of the households in the church derive their authority’ – which might be an interesting way of toning down the authority of the head of a big slave-owning household, since presumably that authority could then only be enacted as God the Father himself would enact it.
The other possibility is that it is the only thing about the Fatherhood of God the compliers could think of at the time that somebody else did not object to. Opportunity missed I think.
The following is not right, but is I think better.
I believe in God the Father, who made the star-filled universe, and loves his creation; who waits to welcome each of his children however they wander.
I believe in God the Son, who made all things with the Father, who became human, who shows the Father’s love and teaches his forgiveness.
I believe in God the Holy Spirit, by whom God’s love is shed abroad in human hearts.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 of whom the whole family in the heavens and on earth is named,
21 to Him [is] the glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus, to all the generations of the age of the ages. Amen. Eph 3 YLT.
The family in heaven and the family on earth are the same.
In the eternity of heaven the whole history of the universe and of humanity is concluded.
As we live out our lives upon the earth we are also alive within the perfected household of God assembled within the eternity of heaven.
It could be said that in our lives in this world we are living out our past.
It’s good to find a discussion here that is biblically centred – well at least becomes aware of a scriptural reference!
It will always be beneficial for us to probe the thinking of the Apostle Paul, as it is to discern what God has spoken in His Word.
I was also a little heartened, and surprised, by Kelvin’s sensitivity to be found to be engaging in heresy!! – there is always hope for anyone who walks humbly before his God.