Morning Prayer
Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, Translator of the Scriptures, 1626 (White or Green); Day of Abstinence
Psalms: Psalm 119, Pts 7, 8
King James Version
49 Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. 50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. 51 The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law. 52 I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself. 53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. 54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. 55 I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law. 56 This I had, because I kept thy precepts. 57 Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words. 58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. 59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. 60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. 61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. 62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. 63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. 64 The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.
First Lesson: Ezekiel 2
King James Version
1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. 2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. 4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. 5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. 6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. 7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. 8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. 9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; 10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Second Lesson: Colossians 2:8-19
King James Version
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Reflection
“Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.”
That is a fitting prayer for this day, when we remember Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester and one of the translators of the Holy Scriptures. It is also a fitting prayer for every Christian life. We do not live by our own wisdom, nor are we sustained by the changing opinions of the world. We live by the Word of God: received in the Church, read in the Scriptures, proclaimed by ministers, and made living to us by the Holy Ghost.
The Word which Ezekiel receives is not a pleasant little message designed to make everyone feel comfortable. The prophet is sent to a rebellious people, a people who may hear or refuse to hear. He is told not to be afraid of their faces, nor of their words. The task is not to win approval, but faithfully to speak: “Thus saith the Lord GOD.” And before Ezekiel speaks the Word, he must eat it. It must become part of him. The messenger must first be addressed, judged, and nourished by the message he carries.
That is a solemn lesson for the Church, and especially for those who preach and teach. God’s Word is not ours to improve, soften, or rearrange according to the temper of the age. Nor is it a weapon with which we may strike others while refusing its correction ourselves. We must open our mouths to receive what God gives us, including those portions which contain lamentation, mourning, and woe. Yet the same Word which wounds the proud gives comfort to the afflicted. The Psalmist says, “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.”
Our Lord’s Word is not merely information. It is life.
This is why Saint Paul warns the Colossians against being spoiled through “philosophy and vain deceit,” through human tradition and the rudiments of the world, rather than after Christ. The warning is not against every tradition. The Church herself receives and hands on the apostolic faith. The Anglican Church, in her ordered worship and faithful use of the Scriptures, is not trying to invent a new religion every generation. She is guarding the old paths, that we may hold fast to Christ.
The question is always: does a custom, teaching, or opinion hold us to Christ the Head—or draw us away from him? “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,” and “ye are complete in him.” Nothing is to be added as though Christ were insufficient; nothing is to be removed as though Christ were inconvenient. Baptised into him, buried and raised with him, forgiven through his cross, we are called to remain joined to him.
That gives the right perspective to this day of abstinence. Saint Paul says, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink.” Food and drink are not the foundation of our righteousness. We are not made holy by a diet, nor condemned merely by eating what another Christian avoids. The body is of Christ, and our standing before God rests upon his cross, not upon our performance.
But that does not make bodily discipline pointless. Abstinence can be a useful act of repentance and remembrance. By freely going without something lawful, we confess that we are not ruled by appetite. We make room to pray. We remember the poor. We learn again that Christ is our portion. Such practices are shadows; Christ is the substance. They are servants, not saviours.
The Psalmist shows us the proper response to God’s Word: “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.” Here is no proud confidence in self, but a heart made ready to obey because it has heard mercy. “The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.”
Let us therefore receive the Word—not selectively, not merely as a text to admire, but as bread for pilgrims. Let it correct our paths, comfort our afflictions, and keep us from being carried away by every new doctrine. And let us hold fast to the Head, Jesus Christ, from whom the whole body receives its nourishment.
For in Christ we are complete: forgiven at the cross, raised in baptism, and kept by the faithful Word of God.
Evening Prayer
Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, Translator of the Scriptures, 1626 (White or Green); Day of Abstinence
Psalms: Psalm 119, Pts 9, 10
King James Version
65 Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word. 66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. 68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes. 69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. 70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law. 71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. 73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. 74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word. 75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. 76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight. 78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts. 79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies. 80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.
First Lesson: Ezekiel 3:1-14
King James Version
1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. 2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. 4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. 5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; 6 Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee. 7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. 8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. 9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. 10 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. 11 And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. 12 Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place. 13 I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. 14 So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.
Second Lesson: John 15
King James Version
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. 18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Reflection
“Abide in me, and I in you.” These words of our Lord are at the heart of today’s readings. They tell us both where the Christian life begins and how it is sustained: not in our own strength, but in a living union with Christ.
The image is simple and searching. Christ is the true Vine; we are the branches. A branch does not manufacture its own life. It receives life from the vine, and its fruit is the visible evidence that it is truly joined to it. “Without me,” says our Lord, “ye can do nothing.” Not very much, but nothing. That is a word our age dislikes, and perhaps we dislike it too. Yet it is a word of mercy, because it frees us from the exhausting pretence that we can make ourselves holy by our own efforts.
The Christian is not called first to be impressive, successful, or even busy. The Christian is called to abide. We abide in Christ as we hear his word, receive his sacraments, offer our prayers, and remain faithfully within the household of his Church. It is the Church of England’s great strength that she has placed the Scriptures plainly in the hands and ears of her people, and has ordered the daily worship of the Church around them. We are not left to invent a spirituality for ourselves. We are given the Word, the Prayer Book, and the sacramental life in which Christ nourishes his branches.
Ezekiel is commanded to eat the roll before he is sent to speak. He must first receive the word into himself. It is sweet in his mouth, but the ministry that follows is bitter: he is sent to a rebellious people who may hear him or refuse to hear. The prophet is not authorised to speak his own opinions. He is to speak God’s words, whether they are welcomed or not. So also every Christian witness must begin by listening. We cannot bear faithful fruit from words that have never first taken root in us.
The psalmist has learned this through suffering. “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” He does not call affliction pleasant, nor does he pretend that pain is good in itself. But he has discovered that God can use even distress to prune away self-deception. “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” In the Gospel, the Father is the husbandman who purges the fruitful branch, cutting back what hinders its fruitfulness. His pruning may feel like loss: a cherished habit challenged, a false confidence exposed, a comfortable attachment removed. Yet the purpose is not destruction. It is that we may bear more fruit.
This is especially fitting on a day of abstinence. Christian abstinence is not a means of purchasing God’s favour. We do not starve ourselves into salvation. Salvation is the gift of God in Christ. But abstinence can teach the body and soul a truthful dependence. By willingly setting something aside, we remember that we are not ruled by every appetite, and that Christ—not comfort, convenience, or consumption—is our life. The branch flourishes not by clinging to everything, but by remaining joined to the vine.
And the fruit Christ seeks is not merely private respectability. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” The life received from Christ becomes love offered to others. It is a costly love, for the pattern is the cross: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” We are chosen and ordained to bear fruit that remains—not to make a name for ourselves, but that the Father may be glorified.
Today we remember Lancelot Andrewes, bishop and translator of the Scriptures. His calling reminds us that the Word must be faithfully received, faithfully rendered, and faithfully lived. But no translation, however careful, can bear fruit in us merely because it rests on a page. The Word must be heard, welcomed, and allowed to dwell within us. Then, by the Spirit of truth, it becomes witness.
Let us therefore ask not chiefly for an easier life, but for a sound heart: a heart that abides in Christ, receives his pruning, keeps his word, and bears the fruit of holy love. For in him is our life, and from him comes the strength to remain faithful when the world refuses to hear.
Electric See Chapel