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NEWSLETTER |
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The tabloid headline in the checkout lane announced that a woman had found the mummified head of Adolph Hitler in her basement. Sure enough, there was a picture of a shriveled head with a swatch of hair across the forehead and that narrow mustache under the nose. A few visual clues and we recognized the face immediately. It is this that allows famous people to be caricatured. With our Lord Jesus Christ, however, it is different. It would be difficult to think of what a caricature of Him might consist. There are many familiar clues that artists have used, but none of them are used with complete consistency. Often there is long hair and a beard, but the length and style of these may vary and it is not uncommon for Him to be shown beardless. The robe and sandals also vary greatly and may be absent. He has carried the racial traits of almost every people. A halo about the head or a nimbus enveloping the whole body is a sure indication, but many artists have chosen not to include this. Yet we are not confused; we almost always recognize an image of Christ with ease and confidence. Without any rigid set of visual characteristic to go by perhaps we recognize our Lord in what He is doing. Explicitly or only implicitly we see a passage from the Gospels being enacted. He is teaching a multitude or holding an open book as the sign of this office. He may be healing or holding out his hand in blessing. Perhaps he is forgiving a sinner, or with open arms inviting those heavy laden to come to him, or carrying a lost lamb on his shoulders. Above all we recognize Him in the supreme act of his loving obedience to the Father, His suffering and death on the cross—the crucifix in all its manifold representations. We do not know what He looked like, but we do know what he has done for us and this is the surest mark of His identity. When the iconoclastic controversy threatened the use of visual images in Christian worship, the Church resolved the issue by reasoning from the fact of the incarnation. If Jesus Christ really is the God made man, who walked among us with a human face, then the rationale for images and their value is that they affirm this event and draw us into it. Indeed to prohibit such images might be to deny that God ever was made visible, that as our Lord said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” Christ is also the new Adam, the new beginning of the human race. When we recognize His human features we are seeing what own true humanity should be as well. In a way it is good that it was not recorded what he really looked like. Artists thus have greater freedom to adapt his appearance to their own people, culture and times. This reveals a deeper truth than a scientifically accurate reconstruction would. The Christian artist uses the visual medium to make present before our eyes and mind the Gospel that God was indeed in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. This has been done for centuries in the static mediums of paint, wood, glass, and stone. This Lent we have been reminded that our modern age has added the dynamic and compelling medium of cinema to this list. The face of Christ is no mummified head, a lifeless artifact of history. It is a spiritual reality within the community of faith. It is improbable that St. Paul (Saul) even met Christ during his earthly ministry and almost certainly his readers at Corinth never did. Yet even so he could speak to them of Christ as the icon (image, likeness) of God. He could say that “in the face of Christ” we receive the knowledge of God glory. This face is known in the heart of the believer. Despite the separation of miles and of years from the historical Christ believers have a real and intimate relationship to His sacred countenance. It is important to remember that it is still the Sacraments that unite us to Jesus Christ. Artistic images, even the emotionally powerful ones in the movies, cannot be a substitute for this. It is through Baptism that we are “united with him in a death like his” and thus have the promise that “we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Likewise on the night in which he was betrayed our Lord did not leave audio visual aids to His apostles, but instituted the Holy Eucharist with the command to do this in remembrance of Him. In Biblical usage the face represents the whole person, to come before the face of a person is to come into his presence. Reversing this we can say that to be in the presence of Christ is to be also before his face. Christ’s presence under the appearance of bread and wine is visually modest but here shines that countenance that gives “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.” Here the Holy spirit is at work to bring about the interior icon of Christ and to conform us to it. “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” That prayer and others like it in the psalms may have originally been related to the temple where God glory dwelt or to meditation upon the Law by which God reveals His will. But now that God has been made known to us in the human face of His Son, these prayers have a deeper meaning and a more intimate appeal. “Let your face shine, that we may be saved!” may now be directed to the one who meets our eyes, one who says, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness.” Sincerely, Fr. Richard G. Herbel
News & Notes The first Sunday in December a “Guest Hospitality Luncheon” was served after church. This was a fund raiser to support our guest ministry for those, especially students, who are able to make only a modest donation to cover their stay. Donations from attendees and others came to $2,400. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans gave $600 in matching gifts. We have a long standing custom of visiting the Dominican Sisters of Mt. Thabor during the Octave of Christmas. This year that happy event took place on December 29th The evening included Vespers and supper as well as enjoyable conversation. During the week Fr. Richard and Fr. Thomas were away in Sweden thanks are do to those maintained things here on the home front: David Blythe, our resident associate member, and Pastors John Cochran and Del Baier, who celebrated the Liturgies. Isaias Ramirez, the Mexican theological student living with us, traveled to Chicago the end of January to attend a conference on the liturgy for the Spanish speaking churches. After the conference he was a guest at several Mexican-American Churches in the Chicago and Milwaukee area. The visit was an opportunity for him to learn more about Church life in the US. Our organist Ed Holmberg has a harpsichord that he purchased from Fr. Arthur years ago. He would now like to sell it for the best offer and donate the proceeds toward the new chapel. He can be contacted by e-mail for more information: eholmberg@comcast.net Visit in Sweden The dedication of a new candle factory at the monastery in Sweden afforded Fr. Richard and Fr. Thomas an opportunity for a brief visit. Östanbäcks Kloster is a Benedictine monastery within the Church of Sweden. We have enjoyed a long and cherished relationship with the monastery, going back to Fr. Arthur’s initial contacts. Arriving at the monastery on January 28th they were greeted warmly by Fr. Caesarius and the brothers. Br. Boris and Br. Poul recalled their visits here several years ago and asked to be remembered to our friends.Later it would be a special joy to see Kominister Timothy Stayton (Br. Timothy) and Br. Johannes who came on Sunday for the Mass and dedication. Although the main purpose of the trip was to be at the monastery, there were several interesting excursions. Most notably, a visit to the Sisters of the Holy Spirit at Alsike and to the Cathedral of Uppsala and the tomb of St. Erick. Brief visits were also made to several local churches representing the characteristic style of Swedish parish churches, many dating back to the 11th century. On Sunday afternoon, the Eve of the Presentation of our Lord (Candlemas) there was a procession from the monastery to the new Candle Factory for the dedication. There were a large number of friends and neighbors who participated in the impressive liturgy, including the local Syrian Orthodox priest. The time passed quickly and soon it was time to return to the USA. On February 5th Fr. Richard and Fr. Thomas prayed the morning offices and attended Mass with the brothers in Sweden and departed for the airport. Modern air travel and the time change allowed them to be back here at St. Augustine’s in time to pray Compline the same day. Photos from Sweden
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