Holy Conversation: Spirituality for Worship

PART 2: Meditations on the Mass

51 Part Two Meditations on the Mass The second part of this book is in large measure an application of the principles explored thus far to a particular liturgy: a Mass for the Day of Pentecost. In addition to being a common term for worship on the Lord’s Day, the word mass also carries artistic overtones—think of the many musical masterpieces that are masses. In my own holy conversations about Holy Conversation, I will explore the artistry of particular texts and narrative trajectories and the spirituality of the liturgical activities surrounding them as they interweave and blend together to create a lovely symphony of inspiration, many voices and sounds (phone in the Greek) coming together (syn) for renewed, broadened, and deepened understandings of liturgical worship. Mass also is a convincing designation for our considerations because it links liturgy to the mission of the church, mass deriving from the Latin missio and mittere, having to do with being sent off, dispatched in the power of the Spirit for the work God has called us to do. Reflecting on a specific mass gives a liturgical anchoring to the further explorations of spirituality for worship as I apply the movements of lectio div­ ina to a particular liturgy, illustrating by way of concrete examples how these movements serve as another overlay for the ordo, further deepening our understanding of liturgical worship and our participation in that worship. There is 52 holy conversation no liturgy in the abstract. Rather, liturgy is always contextualized in terms of specific days, seasons, places, cultures, circumstances, and ecclesial traditions. It is compellingly appropriate, given the thematic focus of this work on spirituality for worship, to offer reflections on a liturgy for the day of Pentecost to carry our holy conversation. A word about the day of Pentecost as a liturgical festival. Easter, the day of resurrection, was the celebratory focus for the most ancient Christians. The day of Pentecost was less a separate festival than a culmination of Eastertide. Indeed, Pentecost is intimately tied to resurrection, especially in John’s Gospel where it is the resurrected Jesus himself who imparts the gift of the Spirit. Furthermore , the Holy Spirit makes possible the proclamation of the resurrection in the book of Acts. In the Christian calendar, Pentecost is the fiftieth day of the Easter season—in the Greek, pentekoste literally means “fiftieth day.” Like Easter, Pentecost had been a day for baptisms, especially for those unable to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. The baptismal association with Pentecost is suggested by an older name for the day, namely, Whitsunday—White Sunday—an allusion to the white garments worn at baptism. By the fourth century, Pentecost and Ascension Day came to be separate liturgical festivals with their own elaborations. Recent years have seen renewed interest in the day of Pentecost as a significant festival in the liturgical year. Some congregations celebrate confirmation, or affirmation of baptism, on Pentecost. As the liturgical color for the day is red, popular devotion is expressed on the day of Pentecost sometimes by wearing red garments, adorning the church with red flowers and banners, and so on. In some settings, the liturgical celebration of the Vigil of Pentecost is observed. Perhaps this renewed focus on the day of Pentecost is in some measure connected with the current fascination with spirituality and the experience of the Holy Spirit. What follows is an order of service that uses the lessons and propers appointed for the day of Pentecost, Year A, in the three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary, along with hymns, musical selections, and other rites appropriate for the liturgical day, making the most of the connections among Easter, Pentecost, baptismal themes, and the mission of the church. The content of this order of service is consistent with current Lutheran practice as the texts are drawn primarily from a contemporary North American resource, Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Note, however, that the demarcation of the segments of the liturgy follows the trajectory of liturgical holy conversation inspired by the movements of lectio divina: 53 Meditations on the Mass Mass for the Day of Pentecost Praeparatio —Preparation Gathering Conversation Gathering Music: Veni Sancte Spiritus, Pentecost Sequence, Taizé Community Thanksgiving for Baptism Entrance Hymn: “God Is Here!” Greeting Kyrie Eleison—Lord, Have Mercy Hymn of Praise: Gloria in Excelsis Deo Prayer of the Day Lectio —Reading First Reading: Numbers 11:24-30 Psalm 104:24...