Two of my favourite prayers were prayed in yesterday morning's 8.30 am Holy Communion service at St. John's, Highfield, where I presided and preached. I would like to share them with you as oases of spiritual calm in a week of terrifying developments which our children and grandchildren may look back on as turning points in a world of (relative) peace heading towards World War III (Chinese navy firing exercises in the Tasman Sea; the White House vicious Trump-Vance ambush of Zelensky).
The Prayer of Humble Access [pp. 425-26]
We do not presume
to come to your holy table,
merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in your great mercy.
We are not worthy
even to gather the crumbs from under your table.
But you are the same Lord
whose nature is always to have mercy.
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the body of your dear Son, Jesus Christ,
and to drink his blood,
that we may evermore dwell in him
and he in us.
Amen.
The Gate of Glory [pp.428-29]
Father of all,
we give you thanks and praise,
that when we were still far off
you met us in your Son and brought us home.
Dying and living,
he declared your love,
gave us grace
and opened the gate of glory.
May we who share Christ’s body
live his risen life;
we who drink his cup
bring life to others;
we whom the Spirit lights
give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
so we and all your children shall be free,
and the whole earth live to praise your name.
POSTSCRIPT
In comments to last week's post, questions were raised about "stories behind" and "authorship" of specific prayers in A New Zealand Prayer Book [NZPB].
OTOH: some stories are known, circulated and authors identified. So Bosco Peters' contributed these notes:
"There's quite a bit of history & several stories about NZPB in my thesis - free online: liturgy.co.nz/you-can-read-my-thesis and there's also quite a few stories buried on my site (18 years worth!) - with an excellent search box."
"... One other point: the litany mentioned in the comments, "Let us be at peace within ourselves..." is The Rev. Jim Cotter's adaptation of the Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Litany for peace: https://liturgy.co.nz/interbeing"
and Liz notes:
""Lord, it is night", I found the story of that (quite by chance) after a quick search to remind myself of the words - up came a link to Bosco's site so I went there - and also got the back story! Funny how things happen: https://liturgy.co.nz/lord-it-is-night"
The last is a brilliant story about the late Canon John WIlliamson, a priest of our Diocese of Christchurch.
To the links above we could add Brian Carrell's [my father's] memoir of his work on the then NZ Prayer Book Commission, Creating A New Zealand Prayer Book, which is available for sale as a hard copy from Theology House, or as a Kindle copy via Amazon.
OTOH: we could note that with the exception of some specific acknowledgments of external contributors to NZPB, the Commission sought to anonymise its internal contributors so that the book as a whole would be seen, received and used as a resource of the whole church, agreed to by the whole church, via General Synod, with no favoured prayers because individual authors were identified.
Thank you for sharing two favourite prayers, +Peter. I followed the link for the first, forgot you'd shared page numbers, scrolled down to find the prayer.. found this part-of-a-prayer (pg 416) which also speaks to me in this moment:
ReplyDeleteWe remember with gratitude your many gifts to us in creation and the rich heritage of these islands. Help us and people everywhere to share with justice and peace the resources of the earth. Give wisdom to those in authority among us and to all leaders of the nations.
Peter, did you watch the entire 50 minutes of the Oval Office meeting or just the last five minutes shown on TV? I suggest you watch it all to get the actual context. Do you really think Russia is a threat to the United States, as Zelensky claims?
ReplyDeleteAs for Chinese ships in the Tasman (and Chinese politicians in the Cook Islands), do you think the past decade and more of New Zealand appeasing (or grovelling up to) China was a clever idea? The taniwha and the dragon nonsense? Was leaving ANZUS a good idea?
As for Ukraine, there are three scenarios I can imagine:
1. Ukraine strikes a deal with Russia for a ceasefire, giving up Crimea, the Donbas and Luhansk (Ukraine's borders have constantly shifted over the centuries: western Ukraine was Polish until 1939, and part of Austria-Hungary until 1919: Lviv was formerly Lvov, and before that Lemberg. Knowing something of the history of Galicia, Crimea and the Donbas, and what Nuland and Obama pulled off in the Maidan revolution in 2014 and the subsequent war in the Donbas, is helpful if disturbing in getting at the truth. If we don't want to find out, our opinions are worse than worthless.)
2. Ukraine continues in war forever with Russia (with a New Zealand battalion or two supporting La Nouvelle Grande Armée), or until there are no more able-bodied Ukrainians.
3. WW3 is triggered by a tactical nuclear strike by the Russians.
Which of these is your preferred option?
Pax et bonum
William Greenhalgh
Dear William
ReplyDeleteI am a realist:
1. Russia will not pull back from territory gained and is unlikely to be defeated re that territory.
2. Russia will not cease to gain control of all Ukraine under Putin [and it will not give back the bits of Ukraine once under Polish control - my father in law, a Pole, was born in Lwow].
3. Zelensky was completely correct to question whether Russia would honour a diplomatic resolution (unless there is a Western-backed security force to thwart future tearing up on a ceasfire agreement).
4. Vance and Trump were out of line and are responsibile for their appalling behaviour in the last section of that meeting. I am not going to dinner if they are the hosts: they have no manners. And Vance is a Catholic Christian ... did he go to all his RCIA classes?
5. I don't think a relationship with China is straighforward, unless one goes along with their desire for supremacy, so we are where we are, irrespective of where we once were.
6. NZ should stick close to Australia. They might help us at a pinch. The States won't - that is very clear from the other day's debacle.
I am a realist.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment!
Sorry: 2 above should read, Russia will not cease to attempt to gain control ...
DeleteIt is time to put EU boots on the ground en masse in Ukraine and finish it. There is a British SAS squadron already there providing over watch and gathering intel, could there be a plan forming?
DeleteAs Churchill once said it’s jaw jaw jaw or war war war - diplomacy will not work with Putin, he no longer has ears. Russia is in existential crisis, population wise, and they need to expand at all costs or die.
Regards Thomas
Peter, thank you for replying: it seems you are resigned to eternal war in Ukraine or to the outbreak of World War III over Ukraine, to judge from your answers to my questions. Not a very cheerful conclusion, but at least you know from the shifting borders of Poland and Galicia that "Ukraine" has been a very moveable concept in history - and not surprising since the word means "borderlands". Personally I think the Ukrainians will come to their senses and not seek to dominate the Russian lands of Crimea and the Donbas, and the Russians will be inclined to accept a buffer zone in a neutral Ukraine. Perhaps you think that is naive. Perhaps it is. But it is also the case that Obama and the EU played a role in provoking this conflict through thd Maidan revolution encouraging the idea of EU and NATO membership for Ukraine. The neocons in America have long wanted to neutralise Russia. Peter Hitchens has long understood this uncomfortable truth,
ReplyDeletePeter, you seem to have no idea what to do about China. I don't imagine even plucky Anzacs wil be enough. It is time for New Zealand to renounce its anti-nuclear fundamentalism and rejoin ANZUS.
Thomas: quite so. I hope you have already applied to join the International Brigade, as the nations of Europe will certainly not join such a mad idea.
Pax et bonum
William Greenhalgh
I do not see, William, how your outocme for Ukraine is different to mine: peace with security (via a buffer zone).
ReplyDeleteI also do not see where a solution to the China problem comes from: the US is now an unreliable ally; but if it is to become a reliable ally, then our current approach leans that way. But can the US contain China in the Pacific region? Will it prevent a takeover of Taiwan? I am not at all clear on the answers to these questions. Perhaps you are!
Peter: then you seem to be agreeing with me that a partition of Ukraine and neutrality of Ukraine (that is what buffer zone means) is the alternative to war. That means no Nato membership, no EU membership. Russia will not "return " Crimea or the Donbas. What do we learn from this? That for 300 years (Sweden in the early 18th century, Napoleon in 1812, Britain and France in the crazy Crimean War in 1853, Germany in 1914, Poland in 1920 , Germany in 1941, Obama and Victoria Nuland in 2014) , Europe and the expansionist United States have failed to understand Russia and tried to diminish it.
ReplyDeleteNow you have to ask yourself, who wants to keep this war going? Who profits from it? And who wants to stop it? Yes, it sticks in the craw to admit that Donald Trump is the one calling for peace.
If New Zealand considers the United States an "unreliable ally", perhaps it should take a look in the mirror? Green fanaticism and communist hatred of America led to the end of ANZUS. You can't be an ally of the US unless USN ships can enter NZ ports.
I don't know how Taiwan will pan out. But I do know that the "west" needs to be much, much tougher with China and Chinese "students", and the bogus front that is the Confucius Institute. Anne Brady was correct.
Pax et bonum
William Greenhalgh
I have a different understanding of buffer zone, William, and it is an outrage that we would agree to a Russian demand that the Ukraine it has not conquered should not have the democratic right to enter into alliances and associations it seeks. But, hey, Trump doesn't believe in democracy, so what should we expect? However I hadn't quite realised your own willingness to let go of democracy ...
ReplyDeletePeter, what is your understanding of "buffer zone" then? If Ukraine joined Nato and the EU, how could it be a "buffer zone"? Your explanation would be helpful here. Of course Ukraine could seek any alliance it likes. But an alliance means a commitment to war if attacked. Do you want a shooting war between Russia and the US? You seem to want the war to continue. The Pope has been a realist on this.
ReplyDeleteAs for NZ and ANZUS, you seem to want American cover against China without allowing USN ships into NZ ports. This makes no sense to me, but neither does anti-nuclear fundamentalism. Green politics has been disastrous for New Zealand but that is a consequence of the MMP system.
Pax et bonum
William Greenhalgh
Thank you Peter for sharing two of your favourite NZ Prayerbook prayers. Both are very powerful. Although the language of "The Prayer of Humble Access" makes me squirm at times, unless I'm having a bad day with the kids, it's intent is wise and true - as well as grossly lacking in the current from the current US administration, not least in the treatment of their guest, Mr Zelensky, the other day. We only access the kingdom through deep humility and surrender of ego.
ReplyDeletePrayers that make us squirm at times aren't always a bad thing!
"The Gate of Glory" is special to me, too. It was the prayer we always prayed at St Luke's after the settled, unified silence following communion. It takes very special words to follow that sort of silence - to continue it, as it were, to gather it up, not to clash against it with unnecessary or misattuned words. It was also how I learned to authentically (and not just intellectually) pray to God as both father and mother, as in the St Luke's version we always began the prayer with with (following Julian of Norwich...and Jim Cotter) "Father and Mother of us All".
Dear William,
ReplyDeleteYou believe that natural law is better expressed in "strong men making deals" than an international, rule-based system?
Dear William
ReplyDelete1. I ask Mark's question also: where is your much vaunted natural law when you appear to side with might is right?
2. By "buffer zone" I mean a (say) 10km zone between Ukraine and Russia, secured by non-Ukrainian, non-Russian (and non North Korean troops) - could be a UN Peacekeeping force - which saves each side from fear of land attack.
3. Of course there is a point where alliance with the US or with Australia for that matter, in the future, requires a re-think about nuclear ships etc. But my point here is that I wouldn't be relying on US cover because they are now unreliable allies - more likely to side with the dictators than the democrats. Why would we trust them to "cover" us?
Mark, you do not seem to understand what natural law means (classically, 'the participation of the rational creature in the Eternal Law'). For human beings, this means acting from reason, justice and love. It is not about robbery and coercion, even when this masquerades as "law".
DeletePeter, "my" much vaunted natural law (actually it is Aquinas's articulation) certainly does not mean "might is right" and I have never sided with that amoral cynicism, quite the reverse. But at the heart of Natural Law are the four natural virtues (justice, temperance, prudence and courage). Prudence counsels us to exercise practical wisdom about the world, and courage instructs us to overcome our fears. Prudence also directs us to seek practical outcomes, even if they are imperfect as the world is imperfect (the same reason that led Aquinas to accept prostitution in this sublunary world).
A DMZ isn't actually a "buffer zone" but I agree that a DMZ would be needed across Ukraine. My point was that Ukraine itself should not be a base for NATO forces and weapons, as the neocons and EU have tried to make it. But first you must have a ceasefire.
New Zealand has actually been the unreliable ally, wanting American protection without meeting the obligations of an ally. So who would you be relying on now, with Chinese courting the Cook Islands? Or have they the right to do just as they please, without colonialismt interference from NZ? The world isn't that simple when we move beyond slogans.
Pax et bonum
William Greenhalgh
Hi Mark
ReplyDeleteI am aware that the Prayer of Humble Access is uncomfortable in various ways, especially inasmuch as it appears to involve a self-negation at odds with modern and post-modern thinking about affirming oneself etc. Nevertheless, there is a depth in the prayer in respect of God's mercy which I want to hold onto.
Absolutely.
DeleteOne of the sanest voices I've heard on this topic - Helen Clark being interviewed by Guyon Espiner on current global politics:
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/M200pm3Paq0?si=ONOjG2ubndBUCXbB
Not least, pointing out the tragedy for international aid and development as countries spend more money on military hardware. Poverty, of course, making nations more likely to go to war.
Thanks for the Espiner/Clark link, Mark. It's great to hear Helen Clark speaking from her wealth of experience! I really enjoyed the interview.
DeleteDictators ruling out of selfish ambition won't rule with justice.. this is key. Let us look for inspiration to those who've gone before and struggled through heartache and hardship making every effort to secure freedom and dignity for their community.
ReplyDeleteThis morning I've watched an excellent video by Dr Jemar Tisby and in his accompanying writing he says, "We may not be able to control the river of ridiculousness flowing from the White House and beyond, but we absolutely can become the type of people who love our neighbors well and take our civic responsibilities seriously."
He encourages his readers to cultivate *virtue* emphasizing faith, courage, imagination and resilience. In the video he shares stories of courageous Americans from the past who strove for racial justice, some familiar and others new to me:
THE SPIRIT OF JUSTICE from Myrlie Evers-Williams
FAITH from Sr. Thea Bowman
COURAGE from Fannie Lou Hamer
IMAGINATION from Charles Hamilton Houston
RESILIENCE from Charles Morgan, Jr.
It packs a lot into the 15min viewing. Excellent presentation.
https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/democracy-needs-virtuous-people
Mark a lot of the happenings seem to parallel our commenting on the previous thread, the professor your referenced referring to respect and status in the US as having been increasingly indexed to wealth and position, and and Dallas Willard who wrote about the increasing lack of teaching regarding moral knowledge (aka virtue) meaning people’s discernment of what is ‘good’ is less indexed to character and more to the whims of the moment. In ‘the interview’ the political and media focus on Zelensky not wearing a suit, not being thankful enough (albeit I do believe I heard him be thankful quite a few times) to the ‘benefactors’ and pretty much from my interpretation expected to have no right to have a perspective due to his countries dire straits affirmed these two thing from me… Acknowledging of course that not all American’s support or view things in such a manner.
ReplyDeleteOn a more positive note and your post Liz on cultivating virtue and +Peter on re-orientating ourselves, humbling ourselves as people under God’s mercy - it is humbling to see Ukrainians who despite what they are dealing with at home are not willing to capitulate to an unreal narrative of what happened and is happening. A little like the first lent reading from Theology house, somehow they see that the temptation to do that for the sake of continued aid from the US would have greater consequences down the track. As it is heartening to see the leaders of Europe speaking up.
ReplyDeleteAt this moment - argh yet not unexpected re Trump pausing Ukrainian Aid.
Hi William,
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, your distance from might is right does not appear to involve one entreaty to Russia to change its ways: your approach to Ukraine is for Ukraine, Europe to do all the giving way to ensure Russia’s “peace” on Russian terms.
Further, natural law surely requires the honouring of reasonable agreements, and one such agreement was protection for Ukraine in return for its action in accepting the removal of all nuclear weapons from its territory.
NZ has been and is a very reliable ally of the US: we remain part of Five Eyes; we have joined and/or supported US military actions (e.g. Iraq, Afghanistan); we work closely with Australia and have sought ways, within our own politics, including concern for how we do not annoy China since it is a very significant trading partner, to support the AUKUS approach to Pacific security.
On the Cook Islands: clearly the NZ govt (successive govts) and Australia have missed the boat on better financial support for our poorer neighbours. What we do now is unclear; but relying on the US would be a “hope” and I see JD Vance in this morning’s news says that “hope is not a strategy” … all in the context of dissing European troops [then trying to walk that statement back re Britain and France]. I have no doubt that on this matter you do not support Vance!
Thanks for the link, Liz - a varied and interesting selection that speaks to Jean's point about reinvigorating Christian ethical teachings.
ReplyDeleteWilliam, thank you for mentioning the centrality of reason, justice, and love (in regard to natural law) - how woefully these are missing from Trump and Vance's politics currently.
Mark, I am glad to contribute to a better understanding of what Natural Law actually is. I encourage everyone to read Budzsizweski on Aquinas. He has been my principal teacher. Unfortunately, the lack of classical philosophical knowledge among Anglican clergy is disturbingly high and is reflected in the kind of emotive preaching I heard the other day in Queenstown. As for the current political crises, it is good to be tentative in our judgments until we see a bigger picture. Did you listen to the entire 50 minutes as I asked Peter to do or just the last five minutes shown on TV? It's all on YouTube. When I worked in a university, a Christian colleague in the English used to complain that students no longer read whole books and only knew disconnected factoids. I made the same woeful complaint.
ReplyDeleteA salutary historical point to recall: Britain and NZ entered WW2 to liberate Poland from Nazi Germany. Then the USSR invaded Poland and murdered 40,000 Polish officers. America only entered the war when it was attacked. In 1945 the war ended but Poland was not liberated. Britain and America did not then attack the USSR to liberate Poland. Do you think we should have? I don't know anyone who does. The natural virtue of Prudence is about doing the best you can in a very imperfect world. I knew Poles who hated Churchill for what they saw as betrayal. Was Churchill a hero or a traitor?
Pax et bonum
William Greenhalgh
Hi William
ReplyDeleteYou subscribe to natural law but we are not seeing one bit of criticism of Putin on the basis of natural law: he gets a free pass; he doesn't have to change anything in your comments here; even though he claims to be a Russian Orthodox Christian.
So, having given up on any appeal to Putin's better instincts, your line is then that we need to reckon with the reality of his lack of repentance - and that is a reality I do not think I (or Mark) are avoiding - indeed Zelensky today does not seem to be avoiding it either - but there is much to play for in negotiation, not least to see whether Putin is human enough to offer any compromise. If he did, he could show a Christian advance on Stalin who made no pretence of being a Christian. Clearly Churchill and Roosevelt had to reckon with the reality of Stalin's belligerance and Poland was lost to the free world until 1989+. There is a chance that most of Ukraine need not be lost to the free world and it would be good - I humbly suggest - to see a bit more of the case from natural law for Ukraine being supported in that cause ...
I try to think of the "positive" things that the Trump phenomena is showing up...because I don't think the answer is just for Liberalism/the Democrats/ Whatever to get strong and defeat MAGA and get history swinging back in a progressive direction.
ReplyDeleteThere must be some rebalancing here, however evil the extremes of it are...
We're being forced to look at, perhaps,
- the emptiness, the injustice, the malaise of globalization
- the actual reality that vast amounts of power and resources continue to become concentrated in a small minority - that uncontrolled and fairly unlimited power is now held by tech titan oligarchs (and not really Trump)
- masculinity in western developed countries is in horrific crisis and is trying to find its way out of this in very regressive, retrograde, aggressive ways
- that the US can't be thought of or relied on as a stable benign global force (if that ever was true)
- that comedy is an essential defence against madness
No disagreement at all from me, Peter. Putin was a KGB agent and I have no doubt there is blood on his hands from those days and later. I doubt he has a penitent heart, but we should pray he gets one. Orthodoxy itself is tragically divided because religion and nationalism are so often entwined in that tradition; indeed, what religious tradition other than extreme sectarian ones manages to escape that dilemma? Of course there must be compromise and distance that reduces fear. My point is a simple one: the last time the Soviets had nuclear missiles stationed seconds away from America was Cuba in 1962, and that brought the world to the brink of an early Armageddon. Do we really want to see the mirror image of that in 2025?
ReplyDeleteAnd there is the bigger question of the identity of Ukraine in its tragic history. Neither side has been telling the truth in this, and Ukraine has been a football in the tussle between east and west.
Pax et bonum
William Greenhalgh