This our brother – 25 October 2013

John Knox was one of the great protestant reformers, along with Luther, Calvin, Zwingli – and in England, Thomas Cranmer and many others.  Those were fierce and robust years.  Right was right and wrong was wrong – and wrong, often as not, was requited with hideous penalties.  Yet, there were some issues they saw through the eyes of Christ, and in the middle of it all, John Knox wrote in the Book of Common Order for the Scottish Church, 1564, an order of worship for The Reception Again of a Forgiven Offender.  I will read it to you.

Reception back into the congregation of a forgiven offender

[From Knox’s Book of Common Order, 1564]

The Minister says to the congregation:

If we consider his fall and sin in him only, without having consideration of ourselves and of our own corruption, we shall profit nothing, for so shall we but despise our brother and flatter ourselves;   but if we shall earnestly consider what nature we bear, what corruption lurketh in it, how prone and ready every one of us is to such and greater impiety, then shall we in the sin of this our brother accuse and condemn our own sins, in his fall we shall consider and lament our sinful nature, also we shall join our repentance, tears and prayers with him and his, knowing that no flesh can be justified before God’s presence, if judgement proceed without mercy.

The Minister then turns to the penitent and says:

You have heard also the affection and care of the church towards you, their penitent brother, notwithstanding your grievous fall, to wit, that we all here present join our sins with your sin;  we all repute and esteem your fall to be our own;  we accuse ourselves no less than we accuse you;  now, finally, we join our prayers with yours, that we and you may obtain  mercy, and that by means of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Minister addresses the congregation again:

Now it only resteth that ye remit and forget all offences which ye have conceived heretofore by the sin and fall of this our brother;  accept and embrace him as a member of Christ’s body;  let no one take upon him to reproach or accuse him for any offences that before this hour he hath committed.

I really would not expect anyone outside the church to understand this.  But we do expect professed Christian believers within the church to understand and follow it.  It is our gospel.  To contemplative Christians it is simply instinctive truth.  It follows from all we encounter in Christ.  In his company our charism is understanding, mercy and love.