Ending

Our lectionary gives us a couple of especially interesting lessons for this morning, three counting the response to 1 Samuel 1, which fittingly is the Song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2. Timed and timely for our seasonal approach to Advent, both are reminiscent, and likely inspired Luke’s narrative about the origins of John the Baptist and the responsive Song of Zechariah. Which lead into his, Luke’s, Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Song, the Magnificat, which hopefully we shall sing Advent 4, sometimes called “Mary Sunday.” For a steeped in tradition Anglican Chant-o-phile, there is only one proper version and tune for the Magnificat, the one we sang at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in the 1930s, 40s, and early 50s, but the last church I served that knew it by heart and sang it well was Trinity, Apalachicola through the 1980s and 90s; and I daresay it has long since slipped from their tongues. There was a time when I knew and taught that Anglicanism was a sound, a sound in worship, the exquisite sound of Anglican Chant, and we have grievously lost it. 

Our other lesson suitable for Sunday School chat this morning is the wonderful “Little Apocalypse” that is Mark chapter 13. Catering as usual to our cultural Attention Deficit Disorder, the Gospel reading is a snippet, Mark 13:1-8, but Adult SS is our time to compensate for lectionary failures that include not giving us credit for the sense and patience to attend the whole piece. The BCP’s broad rubrics enable us to overcome the new lectionary’s shortcomings, but I’ve only known that to be used in one place. No matter, at eighty I’m a watcher. Which returns me to Mark 13 and Jesus’ watchword, γρηγορεῖτε.

The so-called Little Apocalypse at Mark 13 is picked up by Matthew at his chapter 24 (with some verses sorted into Matthew 10) and by Luke’s chapter 21. Checking Aland, there are a few verses or phrases identical across the board in the Greek, but otherwise there’re enough language differences to make me wonder if some of MT and LK may have come from Q traditions or even their own sources. At any event, at this writing hour, 2:57 A.M. I’m thinking there’s enough to interest the SS class without sinking too deep into the mud.

Thos+