The Consecration of Space and Time

The Consecration of Space and Time

This essay will help us to more adequately understand how space and time are consecrated for the worship of God, and specifically, how this relates to the Holy Eucharist. The word "consecrate" means to set apart for a religious purpose, and the consecration of space and time means to set aside times and places for the worship of God. When Christians worship, Christ comes among them as promised in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

To help in our study of the consecration of space and time, we will read Deuteronomy 16:1-16. Before we read, however, let us pray.

O holy, living God, creator of heaven and earth, we give you great thanks that you have chosen to reveal yourself in your son Jesus, and that in him, you have chosen places and times where we can come before you. Pour out upon us, we pray, your Holy Spirit that as we come into your presence, we may come to truly know and love you. All this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Scholars differ on exactly when Deuteronomy was written, but for our purposes, it is presented in Scripture as the words of Moses given to the people of Israel not long before they entered into the Promised Land. The words of Moses, however, were also the words of God as Moses' sermon was introduced with these words, "In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them" (1:3). Deuteronomy is undoubtedly human words, but as stated in 1:3, it is also God's words given to Moses for the people, and we will read them as words spoken to us as well.

The book of Deuteronomy was written in the form of a covenant, beginning with a preface, Deuteronomy 1:1-5, followed by the history of God's mighty saving acts delivering them from Egypt and leading them through the desert, Deuteronomy 1:6-4:49. Then the laws of the covenant are given, Deuteronomy 5:1-26:19, followed by blessings and curses, Deuteronomy 27:1-28-68. Moses tells the people that if they keep covenant with God, they will be blessed, and if they disobey the laws of the covenant, they will be cursed. The commandments of Deuteronomy 16:1-7 are among the laws given by Moses, telling the people how they are to worship God once they have entered the Promised Land. As you read this passage, notice the following.

1. The passage describes three feasts that were to be celebrated at specific times. These feasts were the Passover and Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. The first feast, Passover and Unleavened Bread, commemorated the deliverance from Egypt. It was celebrated in the month of Abib (March or April), which for the Hebrews was the first month of the year. This feast is the foundation of the other feasts, for the deliverance from Egypt leading to the gift of the land led to the blessings celebrated in the other feasts. The second feast, seven weeks later, celebrated the blessings of the spring harvest. All persons, including the fatherless, the widows, and the aliens, were to be included in this feast, because the Hebrews were once slaves in Egypt. In other words, those without wealth and power were to be included because God's people had once been poor and powerless. Finally, in the fall of the year, September-October, the Hebrews celebrated the Feast of Booths. In this feast the people were to make booths in the fields and live in them. This feast celebrated the fall harvest, as well as the fact that Israel lived in booths as the Lord led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness (Leviticus 23:42-43). As can be seen, the feasts celebrated the deliverance from Egypt, the wandering in the desert, and the gift of the land and its blessings. That is, the feasts celebrated God's mighty saving acts for his people.

2. Secondly, the feasts were to take place at specific places. The Passover was to celebrated "at the place that the LORD will choose, to make his name dwell there" (16:2). Or again, "You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, but at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell in it, ..." (16:5-6). With respect to the Feast of Weeks, the people of Israel are to rejoice before the Lord their God "at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there" (6:11). In regard to the Feast of Booths, they are to rejoice in the feast "at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful" (16:15).

3. In our study, Trinity and Incarnation, we learned that God the Father sent his Son or Word, and that this Word was the active presence of God on earth sent from the transcendent Father in heaven. In the biblical understanding, including Deuteronomy, the word "name" is similar to the word "Word." God, for the Hebrews, ruled from above, and yet, at the same time, he could become present -- speaking, acting, judging and blessing. When that happened, when the transcendent God became present and active at a particular place and time, he made his name to dwell there. And once there, he did things that only God could do. In other places and times, places where he did not make his name to dwell, he ordered and governed events from afar, but he was not personally present as he was in places and times he set aside to make his name to dwell.

When God makes his name to dwell in a place, those who hear and see him can respond to him and enter into a personal relationship with him as described in Trinity and Incarnation. In regard to Deuteronomy 16:1-16, these personal encounters with God led to rejoicing, not simply because they were blessed with rich harvests as they kept covenant with God, but above all, because God was there, making himself known to them. For that reason, the passage ends with the statement, "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed" (16:16). ). To "appear before the Lord" means that God himself will become present at a particular place so that the people will appear before him. And if God is present, then he is experienced as speaking, acting, and appearing in that place. That place is the place where God has made his name to dwell.

4. The statements that say that the Lord will "make his name to dwell" have a further important meaning. At the feasts, and in religious meetings in general, the name of the Lord was proclaimed. When and how is not recorded in Deuteronomy 16:1-6, but the proclamation of the name of God was an important moment in worship. For example, the covenant renewal ceremony of Exodus 20-24 begins with the words, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Exodus 20:2). In this passage the word "LORD" is the translation of the Hebrew name for God, that is, "Yahweh," the same name that is translated "LORD" in the passages we just read from Deuteronomy. Exodus 20:1 begins with God speaking, and when this passage was used in covenant renewal ceremonies, the priest would speak the introductory words, just as Moses spoke God's words in Deuteronomy. For example, in the covenant renewal ceremony of Joshua 24, Joshua begins by speaking the words of God, beginning with this statement, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, ...'" (24:1). Again, the word "LORD" is "Yahweh," and the "I" in this passage is Yahweh speaking, although it is Joshua who utters the words of Yahweh. Or in Numbers 6, the Lord spoke to Moses with these words for Aaron and his sons, "Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 'The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.' So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them." (Numbers 6:23-27). The priests were commissioned by Yahweh to bless the people. They proclaimed the name Yahweh three times, and as they did so, God put his name upon the people and blessed them. The word "name" in this passage means God's active presence, God speaking and acting upon earth to bless the people as the priests spoke his words.

Many of the Psalms were used in worship, and there we can see the name of God proclaimed as well. For example, Psalm 8 begins with the words, "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" This was a call to praise God in worship, and as the name was uttered, the majesty of God became known. Or again, Psalm 29 is a call, addressed to the heavenly hosts and the gathered community, to ascribe glory and strength to Yahweh. "Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness." Here the Lord appears as his name is proclaimed, appearing in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 95 begins with the words, "Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods." Here the worshippers come into the presence of Yahweh as his name is proclaimed, and in the moment of his glory, they know that he is a "great God, and a great King above all gods."

These and many other biblical passages signify that in worship, at the place where God chooses to make his Name to dwell, it was understood that his name would be proclaimed by the priest, or Joshua, by the congregation, or whomever the Lord chose to conduct worship at that time and place. As the name was proclaimed, God became present, acting and speaking to bless, judge, forgive, command, deliver, and heal, and as this happened, he entered into a personal relationship with those who received him. Since the proclamation of the name of God called forth God's active presence, a presence that was promised by God himself, the name could not be proclaimed carelessly or with indifference, but only for the purpose for which it was intended, that is, to call upon God that he might visit and bless his people. For this reason, after God had given the first of the Ten Commandments, that is, to worship only God and no other gods, the second commandment followed, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain" (Deuteronomy 5:11). This not only holds true in worship, but in all of life.

For this reason you will see that the Liturgy for Eucharist given on this web site begins with the words, "Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" are the three-fold name of God. As stated by the risen Jesus in Matthew 28:19, the name (singular) of God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we saw in the essay "Trinity and Incarnation," this name implies that God enters into a personal relationship with believers as he speaks his words and appears before them. This is the purpose of the Eucharistic Liturgy, to set forth a way of worshipping that brings the worshipper into the presence of the living God. This liturgy begins with the name, with the expectation that God will honor his name and make himself known to those who worship him.

Where should Christians worship? According to the New Testament, Christians can worship anywhere, wherever two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus (Matthew 18:20). It is good, however, before choosing a place to worship to ask God to show us where we should worship, placing the matter in his hands as we should do with all the decisions of life.

When should Christians worship? Traditionally, Christians have worshipped God on the first day of the week since that was the day of the resurrection (Acts 20:7). We can, however, investigate this a bit further by starting with some considerations from the Old Testament.

As is well known, the Hebrews worshipped God on the Sabbath in obedience to the Fourth Commandment. At the same time, however, and this can be seen in our passage from Deuteronomy, the Lord commanded special days of celebration throughout the year, in this case, Passover, Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. These celebrations had their origins in the great saving acts of God narrated in the Old Testament, namely, the escape from Egypt, the wandering in the desert, and the conquest of the Promised Land with its resultant blessings. The great yearly feasts celebrated these great saving events. For Christians, the great saving events are the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus. Jesus was crucified and resurrected at Passover, and then, seven weeks later, the disciples were empowered by the gift of the Spirit at the feast of Weeks which was also called Pentecost. Since the earliest Christians were Jewish and accustomed to celebrating Passover and the Feast of Weeks, it is most likely that the earliest believers celebrated each year a Christian form of the Passover (later known as Holy Week culminating in Easter day), as well as the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost.(1) Certainly, very early in the history of the Church, it is well known that these feasts were celebrated yearly, and with the passage of time, other yearly feasts commemorating God's great acts of salvation were added as well.

As this happened in the first few centuries of the Christian era, the church developed a calendar of feasts and times of penitence which took this order: 1. Holy Week culminating in Easter Sunday, the day of the resurrection. This occurs in spring at about the same time as the Jewish Passover. 2. Pentecost, fifty days after Easter, celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 3. Advent which occurs some four Sundays before Christmas. 4. Christmas, celebrating the birth of Christ which occurs on December 25. 5. Epiphany, celebrating the proclamation of the gospel to the Gentiles. 6. Lent, a time of penitence preparing for Holy Week and Easter Sunday, the day of the resurrection where God conquered sin, death, and the devil. At each of these seasons, readings from Scripture were selected as appropriate to the season. These readings were selected in advance and recorded in a list known as a lectionary. The lectionary was so ordered that all the vital, saving events of Scripture were set forth. It was expected that the sermon would be taken from these lectionary readings. In this way, sermons, over the course of time, would address the major themes of Scripture, rather than allowing the pastor to constantly preach on favorite themes.

These seasons of the Church are not commanded in the New Testament, and therefore, keeping these seasons is not necessary for salvation. It is necessary, however, to worship God, and the worship of God should reflect the whole of God's saving acts as revealed in Jesus Christ as known in Scripture. A calendar of these saving events assures believers that they have celebrated the primary saving events. Without this order, there is the temptation to focus on particular aspects of the revelation in Christ and overlook other important aspects of the biblical revelation. Further, as seen in our reading from Deuteronomy, God calls believers to set aside times to celebrate his saving acts, and a calendar enables this to happen. It is good to remember that Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17. That is, Jesus did not abolish the pattern of the Old Testament revelation of special feasts throughout the year, but rather, fulfilled that pattern with new saving acts of God. For this reason, Anglican worship reflects the ancient custom of the church, setting aside special times each year to honor God.

Finally, as God makes his name to dwell in certain places and times, he not only consecrates space and time, he consecrates the things that are needed to meet him. For example, if one reads Exodus 35-40, one discovers that such things as the tent of meeting, the vessels and furnishings used in the tent of meeting, and the clothing the priests would wear were especially and beautifully made to honor God's presence. When all was ready and properly consecrated, God entered into his sanctuary. "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 30:34). Similarly, the church sets aside buildings, vestments, furnishings and vessels used in the worship of the Lord. These need to be made to reflect the glory of God, that is, they need to be beautiful and thereby fill the soul with delight as the glory of God appears in the sanctuary. As it says in Psalm 50:2, "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth."

More could be said on this vital subject, but for now, let us summarize the teaching of this essay. As we worship God we are to call upon his name, expecting the triune God to appear and speak to us. Further, this worship of God is celebrated weekly, and among Anglicans, reflecting a biblical understanding, there are yearly feasts and times of penitence. In this way, believers come to know God as revealed in the whole of Jesus' saving work as set forth in Scripture. There are also special buildings, furnishing, and vessels, used in worship and beautifully made to reflect the glory of God. Let us end with prayer.

Living God, thank you that you have set forth your salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord, and thank you that you make your name to dwell among us as we worship you. Help us, we pray, to remain faithful to your promise to come among us, that we might know you in all your wondrous glory. All this we ask in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Our next essay will be on Jesus' words at the last supper, In Remembrance of Me.

Endnote

1. For more on this, see Dom Gregory Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy, (Glasgow: The University Press, 1945), p. 337.

The Rev. Robert J. Sanders, Ph.D.