Reviewed Book: Neuman, Don A. Holy Week in the parish. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Pr, 1991. American essays in liturgy

Nevile, Donald C.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 23Issue 1 Essays in the History of Interpretation Article 225-1-1997Holy Week in the parishDonald C. NevileFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationNevile, Donald C. (1997) "Holy Week in the parish," Consensus: Vol. 23 : Iss. 1 , Article 22.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol23/iss1/22102 Consensuswhich is certainly provided in the various ordos. In the end, this is just asimportant as the prayers themselves.One other criticism: the format of commentary followed by prayers ina separate section is problematic. After a time, one tends to stop flippingback and forth, and simply reads the commentary and prayers separately.Donald C. NevileHighwood Lutheran ChurchCalgary, Alberta“Holy Week in the Parish,” American Essays inLiturgyDon A. NeumannEdited by Edward FoleyCollegeville, Minn.: The Liturgical Press, 199156 pp. $5.75This is another in a series of short monographs published by the Orderof St. Benedict in Collegeville, and designed to share the work of Amer-ican liturgical scholars on topics of interest to Roman Catholic parishes.Although narrowly focused on the Roman tradition, the series is also ofinterest to those of a liturgical bent outside the Roman communion.This essay is by Don Neumann, a parish priest from Pasadena, Texas.He reviews the ritual directions for Holy Week, and shares some of the his-tory of the rituals, as well as giving suggestions for their practical and pas-toral use. Although based on the Roman Holy Week celebrations, Luther-ans will And these similar to our own, and will discover here a worthyspiritual model for parish celebrations.The writer suggests that Holy Week be a time of retreat and spiritualdiscipline in which all members of the parish celebrate. “As we state in ourparish bulletin, ‘Except for death or serious illness, every parishioner shouldbe present for the liturgies of Holy Week’ ” (p. 11). For each of the liturgiesof Holy Week he provides four perspectives: Ritual Reflections, HistoricalConsiderations, Pastoral Possibilities, and Foundational Principles. Thustheology, history, and practise are fairly and adequately considered.Neumann begins with Palm Sunday: here he finds exultation and deso-lation, fulfilment and emptying at once. He then deals briefly with Monday,Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week.Lutherans will find the liturgy for Holy Thursday to be the most dif-ferent from our own rite. The author outlines the Roman rites for thisday: the consecration of chrism, the reconciliation of penitents, and footwashing; but there is no stripping of altar and chancel. He offers excel-lent suggestions regarding use of the rite for the reconciliation of ChristiansBook Reviews 103alienated from the church who have returned, a rite which could play agreater part in Lutheran formation than it presently does. We too readilyreceive inactive members back into the church, with little examination ofthe reasons for inactivity, or the reason for return.Aware that many parishes also include a Seder Meal as part of theirMaundy Thursday liturgy, he hesitantly endorses this as a preparation forthe Liturgy itself—but only as “part of our heritage” (p. 17) from theHebrew origins of Christianity.Since 1955, the Romans, along with most other Christians (but notLutherans!) have encouraged reception of Holy Communion on Good Fri-day. Neumann provides an interesting commentary on this. Principally,he says, the focus of the Good Friday liturgy is on the metaphor of wood.This is an exceptionally rich and fruitful symbol, combining both tragicand triumphant aspects of the day.Holy Saturday is a “day of repose” leading up to the Great Vigil. Neu-mann’s interpretation of the Vigil is expansive: it should begin after darkon Saturday, about 10:00 p.m., and continue until just before dawn on Sun-day about 4:00 a.m. It should be stational and unhurried: “on this night,sleep is not an issue” (p. 40). Furthermore, any attempts to domesticatethe Vigil by truncating its power will result poorly. “More than anythingelse, this night requires a parish’s willingness to risk that the power of rit-ual is beyond our understanding and control” (p. 44). Make it long, rich,and dramatic, he suggests, for “on this night, different from every othernight, we are invited to commune with God who never sleeps” (p. 46).Everything—oil, water, time, bread, and wine—should be used liberally.The focus of the Vigil is of course on Holy Baptism. He suggests thatthe parish avoid infant baptisms on this night. In his guidelines for thepreparation and conduct of baptisms, he reflects not so much the westernpattern of pre-baptismal catechesis and preparation, but moreso the east-ern pattern of post-baptismal mystagogy, thus preserving for baptism itsradical shock value for the initiate. “In earlier times the elect were not toldthe details of the baptismal liturgy. It was believed that if the rites of initi-ation were to maintain their power, the candidates should not know thembeforehand. Such discreet preparation contributed to the awesome andtransforming nature of these rites. The same is possible today. . .Rehearsalsshould never occur for the elect before the Vigil, since these rob the liturgyof its pneumatic power. . .Candidates for baptism should never practise”(pp. 37-38).What a different pattern from our tiresome admonitions and instructionbefore baptism! Perhaps there is something here we have missed! As theELCIC embarks on a program of adult catechumenate, this is somethingto consider.The monograph ends with the Vigil, the Easter Sunday liturgies prop-erly belonging to the Easter season, and not to Holy Week.The book will be a valuable addition on the liturgy shelf of those pastorsand laypersons who are concerned about the lack of life and participation104 Consensusin the Holy Week liturgies. It provides a window on another tradition muchlike our own, and gives background, theology, and pastoral suggestions forenriching the parish celebration of these events.Donald NevileHighwood Lutheran ChurchCalgary, AlbertaPraying the CatechismDonald W. JohnsonWinnipeg: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, 1995211 pp.The occasion for the preparation of this book is the development of anAdult Catechumenate in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. The“reintroduction” of this ancient rite acknowledges that “Christendom” hasended and that Christians are once more a minority—in influence if notin number. The process of the Adult Catechumenate is intended both forthose who have not been baptized and for those who have and are now,as adults, awakening to the call of Christ. This book is intended to begiven to such persons at the time in the process when they are acceptedin the congregation as “Candidates for Baptism”; the most advantageoustime for this is the beginning of Lent. It provides them with a discipline“to put off the old” and “to put on Christ”, which climaxes in Baptism orthe Affirmation of Baptism during the Easter Vigil.The book provides 90 occasions of meditation, reflection, and prayer:40 days before and 50 days after Baptism. Thus if Baptism occurs at theEaster Vigil, the 90 days cover the seasons of Lent and Easter. Basedessentially on Luther’s Small Catechism^ Johnson’s intent is to pray theCatechism rather than memorize it or discuss it—though these are not ruledout. Accordingly, we made it our daily devotion during Lent and Easter.To emphasize prayer and meditation, and to extend the discipline over 90days, Johnson augments the Catechism by drawing texts from Scriptureand appropriate liturgies (from the Lutheran Book of Worship) especiallyin the sacramental sections. After the section on Baptism he includes asection on “Gifts”.The book is a breakthrough, not only in its use of the Small Catechismas the basis for meditation and prayer, but also in its incorporation of theCatechism, the liturgy, the flow of the Church Year, and the fellowshipof the congregation into the process of “making disciples”. Each devotionbegins with a text from the Small Catechism (or Scripture of liturgy),enjoins a time of reflection, offers several paragraphs of pointed commentarywhich push the pray-er to probe her/his own life in society and church, and

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