LITURGICAL THEOLOGY IN A PASTORAL CONTEXT

Liturgical theology in a pastoral context

Liturgical Theology in a Pastoral Context

Introduction

In the Christian Church, the term Tabernacle refers to the receptacle for vessels containing the reserved elements of Communion. According to The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church,the term came to be applied to an ornamental box set in the middle of the altar. This use of the Tabernacle this way in Roman Catholic worship appears to have become common during the 16th Century.

The Roman Catholic Church currently decrees that the Tabernacle may stand on the High Altar, but an alter on a side chapel is preferred. Various versions of the English Book of Common Prayer, from the 16th Century onward, have alternately included or omitted reference to reserved elements. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion prohibited the keeping of the elements for later use. The American Book of Common Prayer, however, allows reservation of the elements for ministering to the sick, in the liturgy of Good Friday, and at other times during Communion when additional elements are needed for distribution. The receptacle that holds the reserved Sacrament in the Episcopal Church is generally called the Ambry (pronounced Ahm-bree). It is commonly located on the wall, or in a niche, behind the altar. In some Anglo- Catholic parishes it is located on the altar itself, and may also be called the Tabernacle. So the placement of the box for holding the reserved elements, and the name of the box itself, varies somewhat in Episcopal practice.

God sought out this man, and they had fellowship one with the other. In all likelihood, man recounted the day's experiences to an interested and loving Father, and God responded with praise and suggestion. All this was a daily occurrence and was the possession of the first man. The communion of God and man on this blessed basis would have continued indefinitely, but a terrible tragedy took place that interrupted and disrupted the relationship. There came a day when sin intervened and broke the tranquil peace of the garden and the sweet fellowship between God and man. So heinous and devastating is sin in its effect that it separates man from God for eternity, unless a remedy is found to avert its penalty.

Also, there was nothing inherent in the fruit that wrought such a change in the man. The fruit contained no poison nor any chemical that would be detrimental to the physical man. The change in man was not chemical, nor was he suffering from food poisoning. The record in Genesis is on a much higher plane.

Discussion and Analysis

According to Jewish tradition (compare 2 Maccabees 2:1-8, Revised Standard Version), Jeremiah hid the ark, the tent and the altar of incense in a cave on the mountain where Moses was buried, and he then sealed the entrance. He told the people: “The place shall remain unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy. Then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of ...