Testimony, Scholasticism, Unction,
Vestments, Collect, Lectionary

Word Meanings

ver.: 21 February 2008

What is :
scholasticism, collect, lectionary, testimony, unction, vestments ?

What is Scholasticism?

scholasticism : Any school of thought which stresses human reasoning, scholarship, and study for shaping theology and practice, often right to the brink of worshipping it. It most often refers to a movement which was strong among Catholics before the Reformation. Other scholasticisms influenced Lutherans three or four generations after Luther, and still another became prominent for Presbyterians. In a scholasticism, theology and church life are justified through patterns that can be taught and learned, where one thing follows on another. Even if life is not like that. Even if God wants us to do it differently. Even if our ability to understand such things is limited. When a scholasticism takes hold, a pietism which gives a low value to systems of thought will soon follow.

What is a Collect?

collect [ Latin ôrâtiô ad collêctam (prayer at the gathering) < colligere (to gather) < co- (together) + legere (to gather, store)] Also known as the Prayer Of the Day.

In liturgical churches, the collect is a specific prayer designed for that particular day's worship. It is found at the end of the entrance rite (the part of the liturgy at the beginning of the service), before the day's Scripture readings.

It is led into by the apostolic greeting :
Presiding Minister : The Lord be with you.
Congregation : And also with you.
Presiding Minister (with hands flat against each other, chest-high): Let us pray.

It's followed by around five seconds of silence, a time for the congregation to gather its thoughts and turn them to God.

The traditional collect follows a set format :

1. Address the Father;
2. appeal to something about God's character that is relevant to what is being prayed about;
3. the request, usually drawn in some way from the Scripture readings for the day;
4. why you're asking;
5. through Jesus;
6. a praise of God.

It is usually said by the presiding minister, but can be spoken by anyone. Or everyone : many pietist-leaning churches have the whole congregation speak it together, read from the bulletin or screen. (High-churchers diss this practice, since it undercuts the special role of the minister as liturgical leader. Which, to a low-churcher, is a reason in its favor.) In some places (including some Scandinavian churches) the collect is often chanted or intoned; others believe that takes the prayer-ness out of it.

Prayers that are similar to the collect, but not in as tight a pattern, are often found in various places in Charismatic and Evangelical services. There, the prayer acts as a transition from one part of worship into another.

You can also check the dictionary.

What is a Lectionary?

Lectionary [ < Latin lêctiôn (a reading or lesson) < legere (to read)] A set schedule of Bible readings for use in each day's worship.

A standard lectionary is divided into an Old Testament section, a Psalm section, a lesson drawn from the Letters, and a reading from the Gospel. In most traditions, the sermon is drawn from the lectionary reading, especially from the Gospel reading. The lectionary is there so the congregation or worshipper will eventually go through the full span of the Bible, accounting for theological importance and church season. Today, most churches use the Revised Common Lectionary, which has two cycles : the 3-year Sunday Lectionary (used in Sunday worship), and the 2-year Daily Lectionary (for personal use or with the Daily Office). The first Christians brought the idea of a lectionary with them from the Jewish worship in which they were raised. Jesus Himself did at least one lectionary reading, in his hometown of Nazareth, but it got Him into lots of trouble.

In the church's first few centuries, long before verse numbers, the Lectionary would have the full quote from Scripture. Thus, those early lectionaries are an early witness to the ancient text.

You can also check the dictionary.

What is Testimony?

testimony [ Latin testimônium < testis (a witness)]. Letting the Good News of Christ be shown by way of telling one's own story, and what that Good News did in/for/to/with oneself.

In many churches, it's not rare that someone is testifying at church services. The role of testimony is often misunderstood. Testimony is often seen by others as merely the story of the person testifying, instead of being that person's part in the larger story of the reconciliation of creation with its creator, the larger story of the Good News and of the gathering of believers which that Good News created. Each testimony is an open, face-to-face version of what is, which when added together, helps to make an up-to-date part of the Scriptures' 'cloud of witnesses'. And sometimes it's done to support what someone else is doing or saying with some additional life-stuff to think about. Testimony is often given wrongly -- to get attention, grab a piece of the spotlight, or maybe to give others a voyeur's thrill while leaving the inner self untouched. Yet, how can we do without testimony? If we're sold on the faith, if we've invested our identity into it, it would become very difficult not to tell Jesus' story when we share our own story. Just by being shared, a testimony says, 'Jesus is meant for you, too.'

You can also check the dictionary.

What is Unction?

unction [ < Latin unguere (to anoint, oil)] The act of anointing or pouring balm or oil onto something.

The word "unction" is rarely used outside of religious circles. When someone is 'anointed' or given a special blessing of effectiveness by the Spirit, then the tasks they do with the blessing are being done under an 'unction', or an in-pouring of the Spirit. A happening that is 'under unction' is something that is being led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, in a way merely human action would not be. The word is often used too broadly; for instance, for things done on a grand scale, or done by a favorite preacher. Or, it is used too narrowly; for instance, it's not used of people doing extraordinarily faithful things in their everyday line of work, and it's not used of strong, especially-effective public action in support of justice for the downtrodden). Those can be special blessings of effectiveness from the Spirit, too, so why not speak of unction?

You can also check the dictionary.

Vestments

vestments [ < Latin vestis (garment)] The ceremonial clothing worn by those doing the ceremonies of the church, including worship, dedications, etc.

'Vestments' also refer to the clothing which marks a person as a minister or member of an order of monks/nuns, or a deacon in liturgical worship. For worship services, the colors of the clothing are changed to reflect the church season. I won't go into the many different kind of vestments there are, because that would go on endlessly. Each vestment has its own symbolic meaning. Much of the time, noone who's there knows or cares what that meaning is, and it is thus lost. Yet for those who know the meaning, it can enrich whatever occasion it is used for. Sometimes the visual beauty of vestments can draw you deeper into worship of an awesome God. At other times the visual effect brings so much awe to itself that you forget to worship God.

You can also check the dictionary.