Dispatch from OLP, Sunday April 10, 7 pm

Dispatch from OLP, Sunday April 10, 7 p.m.

Well, not that I’ve ragged on the CRC for a bit, let me tell you something that set me off back here at OLP tonight. After evening prayer, and this must happen only on Sunday since I never saw it before, the congregation was settled down after prayer for the “Veneration of the Host.” On the altar stood an ornate cross, rather like a sun with golden “rays” protruding in all directions, and with a round window in the middle, if you can picture that. There was much folderol and wafting incense while the Abbot went forward, took the large host from the “tabernacle” behind the altar, and inserted it in the little round window. (This is sounding rather deliberately crass for what was quite solemn for those in attendance.) The Abbot never actually touched the special cross, so holy an object it was, but handled it with a vestment hung around his neck evidently especially for this occasion. After the host was in view in the window, the cross was raised for all to view, while all kneeled and prayed.
This is the closest things have come here to what the reformers always referred to as Roman Catholic idolatry. Jeanne, who you know was raised an Episcopalian, is nevertheless Protestant enough to share my instinctive distaste for this display and the veneration.
I’ll have to read up on this practice in order to evaluate it fully, but I’m sure in my Protestant gut that something’s off the rails here. As you know, Calvin convinced me that Christ is really present in the sacrament, not physically, but by the power of his Spirit. Why were we venerating this physical object instead of worshipping the risen and ascended Lord, as our hymns and liturgy so wonderfully directed us?
So I went off to my room and listened to some “oldies but goodies” on my Ipod, which calmed me down considerably. There’s nothing like Marvin Gaye “sittin’ at the dock of the bay” to soothe the troubled breast.
One more thing. Evidently this is a place where many nuns and other lay persons come for the traditional 30 day Ignatian retreat (from St. Ignatius), a venerable series of religious exercises from the 15th or 16th century. The Guest master of the monastery, Father Bruno, an affable soul, offers “lectures’ each morning and afternoon to the groups. As we drank some tea in the refectory we couldn’t help overhearing the gales of laughter coming from the lecture room. I love the fact that the retreat here is a time of fun and laughter with the Lord as well as solemn reflection, which is happening too. Many of the nuns visiting here work among the very poorest people of the country, and I’m sure their time away here in this beautiful place is deeply refreshing.
By the way, we’re going to a beach this afternoon recommended by one of the nuns who was ecstatic about swimming in the underwater caves there. I wish I could visit it with them. There’s something about a crowd of nuns splashing about in the ocean that tickles my imagination. Is there a “habit” for swimming? I didn’t ask.
Looks like we’ll be out of touch for a while again, at least till next Saturday. We’re going in search of an Internet café on the island today to update the blog and some emails, not wanting to go over to Iloilo City again. The place we’ll be spending the next few days is out of touch except by cell phone.