Sunday 7 March 2021

The ten commandments are less popular now

 The ten commandments are less popular now. Although there is provision for them to be used in modern Common Worship services some churches like ours use a summary of the law and even  more usually go directly to the invitation to confession. The first 1549 edition of the Book of Common Prayer, however did not use the commandments in the Communion service but began with a Psalm and then the nine verse form of the Kyrie:


Lorde have mercie upon us (three times)

Christ have mercie upon us (three times)

Lorde have mercie upon us (three times)


Ten years later in  1559 edition a new instruction was added at the beginning of the service:

“The shall the priest rehearse distinctly all the ten commandments”

The ninefold Kyrie was adapted to serve as responses to the individual commandments and this is what we see in our current editions of the Book of Common Prayer. In 1547, so a couple of years prior, during a general demolition of rood screens and images, churches were white lymed and commandments were written on the walls. This Protestant revolution, where images were replaced by words, was formalised under James 1st when it was required by Canon (1604:82) that the Ten Commandments were to be set on the east wall of every church. St. Clement’s Overy has a fine example of this and we can easily picture the faithful looking at these words as they were preparing to receive communion with them in their hearts.

But the ten commandments are less popular now. It may be that visitors to our churches and perhaps even those regularly in the pews do not notice, do not see the writing on the walls. Now, in this the season of Lent we are called to self examination and repentance, to positively take to heart the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the Gospels. But against what is this self examination to take place?  

I have been worried by the case of Anna Sacoolas, the driver of the car which collided with 19 year old Harry Dunn who died following the accident at RAF Croughton. The circumstances of Mrs. Sacoolas fleeing to the USclaiming diplomatic immunity are well known, extradition to attend a hearing in the UK was refused but last week news came that a civil  case could be brought even though Mr. Sacoola’s lawyers argued that it could not because the case should be heard in the UK where she will not go! What worries me is that our laws of social justice, our international courts and our basic government constructs have failed to find a place for the simple question “What happened?” to be asked and answered.

The ten commandments are less popular now - I am the Lord your God, make no graven images, do not take the Lord's name in vain, keep the sabbath, honour your parents, do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not covet. It does seem that had they still been in the forefront of society’s thinking then the story of Harry Dunn would have read differently and that Mrs. Sacoolas would have been able to hear her conscience.

We need a sounding board for our reflection and meditation in Lent and indeed throughout our lives and I can think of no better than the decalogue.


Amen.  


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