Mission Monthly – January 2001

Fr. Alexander Schmemann

I love the discussion surrounding the sacramental life of the Church. It can be very reassuring when held with those who possess a natural and inherent understanding of the sacraments, and even life itself, of both what they represent and what they reveal. The discussion can also be very challenging when held with individuals who refuse to accept or are unable to comprehend the very depth and richness of creation as it participates in the very redemptive qualities granted in our Lord’s gift of Salvation.

This is an important discussion. We as a “western” people have been trained to think rationally and compartmentally, ways which often make it difficult to see beyond the lines of definition and the limitations of literal definition. In pursuit of theological understanding (and ultimately the understanding of life itself) Fr. Alexander called this “the source of one of the greatest theological tragedies.” At this time of the year, having just celebrated one of life’s greatest mysteries – the Birth in the Flesh of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—we are especially challenged by the fullness of this feast completed in the Theophany of God celebrated just thirteen days later in the Baptism of our Lord.

Within the Orthodox Church’s combined celebration of these two great feasts is included the Great Outdoor Blessing of the Waters (which is challenging for us who need to break through the winter ice of the upper mid-west!). Newcomers to the Orthodox Church may especially find this service not only strange but bordering on the absurd. Why is that? Why is a prayer so deeply set in the mind of the ancient Church so strange or even offensive to other Christians, let alone non-believers? According to Fr. Alexander, it is times like these that run headlong into the problem of understanding (or a lack thereof) of the Eastern Christian thought and world view.

We are compelled, therefore, to try to understand what happened, if anything, when Jesus of Nazareth, the one whom Christians call God and Savior, submitted Himself to the baptism of John the Forerunner. Was there a change in the condition of creation as God Himself entered the waters of the Jordan? The Orthodox Church answers emphatically, YES! Christ not only came to save mankind but also to restore the entire creation from the effects of what theologians call “the cosmic catastrophe” of the fall of Adam. All flesh and all matter have been saved in Christ, all elements and the entire universe have been reconciled in Him.

This exciting reality places believers in a unique and provocative position. It forces us to face the truth and responsibilities of our calling as citizens of “a holy nation” and members of “a royal priesthood.” As members of Christ’s Body we are sanctified in Him, but also in Him we are called to sanctify. The Advent and Theophany of God in His birth and baptism, and the offering of Himself in His Death and Resurrection, are events which happened once for all time. The “symbols” which the Church gives us certainly “represent” these events, for example, Christ’s Body and Blood, but more correctly they truly are what they represent. They are both symbol and reality. As those “being saved” in Christ we participate in the sanctification of creation and as those who have “been saved” in Christ we perpetuate the sanctification of creation. This is why we bless water, our homes and the entire creation, in order to proclaim and reveal to the world that which already is!