Our Bounden Duty (Mid-week Message)

Fr. Tony’s Mid-week Message

June 1, 2016

Our bounden duty

Those of us who had a major part of our spiritual formation with the 1928 or 1662 Prayer Book, or even Rite I Holy Communion in the 1979 Prayer Book, will remember that in the opening of the Eucharistic Prayer, instead of “it is right and good and a joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you,” the traditional rite has “it is very meet, right, and our bounden duty…” 

“Bounden duty”—our obligation, what we ought to do, what we owe as if tied by bonds.  These words might sound a bit burdensome: I think that is why the more modern rites changed these words.   But the idea of what we owe, what we rightly should do, what is our duty—this idea is an important part of any healthy and consistent spirituality.   It grows out of relationship.   Ties that bind indeed involve bonds.   If we have no ties to bind us down, we may not have burdens, but we also have no meaningful relationship. 

We talk a lot about individual growth in our society, but often this just means change.  C.S. Lewis once rightly noted that change without consistency is mere change.  It is not growth.  For growth to occur, you must have change coupled with consistency after the change.  There is an “ought to” that follows “this is really wonderful and what I want.” 

Sometimes we may not feel up to worship, but these are the very times when it is most important for us to worship.    Sometimes we may feel that our contributions to the church in time, talent, or wealth are simply actions that are meant to make us feel good about ourselves, or make others think well of us.  But such a view loses this essential truth: being the church means offering and sacrifice of first fruits, not as little ornaments on our weeks, or as afterthoughts with left-over discretionary funds. 

Jesus taught that our duty to God and others was foremost:  “Seek first God’s Reign and the justice it demands, and everything will take care of itself” (Matt 6:35).  

If we follow him in this, we see our bounden duty is indeed a good thing, and our joy. 

Grace and Peace,  Fr. Tony+