The Kirkin O' the Tartans at St. Peter's

On Sunday, September 19th, 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter's in Mckinney we are having Kirkin and Blessing O' the Tartans. St' Peter's is at the corner of College and Lamar in McKinney. If you go east on Lousiana from I75, you would take a left on College and find St. Peter's in a few blocks. Wear your kilt if you have one!

There is a strong connection between the American Episcopal Church and The Scottish Episcopal Church. The Scottish Episcopal Church traces its origins beyond the English Reformation as sees itself in continuity with the church established by St. Columba, St. Ninian and other Celtic saints.

In 563 St Columba travelled to Scotland with twelve companions, where he visited the pagan king Bridei, king of Fortriu, at his base in Inverness, winning the king's respect, and Columba subsequently played a major role in the politics of that country. He was also very energetic in his evangelical work; in addition to founding several churches in the Hebrides, he worked to turn his monastery at Iona into a school for missionaries. He was a renowned man of letters, having written several hymns and being credited with having transcribed 300 books personally. He died on Iona and was buried in the abbey he established.

The Scottish Reformation was formalised in 1560, when the church in Scotland broke with the Rome. This was two years after Elizabeth I became Queen of England. James VI of Scotland became James I of England and Scotland in 1603.

The Scottish Episcopal Church began as a distinct branch of the Church in 1582, when the Church of Scotland rejected episcopal government (by bishops), and adopted full presbyterian government by elders as well as reformed theology. Scottish monarchs made repeated efforts to introduce bishops, and two ecclesiastical traditions competed.

James VI of Scotland had the Parliament of Scotland pass the Black Acts, appointing two bishops and bringing the Church of Scotland under royal control. This met vigorous opposition and he was forced to concede that the General Assembly should continue to run the church. Calvinists who reacted against the more formal style of liturgy were opposed by an Episcopalian faction.

In 1637, Charles I attempted to introduce a version of the Book of Common Prayer, written by a group of Scottish prelates, and edited for printing by Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud. When the revised Book of Common Prayer was used for the first time during worship on July 23 in St. Giles, Edinburgh, it set off a revolt which became so uncontainable that it led to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, beginning with the Bishops Wars and developing into the English Civil War.
In 1689 refusal of the Scottish bishops to swear allegiance to William of Orange.

The Scottish bishops organised the Episcopalian remnant under a jurisdiction independent of the state. Both Roman Catholics and Scottish Episcopalians supported James VII who was deposed by William of Orange. This eventually led to the Jacobite Rising in 1745 in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie who attempted to gain the throne, but was defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1745.

The Scottish Book of Common Prayer came into general use at start of the reign of William and Mary. The Scottish Communion Office, compiled by the non-jurors in accordance with primitive models, and the modifications of the English liturgy that would be adopted by the American Church were mainly determined by its influence. The non-jurors were those who refused to swear allegiance to William and Mary.

The Jacobitism of the non-jurors provoked a state policy of repression in 1715 and 1745. This Act was further modified in 1746 and 1748 to exclude clergymen ordained in Scotland, the result eventually was that the Episcopalians who, in 1689, were a large section of the population, were reduced to a minority save in a few corners of the west and north-east of Scotland.

After the independence of the 13 Colonies, the Scottish Episcopal church also took the step of consecrating Samuel Seabury at Aberdeen, in 1784. He became the first bishop of the American Episcopal Church, and had been refused consecration by Church of England clergy. In this way, it can be said that the Episcopal Church in the USA owes as much of its origins to the Scottish church as the English one.

The Scottish prelates agreed to the consecration of Seabury providing that the American Episcopal Church accept certain modifications to the American Book of Common Prayer. Most significant of these modification was the inclusion of what is known as the epiclesis. The epiclesis is from the Eastern Churches and reflects the view that the consecration of the elements is not completer until the invocation of the Holy Spirit upon the elements. The epiclesis means “the calling down from on high,” and reads as follows:

And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of All,
presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine. We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be + the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him,being sanctified by the Holy Spirit."

This reflects as Scottish sensibility that the power of the Holy Spirit is an essential element in the life of the church as is clear from the preaching of Robert Murray M’Cheyne in Scotland in the 19th Century. At the Ordination of the Rev. P. L., December 16, 1840, M’Cheyne gave the following “Charge” to both Minster and Congregation. This charge gives us good insight into the nature of Scottish spirituality.

CHARGE TO THE MINISTER:
Seek the anointing of the Holy Spirit.—The more anointing of the Holy Spirit you have, the more will you be a happy, holy, and successful minister. Remember that the apostles; before the day of Pentecost they were dry, sapless trees—they had little fruit; but when the Spirit came on them like a mighty rushing wind, then three thousand were pricked to the heart.

Lead a holy life.—I believe, brother, that you are born from above, and, therefore, I have confidence in God touching you, that you will be kept from the evil. But, oh! study universal holiness of life. Your whole usefulness depends on this.

Last of all, be a man of prayer.—Give yourself to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. If you do not pray, God will probably lay you aside from your ministry, as He did me, to teach you to pray.

Remember Luther’s maxim, “to have prayed well is to have studied well.
• Get your texts from God, your thoughts, your words, from God.
• Carry the names of the little flock upon your breast like the High Priest, wrestle for the unconverted.

CHARGE TO THE PEOPLE:
Love your pastor.— Esteem him very highly in love for his work’s sake. You little know the anxieties, temptations, pains and wrestlings, he will be called to bear for you. Few people know the deep wells of anxiety in the bosom of a faithful pastor. Love and reverence him much. Do not make an idol of him; that will destroy his usefulness.

Make use of your pastor.—He has come with good news form a far country. Come and hear.
• Welcome him into your houses. He is coming like his Master, to seek that which was lost, and to bind up that which is broken; to strengthen that which was sick, and to bring again that which was driven away.
• Go freely to him about your souls.—“The ministers house was more thronged than ever the tavern had wont to be.” Those were happy days.
• Be brief.—Tell your case. Hear his word and be gone. Remember his body is weak, and his time precious.

As God’s children pray for him.—Pray for his body, that he may be kept strong, and spared for many years. Pray for his soul, that he may be kept humble and holy—a burning and a shining light—that he may grow. Pray for his ministry, that it may be abundantly blessed—that he may be anointed to preach good tidings.

The Gospel Reading for the Kirkin O’ the Tartan’s at St. Peter’s, McKinney Sunday, September 119th, at 10:30 a.m. is Matthew 16:13-20. In English it reads:

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.


The Braid Scots rendering is:

Whan Jesus had come intil the kintra-side o’ Philip’s Cesarea, he speir’t at his disciples, “Wha div folk say the Son o’ man is? And quo’ they: “Some, John the Baptist; and some, Elijah; and ithers, Jeremiah, or ane o’ the Prophets.” He says til them, “But what say ye that I am?” and Simon Peter spak, and quo’ he “Thou art the Anointit Ane, the Son o’ the Leevin God!” And Jesus answerin, says till him, “Happy are ye; Simon, son o’ John! For nae flesh and blude tell’t it t’ye, but my Faither i’ the Heevins. And I say t’ye, ye are a Rockman; and on this Rock wull I bigg my kirk; and the yetts o’ Hell sal nevir owercome it! And I wull gie t’ye the keys o’ Heeven’s Kingdom; and what ye sal bind on ye yirth sal be bund in Heeven; and what ye sal lowse on the yirth sal be lowsed in Heeven.” Than chairged he the disciples no to tell ony man he was the Anointit Ane.