By Don Palmer
One of the treasures of our Episcopal Church is the collects. We think about these not only when we say or read them, but let’s do it right now, and consider their history and deep meaning.
First, a definition and a clarification. The clarification comes first: We receive offerings in church; we do not take up collections. The latter sounds like we’re selling tickets. Picky point? The definition: “Collect” from the Latin, meaning to gather, or a gathering. Related to a legion of other words (“legion” is one of them), like lectern, dyslexia, diligent, and dialect. Application: to gather our thoughts together, precisely the terminology our Vicar uses before the service, asking that we collect our thoughts.
Collects are found in the Anglican and Roman Catholic, and Lutheran Churches, but are not used in the Greek or Eastern Orthodox, nor in other Protestant churches. They are venerable, pure, and meaningful parts of our liturgy.
Collects are said to “ask for one thing only”, and are generally focused on a single theme—as in the Collect for Grace and the Collect for Purity on pages 57 and 323 of the Book of Common Prayer, respectively. Collects are literary forms, as well, structured as are sonnets and odes. First: an address to God, usually to God the Father, often preceded by a descriptor such as “almighty”, “merciful”, and “eternal”.
Then the petition. We mentioned that collects are generally singular in their petition. What are we asking for? Forgiveness, protection, guidance, comfort, holiness, love.
Next, what has been called the “aspiration”, the reason for the petition, “so that we ……”
For example, the collect for All Saints’ Day: “….Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys……”
Then the doxology, “….In the Name of Jesus Christ” a pleading, since it is through Jesus that we can draw near the Father.
Let’s parse the deeply meaningful Collect for Purity in the service of Holy Communion: Almighty God; unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit; that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy Holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer established our Book of Common Prayer in 1549, writing some collects and passing along other more ancient ones. Next month, we’ll discuss some of the historical collects.
