"If there be anyone stained with crime, and driven headlong by despair to the pit of destruction, let him call upon this life-giving name, and he will speedily be restored to hope and salvation. Is there anyone amongst you in hardness of heart, in sloth, or tepidity, in bitterness of mind, if he will but invoke the name of Jesus his heart will be softened, and tears of … [Read more...]
Advent and Candles in Worship
If you promoted the use of candles in worship as an Advent service idea, some people might get quite upset. Back in the 19th century, a little thing called the "Oxford Movement" was going on, where the Church of England / the Anglican Communion worldwide began to go back to more 'Catholic' or Traditional modes of spirituality. Candles was a common one that the more Reformed … [Read more...]
Prometheus, Hanoverians, and the Christmas Tree
Since I've been writing so much on Advent lately, from defining Advent, to asking what the point of it was, to explaining Advent traditions, prayers, and spiritual disciplines, I thought I'd write more on the Christmas Tree. In the film Prometheus (2012) that came out recently, the futuristic space explorers still celebrate Christmas, and do so by erecting a Tree in the ship. … [Read more...]
From the Didache to the DDR: Why Bishops Were Elected
"Therefore, appoint for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord" - The Didache (ca. A.D. 100) "But, if it happen that any of the clergy who are now in the Church should die, then those who have been lately received are to succeed to the office of the deceased; always provided that they shall appear to be worthy, and that the people elect them..." - Canons of the … [Read more...]
Liturgical Calendar: Ordinary Time
I believe it was after the 'reforms' of the Second Vatican Council that the descriptor 'Ordinary Time' came into common parlance. The Liturgical Calendar is punctuated by so many feasts and two huge seasons, that it might appear like the ordinary is out of place. In the same way that Advent and Lent were supposed to lead us to Christ, perhaps ordinary time was as well. When … [Read more...]