Every week I will share links and resources as a round-up for your weekend reading. The inclusion of a link or article in my posts does not indicate that I am endorsing the material or opinions of the author. This is designed to help keep things on your radar and to start meaningful conversations. In Case You Missed It…Recent Pieces on “The Liturgical Theologian” Stewards of Creation – The call to care for creation. Baptism is Eucharistic and Eucharist is... Read more
Almighty God, we praise you for the exaltation of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to your right hand. Through his Incarnation, earthly ministry, crucifixion and resurrection he has conquered sin, evil and death and by his glorious ascension he is triumphantly reigning over all of creation. Grant us the ability and desire to follow our Sovereign King, that one day we may be exalted to where he is: living and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit, now and... Read more
An alternative Proper Preface for the Seventh Sunday of Easter OR an introductory/closing collect for the Prayers of the People. The purpose of this Proper Preface/Collect is to weave into the liturgy a sense of the Ascension. I think adding a prayer like this will complement the various references to Jesus “living and reigning” with the Father and Spirit scattered throughout the liturgy. I have attempted to prayerfully and liturgically draw the connection between Jesus’ Incarnation, his earthly ministry, his... Read more
Last week Billy Kangas, a Patheos colleague on the Catholic Channel, wrote about his support of Roman Catholic Bishop Larry Silva’s recent decision to return the “Sacraments of Initiation” to their original order. The Sacraments of Initiation are the rites (baptism, confirmation and Eucharist) of that Church that initiate believers into the covenant family of God. Bishop Silva of Honolulu is proposing that infant or child baptism be followed at a later date by a joint celebration of confirmation and first communion.... Read more
If you’re new to my Sermon Notes, you can read about why I prepare them here. They aren’t just for preachers, they’re for everyone! Thesis As we prepare for the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church at Pentecost, we turn our attention to Jesus’ high priestly prayer and an examination of what it means to testify to the truth. To truly follow Jesus is to proclaim in word in deed that he is the Risen... Read more
Uphold your Church, O God of truth, as you upheld your servant Athanasius, to maintain and proclaim boldly the catholic faith against all opposition, trusting solely in the grace of your eternal Word, who took upon himself our humanity that we might share his divinity; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. – Collect for the Feast of St. Athanasius, Lesser Feasts and Fasts Today the church celebrates one of... Read more
“O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him.” (Venite**) Before becoming homeowners, Rebecca and I had never gardened—in fact, we had a hard time keeping houseplants alive. But as any first time homeowner will tell you, there’s something different about yard work when you own the land. Our home was built in the 1960’s, and when we moved in there were several bushes in the front yard that, according to... Read more
To encounter the Risen Lord is to be called further into discipleship; as we spend a second week in John 15 may we remember that we love and obey him because he has revealed himself as faithful and loving through the crucifixion and resurrection. Read more
I have actually come to love Mark’s gospel. Reading Mark requires that we celebrate tension, embrace mystery and discipleship, and look for the breaking in of God’s kingdom. Read more
Thesis What does it mean to abide in Jesus? It’s a beautiful word but too often we miss out on any substantive definition or depiction. The RCL lessons for Easter 5 provide some concrete portrayals of this concept: trust, obedience, proclamation and a sort of “knowing” that moves beyond cognition and into something deeper. Prepare yourselves because Easter 5 and 6 will both feature gospel lessons from John 15. Analysis Collect Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life:... Read more
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