DOCSLIB.ORG

Tidings from the Rector… for Signs and Seasons

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Tidings from the Rector… for Signs and Seasons St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church FEBRUARY Tidings From the Rector… For signs and seasons And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. (Genesis 1: 14-15) Easter this year will be on April 24. This is one day short of the latest it can be. Easter’s date is based on an ancient calculation, based in turn on the date of the full moon in relation to the spring (vernal) equinox. It is one of the few remaining remnants of the Lunar Calendar (dating things in re- lationship to the cycles of the moon) in our society, which is largely governed by a Solar Calendar (dating things in relationship to the earth’s annual pilgrimage around the sun). The liturgical year is dominated by two major “cycles.” One of them—the Incar- nation Cycle—is based on the Solar Year, Christmas always falling on a fixed date in the calendar. This cycle begins with the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25 (celebrating the Archangel Gabriel’s announcement of God’s Incarna- tion in Christ), continues through Christmas and Epiphany, and concludes with the Feast of the Presentation in the Temple (Candlemas) on February 2. So, for much of the year, we are thinking about a “fixed” event in the calendar, connect- ing us solidly to history, fact, and the “groundedness” of the Christian faith. The Incarnation of Christ is very much about humility—a word coming from the same root as humus: earth or soil. One can say that the Incarnation cycle is always calling us to the “rootedness-in-reality” aspect of the Christian life. The other major cycle in the Christian Year…and the most important part of our Calendar…is the Easter cycle. This date constantly shifts with each year, falling somewhere between March 22 and April 25 (inclusive). The cycle officially begins (in the Episcopal Church) with Ash Wednesday and concludes with Pentecost.* (Continued) (Continued) Its mobility reminds us that movement and fluidity are part of our life as disciples, and that we must keep our eyes fixed on Christ, who is the “Light of Life” for us, and who alone determines the “signs and seasons” in a world of constant change. As we are reminded in the Letter to the Hebrews: For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (13:14). Easter will not come this late again for a very long while. This means we will have an extremely long Epiphanytide, a Lent accompanied by the full energy of spring, and that we won’t be taking our annual parish photograph on Pentecost Sunday until nearly the middle of June! Such a long season after Epiphany will allow us to spend a great deal of time thinking about what it means to follow Christ as his disciples and to prepare for Lent. But there is another, more subtle meaning we can glean from this calendar eccentricity. The Christian life is always marked by holding seemingly opposite things in ten- sion. We believe in a God who is all-powerful, and yet who has come into our midst as one of us—vulnerable and contending with the limits and struggles of our mortal life. We know God to be loving and merciful, but we also know that sin is incompatible with God and we must be shorn of it if we are to achieve union with the divine. Likewise, the Church Calendar teaches us that we must be fixed, solid, and grounded in the eternal truth of God as revealed in Scripture and Apos- tolic teaching—while at the same time being open and flexible so as to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to become more and more like Christ through learning, renewal, and growth. Some people—and some churches—tend to pick one or the other of these direc- tions, mistakenly believing that by simplifying the mystery of faith, we can “get it right” and arrive in heaven without depending all that much on God. Such “pseu- do-faith” distorts our relationship with God and each other. It also disfigures the Church’s witness in the world, often projecting a horrifying caricature of the Gos- pel that is either rigidly condemning or vapidly permissive. Often, the two things merge, creating a mock-Christianity with neither mercy nor truth. God deliver us from such delusion! (Continued) (Continued) We are blessed as Anglicans and as members of St. Timothy’s to be the stewards of a whole or catholic faith, asserting both the groundedness and the livingness of the Gospel. This is the kind of Christianity the contemporary scene around us needs. It is an eternally-relevant Christianity. It is the gift we bear. But, it will be seen only if we live it out ourselves, by living lives grounded in the un- changing truth of God, yet always growing into the opportunities God gives us in the present moment. Like the Liturgical Calendar itself, we are a people connect- ed to earth, sun, moon, and heaven itself. By God’s grace, we share in his light, becoming stars and guides, by which others may be guided to that city which is to come: the Kingdom of God. So may it be. In Christ, Brandon+ [*The “-gesima” Sundays leading up to Lent formerly in our Calendar were sup- pressed with the 1979 Book of Common Prayer in order to enrich the Season after Epiphany. Shrove Tuesday (the day before Lent) could be said to be part of the Easter Cycle, but it is not “officially” mentioned in the Calendar. Trinity Sunday always falls the Sunday following Pentecost, but it is technically part of the Sea- son after Pentecost, and not part of the Easter Cycle.] Completing the Circle: The Senior Warden and Rector bring the Annual Survey to Bishop Hanley PARISH SURVEY On Tuesday, January 4 of this year, Ruth Speaker and Fr. Brandon went to see the Bishop at our Diocese’s offices to deliver the results of our parish’s annual survey, along with the recommendations the survey committee had developed in response to those results. Bishop Hanley was given the history of how the annual (Continued) (Continued) survey developed, a well as details on how the survey works each year. This was the first time a Bishop was given the survey results (something we could not do until this year, due to being “between bishops” for so long), and the first time Fr. Brandon had the opportunity to report to his “supervisor” the parish’s sense of the Rector’s ministry. Bishop Hanley had several responses: • He was impressed that St. Timothy’s does the survey in such a broad-based manner. • While the Bishop was very familiar with using such Parish Survey an instrument in his own experience as a parish priest, he had never considered bringing the survey’s results to his bishop. • He noted that we encouraged people to write comments without requiring their signature; he said that this was a risk not all communities would take, and that it suggested a certain level of trust in our parish. • He pointed out that the survey result recommendations, when used properly, are an excellent tool for planning. • He encouraged us to keep to a few goals for the new year, emphasizing the refinement of what we already do well in addition to embarking on new and difficult projects. • Finally, he said he would look at the results in detail and respond to those results with his own suggestions. This last item was not something we counted on, but are very grateful he offered to do. It provides another level of connection with our “chief priest and pastor,” and will offer us added insights into how we might develop this congregation’s mission. As a result of this, Mary Raney (chair of the Vestry’s annual survey committee) has developed (and the Vestry has approved) a new way to focus our parish’s response to the survey and subsequent ministry for 2011, starting from our An- nual Meeting. This will continue the gradual sharpening of our sense of follow- through on goals, and planning for the long term. The Annual Meeting will grow in importance for committed, forward-looking, mission-minded parishioners. By reporting all of this to you, the parish, we are attempting to “complete the (Continued) (Continued) circle” of communication that began with the annual survey questionnaire in the early autumn. Over the course of 2011, the Vestry will help this cycle of commu- nication to increase both in clarity and depth. What is important for all members of St. Timothy’s to know now is that for the first time, the annual survey process is functioning as it was intended: as a tool for honest conversation, initiation of beneficial change, and planning for the coming years. May it continue to grow in all these areas as St. Timothy’s grows in holiness, discipleship, and service to God and neighbor. Saturday, Feb. 5 4:00 PM Hors d’oeuvre potluck Child care available Brigid of 1 Presen- 2 Anskar of 3 Cornelius 4 Martyrs 5 Kildare tation of Our Scandinavia the Centu- of Japan Lord 10 am HE Court Child rion Care 9:30 Annual Prayer Crafts 10 Art & Architect.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Jesus Tree
    The Jesus Tree A Lenten Guide, Family Devotional & Activity Dear St. John’s family, During this season of Lent, we want to give you and your family a way to interact with the story of Jesus. With the direction of this devotion, families and individuals will be instructed on how to build a “Jesus Tree” decorated with symbols that represent Jesus’ journey to the cross. Each day a bible passage and symbol is provided. Create symbols from items around your house or cut and color the ones provided and decorate your tree with them. Your tree can be anything you like it to be. Have a tiny tree you use at Christmas? Perfect. Have a funky branch fall in your yard? That’ll do too. Place your tree where everyone can see it as a reminder of the Season. On Easter Sunday it will be a beautiful centerpiece for your table. Gather each day and read the corresponding scripture. Work together to construct a symbol to be hung on the tree. You may already have a cool Playmobil sword or an old eyeball from Halloween. There could be a neat stick on your walk that looks like a finger. Or a palm from a neighbors tree. Use your imagination and let your creativity run wild. There are paper symbols provided that you can cut, color and decorate to be used on your tree. Prayers for Ash Wednesday and each Sunday are included, as well. We hope you are able to enjoy and create a unique experience as you walk through the story of Jesus’ life together.
    [Show full text]
  • Mary in the Lent and Easter Seasons: Biblical References
    Marian Studies Volume 42 Proceedings of the Forty-Second National Convention of the Mariological Society Article 7 of America held in Chicago, Ill. 1991 Mary in the Lent and Easter Seasons: Biblical References Bertrand Buby University of Dayton Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Buby, Bertrand (1991) "Mary in the Lent and Easter Seasons: Biblical References," Marian Studies: Vol. 42, Article 7. Available at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies/vol42/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Marian Library Publications at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marian Studies by an authorized editor of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Buby: Mary in the Lent and Easter Seasons: Biblical References MARY IN THE LENT AND EASTER SEASONS: BffiUCAL REFERENCES A method in keeping with the kind of ecclesiology that Lumen Gentium provides and an approach that is framed by Sacrosanctum Concilium, the document of Vatican II on the Sacred Liturgy, are both essential to the manner of read­ ing, interpreting, and listening to the sacred texts in which Mary has a role in salvation history during the Lenten-Easter season. • All liturgy is a celebration of the Paschal Mystery­ an event which encompasses the suffering, death, resurrec­ tion, and ascension of Jesus, as well as the sending of the Spirit. Mary is always to be understood within the context of the mystery of Christ and the history of salvation among the people of God, the Church.
    [Show full text]
  • Second Sunday of Easter Cycle a RCL Revised Acts 2:14A, 22-32
    Second Sunday of Easter Cycle A RCL Revised Acts 2:14a, 22-32 After the miracle of tongues on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13), Peter defended the apostles against the charge of public drunkenness in a speech that contains our passage. Besides the fact that it was much too early for anyone to be drunk (2: 15: the “third hour” or 9 AM), the crowd should know that events of Pentecost, like all of the great events in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, were part of the definite plan of God shown in scripture. Our passage contains the argument that the resurrection of Jesus was prophesied in scripture and was part of this plan: Psalm 16 asserts in verse 10 that God will not allow the one who is faithful (xasid) to see the underworld (Sheol). The author of Luke-Acts took this to be a reference to Christ’s resurrection from the abode of the dead or, in Greek, Hades. Psalm 16 This psalm has much in common with the laments, but in fact does not ask for deliverance so much as it expresses trust that God will protect the psalmist. As such, it is usually classified with the psalms of trust like Psalm 23. The setting of such psalms within the context of temple worship is not clear. 1 Peter 1:3-9 After the address and opening greeting, Greco-Roman letters usually contained a pious ascription or blessing designed to give thanks to the gods for the recipient of the letter. Our passage corresponds to this blessing.
    [Show full text]
  • LENT | TRIDUUM | EASTER 2017 Ash Wednesday Newsletter Ash Wednesday: Spiritual Medicine by Thomas Merton (Excerpt from Seasons of Celebration)
    LENT | TRIDUUM | EASTER 2017 Ash Wednesday Newsletter Ash Wednesday: Spiritual Medicine By Thomas Merton (excerpt from Seasons of Celebration) Ash Wednesday, the a sign of death, but a promise of life to those beginning of the Lenten who do penance. Hence the seemingly fast, is a day of happiness, a paradoxical character of the Ash Wednesday Christian feast. It cannot be liturgy. The gospel charges us to avoid otherwise, as it forms part outward signs of grief and, when we fast, to of the great Easter cycle. anoint our heads and to wash our faces. Yet we receive a smear of ashes on our heads. The Paschal Mystery is There must be grief in this day of joy. It is a above all the mystery of day, we shall see, in which joy and grief go life, in which the church, by together hand-in-hand. celebrating the death and resurrection of Christ, enters in the Kingdom Only the inner rending, the tearing of the of Life which he has established once and for heart, brings this joy. It lets out our sins, all by his definitive victory over sin and death. and lets in the clean air of God’s spring, the We must remember the original meaning of sunlight of the days that advance toward Lent, as the ver sacrum, the church’s “holy Easter. Rending of the garments lets in spring” in which the catechumens nothing but the cold. The rending were prepared for their baptism, of heart is that “tearing away” “The cross of ashes, and public penitents were made from ourselves and our vetustas traced upon the ready by penance for their – the “oldness” of the old man, forehead of each restoration to the sacramental wearied with the boredom Christian, is not life in a communion with the rest and drudgery of an indifferent only a reminder of the church.
    [Show full text]
  • 2021 Liturgical Colors Calendar
    COLORS FOR THE AME CHRISTIAN YEAR In the Christian year of our church, we recognize two cycles: the Christmas Cycle (Advent-Christmas-Epiphany) and the Easter Cycle (Lent-Easter-Pentecost). Within each cycle are a preparatory season symbolized by the color purple and a festival season symbolized by the color white. Between each cycle follows an ordinary time of growth symbolized by the color green in the Seasons Aft er the Epiphany and Aft er Pentecost. Therefore, there is a sequence of seasons using purple, white, and green in that order twice each year. PURPLE is a color of both penitence and royalty used during the preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent. Alternative colors of royal blue or violet may also be used during Advent. WHITE and GOLD are joyous and festive colors used during the Christmas and Easter seasons (except on the Day of Pentecost) and in other seasons on festive days such as Baptism of the Lord, Transfi guration, Trinity, All Saints, and Christ the King. White may also be used at weddings. At services of Holy Communion white linens on top of the Lord’s Table are the tradition of the AME Church, and are used on the fi rst Sunday, regardless of the Holy Season that is celebrated. Therefore, even if the fi rst Sunday of the month is the fi rst Sunday of Advent, the color used in the pulpit remains white. GREEN is a color of growth used in the Seasons Aft er the Epiphany and Aft er Pentecost, except when special days call for white or red.
    [Show full text]
  • LITURGICAL COLOR CALENDAR 2016 This Calendar Will Serve As a Convenient Reminder of the Appropriate Color for Each Day of the Year
    LITURGICAL COLOR CALENDAR 2016 This calendar will serve as a convenient reminder of the appropriate color for each day of the year. You will find an explanation of the background and significance of the liturgical colors on the back of the calendar. JANUARY JULY SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT 1 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 24 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 FEBRUARY AUGUST SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 29 30 31 MARCH SEPTEMBER SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24 25* 26* 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 27 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 APRIL OCTOBER SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT 1 2 1 2 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 23 24 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 MAY NOVEMBER SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 30 31 27 28 29 30 JUNE DECEMBER SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 1 2 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 27 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 COMPLIMENTS OF Made by Christians for Christians COLORS FOR THE CHRISTIAN YEAR The Christian year contains two cycles: the Christmas Cycle (Advent-Christmas-Epiphany) and the Easter cycle (Lent-Easter-Pentecost).
    [Show full text]
  • Saint Mary's Church
    Saint Mary’s Church Know your faith! Live your faith! Share your faith! 15 Clark Street, Auburn, New York 13021 -3589 Tel: 315 -252 -9545, Fax: 315 -252 -9546 E-mail: [email protected] www.stmaryauburn.org PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD His Holiness Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome (April 14, 2019) Most Rev. Salvatore R. Matano, Bishop of Rochester Parish Office 315 -252 -9545 INTRODUCTORY RITE Mon – Fri: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Organ Prelude: Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates Guilmant Fr. Frank E. Lioi, Pastor, Dean of East Region Antiphon: Hosanna M42 Fr. Justin D. Miller, [email protected] Hymn: All Glory Laud & Honor H579 Dn. Dennis Donahue, New Evangelization Kathleen Lipfert, Pastoral Minister LITURGY OF THE WORD Philip J. Fillion, Music Director / Organist Readings & Response Psalm 22 M43 Delia Westmiller , Secretary at 9:45: Christus factus est (sung by the choir) Bruckner Francis Fenzl, Ida Kavanagh & Tyler Reohr Christus factus est pro nobis obediens Christ became obedient to the point of Parish Interns usque ad mortem, mortem autem cru- death, even death on a cross. Because of Greg Lawson, Maintenance Supervisor cis. Propter quod et Deus exaltavit il- this, God greatly exalted him and be- Regional Finance Office 315 -252 -7111 lum et dedit illi nomen, quod est super stowed on him the name which is above 90 Melrose Rd. - Shawn Gillen -Caryl, Regional Finance Director omne nomen. Phil. 2:8 9 every name. Catechetical Office 315 -252 -3439 Passion Narrative 90 Melrose Rd. Homily Carlo Stebbings, Director LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST St.
    [Show full text]
  • Origins of Passion (Palm) Sunday
    On Passion (Palm) Sunday we celebrate the triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem on his final journey towards the Cross. This is a significant moment in our journey to Easter. Passion (Palm) Sunday is the turning point between Lent and Holy Week. The celebration begins with a Triumphal procession with palms and ends on a solemn note in preparation for Holy Week. Origins of Passion (Palm) Sunday One of the earliest accounts of the Lent and Easter liturgies in Jerusalem was written by a woman who travelled to the Holy Land probably in the early fifth century. Scholars call her Egeria and they think she came from France or Spain to make her pilgrimage. Egeria describes the feast this way: At one o’clock all of the people go up to Mount Olivet, that is, the Eleona1, into the church: the bishop is seated, they sing hymns and antiphons appropriate to the day and place, as are the readings. And when it is about three o’clock, they go down singing hymns to . the place from which the Lord ascended into heaven, and everyone sits down there, for in the bishop’s presence all the people are ordered to sit down, so that only the deacons remain standing. There hymns and antiphons appropriate to the day and place are sung; similarly readings and prayers are interspersed. When it is about one o’clock, that place in the Gospel is read where infants with palms and branches ran to the Lord, saying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Mtt.
    [Show full text]
  • April-2017-Online
    April 2017 HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE (April 8-16) PALM SUNDAY 5:00 p.m. Worship Service (Sat.) 8:00 a.m. Worship Service 10:30 a.m. Worship Service MAUNDY THURSDAY 10:00 a.m. Worship Service 5:00 p.m. Sedar Meal 7:15 p.m. Worship Service GOOD FRIDAY Holy Cross Lutheran Church 1:00 p.m. Worship Service 7:15 p.m. Worship Service HOLY SATURDAY 5:00 p.m. Worship Service EASTER SUNDAY 7:30 a.m. SonRise Service 8:30 a.m. Breakfast 9:00 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt Cross Talk 10:30 a.m. Worship Service FROM PASTOR’S HEART down, which has resulted in offerings being behind budget. If you do take a look at the financial state- ments, you would probably say that we are not doing e is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia! so badly. I am only mentioning this because I would HYes, I know we don’t celebrate Easter until April 16, like all of us to be in prayer about this. I know that but we will be halfway through the Easter season the economy is not doing well here in Yoakum and when the May Newsletter comes out. Please don’t our surrounding area, and that we had some very cold forget our Holy Week services begin with Palm/ weather on a few weekends which hurt us. What I am Passion Sunday on April 8/9. We will have a Com- asking is that all of you remember that this is God’s munity Palm Sunday/Easter Service at Austin Street Church and that His will shall be done; but at the Baptist Church at 5:30 p.m.
    [Show full text]
  • Round Hill Community Church ASH WEDNESDAY March 5, 2014 7:30 P.M
    Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten journey to Jerusalem. The way is often desert, but the destination holds most meaning for those who make the trip. And since the way is often desert, it is best not to journey alone. Fred Craddock ASH WEDNESDAY Round Hill Community Church ASH WEDNESDAY March 5, 2014 7:30 p.m. WE CENTER OURSELVES IN GOD PRELUDE WORDS OF WELCOME *A HYMN OF THE SEASON No. 179 Forty Days and Forty Nights *PRAYER OF CONFESSION Gentle and holy God, we acknowledge to you, to one another, and to ourselves that we are not what you have called us to be. We have sinned against you and have done what is evil in your sight. We have tried to cover up our wrongdoing and have exag- gerated our role in accomplishing good things. We seek to lay up treasure on earth, while neglecting permanent values and selfless commitment to causes greater than ourselves. Forgive us, we pray, and restore us. Amen. *DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS THE USE OF ASHES IMPOSITION OF ASHES Anyone who would like to receive the ashes is invited to come forward at this time. SPECIAL MUSIC Give Me Jesus Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan Risa Renae Harman, Soprano *The congregation is invited to stand. WE LISTEN FOR THE WISDOM OF GOD GOSPEL Matthew 6:1-6 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others.
    [Show full text]
  • A Phenomenology of the Liturgy of Maundy Thursday
    religions Article A Phenomenology of the Liturgy of Maundy Thursday Tamsin Jones Department of Religious Studies, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106, USA; [email protected] Abstract: In this article, I propose a phenomenological analysis of the liturgy of Maundy Thursday, as it is celebrated in the contemporary Anglican Church of Canada. As an example of liturgy, Maundy Thursday is particularly generative for phenomenological description because of its affective range and drama. A participant in the liturgy is given the opportunity to experience a combination of grief, lament, remorse, joy, thanksgiving, kindness and compassion, care for the body, vulnerability and humility, as well as fear and confusion. Situated on the threshold between Lent and Easter, it is a richly complex moment in the liturgical year and combines, in a creative and affective tension, celebration with mourning, order with chaos, and love and service with betrayal and repentance. Keywords: phenomenology; Maundy Thursday; Anglican; liturgy 1. Introduction In this article, I propose a phenomenological analysis of the liturgy of Maundy Thurs- day, as it is celebrated in the contemporary Anglican Church of Canada. Rather than rely on other philosophical or theological analyses of this liturgy, as much as possible this article will draw primarily on the textual source and the performance of the liturgy itself in order to give a phenomenological description of the experience of the liturgy. Intentionally, then, Citation: Jones, Tamsin. 2021. A there is relatively little engagement with other scholars in this article. Phenomenology of the Liturgy of Maundy Thursday occurs during Holy Week and leads directly into the two holiest of Maundy Thursday.
    [Show full text]
  • Meeting God in the Church Year by Kimberlee Conway Ireton
    Copyright © 2010 Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University 83 Meeting God in the Church Year BY KIMBERLEE CONWAY IRETON Though they view the church year through different lens, all four authors of the books reviewed here want their readers to know what they know: that living this way shapes our lives into a cruciform pattern in which we, as followers of Jesus, become more and more like him. ost of my childhood spiritual formation occurred in the context of an Assemblies of God elementary school. Weekly chapel and Bible Mmemory verses formed the spine of my understanding of faith. In junior high and high school, I internalized much of what I had learned in elementary school and embraced it as my own. But my faith really came alive when I learned of older traditions, ones that had been around for centuries, ones with strange customs like marking foreheads with ashes or refraining from the word “Alleluia” for weeks on end. Such customs fascinated me, and through them I slowly entered into the tradition variously known as the litur- gical year, the church year, and the Christian year. I’m not alone in my hunger for traditions that are older than I am. Renewed interest in liturgical expressions of faith among Christians of many denomi- nations has recently sparked a spate of books on the Christian year. Each of the four books reviewed here approaches the church year from a slightly differ- ent perspective and with a different primary audience in view. Y The most accessible book for those with little to no experience of the church year is Bobby Gross’s Living the Christian Year: Time to Inhabit the Story of God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009, 332 pp., $17.00).
    [Show full text]