Reflection on Morning Prayer: Our Standing Before God

Following the 1928 prayer book, the Old Testament lesson for morning prayer is taken from Ezekiel 2. In the first chapter, God reveals himself to Ezekiel. God, riding a great fiery chariot, is accompanied by four creatures with four different faces. Terrified by this sight, Ezekiel falls on his face. Ezekiel could not take his stand before God. This is a lesson for us. Because we have no right standing before almighty God, the only response we can have when we are presented with God's glory is to fall on our face.

Here Be Dragons!

Cartographers from ancient days would often include the warning "here be dragons" in their maps. These warnings represented parts of the sea that were yet to be conquered; the parts of the sea that remained mysterious. If you were a ship's captain in the ancient days, this warning served to keep you from venturing too far into the deep unknown. You never knew what you might find. You might come across dragons.

Your Body Is Important

One of the most remarkable changes that happened  to me over the past few years took place in the context of worship. I began attending an Anglican church. This was much more than a change in the types of churches and styles of worship with which I had previously been involved; it was radical change in worldview.

Her-meneutics: A Brief Look at Women's Ordination

Much of the current discussion of women’s ordination stems from the idea that if a woman cannot do what a man can do, then she is somehow unequal to a man. If this train of thought continues, masculinism wins the day. Those who espouse this view want to conform both sexes to the standards of maleness — women are only equal to men in so far as they can do what a man can do.

"The Lord Our Righteousness" and other holy mysteries

Today is a special Sunday because it is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday in the Church year. Next Sunday begins Advent Season where we will not only look forward to the coming of Christ but also to his coming again. The first Advent prepares us for the second Advent. To look forward to the coming of Jesus is to look forward to the promises of Jesus. The Old Testament lesson for today teaches us that Jesus came in his Advent to communicate His righteousness to us.

A Tale of Two Sinners

Today is the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity. If your church follows the historic lectionary, the gospel reading this morning comes from Luke 18:9ff.  Much wisdom may be harvested from this simple parable from Jesus, if we only have ears to hear. In order to properly understand the weight of Jesus' words, the political situation in Israel must be explained.

Martin Bucer on the Lord's Supper

Martin Bucer is often times referred to as the Forgotten Reformer; yet, he had a great influence on the Protestant Reformation. He took the young John Calvin under his wing and mentored him  when Calvin was in Strasbourg. Bucer even introduced Calvin to his wife! Bucer also had a hand in shaping the second edition of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer under the direction of Thomas Cranmer. The following excerpt on the Lord's Supper is taken from Bucer's Strasbourg liturgy of 1539. He begins with a brief instruction on the holy supper: