14 September is the Feast of the Holy Cross, Holy Cross Day. In the spirit of Throwback Thursday, these are reflections preparing for Friday. The 67-70 AD war of Jews against Romans ended with the Romans winning and the temple destroyed. Jerusalem lay in ruins. Hadrian was born just after that, 76AD. He was the… Continue Reading
Almighty and everlasting God, who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your Word: Grant that your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. (BCP… Continue Reading
The Episcopal Church (TEC) has just held its General Convention – this is its highest level of governance. New Zealand’s Anglican Archbishop Philip Richardson has just returned from this TEC General Convention in Texas. You can read about his experience here. Whilst it “parallels our General Synod Te Hinota Whanui” – we are talking quite… Continue Reading
Fashion designers (and their supporting media), of course, want the focus of The Wedding to be on the dress. But, those watching The Wedding went from the dress to the preacher… and (I don’t think it is simply because I’m a priest) there continues to be a high focus on THAT sermon. And the preacher.… Continue Reading
Today, Wednesday after the First Sunday in Lent, is traditionally an Ember Day – a day of special prayer and fasting. The Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer (page 18) has “The Ember Days, traditionally observed on the Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays after the First Sunday in Lent, the Day of Pentecost, Holy Cross Day,… Continue Reading
When New Zealand’s 1988 General Synod met to go through our NZ Anglican Prayer Book line by line, the Prayer Book Commission had inserted an International Consultation on English Texts (ICET) 1987 discussion draft version of the Nicene Creed. The Prayer Book Commission thought General Synod had voted it through as a place holder and… Continue Reading
Scottish Episcopal Church shows a way forward The Scottish Episcopal Church has opened marriage to committed same-sex couples. It has done so through changing its Canon 31 of marriage, removing that it is ” one man and one woman…and lifelong” and highlighting: In the light of the fact that there are differing understandings of the… Continue Reading
