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July 2009

The Lectionary (part 2)

In the last post on the lectionary I gave background to the RCL (Revised Common Lectionary) and highlighted that a community discipline of following the lectionary frees us from the vagaries and some of the eccentricities of allowing pastors total discretion to pick their own favourite Bible passages. I think there is always a danger

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Ignatius Loyola

July 31 is the feast day of St. Ignatius Loyola O God, by whose grace your servant Ignatius, became a burning and a shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and may ever walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ

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Herz-Jesu-Kirche (Munich)

This post is essentially in the form of a photo essay of a stunning contemporary church building. Herz Jesu (Sacred Heart of Jesus) parish church in Munich was opened in 2000. The church which previously stood here was destroyed in a fire in in 1994 The whole 14-meter high glass front swings open on special

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Episcopal Church liturgy resources

My good e-friend @scottagunn forwarded the URL of the draft liturgical material considered and now approved by the recent General Convention of The Episcopal Church (USA). You can download the report’s 398 pages in PDF form from here. This includes Rachel’s Tears, Hannah’s Hopes Liturgies and Prayers for Healing from Loss Related to Childbearing and

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Dancing and worship

Continuing from yesterday’s post on dancing… Some, of course, have built their places of worship with a sloping floor – explicitly so that the space can never be used for dancing! Some think dancing is sinful – even outside of worship… Choreographing the Trinity Gregory of Nazianzus used the term perichoresis (περιχωρησις) for the relationship

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Lord of the Dance

In Africa I saw the rubrics for the Eucharist that at the Gloria the priest and others in the sanctuary dance around the altar while everyone else dances in their place in the congregation. Here’s a variant from a wedding (Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson): Biretta tip to my good e-friend Deacon Greg Kandra Before

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