Reconciliation of a Penitent
Sacramental rite in which those who repent may confess their sins to God in the presence of a priest and receive the assurance of pardon and the grace of absolution (BCP, p. 861). It is also called penance and confession. The church’s ministry of reconciliation is from God, “who reconciled us to himself through Christ, […]
Liturgical Movement, The
A movement of liturgical renewal and reform, rooted in new discoveries concerning the Christian liturgical tradition and new insights into the experience of common worship. The liturgical movement was encouraged by new developments and insights in the fields of biblical studies, patristic studies, and ecumenism during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The liturgical movement emphasized […]
Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The
Feast that celebrates Jesus’ radical change of appearance while in the presence of Peter, James, and John, on a high mountain (Mt 17:1-8; Mk 9:2-8; Lk 9:28-36). The Gospel of Matthew records that “he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light.” At this moment […]
High Mass
This is a term used, mostly in Anglo-catholic parishes, to describe a celebration of the eucharist characterized by multiple ministers (a priest- or bishop-celebrant, deacon, “subdeacon,” acolytes, choir, and possibly others) and a rich ceremonial (incense, candles, processions, stylized movements and gestures), and a preference for singing rather than saying the various texts of the […]
Canon
The word is derived from the Greek kanon, a “measuring rod or rule.” It has several different meanings in the church. 1) [Scripture] The canon of scripture is the list of inspired books recognized by the church to constitute the Holy Scriptures. 2) [Church Law] Canons are the written rules that provide a code of […]
Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child
The BCP (p. 439) states that after the birth or adoption of a child, the parents and other family members should come to the church to be welcomed by the congregation and give thanks to God. It is desirable that this be done at a Sunday service. The BCP provides a form for A Thanksgiving […]
Ornaments Rubric, The
The common name for a rubric inserted in the 1559 BCP just before Morning Prayer: “And here is to be noted that the minister at the time of the communion, and at all other times in his ministration, shall use such ornaments in the church as were in use by authority of Parliament in the […]
Terce, Sext, None
Traditional monastic offices that were recited at 9 a.m., “the third hour” (terce), 12 noon, “the sixth hour” (sext), and 3 p.m., “the ninth hour” (none). These canonical hours of the breviary office were known as little hours or little offices. The early Christian church followed the Jewish custom of community prayers at sunrise and […]
Jubilee Morning Meditation
Leviticus 25:8-12 Luke 4:16-30 Note: Bishop Griswoldâs meditation was not delivered from a printed text. The following is the transcription of an audio tape. What Iâd like to do with you now is share some thoughts that I hope will stimulate your own reflection, and invite you, through those thoughts, to enter personally at a […]
God’s Ongoing and Enduring Drama of Love and Adventure, Ascension Day – 2012
They say that the sequel is never the equal. The movie that comes after the original to expand the story never lives up to the first one. And it is even worse in movies that come in threes; trilogies are the worst. Take the “Star Wars” movies, for example – the original “Star Wars” movies, […]
The Episcopal Church's opportunity: A Church for the 21st Century
Who are we, and who is here? I would invite you to reflect for a moment and remember what God has been saying to you for a very long time: you are my beloved, and in you I am well pleased. That is our primary identity – beloved siblings, created in the image of […]
Bible Study: Lent 2 (B) – 2012
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 All of the readings for today have a common theme of faith: God’s faithfulness to us and our response. Psalm 22:22-30 This psalm actually begins in lament with the familiar: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Then, it moves to today’s portion, which includes praise, worship, and finally a […]
Bow at the Name of Jesus, Holy Name Day – 2012
We know very little about Jesus’ childhood. There is nothing in Mark or John. From Matthew, we learn that an angel told Joseph to name Mary’s child “Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” This, he reports, they did, and then he relates the account of the Wisemen’s visitation, followed by the […]
Episcopal, ELCA Presiding Bishops issue World AIDS Day 2011 letter
Today Is Remembrance Sunday…, Proper 28 (A) – 2011
Today is Remembrance Sunday – the Sunday closest to November eleventh – the day World War I ended nearly a hundred years ago at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. In the United Kingdom and in many Commonwealth countries, Remembrance Sunday is kept with great solemnity as an […]
A message from the Episcopal Church Executive Council
Saint Mary Magdalene
The Collect: Rite I:Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by thy grace we may be healed of all our infirmities and know thee in the power of his endless life; who with thee and […]
Beauty and Power, Truth and Good: A 21st Century Quest for the Real
1 June 2011 Stanford University The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori Presiding Bishop and Primate The Episcopal Church Iâm going to start with a religious question â why are we here? I donât think weâre here looking for exactly what some of my classmates sought nearly 40 years ago. Once in a while when the […]
House of Bishops Daily Account for Sunday, March 27, 2011
The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church is meeting at the Kanuga Conference Center in North Carolina from March 25 to March 30. The following is an account of the activities for Sunday, March 27. Following a day of Sabbath, the House of Bishops gathered for a Moravian Service of Holy Communion in the […]