Saturday, June 6
Monday, June 1
Book of Common Prayer Celebrates 460th Birthday
This last Whitsunday/Pentecost marked the 460th birthday of the Book of Common Prayer; first penned in 1549 by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Traditional Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian prayer books have borrowed from the Book of Common Prayer, and the marriage and burial rites have found their way into those of other denominations and into the English language. Like the Authorized King James Bible and the works of Shakespeare, many words and phrases from the Book of Common Prayer have entered popular culture.
Five hundred years before the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s called for Catholic Mass to be said in the native language of its faithful, Thomas Cranmer translated the Bible and Holy Communion celebration so that the educated and uneducated alike could comprehend God's words.
The Thomas Cranmer explained why in the Book of Common Prayer's preface:
"And moreover, whereas s. Paule (St. Paul) would have suche language spoken to the people in the churche, as they mighte understande and have profite by hearyng the same; the service in this Churche of England (these many yeares) hath been read in Latin to the people, whiche they understoode not; so that they have heard with theyr eares onely; and their hartes, spirite, and minde, have not been edified thereby."
The Book of Common Prayer became one of the most influential works ever written in English, preceeding the King James Bible and the works of Shakespeare by six decades.
Monday, May 25
Apostolic Bible (Polyglot)
The Apostolic Bible Polyglot is to the Internet what the Gutenberg Bible was to printing.
The text of The Apostolic Bible Polyglot includes:
a 13 page Introduction,
a 1232 page numerically coded interlinear Greek-English Old Testament (LXX),
a numerically coded 372 page interlinear Greek-English New Testament,
an 88 page numerically coded English-Greek Index of The Apostolic Bible Polyglot,
and a 366 page numerically coded Lexical Concordance of The Apostolic Bible Polyglot.
Totaling 2112 pages. The numerical coding is called the ”AB-Strong Numbering System.” The AB-Strong numbering system follows the numbering system developed by James Strong in the 19th century and it has been adapted to The Apostolic Bible Polyglot Greek Old Testament (LXX) by the translator...
Video Seminars for each book (verse by verse, chapter by chapter-with the translator; Charles Van Der Pool)
Tuesday, May 19
Council of Nicea turns 1684 years old...
The first Council of Nicea convened in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day İznik in Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I on May the 20th, 1684 years ago...
The Council was historically significant as the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom.
Historically significant as the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom, the Council was the first occasion for the development of technical Christology. Through it a precedent was set for subsequent general councils to adopt creeds and canons. This council is generally considered the beginning of the period of the First seven Ecumenical Councils in the History of Christianity.
The agenda of the synod were:
1)The Arian question regarding the relationship between God the Father and Jesus; i.e. are the Father and Son one in purpose only or also one in being;
2)The date of celebration of the Paschal/Easter observation
3)The Meletian schism;
4)The validity of baptism by heretics;
5)The status of the lapsed in the persecution under Licinius.
Finally, the council promulgated twenty new church laws, called canons, (though the exact number is subject to debate), that is, unchanging rules of discipline. The twenty as listed in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers are as follows:
1. prohibition of self-castration; (see Origen)
2. establishment of a minimum term for catechumen;
3. prohibition of the presence in the house of a cleric of a younger woman who might bring him under suspicion;
4. ordination of a bishop in the presence of at least three provincial bishops and confirmation by the metropolitan;
5. provision for two provincial synods to be held annually;
6. exceptional authority acknowledged for the patriarchs of Alexandria and Rome, for their respective regions;
7. recognition of the honorary rights of the see of Jerusalem;
8. provision for agreement with the Novatianists;
9–14. provision for mild procedure against the lapsed during the persecution under Licinius;
15–16. prohibition of the removal of priests;
17. prohibition of usury among the clergy;
18. precedence of bishops and presbyters before deacons in receiving Holy Communion, the Eucharist;
19. declaration of the invalidity of baptism by Paulian heretics;
20. prohibition of kneeling during the liturgy, on Sundays and in the fifty days of Eastertide ("the pentecost"). Standing was the normative posture for prayer at this time, as it still is among the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics. (In time, Western Christianity adopted the term Pentecost to refer to the last Sunday of Eastertide, the fiftieth day.)
On July 25, 325, in conclusion, the fathers of the council celebrated the emperor's twentieth anniversary. In his valedictory address, Constantine again informed his hearers how averse he was to dogmatic controversy; he wanted the Church to live in harmony and peace. In a circular letter, he announced the accomplished unity of practice by the whole Church in the date of the celebration of Christian Passover (now called Easter).
The long-term effects of the Council of Nicaea were significant. For the first time, representatives of many of the bishops of the Church convened to agree on a doctrinal statement. Also for the first time, the Emperor played a role, by calling together the bishops under his authority, and using the power of the state to give the Council's orders effect.
In the short-term, however, the council did not completely solve the problems it was convened to discuss and a period of conflict and upheaval continued for some time. Constantine himself was succeeded by two Arian Emperors in the Eastern Empire: his son, Constantine II and Valens. Valens could not resolve the outstanding ecclesiastical issues, and unsuccessfully confronted St. Basil over the Nicene Creed.
Pagan powers within the Empire sought to maintain and at times re-establish Paganism into the seat of Emperor (see Arbogast and Julian the Apostate). Arians and the Meletians soon regained nearly all of the rights they had lost, and consequently, Arianism continued to spread and to cause division in the Church during the remainder of the fourth century. Almost immediately, Eusebius of Nicomedia, an Arian bishop and cousin to Constantine I, used his influence at court to sway Constantine's favor from the orthodox Nicene bishops to the Arians. Eustathius of Antioch was deposed and exiled in 330. Athanasius, who had succeeded Alexander as Bishop of Alexandria, was deposed by the First Synod of Tyre in 335 and Marcellus of Ancyra followed him in 336. Arius himself returned to Constantinople to be readmitted into the Church, but died shortly before he could be received. Constantine died the next year, after finally receiving baptism from Arian Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, and "with his passing the first round in the battle after the Council of Nicaea was ended."
Consecrated Phrases: A Latin Theological Dictionary : Latin Expressions Commonly Found in Theological Writings
Google Books is offering a limited preview of "Consecrated Phrases: A Latin Theological Dictionary : Latin Expressions Commonly Found in Theological Writings" by James T. Bretzke or more commonly know as 'Dictionary of Theological Latin'. They (google books) offer the first 49 pages or A-G on their site; great read for the cerebral minds or nerds alike...
Saturday, April 18
Orthodoxy comes to SMS by surprise...
This Saturday, the second session of the "Life in the Spirit" course, instead of the planned discussion of Pentecostal and Charismatic theology, during first two hours of our class, Lorraine instructed us regarding Orthodox spirituality. It was very informative and detailed. I'm sure she did not intend to run so long but by the time we had our first break it was already time for lunch... Awesome!
Here are some of the highlights...
Theology is steeped into the lives of all those in the Orthodox faith from the time they are born. Babies are not flawed, but one day they will indeed die, thru Baptism the child enters into death and then enters into it's new life with Christ, the child is given a new family (the Body of believers) and it is given a vocation.
Through fasting we are reminded that God sustains us not food. As humans we are controlled by our passions, our bodily means dominate our lives, thru fasting Christ helps us to be holy so that the Holy Spirit may work greater in our lives, for without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14) Fasting isn't a contest.
The 5 annual Fasts are:
Great Lent
(some start 2 weeks prior to Great Lent in the tradition of the monastics)
Holy Week Fast
Fast of the Apostles
Fast of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Fast of the Nativity
In Bible study God is speaking to us Jesus Himself is the Divine Word, we must listen with obediance and our studies should be Christ centered -looking for Christ on every page- Bible study is Christ speaking to me and I respond, as the "stories" of the the Bible include me. In prayer we enter our "inner room" (the heart) and by faith pray to God with intention, with tears, repentance and denial. Prayer should be a regular time, a special place and the hardest part -just get started-
The Jesus Prayer
"Κύριε Ιησού Χριστέ, Υιέ του Θεού, ελέησόν με τον αμαρτωλόν."
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Most High God, Have Mercy on me a sinner"
The Jesus Prayer is one of the most profound and mystical prayers and it is often repeated continually as a part of personal ascetic practice. The goal of the disciplines is to share in the transfiguration of Christ so that we may see Christ just as the Apostles did
We were also treated by Cn. Thelogian Fr. Glenn Davis presentation of his address for the CEC Theological Summit to be held next week in Orlando, Florida.
Question to be answered for next session:
-What is the difference between personal prophecy and divination?-
Monday, March 16
The First Book of Common Prayer- 1549
The First Book of Common Prayer- 1549
Enjoy!
(the table of contents picture is a clickable index)
God With Us: The Meaning of the Tabernacle by Frank Weston, D.D.
Our relation with the Christ as He is in all His members is not direct, but mediate, through the Holy Spirit who fills His manhood. And every attempt to over-emphasize the dwelling of Christas man within us is mistaken. He is not in us that we may perceive His manhood as it is His own; but that we may apprehend it as the temple and treasure-house in which the Spirit takes what is His to give to us, as the Spirit's instrument of ministry, as God's own means of dwelling in us. That this should prove to be the case is what any one might expect who meditates on the nature of humanity. It is conceivable that Christ's manhood is within me since God is in me, and where the Word is, there also is His manhood. It is not conceivable that His manhood is in me qua manhood; since qua manhood it is in heaven, at God's right hand. This does not mean that intimate communion with Christ within us is not to be encouraged. Nor does it mean that He is not personally in us. Nor does it conflict with the doctrine that Christ comes to us in communion, sacramentally, and abides in us independently of the sacramental elements. It does, however, mean that His presence within us is not primarily for this purpose of personal meeting in respect of His manhood. Primarily He is in us that the Blessed Trinity may be in us. S. Paul says, "Christ liveth in me." And the Christ says, "We will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Thus we "sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," and are, increasingly, being "filled with all the fulness of God."
Excerpts from A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE LORD'S SUPPER by THOMAS WILSON, D.D.
SECTION II
The end and Institution of the Lord's Supper.
ST. PAUL concludes his first Epistle to the Corinthians with this remarkable direction; "If any man love not the Lord Jesus, let him be Anathema, Maranatha:" that is, Let him be separated from your communion, as one under the displeasure of God, and, without a timely repentance, in no possibility of being saved: nothing being more grievous in the sight of God, than for a sinner to slight the greatest instance of His mercy that was ever offered to man, as well as the only means of his salvation.
To prevent this, and to hinder sinners from forgetting (which they are but too apt to do) this token of God's infinite love, and to fix the love of Jesus Christ more surely in our hearts and memory, He Himself hath taken care, that His [346] love and mercy should throughout all generations be remembered: He did therefore ordain this Sacrament as a memorial of our redemption, and of His love for us, as a pledge to assure us of it, and as an outward means and sign of testifying, as well as increasing, our love to Him.
The holy Apostles of Christ, who were present when He first administered this Sacrament, give us the following account of its institution:
They signify to us in the first place, that this Sacrament was ordained by Christ the same night in which He was betrayed; and after they had observed the Passover, which had been ordained to preserve the memory of their great deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, and which did prefigure, and was a prophecy of a much greater deliverance, which Jesus Christ was to be the Author of, not only for them, but for all mankind: and which prophecy was surprisingly fulfilled by that people, without knowing what they were doing [d], when they crucified Jesus Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, the very same month, the very same day of the month, and the very same hour of the day, that the Paschal Lamb was first ordained to be sacrificed.
Now, after the Paschal Supper, as the Apostles relate it, "Jesus Christ took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, Take, eat: this is My Body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. He took also the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of this; for this is My Blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins: this do, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as oft as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's death till He come."
In obedience therefore to this command of Jesus Christ, who has delivered us from a much greater bondage then that of Egypt, the Christian Church keeps up the memory of His love, His sacrifice, and His sufferings, and death, after this solemn manner:
First, as an acknowledgement that our lives, and all that we eat or drink to preserve them, are owing to the bounty of God, we present upon His table, by the hands of His own [347] Minister, a portion of His creatures, the best we have for the support and comfort of our natural life, namely, bread and wine. After this the bread and wine are consecrated, the bread is broken, and the wine poured out, to represent the death of Christ, whose body was broken, and whose blood was shed for us.
The Minister of God, as the steward of Christ's household, applies these blessings to every person who receives this Sacrament, in this devout prayer; "The Body and Blood of Christ, which were given and shed for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life."
And we may be assured of it, that this Sacrament will be to every worthy communicant, what the tree of life would have been unto Adam and Eve in Paradise; and that as they, had they continued obedient, would have been in no danger of temporal death; even so we, while we feed on this bread, now endued with a life-giving Spirit, and live as we ought to do, are in no danger of death eternal.
These being pledges to assure us, that as certainly as bread and wine do nourish our bodies, so do these seal to us all the benefits which Jesus Christ hath purchased for us by His sacrifice and death.
And when any Christian does wilfully, and for want of faith, deprive himself of this spiritual food, he falls, as our first parents did, into a state purely natural, and destitute of the means of grave and salvation.
For the happiness of the world, and of every soul in it, depends upon the sacrifice of Christ; of which we are bound to keep up the remembrance after this solemn manner: That, whenever we pray for any favour or blessing, we may remember to do it in His name: That, whenever we are so unhappy as to have done any thing which may displease God, we may remember to pray to be forgiven for Christ's sake.
For God grants whatever we ask, and which He sees to be for our good, when we ask in faith, that is, in His Son's name; and therefore the Church concludes all her prayers in these most prevailing words; for Jesus Christ's sake.
In one word; we do by this Sacrament keep up a continual correspondence with our Lord in Heaven; and hold communion with Him, and with all the members of His [348] Body, which receive nourishment and growth from Him, as the branches of the tree in which they are grafted, and from which when they are separated, they can bear no fruit, and are only fit to be burned.
And as every Christian is obliged, at the peril of his soul, to observe it, so the duty must be such, as every one, even the most unlearned, may understand, if it be not his own fault. And so indeed it is: for as an Israelite, under the Law (Levit. i. 4), being obliged to lay his hand upon the head of his sacrifice, confessing his sins, and laying them, as it were, upon that creature,--as he did easily understand that this was to shew him that death was the due reward of sin; that this ought to humble him before God, and to give him the greatest abhorrence of sin, which could not be pardoned but by the loss of the life of an innocent creature:--
As this was plain to the meanest Israelite, even so the most unlearned Christian, when he considers that our Lord Jesus Christ became a sacrifice for us, and that on Him all our sins were laid,--on Him who knew no sin;--he will easily understand how sad our condition was, which required such a sacrifice: that this therefore ought to humble us, to lead us to repentance, to make us fearful of offending God, and to abhor those sins which cost Jesus Christ His life, before God could be prevailed with to pardon them.
He will also easily understand, that the love of Christ, and the remembrance of His death, ought to be very dear to us; and that the oftener we remember it in the manner He ordained, the more graces we shall receive from God, the firmer will be our faith, the surer our pardon, and the more comfortable our hopes of meeting Him, not as an enemy but as a friend, at whose table we have been so often entertained.
from Project Cantebury
Monday, March 2
Free Audiobook of the Month -
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney
Donald Whitney's study, The Spiritual Disciplines in the Christian Life is also highly regarded by Evangelicals and Charismatics. This month only, christianaudio.com is offering an audio download of Whitney's book for free. You can download to your computer and listen on your mp3 device at no charge. Please take advantage of this excellent offer.
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