The gift of communion

Thanks to Scott Gunn for posting about this opportunity over at Seven Whole Days

If the efforts of a few people are successful, the Anglican Communion as we know it will not survive to the end of this year. From the right, there are puritan forces who wish to maintain a strict code of moral theology, expelling all those who disagree with their view. From the left, there are those, especially in the US, who believe that we should proceed with our prophetic purpose, regardless of its effects on other people in other cultures.

In other words, our very Communion is threatened.

Read the rest of the article and the statement here.

I think it's really important that the Anglican Communion exists. Being a band geek I think of much of life in terms of music. I see the Anglican communion like a band. Each province representing a difference section. Now sure each section can play on their own. There are tons of clarinet choirs and trumpet trios. But, only when they come together - all the parts as one - do they form a band. You can't have a band without the clarinets, or saxophones, or percussion. Just like you can't have the Anglican Communion without Nigeria, England, and the United States. It is our differences - our unique sounds - that allow us to come together and make beautiful music to our God.

Let us keep working together to maintain the beautiful music of our Anglican Communion, that we may continue to better serve each other and thus our God.

The Easter sermon of John Chrysostom

Are there any who are devout lovers of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!

Are there any who are grateful servants?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting?
Let them now receive their wages!

If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.
For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.

To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.
Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!

First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!
You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!

Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.
He destroyed Hell when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.

Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."
Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.

Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!

Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!


The Easter sermon of John Chrysostom (circa 400 AD)

Alleluia the Lord is Risen!

Alleluia, the Lord is Risen.
The Lord is Risen indeed, Alleluia!

So the Easter Vigil at Church was absolutely amazing! Plus after the service I could have coffee again, and there was cake! I can't think of a better way to celebrate Easter.

I hope to have some more thoughts on Easter later today. But, for now. HAPPY EASTER!

Good Friday

I've always had this particular idea about Good Friday. I've always thought that it is supposed to be this really sad day - I mean Christ is dead. I've always thought that when we read the passion Gospel and got to the point where the congregation says "Crucify him!" that I should get all chocked up. Heck I've always worn all (or mostly all) black to the Good Friday Liturgy. But, for the first time tonight I was told that we don't need to be sad. Tonight at Church I heard a sermon that stated something that should be so obvious. Now, I'll be honest a lot happened during the service and I don't remember much of the sermon. I think, however, that I heard what I needed to hear. Tonight we - the congregation - were asked if we were basically acting. If we were, last night, acting confused at what our teacher and friend was talking about. If we were, tonight, scared at what will happen next. Doing it as if pretending that we were experiencing it all for the first time. But, we shouldn't be doing that. We know what is going to happen. All anyone had to do tonight was flip a couple of pages in the Triduum bulletin and they would see the The Great Vigil of East our principle resurrection eucharist.

I can't remember where the sermon went from their unfortunately. But, I think we shouldn't be sad. There is something more, this isn't the end. We know that tomorrow night we will celebrate The Great Vigil of Easter we will say the "A-word" I will no longer have to observe my lenten fast and can have coffee again. So what does this mean for us? How should we remember Good Friday? Maybe I should of taken notes during the sermon so I would have something more to write. We shouldn't be sad. Yes, we should remember Christ's death. It is a very important part of the story. But, we must remember that there is more and at this time tomorrow I we be celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

So no more am I going to be all somber and depressed on Good Friday. I won't do some double speak, Orwellian trick to make it as if I have never experience the Triduum before. But, instead I will remember Christ's death and prepare to celebrate his resurrection.

I hope you all have had a wonderful Holy Week and Triduum thus far. Go to church tomorrow night and celebrate The Great Vigil of Easter. I feel confident in saying that no matter where you go it will be a wonderful service. They don't call it "great" for nothing.

p.s. If you are looking for a place to worship:
St. Paul's Pawtucket
Holy Saturday Liturgy of the Day - 9am
The Great Vigil of Easter - 7:30pm
Easter Sunday - 10:30am

Normal Sunday worship resumes on March 30th with services at 8am and 10:30am

Fish Eyes

I don't think I've written anything on here about this play I directed called Fish Eyes. Fish Eyes is a play about the story of Jesus' ministry as told through the eyes of Peter and Andrew. This past weekend was the performance, and I couldn't have been prouder of my two man cast. But, the play isn't about Doug, Dennis, and I. The play is about a message: a wonderful message.

Sometimes when we read the Gospels we just read them, we don't enter into relationship with them. We hear the same stories again and again and again, and after a while our imaginations stop working. This played allowed me to see the Gospels in a whole new way. Now when I hear the Gospels during church I close my eyes and I no longer hear the reader, but instead I see a scene from the play.

We are about to enter into the holiest time of the church year - Holy Week. A time where we will travel with Jesus into Jerusalem right up until his death and resurrection. I encourage you all to try to get to as many services as you can: to truly live out this time. I'm sure your church - or a church near you - is doing more services than you can count. Some will do as little as 5 others 11, 14, or even 16! As you sit in church or read scripture on your own, allow yourself to wonder what it would be like to be a part of one of - if not the - greatest events in history and not even know it. Allow yourself to feel the joy of entering into Jerusalem, the anger when he is arrested, to deny knowing him (cause we've all been there).

I don't know about the other people who been involved in the play, but personally I'm looking forward to Holy Week. To living out the scenes that we acted out in the play. To seeing myself walking into Jerusalem and standing with the crowd after His arrest. Thinking about the Gospels in new ways allows us to come to greater understanding of these stories and thus a greater understanding of Christ's ministry.