Feast of the Name of Jesus (and Happy New Year)

Happy New Year to you on this Eighth Day. Once again, the Church Year reminds us that Jesus was born into a specific family situated in a specific culture on a specific day at a specific time in history. This so that He could be the Man for all men and born at [...]

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Our Closest Relative

I was at the Seattle zoo today with family and we saw the gorillas lounging in their enclosure. The sign next to the glass informed us that the gorilla is our closest non-human relative, humans having only split off three million years ago. And I wondered, as the gorilla in front of us [...]

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“Here is something that a man might be glad to believe”

Somehow or other, and with the best of intentions, we have shown the world the typical Christian in the likeness of a crashing and rather ill-natured bore–and this in the name of one who assuredly never bored a soul in those thirty-three years during which he passed through the world like a flame.Let us, in [...]

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Merry Christ-mass

Here’s a poem that was partly reproduced in the December First Things. The final stanza is especially fitting.
I pray that the joy of the Christ-child who became the man of sorrows and the resurrected and ascended Lord will be your peace this year and always.
Timotheos

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What is the Gospel?

The Gospel is not mission. The Gospel is not doing good works. The Gospel is not “meeting people where they’re at.” The Gospel is not worship. The Gospel is not fellowship. The Gospel is not friendship. The Gospel is not any number of things of which we’re accustomed to [...]

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O Antiphons V, VI, VII

O Dayspring, Splendor of Light Everlasting, Son of Righteousness: Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
O King of the Nations, the Ruler they long for, the Cornerstone uniting all people: Come and save humankind whom you formed out of clay.
O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of [...]

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“Rejoice Not When Your Enemy Falls”

It’s happened before and you can be sure it will happen again. Someone falling, that is. Ted Haggard and Paul Barnes are merely the latest. It causes the press to do all sorts of “soul” searching. (Frankly, I doubt the press is having any trouble deciding what’s right and wrong. [...]

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O Antiphons III & IV

O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the nations will do homage: Come to deliver us, and delay not.
O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, you open and no one can close, you close and no one can open: [...]

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The “O” Antiphons

Dating from at least the 8th Century, the “O,” or “Great,” Antiphons were used with the Magnificat at Evening Prayer on the seven days prior to Christmas. (They also form the basis for the hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”) Since I missed the first one yesterday, here are the first two:
O Wisdom, [...]

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Christmas Music

As far from the banality of Christmas Muzak as one gets, I recommend some good Christmas music to have on hand. I’ve done this previously, but I’ve got some new ones to add.
Good Christmas music cds are few and far between so get these!
1. Over the Rhine, The Darkest Night of the Year
2. Bruce [...]

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