Author Archives: Matthew Griffin
About Matthew Griffin
I'm a priest serving in the Diocese of Niagara, with both a pastoral and an academic interest in the relationship between liturgy and theology. I enjoy reading, cooking, and spending time with my beloved and our young son.What Makes a Funeral
I’ve been at and part of funerals that have, in the midst of very real sorrow, made that hope and joy palpable—in singing, in brilliantly told stories and preached sermons, in music. While it’s clearly grace when it works, it’s also the dint of effort and a special alchemy of gifts coming together. And so I’m curious. What stories do you have to share about truly special funerals, when you felt that joy of the good news of Christ’s resurrection in the midst of the sorrow of those gathered? Was there some special moment that made you feel it? What helped that joy and hope to come alive for you? Continue reading
Learning through Difference (part 3)
In the third and final part of our series looking at differences between the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal Church in the United States, the Reverend Matthew Cadwell, rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Wakefield, MA, and doctoral student in theology at Trinity College, Toronto, writes in response to the question: What from Canadian practice do you find yourself missing in TEC, and why? Continue reading
Learning through Difference (part 2)
In the second part of our series, the Reverend Matthew Cadwell writes in response to the question: What do you like best about the liturgical way of being in the Anglican Church of Canada and in The Episcopal Church? Continue reading
Learning through Difference (part 1)
The Reverend Matthew Cadwell, rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Wakefield, MA, and doctoral student in theology at Trinity College, Toronto, writes in response to the question: What, in your impression, are the most significant differences in liturgical expression between the two provinces? Continue reading
Learning Through Difference (Introduction)
It’s when we visit other parishes in our own dioceses, or further afield, or when we experience the worship services of communities of other Christian denominations that we see what we have in common and what’s different. Visits can give us “eyes to see,” that help us to reflect on our own practice: allowing us to better celebrate what is good and to nurture what needs care.
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Praying and Thinking about the Eucharist
In the last couple of weeks, enjoyed a twelve-part series of devotionals looking at key moments of the Eucharist service. I’d love to hear what others think—how do these devotionals affect you? How does praying about what we do when we gather change how you experience worshipping at the eucharist? Continue reading
Reading the Bible in Church
As I think about the new Common English Bible translation, the most important question for me is, do I want to hear this version read aloud in Church Sunday by Sunday? Put another way: what would it be like to hear this version read in church from the lectern, and what advantages and disadvantages does this version have? Continue reading
Making a Splash
How can we best turn from the “gradual shrinkage of the font from river and bath to tiny bowl, as submersion in the life-giving waters was sanitized into the sprinkling of a few drops” to letting the symbols of baptism speak? Continue reading
Walking to Jerusalem
On Sunday morning, the question in our youth’s curiosity box was “Where was Joseph when Jesus was on the cross?” It’s a timely question: last Monday was the Holy Day of Saint Joseph of Nazareth, and this past Sunday was the beginning of Passiontide, for those using the calendar in the Book of Common Prayer. Our faces are set toward Jerusalem as we draw closer to the Triduum, the Great Three Days that are at the core of how we as Church remember and make present liturgically God’s saving acts. And yet, how we keep Lent continues to change and evolve. Continue reading
