Liturgy
Worship happens when we respond to God’s grace together; liturgy is about organizing the response. From sights and colours to sounds and tones, from smells to touch to taste, and yes, in words, too, we plan the moments we come together for worship. How can we best grow in offering every one of God’s gifts back to God?
Moving Advent Wreaths to the Corner?
We Canadian Anglicans have a tortured relationship with Advent wreaths: they`re widely used, but little loved by our official liturgical practice. There are some good reasons for that, but it makes it hard to plan how to use them well. What role will Advent wreaths have in your church community this coming new year ? Continue reading
Scary Music for God’s glory
Maybe the spookiest piece of music ever written is Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor–perfect for Halloween and for Church! What music do you find scary and inspiring for tonight? Continue reading
Giving thanks
Anne Lamott has written in many places that she thinks that the two best prayers she knows are: “Help me, help me, help me,” and “thank you, thank you, thank you.” How are you praying the second one in your communities this year? Continue reading
“the Lord will raise them up”: Healing and the Church
“Healing takes us beyond ourselves. Healing draws us into the life of God. The work of salvation wrought in the Incarnation of our Lord is the work of healing. Healing is… how we partake of the divine life in this world.” What are your experiences of the healing liturgies of the church? Continue reading
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
