Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Volume 1 tells us that, “Water is the element naturally used for cleansing the body, and its symbolical use entered into almost every cult, and into none more completely than the Jewish, whose ceremonial washings were proverbial.” The Dead Sea Scrolls also depict different kinds of baptism ritual as something practiced by much of Jewry. To this day in Judaism…
The next meeting of the Ascension Book Club is Wednesday, February 3, at 7:00 pm the Rectory parlor. Enter through the office/library from the Parish Hall. The February selection is Rascal by Sterling North. For those of you who want to get a head start on the selection for the March 3 meeting, the book is The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Along
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Our neighbors at First Presbyterian Church are celebrating their 300th anniversary the weekend of January 23-24. On Sunday, January 24 at 4 pm, they are hosting a lecture entitled “God in Gotham: Three Hundred Years of Changes to City and Church”, given by Dr. Kenneth T. Jackson, professor of History and Social Sciences at Columbia University. All are invited, and no doubt some of
Our next Forum on Theology & Science will take place on Sunday, January 10, 2016 after the 11 o’clock service. This session, Bios, will focus on the origins of life, and include some fascinating reflection on where God is in the emerging story. This is the third session of six led by Dr. Clay Williams, a computer scientist and theologian, whose expertise is in
Our Thursday evening bible study group starts again on January 7. We will discuss a new book throughout the Epiphany Season, The First Christmas, and is co-authored by John Dominick Crossan and Marcus Borg. It is lovely, accessible theology that beautifully expands how we define some of the words and images we’ve long cherished, and in ways that makes them even more significant in
O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” The meaning of the original word used by Luke to describe Elizabeth’s exclamation loses some of its impact in the modern English translation. “A loud cry”, according to scholars, should be understood to be an exaggerated loud cry – as if Elizabeth was using a megaphone!
Prelude Pieces Christmas Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Choral (from Hodie) Ralph Vaughan Williams (1892-1958) Good Christian friends, rejoice German Carol harm. Charles Winfred Douglas Alma redemptoris mater G. P. Palestrina (ca. 1525-1594) God rest you merry, gentlemen English Carol arr. David Willcocks The Star Carol Alfred S. Burt (1920-1954) Le sommeil de l’enfant Jésus French Carol Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella French Carol Ding dong!