A Prayer of St. Nikolai Velimirovic for one’s enemies Continue reading “A Prayer for Enemies”
Category: Christianity generally
Orthopathos, poppers and consumerism
Any church whose worship experience can be replicated with poppers is in trouble. Continue reading “Orthopathos, poppers and consumerism”
The Gospel in Chairs
Steve Robinson tells the Gospel with two chairs as props. Actually, he tells two versions. Continue reading “The Gospel in Chairs”
“Fundamentalism”
I more or less interchangeably refer to myself, in this blog and elsewhere, as having grown up “evangelical” or “fundamentalist.” But I don’t know if I’ve ever paused to try to describe what I mean, let alone make a focused effort at that. Continue reading ““Fundamentalism””
The Ehrman Project
Bart Ehrman, currently the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, seems to have a way of getting under people’s skin. Continue reading “The Ehrman Project”
The Summons of the Star
Father Jonathan Tobias at the Second Terrace blog appears to appreciate Auden’s For the Time Being, too. Here, he quotes and comments on passages that I savored, but that I don’t think I passed along or commented on earlier this Nativity season: Continue reading “The Summons of the Star”
Simeon
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, musings of the Righteous Simeon, who held the Christ child at the temple and then prayed the Nunc Dimitis: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the gentiles, and the glory of Thy people, Israel. Continue reading “Simeon”
Inflict Thy promises …
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, excerpts from further into the poem than prior days’ excerpts:
The Star and the Wise Men
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, excerpts from a section on The Nativity Star and the Three Wise Men: Continue reading “The Star and the Wise Men”
Annunciation
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, excerpts from a section on the Annunciation. This is not a hack writing sentimental doggerel; the poetry deeply probes this foundational mystery of the Faith, and the indispensable role a young Jewish maiden, with terror and rejoicing, played in our redemption.
