Liturgy
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Epiklesis
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6 min read
The epiklesis is the magic moment of the Great Thanksgiving. It is the great crescendo of the service of Holy Eucharist. It is the “shhh, everybody, shh! Here it is!” moment of the preparation of the table for communion. The prayer, which begins in a great gathering, tells of the great story, and reminds us…
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Words of Institution
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5 min read
The Eucharistic Prayer begins with the Sursum Corda, a conversation between the presider and the people. The Lord be with you! And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give him thanks and praise. This is…
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Peace
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7 min read
I’m not sure there is a more foundational element to the Christian faith than peace. We want peace, we crave peace. Peace to us is safety and security. It is silence and quiet. It is solitude in chaos. It is the sound of birds chirping and streams bubbling when we are resting in the grass.…
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Absolution
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7 min read
For some churches, it’s all about sin. For others, it’s all about that grace. And for still others, there is the regular insistence that we don’t talk about one without the other. We don’t talk about Good Friday without Easter. It makes a certain sense, doesn’t it? that we so often tend to focus on the…
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Children
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6 min read
Any conversation about children in church must begin with children. I say this knowing that it is rarely the case. Much more likely that we begin with how adults handle children or what adults want for their children or what adults can have without children present. I know that this is a touchy subject. But…