Palm/Passion Sunday: 1 April 2012

“To preach or not to preach. That is the question.” 

In your humble blogger’s mind, Palm/Passion Sunday is a day that practically begs for no homily at all. Consider for a moment the sheer heft of the liturgy up until the point where the Homily would take place: 

"I love to tell the story..."

In a little more than a week, Christians throughout the western world will begin our annual recounting of the central narratives of our faith. From the reading of the entire passion narrative on Palm/Passion Sunday, through the retelling of the events of the Upper Room and Golgotha on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and culminating in the many readings of the Paschal Vigil, it is never clearer that holy story lies at the heart of the Christian faith.

Fifth Sunday in Lent: 25 March 2012

As our “Lenten marathon” nears the home stretch, we are drawn deeper and deeper in the mystery of God’s economy: the interplay of sin and salvation, shame and glory, justice and grace, death and life eternal, the prince of this world and the King of Kings.

"...And now for something completely different."

Normally, Liturgy is a journal which concerns itself with the broad theological issues of the day, rather than the seasonal themes of the church’s yearly cycle of fasts and feasts. However, in 2003, readers of Liturgy were treated to two issues containing reflections upon the readings, liturgies and themes of the two great cycles: Advent-Christmas-Epiphany and Lent-Easter-Pentecost, along with actual liturgies for the seasons and suggestions for readings for Daily Prayer. The Lent-Easter-Pentecost issue was a rich banquet of resources for liturgical planners and leaders.

Fourth Sunday in Lent, 18 March 2012

It all started at the 1977 NBA finals. A man named Rollen Stewart donned a rainbow-colored fright wig, positioned himself where the television cameras would be sure to point, and held up a sign that said “John 3:16”. The rest, as Henry Ford would say, is bunk.

Private and Public Faith

Many aspects of the christian life have a tendency to drift toward internalization and spiritualization and away from the essentially public nature of our faith. The season of Lent is no exception. Increased attention to the spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, contemplation, study of scripture, reception of Communion, etc.) is, of course, a part of the observance of a holy Lent, but it is only one part. Often neglected is the other part of the observance: devotion to Works of Mercy.

Third Sunday in Lent: 3 March 2012

It is not surprising that the cross should have gone out of fashion in recent years. When the power elites of the world cease to be the only voices heard, and the oppressed and marginalized begin to tell their tales, one of the most striking is the way in which the suffering of Christ has been and continues to be used to excuse and to justify all manner of violence and abuse.

In the Lent 2009 issue of Homily Service, Amy P. McCullough acknowledges the church’s history of the exploitative interpretation of this week’s epistle lesson (I Corinthians 1: 18-25) and offers a glimpse of a new interpretation that treats human suffering as the evil it is.

"Remember you are dust, and to dush you shall return."

The final article in the current issue of Liturgy concerns itself with a topic which is particularly suited to Lenten reflection: christian funeral and burial practices. Benjamin M. Stewart introduces readers to the recent emergence of the natural burial movement in the industrialized west, and the depth of its liturgical possibilities within a christian context.