Using African American Spirituals in Worship (original) (raw)
THE LITURGICAL CALENDAR OF THE ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCH
The Liturgical Calendar for the Year 2014-15, published by the Diocese of Ahmedabad, with Seven Seasons of Year begins from Koodhosh-Etho, instead of twelve months, with Lectionary and all other worshiping details Calendar details: Like the seven liturgical hours per day such as 6 pm: Evening, 9 pm: Compline (daily retirement for sleep), 12 am: Midnight, 6 am: Morning, 9 am: 3rd Hour/Before daily work begins, 12 pm: Noon and 3 pm: 9th Hour/end of daily work. However, for convenience of community worship, the 9th hour of the previous day along with evening and compline complied together as evening prayer and likewise the night, morning, 3rd hour and noon are compiled in the morning prayer; and seven days per week (Sunday to Saturday). The liturgical year is also divided into seven seasons or periods. Each period of an year, each day of a week and each hour of a day has some commonality in their theme! The seven seasons/periods mainly are: Season of Annunciation: It starts from Koodhosh-Etho to Eldho (the Feast of Nativity of our Lord)/Sunday/Evening: refers the time from the start of Creation till to the birth of our Lord; covers the entire Old Testament. Season of Epiphany: Eldho to the beginning of the Great-lent/ Monday/ Compline (before bed): refers the time from the birth of our Lord till to His Public Ministry; covers 30 years in the life of our Lord. Season of Great Lent: Great-lent/Tuesday/Night: the time of His Public Ministry; refers around the three and a half years that He ministered many those who believed in Him. Season of Resurrection: Feast of Resurrection to the Feast of Pentecost/ Wednesday/Morning: refers the time that our Loud being with us as Resurrected Being and Presence; covers the forty days till His ascension and the ten days that the Apostles and believers awaited for the Holy Spirit. Season of Pentecost: Pentecost to the Feast of Transfiguration (August 6)/ Thursday/7 am: refers the time of the growth of the Church through the propagation of the Gospel by the Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs and holy Fathers, Doctors and departed of the Church. Season of Transfiguration: From August 6 to the Feast of exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14)/Friday/Noon: refers the assurance in Him and believe those who suffered for the Kingdom of God will be glorified. Season of Holy Cross: From September 14th to the next Koodhosh-Etho/ Saturday/3 pm: refers the Futuristic. It is arranged in such a way by the Fathers to lead us in a meaningful Christ centered spiritual life and for personal meditation that in every year we begin from the beginning of creation of the World to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, then we grow with Him, becoming disciples, follow Him in His Public Ministry like His suffering, death, resurrection, ascending into heaven, descending of the Holy Spirit, growth of the Church and finally looking forward the last judgment and second-coming. The same pattern and sequence can be seen both in meditation theme of each day in a week and also in each canonical hour of a day. While Sunday, being the first day according to the creation account of the Holy Scripture, represents the binging of Creation, when we reach Saturday being the seventh day, represents Sabbath, a day of rest and hence the Church remembers all the departed souls on Saturday! Likewise, while the evening time represents the start of Creation, the 9th hour, the last canonical hour of each day, represents the Resurrection of the dead in Christ. This spiritual rhythm and harmony is seen in every aspect of the liturgical life of the Church.
Psalm 118: Palm Sunday Reflection (April 13, 2019)
I like to choose what I believe is the most complicated reading of the Liturgical Calendar readings, because it is the Spiritual Leader's responsibility to teach, so that people can connect better with God. I also believe the most complicated reading can be the one we believe we know by heart... Let us allow the Word of God transform our lives again and again.
How Jesus Fulfils the Promise of the Old Testament in The New Testament
THIS I BELIEVE: Summarising my Christian belief through statements
In this short volume author, pastoral theologian John Douglas offers a set of summaries of Christian beliefs. The written text arises from a combination of two learning-experiences. The first over a definite time period; and the other his Christian pilgrimage up to 1991. The former represents his two years spent at Denver Seminary completing a Master’s degree in Christian education and theology. He states; “In 1989, having chosen to devote the time to study, soon discovered my pursuit of learning required taking classes in graduate level systematic theology. Theology has long been one of the loves of my life. My first recollections of theology arise from the vivid memories of Bible classes, the systematic preaching of my former and formative pastors and the focused love from teaching in classes at Te Nikau BTC since 1976. To me theology has been ‘The contemporary application of our Christian belief or doctrine’. It is the nature of God and eternal truth speaking into the present world. Theology of necessity is communicable and practical faith.” A course requirement of the five systematic theology classes taken in seminary was to write one’s belief in plain English. These pages are those statements, plus some revisiting. Another requirement of the original writing task was to identify the view of doctrine that one would consider the greatest erosive threat to your position. Then having identified the specific view; enunciate the basic reason why this should be so. He has left those paragraphs in the work. Douglas also notes; “This treatment is not an aimed personal attack towards others, but provides an example in knowing why one does not believe some things.”