stpaulsdayton

[stpaulsdayton]

JOHN EVANGELIST: Master, what is holiness? Is it just to keep the Commandments and say the right prayers, and do the right things, and pay the proper dues, as the priests tell us? Or is it something quite different? The preaching of John Baptist has troubled our hearts, and the great prophets have terrified us with their thunderings against sin. We are disheartened, because nothing we do seems to be any good, and the righteous God is so great and terrible and far away. How can we rise so far above ourselves? What sort of heroic thing is holiness?

JESUS: The priests are right, and the prophets are right too. I haven’t come to take away the Law, but to show you how to keep it. This is holiness—to love, and be ruled by love; for love can do no wrong.

JOHN EVANGELIST: As simple as all that?

JESUS: So simple that a child can understand it. So simple that only children really can understand it.

ANDREW: But what has all this to do with the coming of the Kingdom?

JESUS: It is the Kingdom. Wherever there is love, there is the Kingdom of God.

(Excerpt from The Man Born To Be King, Episode 2, “The King’s Herald”, by Dorothy L. Sayers)

#dorothy l sayers #jesus #jesus christ #radio drama #bbc #holiness #kingdom of god #ubi caritas

[stpaulsdayton]

Make no mistake: if he rose at all It was as His body; If the cell’s dissolution did not reverse, the molecule reknit, The amino acids rekindle, The Church will fall.

It was not as the flowers, Each soft spring recurrent; It was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled eyes of the Eleven apostles; It was as His flesh; ours.

The same hinged thumbs and toes The same valved heart That—pierced—died, withered, paused, and then regathered Out of enduring Might New strength to enclose.

Let us not mock God with metaphor, Analogy, sidestepping, transcendence, Making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the faded Credulity of earlier ages: Let us walk through the door.

The stone is rolled back, not papier-mache, Not a stone in a story, But the vast rock of materiality that in the slow grinding of Time will eclipse for each of us The wide light of day.

And if we have an angel at the tomb, Make it a real angel, Weighty with Max Planck’s quanta, vivid with hair, opaque in The dawn light, robed in real linen Spun on a definite loom.

Let us not seek to make it less monstrous, For our own convenience, our own sense of beauty, Lest, awakened in one unthinkable hour, we are embarrassed By the miracle, And crushed by remonstrance.

John Updike, Seven Stanzas at Easter

#christianity #resurrection #easter #christian theology #john updike

[stpaulsdayton]

Being queer and a Christian is often very difficult. I experience alienation from both sides. Often these two parts of myself feel impossible to reconcile. But, I want to share something beautiful that my priest does that nearly makes me weep every time. The Orthodox Church is not known for its inclusivity or progressiveness. It is ancient and its gears turn slowly. During Holy Communion, those who are not confirmed members of the Church may come forward for a blessing. The blessing is done by gender.

"The servant of God [Name] is blessed..." for men,

"The handmaid of God [Name] is blessed..." for women.

The first time I went up for a blessing, I was hesitant. My gender is no secret and I do not try to hide my queerness. Which blessing would I receive? With sadness, I concluded the priest would do what was simplest and default to my assigned gender.

I stood before him and bowed my head, arms crossed over my (noticeably growing) chest. He raised the golden chalice over my head and lovingly said:

"The beloved of God Quinn is blessed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen "

He has done this ever since and with this simple action, preaches one of the main, if oft forgotten pillars of Orthodoxy: It does not matter who you are, what pronouns you use, what colour your hair is, what clothes you wear, what mistakes you've made, what trials you have overcome, where you came from or where you are. You are beloved of God just as you are. You are created in the Image of God and are a sacred vessel of beauty, and there is a place for you here.

This is true inclusivity. Not the white liberal veneer placed on so many churches where the cishet, boomer congregation pats themselves on the back for the rainbow flag outside while actively misgendering the trans person sitting in the pew. My priest has not given any big speeches talking about how everyone is loved here. He doesn't have to. His genuine kindness and that of my fellow parishioners are the only sermon marginalised people need to hear. In these moments, the two parts of myself become one and I truly believe that the God I love delights in me.

#christianity #authenticity #inclusivity #queer christian #orthodox christianity #blessings #blessing

[stpaulsdayton]

“Great virtues are rare; the occasions for them are very rare; and when they do occur, we are prepared for them, we are excited by the grandeur of the sacrifice, we are supported either by the splendor of the deed in the eyes of the world, or by the self-complacency that we experience from the performance of an uncommon action. Little things are unforeseen; they return every moment; they come in contact with our pride, our indolence, our haughtiness, our readiness to take offence; they contradict our inclinations perpetually. We would much rather make certain great sacrifices to God, however violent and painful they might be, upon condition that we should be rewarded by liberty to follow our own desires and habits in the details of life. It is, however, only by fidelity in little things, that a true and constant love to God can be distinguished from a passing fervor of spirit… True love to God thinks nothing small. All that can please or displease him is great.”

François Fénelon, Reflections and Meditations Selected from the Writings of Fenelon, 1864

#christianity #virtue #sacrifice #pride

[stpaulsdayton]

Join St Paul’s Episcopal Church this Saturday, April 13, 2024 for Irish Spring, a festival of live music and folk dance, from 6 to 10pm in the Parish Hall. There will be Irish Ceili dancing called by instructor Anna Bumiller (anyone can learn!) and traditional Irish food featuring Irish beer, corned beef, cabbage and potatoes, and Guinness brownies.

The festival atmosphere will be made complete with a performance from Jameson's Folly - a family band that wows every crowd with intense bagpipe solos, fiery fiddle licks, irresistible harmonies and the promise that you will be tapping your toes, clapping your hands, and dancing the night away!

Admission is free! Proceeds from food and drink sales will support our Community Outreach Program.

#episcopal #episcopalian #anglican #daytonohio #dayton #irish dance #irish music #bagpipes #ceili #corned beef

[stpaulsdayton]

"Come, then! Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord! You the first and you the last, receive alike your reward. You rich and you poor, dance together. You with self-control and you who are weak, celebrate this day. You who have kept fast and you who have not, rejoice today. The table is richly laden: enjoy its royal banquet. The calf is fatted, let no one leave hungry."

- Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom

#easter sunday #easter #episcopal #episcopalian #anglican #joy

[stpaulsdayton]

The Collect for Easter Sunday

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Join us for Holy Eucharist on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024 at 10 am.

#episcopal #episcopalian #anglican #christianity #easter #easter sunday #book of common prayer #resurrection

[stpaulsdayton]

Come and meet our new bishop and celebrate the Episcopal Church in the Miami Valley! 

Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 4pm. St George’s Episcopal Church, 5520 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton OH 45429

We will begin with choral evensong followed by a reception to hear Bishop White’s thoughts about mission strategy, engage in conversation with Bishop White and others, and connect with congregations in our region.

#episcopal #episcopalian #anglican #daytonohio #dayton #choral evensong #southern ohio

[stpaulsdayton]

The Collect for Palm Sunday

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Join us for Palm Sunday Holy Eucharist on March 24, 2024 at 10 am. The service begins with a procession around the church.

#palm sunday #holy week #lent 2024 #episcopal #episcopalian #anglican #daytonohio #dayton #book of common prayer

[stpaulsdayton]

“Each soul in the pews, regardless of age, is a child incapable of fully grasping what is going on around us. Each of us is being told a story that we cannot understand, and that nevertheless shapes us: week after week, Sunday after Sunday, year after year.”

Rev. Barbara White

“Thanks be to God; the measure of worship is not emotional or intellectual status of the worshiper. Worship should not be considered a product for which we are paying with our time and presence, but as a sacrifice which we humbly, meekly, and reverently offer unto God. We are not meant to get something out of the service, but to give ourselves to God, and to let him do the rest. The only “goal” for worship is to bring ourselves — our souls and bodies — regardless of how we feel or how our minds might wander — and to genuinely and sincerely offer them up to God. In doing so we remember in our bodies, even if we do not remember in our heads and hearts, that none of us truly belong to ourselves.”

Rev. Barbara White, associate rector, St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church, Louisville, KY, USA

[stpaulsdayton]

“Thanks be to God; the measure of worship is not emotional or intellectual status of the worshiper. Worship should not be considered a product for which we are paying with our time and presence, but as a sacrifice which we humbly, meekly, and reverently offer unto God. We are not meant to get something out of the service, but to give ourselves to God, and to let him do the rest. The only “goal” for worship is to bring ourselves — our souls and bodies — regardless of how we feel or how our minds might wander — and to genuinely and sincerely offer them up to God. In doing so we remember in our bodies, even if we do not remember in our heads and hearts, that none of us truly belong to ourselves.”

Rev. Barbara White, associate rector, St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church, Louisville, KY, USA

#episcopal #episcopalian #anglican #christianity #worship #liturgy

[stpaulsdayton]

Me too!

I love being Anglican.

#anglican #episcopal #episcopalian #daytonohio #dayton

[stpaulsdayton]

Join us on Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024, at 12:15pm in the main church for a Bach in the Subways performance featuring our own music director, Cara Geerlings, on piano and the pipe organ. The concert will feature the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, born March 21, 1685, and is part of an international effort to bring live classical music to the public. The Bach in the Subways event has taken place annually between March 21 - 31 since its inception in 2010. All Bach in the Subways performances, including the one at St. Paul's, are completely free and open to all. 33 West Dixon Ave., Oakwood Ohio 45419.

#js bach #j s bach #bach in the subways #concert #free concert #classical music #public art #organ music #pipe organ #episcopal #episcopalian #anglican #daytonohio #dayton

[stpaulsdayton]

Nowhere in the New Testament, in fact, is Christianity presented as a cult or as a religion. Religion is needed where there is a wall of separation between God and man. But Christ who is both God and man has broken down the wall between man and God. He has inaugurated a new life, not a new religion.

It was this freedom of the early church from "religion" in the usual, traditional sense of this word that led the pagans to accuse Christians of atheism. Christians had no concern for any sacred geography, no temples, no cult that could be recognized as such by the generations fed with the solemnities of the mystery cults. There was no specific religious interest in the places where Jesus had lived. There were no pilgrimages. The old religion had its thousand sacred places and temples: for the Christians all this was past and gone. There was no need for temples built of stone: Christ's body, the Church itself, the new people gathered in Him, was the only real temple. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. . ." (Jn. 2:19).

The Church itself was the new and heavenly Jerusalem: the Church in Jerusalem was by contrast unimportant. The fact that Christ comes and is present was far more significant than the places where He had been. The historical reality of Christ was of course the undisputed ground of the early Christians' faith: yet they did not so much remember Him as know He was with them. And in Him was the end of "religion," because He Himself was the Answer to all religion, to all human hunger for God, because in Him the life that was lost by man -- and which could only be symbolized, signified, asked for in religion -- was restored to man.

--Rev. Dr. Alexander Schmemann: For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy

#early church #christianity

[stpaulsdayton]

“When Christianity says that God loves man, it means that God loves man: not that He has some ‘disinterested,’ because really indifferent, concern for our welfare, but that, in awful and surprising truth, we are the objects of His love. You asked for a loving God: you have one. The great spirit you so lightly invoked, the ‘lord of terrible aspect,’ is present: not a senile benevolence that drowsily wishes you to be happy in your own way, not the cold philanthropy of a conscientious magistrate, nor the care of a host who feels responsible for the comfort of his guests, but the consuming fire Himself, the Love that made worlds, persistent as the artists’ love for his work and despotic as a man’s love for a dog, provident and venerable a father’s love for a child, jealous, inexorable, exacting as love between the sexes."

C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

#c.s. lewis #christianity #episcopal #episcopalian #anglican #loving god

[stpaulsdayton]

Breaking news: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again!

#episcopal #episcopalian #anglican #christianity #jesus #liturgy

[stpaulsdayton]

I don't give a shit as long as those in need benefit

#christianity