I am probably not the person to ask this question. I have an instant gut-level dislike for what I call Cookbook Spirituality. Are there devotional practices that can help a Christian grow in their spirituality. I believe that there are. But I caution people, just following some practice does not necessarily mean that you will […]
Tag Archives: #FatherKnowsBest
In the Anglican prayer book, at Communion, when the priest breaks the bread, there are two Fraction statements that the Celebrant can choose from (BCP p.118). Can you explain why you prefer one over the other?
There is an old saying that I learned in seminary. Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi. It is Latin and it means “What we say, we believe. Our Prayer Book is an excellent example of that old saying. If you want to find out what Anglicans believe, all you have to do is study the prayer book. […]
This Sunday begins Advent. Do you have any advice for me as a Christian as I prepare for Christmas.
Advent is the season of waiting. It is about looking with anticipation for the coming of Christ. Primarily, that means His second coming before the Last Day. But it is also useful to exercise our patience as we await His “coming” at Christmas. We are not good at waiting. We want to get what we […]
What is the Apocrypha and should it be read and believed?
King Henry VIII established the basic tenets of the faith of Anglicans and published the 39 Articles of the Faith in the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549. In the 39 Articles is spelled out the books of the Bible that are considered Canonical. To be Canonical means that these books are considered authoritative […]
In the book of John chapter 15 it says we should go and bear fruit. What would one consider to be good fruit?
We talked a little bit about this last week. So let me go on a little more. John 15 is the chapter where John records Jesus’ telling his disciples that “I am the vine and you are the branches.” He goes on to say that God the Father is the Vine dresser. Now, what I […]
What would spiritual productivity look like in our life?
I suppose that temporal productivity would be to produce things of value to the temporal world. It follows then that spiritual productivity would be to produce things that are of value in the spiritual world. So, to be temporally productive might mean that we make rope and tea cups and gold rings and antibiotics and […]
What is the difference between All Souls and All Saints days in the church; are they the same?
Great question, but I want to add one more thing to it, All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. They are all three related. They are also confused. Some of the confusion has to do with language. We have a combination Greek, Latin, English and German words that makes for difficulty. As I noted above, Halloween is […]
My friend asked me how can you believe in and love a man you have never met or seen; she was talking about Jesus. How do I answer that?
At first glance it does seem strange that we should fall in love with Jesus about whom we really know so little. But then again it is not at all unusual for relationships to form by being penpals. There is indeed a modern day scam wherein people meet by text message or by email and […]
What is the bible talking about when it says we should “abide in Christ”?
The verse that I thought of first is this one: John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. The dictionary uses quite a few words to define the meaning of abide. They include: to […]
God answered my prayer, so what should I do in order to show that I am thankful?
May I suggest that your heart will lead you. I find that actions follow attitude pretty reliably. If God has answered your prayer, then apparently you cared enough about something to pray about it. I hope that, in the end, you asked that God would bring about whatever He thought best in the situation. I […]