In Luke, Jesus begins life like an ox, in an ox’s manger, bringing good news for the poor. He bears burdens and brings prosperity.
The Deep Compassion of Jesus
The compassion of Jesus runs deep: it is deeply felt in his body and deeply present in his ministry and his teaching. We can observe and imitate the consistent structure of Jesus’ compassion, learning how compassion can move us from vision to action. Most of all, we should rest in Jesus’ deep compassion for us….
Saint Thomas Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Sunday after Easter is also called “Saint Thomas Sunday.” This Sunday, we read the story of the apostle Thomas, his doubts about the news of the resurrection, and his confession of faith when Jesus showed him his wounds. It is a day to acknowledge skepticism and celebrate belief. Most importantly, Saint Thomas Sunday is…
The Decalogue: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Decalogue is a responsive paraphrase of the Ten Commandments, used (sometimes) in the Sunday Communion service. Each commandment is recited by the priest and is followed by a congregational response. For example, here is the first commandment: God spoke these words and said: I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other…
The Book of Wisdom: Divine Intelligence or AI?
This is the fifth part of Dr. Noll’s series, “Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.” Many Anglicans greet the season of Advent with the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” the second verse of which says: O Come, thou Wisdom from on high, Who orderest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And…
The Book of Judith, the Jewish People, and the Advent of the Messiah
This is the fourth part of Dr. Noll’s series, “Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.” The Daily Office readings for November (BCP page 760) insert ten days of readings from The Book of Judith, from the Apocrypha. This book picks up themes from the Books of Maccabees, which I reviewed earlier, and adds some gender balance…
The Liturgical Home: The Feast of St. Simon & St. Jude
As the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude approaches on October 28th, the Church anticipates a unique celebration that honors not one but two remarkable saints and apostles. The Church commemorates them together due to ancient Christian traditions and writings that suggest their collaboration in spreading the Gospel and a shared martyrdom in distant…
Let Us Now Praise Famous (and Unfamous) Men: The Wisdom of Sirach
This is the third part of Dr. Noll’s series, “Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.” “Let us now praise famous men” is the best-known phrase from the entire Apocrypha. In the 20th century, it was used as the title of a photo narrative of poverty in Appalachia by James Agee and Walker Evans and a patriotic…
Was St. Paul an Anglican?
As an Anglican, I’ve always been fascinated with the familiar rapport between the Apostle Paul and his understudy, Timothy. Their friendship and partnership, forged through correspondence and cooperative missionary efforts, are familiar to me, as they are to most Anglican Christians. My title question, “Was St. Paul an Anglican?” is tongue-in-cheek, of course. But I…
Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha: 1 & 2 Maccabees
This is the second part of Dr. Noll’s series, “Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.” In my introductory article, “What is the Apocrypha and Why Should You Read It?” I suggested one practical reason for Anglicans to do so is that the Prayer Book lectionary prescribes selections from the Apocrypha. Now I’d like to up the ante…
