Author Archives: ginny

Past Is Future

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This is interesting, as Holy Innocents is pretty “high” on the liturgical scale of things (for this part of the country, anyway):

Choosing the “high church” or Anglo-Catholic format for the new service also was deliberate. Hawkins said several studies had shown that the post-Gen X group, known as the “baby busters,” is attracted to high ceremonial worship as a reaction against the casual style of services preferred by their baby boomer parents.

“There is a critical mass of younger persons who are drawn to more formal styles of work,” said Hawkins. “As a liturgical church, it’s easy for us to do that, so we’re drawing upon a part of our tradition that was not drawn upon previously.” — Episcopal Life

Even more interestingly, they use a trial version of the Eucharistic liturgy. There are a couple of nice pictures on the page as well.

This topic was raised earlier today in a workshop attended by several members of the Bishop’s Committee.

Fifth Sunday of Easter

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The readings for next Sunday, April 24th: Fifth Sunday of Easter

They include this well-known Gospel text:

John 14:1-14

Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

Love Is Come Again

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The choir is working on a special piece for this Sunday: a modern arrangement of an old hymn, “Now The Green Blade Rises.” With any luck we’ll have some special accompaniment, too. It’s a wonderful piece to sing and the words are worth a closer look:

Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain,
Wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

In the grave they laid him, love whom men had slain,
Thinking that never he would wake again.
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green,

Forth he came at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain.
Quick from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Thy touch can call us back to life again;
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.