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jenkJim Walsh: "Religion is personal but not private." Religion invites God into the world to change us and how we interact with the world. There's a reason the after-communion prayers all include something about being sent out to interact with others.
Ann's standard joke: "God arranged for me to be paid to be in church each Sunday because I don't have the sense to go otherwise."
Janet was told during a retreat before her ordination: "God has called you to ordination because God doesn't trust you to be laypeople."
Ideally Christianity is a balance between faith and practice. One of the divides at the Reformation was between "faith alone as necessary" and "faith and practices". This divide is similar to the one between "people of the mind" and "people of the body". (Both sides have been abused.)
One way to think about spiritual practices is that they are a way of paying attention to God.
If you fall behind on prayers or other practices...worrying about catching up on prayer is like worrying about catching up on toothbrushing or hair-combing. Just do what you need to do today.
The BCP brings together personal and communal spirituality.
Anglicans don't have an authority (person, group or book) that dictates what we believe. Instead we agree upon the BCP, which is what we do. Episcopalians share the same prayers, not the same beliefs.
It can be reassuring to know that the communal practices go on whether you're able to really participate or not. Each Sunday, everyone who uses the ECUSA BCP prays the same Collect & hears the same readings.
The sacrament of reconciliation (confession) doesn't make God forgive you; it is about acknowledging what you've done, letting go of your disbelief in God's forgiveness and making the forgiveness real to you.
We often want a pattern to our life that frees us to do what we want to do (and, perhaps, guides us away from what we don't want to do).
Our communal practices are sensual - paschal candle (sight and smell), baptismal font (sight, smell, and hearing), oil of chrism (touch, smell, sight), bread (taste, sight, smell)...
One prayer that is good for centering yourself before worship:
Ann's standard joke: "God arranged for me to be paid to be in church each Sunday because I don't have the sense to go otherwise."
Janet was told during a retreat before her ordination: "God has called you to ordination because God doesn't trust you to be laypeople."
Ideally Christianity is a balance between faith and practice. One of the divides at the Reformation was between "faith alone as necessary" and "faith and practices". This divide is similar to the one between "people of the mind" and "people of the body". (Both sides have been abused.)
One way to think about spiritual practices is that they are a way of paying attention to God.
If you fall behind on prayers or other practices...worrying about catching up on prayer is like worrying about catching up on toothbrushing or hair-combing. Just do what you need to do today.
The BCP brings together personal and communal spirituality.
Anglicans don't have an authority (person, group or book) that dictates what we believe. Instead we agree upon the BCP, which is what we do. Episcopalians share the same prayers, not the same beliefs.
It can be reassuring to know that the communal practices go on whether you're able to really participate or not. Each Sunday, everyone who uses the ECUSA BCP prays the same Collect & hears the same readings.
The sacrament of reconciliation (confession) doesn't make God forgive you; it is about acknowledging what you've done, letting go of your disbelief in God's forgiveness and making the forgiveness real to you.
We often want a pattern to our life that frees us to do what we want to do (and, perhaps, guides us away from what we don't want to do).
Our communal practices are sensual - paschal candle (sight and smell), baptismal font (sight, smell, and hearing), oil of chrism (touch, smell, sight), bread (taste, sight, smell)...
One prayer that is good for centering yourself before worship:
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may
perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
