O Lord Christ, Wisdom of God we praise you, Word everlasting we bless you, Light undying we glorify you, Fountain of mercy we adore you, Joy of the saints we worship you.
'Ring the bells that still can ring
— Andy Marshall 📸 (@fotofacade) November 21, 2024
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.' Leonard Cohen
I took this photograph of Ripon Cathedral from the west window #thread pic.twitter.com/a707qHTCdc
“The word worship comes from the Old English weorthscipe, which combines two words meaning “ascribe worth.” The Trinity can be said to be always at worship because the three persons of the Godhead perfectly behold the worth and wonder of one another.
To our imaginations, it’s probably strange (at the least) or gross (at the worst) to envision anyone perpetually exalting himself. We live in a world full of bluster and bragging, where Nicki Minaj boasts “I’m the best,” LeBron James tattoos “Chosen 1” across his shoulders, and everyone from pastors to porn stars are self-celebrating on Twitter and Facebook. The idea that God would be associated with anything like that behavior is disconcerting.
But God’s own self-adoration is nothing like ours. Unlike our own self-congratulatory spirit, God’s view of himself is unmistaken and unexaggerated. As hymn writer Fredrick Lehman said:
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
God’s glory and perfection are inexhaustible. We can’t say enough about how glorious he truly is. The greatest gift he can give us is a revelation of himself. Exalting anything else would be cruel.”
–Mike Cosper, Rhythms of Grace (Wheaton, Ill.: Good News, 2013), p. 27
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among all people.
— Fr. Charbel Abernethy ☦️ (@philokalia_min) September 22, 2024
We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great glory.
Lord, King, heavenly God, Father almighty; Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and Holy… pic.twitter.com/FpQqHNUp7N
O God of ineffable mercy, who didst give grace and fortitude to blessed Edmund the king to triumph over the enemy of his people by nobly dying for thy Name: Bestow on us thy servants, we beseech thee, the shield of faith, wherewith we may withstand the assaults of our ancient enemy; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
'Eadmund se eadiga, Eastengla cynincg,
— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) November 20, 2024
wæs snotor and wurðfull…'
Today is the feast of St Edmund, King of East Anglia, who was killed by a Viking army in 869, and in time became one of England's most popular saints. Edmund's story in Old English: https://t.co/T0Uzaqwp9s pic.twitter.com/iGK2kyLDIH
O Lord, take away from us all coldness, all wanderings of the thoughts, and fix our souls upon Thee and Thy love, O merciful Lord and Saviour, in this our hour of prayer.
–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)
The power of snow to transform the everyday into magical, to sparkle every tree and hedgerow with its own light, never fails to amaze me. The little cottage at the end of the lane became a scene from a fairytale yesterday. #peakdistrict pic.twitter.com/inP32ohWxd
— peaklass (@peaklass1) November 20, 2024
Patterson is correct when he says that process set out in Canon B2 provides the opportunity for General Synod to approve liturgical texts after agreeing that they do not depart from the doctrine of the Church of England in any essential matter. This does not mean, however, as Patterson suggests, that the decisions to ordain women as priests and bishops and the decision to permit the re-marriage of divorcees in church did not involve changes in doctrine. They clearly did, in that they involved the Church of England accepting that something was permissible which it had previously said was impermissible. The reordering of the Church of England’s common life that took place was a consequence of this change of doctrine. However, General Synod took the view that this change of doctrine was not in conflict with the doctrine found in the Articles, Prayer Book and Ordinal, and on that basis said that both this change, and the reordering of the Church’s life that flowed from it, were acceptable.
In similar fashion Synod could decide to permit same-sex marriages on the grounds that they were not contrary to what is taught by the Articles, the Prayer Book and the 1662 Ordinal and that therefore changing the Church’s teaching to allow these things to take place would be a legitimate thing to do. However, it would need to show good grounds for making this decision and this would be impossibly difficult to do given that the Prayer Book marriage service is absolutely clear that marriage was ordained by God to be between two people of the opposite sex and that ‘so many as are coupled together otherwise than God’s Word doth allow are not joined together by God; neither is their matrimony lawful.’
Fourthly, Patterson declares concerning the Prayers of Love and Faith commended by the House of Bishops in December 2023 for use in regular services:
‘I agree that they are not a change in doctrine, but they are a change. In response to the legalisation of civil partnerships in 2005, the then House of Bishops declared that ‘clergy…should not provide services of blessing for those who register a civil partnership’ and on the introduction of same-sex marriage in 2014, repeated the instruction, ‘Services of blessing should not be provided.’ Whereas now they have very clearly commended a set of prayers that may be used with those who have formed a civil partnership or same-sex marriage.’
Martin Davie–'The…problem with this statement is that the idea that the Church of England does not have a ‘straightforward statement of doctrine’ is simply untrue. The Church of England does have a straightforward statement of its doctrine, and this is found in the Thirty Nine… pic.twitter.com/8jtUCwrQDb
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) November 21, 2024
Almighty God, by whose grace thy servant Elizabeth of Hungary recognized and honored Jesus in the poor of this world: Grant that we, following her example, may with love and gladness serve those in any need or trouble, in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Remember, O Lord, what Thou hast wrought in us, and not what we deserve; and, as Thou hast called us to Thy service, make us worthy of our calling; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)
The “priceless heritage” of “historic and beautiful” churches in England is in danger “as never before”, the chair of the National Churches Trust (NCT), Sir Philip Rutnam, has warned this week.
He was referring to the fact that 53 churches, chapels, and meeting houses had been added this year to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, announced last week.
Sir Philip said that the situation could get worse in the coming months if the Government chose not to renew the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme, which is due to expire on 31 March 2025 (News, 25 October). Under the terms of the scheme, established in 2001, VAT on eligible repairs or alterations costing more than £1000 to a listed place of worship can be reclaimed.
The “priceless heritage” of “historic and beautiful” churches in England is in danger “as never before”, the chair of the National Churches Trust (NCT), Sir Philip Rutnam, has warned this week https://t.co/Q59Y4X8A3d
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) November 18, 2024
The Archbishop of York is under pressure to step down over his handling of child abuse cases in the Church of England.
The Most Rev Stephen Cottrell faced calls to resign on Sunday from a survivor who said he is perpetuating a Church “cover-up” and a former abuse inquiry leader whose work was prematurely disbanded by the Archbishops’ Council last year.
Rev Matthew Ineson, 56, a retired vicar who was abused at 16 by a Bradford priest, said the Archbishop of York failed to hold clergy accountable for mishandling his case.
He said: “Until there is a complete clean sweep at the top, nothing is going to change.”
The demands follow the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, last week, who was forced to quit over his failure to act on concerns over child abuse committed by evangelical Christian John Smyth.
The Most Rev Stephen Cottrell is perpetuating Church ‘cover-up’, claims sexual abuse survivor https://t.co/TkaI22T3ck
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) November 18, 2024
O God of peace, by whose grace the abbess Hilda was endowed with gifts of justice, prudence, and strength to rule as a wise mother over the nuns and monks of her household: Raise up these gifts in us, that we, following her example and prayers, might build up one another in love to the benefit of thy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
17 November is the feast of St Hilda, abbess of Whitby, who died on this day in 680. Bede says 'her wisdom was so great that even kings and princes sought her counsel', and 'all who knew her called her Mother, because of her distinctive piety and grace.' pic.twitter.com/kwMAbOASyd
— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) November 17, 2024
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people, that bringing forth in abundance the fruit of good works, they may be abundantly rewarded when our Savior Jesus Christ comes to restore all things; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Happy National Hiking Day! 🥾
— US Department of the Interior (@Interior) November 17, 2024
Hiking is a great way to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Whether you hike solo for some peaceful reflection or hit the trail with friends for a memorable adventure, the benefits are endless.
Photo at @RockCreekNPS by Grace Hassler pic.twitter.com/xowZh9QvIn
Heavenly Father,
whose blessed Son was revealed
to destroy the works of the devil
and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life:
grant that we, having this hope,
may purify ourselves even as he is pure;
that when he shall appear in power and great glory
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where he is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."
— Kenneth Macleod 🏴 (@kennethmacleod) November 17, 2024
Confucius#Hebrides #Scotland #VisitScotland #Nature #NatureBeauty #Autumn @StormHour @ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/JFLRsUqCaj
O God, who didst call thy servant Margaret to an earthly throne that she might advance thy heavenly kingdom, and didst give her zeal for thy church and love for thy people: Mercifully grant that we who commemorate her this day may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious crown of thy saints; though Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Nov 16: Feast of Margaret of Scotland (1046-93). English noble who married Máel Coluim III, king of Alba, after the Norman Conquest. Church reformer who revived Iona’s abbey and modeled Dunfermline’s on Westminster Abbey. Her pocket gospel-book survives. 📸Bodleian Library pic.twitter.com/7N6jrT7bjV
— North Ages (@NorthAges) November 16, 2024
O Holy Spirit the Comforter, Spirit of Jesus, come Thou upon us and dwell within us. Not of ourselves, but of Thee is our life. Teach us that we may know; cleanse us and purify us within; strengthen us to persevere, lest we fall away from Thee. Come into us, Thou Who art already there, that by Thine arrival again Thou mayest enter into Thy possession anew. And out of worldly death in which we languish create in us the life that shall make us as Thou art, through inward unity in which we are one with Thee. Come, then, eternal Spirit, Who with the Father and the Son art one God, and abide with us for ever.
The Last Look pic.twitter.com/apIKumNSHJ
— Johnny (@FlockofGhosts) November 16, 2024
The sister of a 16-year-old boy who drowned while swimming naked at a Christian holiday camp in Zimbabwe run by child abuser John Smyth blames the Church of England for his death.
“The Church knew about the abuses that John Smyth was doing. They should have stopped him. Had they stopped him, I think my brother [Guide Nyachuru] would still be alive,” Edith Nyachuru told the BBC.
The British barrister had moved to Zimbabwe with his wife and four children from Winchester in England in 1984 to work with an evangelistic organisation.
This was two years after an investigation revealed he had subjected boys in the UK, many of whom he had met at Christian holiday camps run by a charity he chaired that was linked to the Church, to traumatic physical, psychological and sexual abuse.
What was meant to an exciting holiday camp ended in death for one Zimbabwean boy.
— Shingai Nyoka (@shingainyoka) November 14, 2024
Our story about how a failure to act in the UK led to Guide Nyachuru’s death and dozens of cases of abuse of many others in Zimbabwe.
https://t.co/XLpLtHzCYg
Or you may download it there.
To walk in the Spirit is to be filled with the Spirit, and some results of the Spirit’s filling are thankfulness, singing, and joy (Ephesians 5:18–20; Colossians 3:16). Those who walk in the Spirit follow the Spirit’s lead. They “let the word of Christ dwell in [them] richly”
— alicia ortiz (@aliciao777) November 15, 2024
Holy God, we bless thy Name for Herman, joyful north star of Christ’s Church, who came from Russia to bring the Good News of Christ’s love to thy native people in Alaska, to defend them from oppressors and to proclaim the Gospel of peace; and we pray that we may follow his example in proclaiming the Gospel; through the same Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, throughout all ages. Amen.
Aug 9: Glorification of St Herman of Alaska. At his death, his face was radiant. A column of light rose above his hermitage to heaven. pic.twitter.com/T9fA1wdHJ9
— Orthodox Faith (@since33) August 8, 2017
O Lord Jesus Christ, who still today dost tread the busy thoroughfares of life in readiness to heal and save: Open our eyes that we may recognize thy presence; open our hearts that we may trust thy love for us; open our lips that we may joyfully confess thee before men; we ask it for thy dear name’s sake.
Donkere wolken pakten samen en verdreven het zonnetje. Fijne vrijdag😀 #natuur #landschap #herfst #Rhenen #ElstUt #Elsterbuitenwaard #veerhuis #zonsondergang #mooieluchten pic.twitter.com/0krQyNXfS9
— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) November 15, 2024
Christmas day in 1753 fell on the Tuesday which was but two days after the ordination to the Priesthood just mentioned. The newly ordained priest on the morning of that day, was sent with a note of introduction from the Chaplain of the Bishop of London to the Incumbent of one of the Churches in that city, apparently with the view of assigning to him some duty for the day. The Incumbent gave him but a surly reception, sternly demanding upon his entrance to the vestry-room, who he was, and what he wanted; in silent reply to which demands he presented his note; the comment upon which was, “Hah! Well, if the Bishop has sent you, I suppose I must take you. Give him a surplice, and show him into the desk” (to the Sexton), “and do you, Sir, find your places, and wait there till I come.” A younger clergyman, of more amiable appearance, meanwhile seemed much amused at this splenetic reception. Coming back into the Vestry after the service, the Doctor turning fiercely upon the neophyte, exclaimed, “What is the reason, Sir, that you did not read the Litany?” “Because, Sir, it is not a Litany day.” “And don’t you know that if the Ordinary chooses to have it read on Festival days, it is your duty to read it?” “That may be, Sir, but it is the Ordinary’s business to let me know that.” The old man’s face was black with passion, but before he had time to explode, the younger clergyman came to the rescue, saying: “Doctor, you won’t get much out of this young man; you had better turn him over to me, for I see you don’t want him: come, Mr. Seabury, will you go with me to–Church and preach for me!” “I never preached a sermon in my life.” “Well, of all things I should like to hear a virgin preacher! ” So the young men took themselves off, and after dinner the virgin sermon was preached; though concerning its subject, and the place where it was broached, tradition is silent: as it also is in respect to any further official acts of the preacher during the remainder of his stay in England.
In the year following, 1754, having received his appointment as a missionary of the Society for Propagating the Gospel, he set sail for his native land, and soon after began the regular exercise of his ministry at New Brunswick, in the Province of New Jersey. One of his relatives, writing about this time to another, observed: “Mr. Samuel Seabury has returned to America again; an excellent physician, a learned divine, an accomplished gentleman and a pious Christian;” a record which indicates the reputation which he had in the small circle within which he was then known, and which it was anticipated that his future life would verify.
Not much is known in regard to his work during the short time of his charge at New Brunswick, but the period is interesting, both on account of the evidence of his doctrinal principles afforded by his sermons, and also on account of the evidence of the extension of his influence and reputation in a somewhat wider sphere, afforded by contemporaneous events with which he was associated.
Among his manuscripts are several of the sermons which he preached at New Brunswick….
Samuel Seabury's consecration is remembered on a plaque in Marischal College, Aberdeen, and in Edinburgh the Lady Chapel in Old Saint Paul's is dedicated to Seabury's memory https://t.co/b4KCmAy8Fx #churchhistory #scotland #aberdeen #anglican #samuelseabury
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) November 14, 2024
Eternal God, who didst bless thy servant Samuel Seabury with the gift of perseverance to renew the Anglican inheritance in North America; Grant that, joined together in unity with our bishops and nourished by thy holy Sacraments, we may proclaim the Gospel of redemption with apostolic zeal; through Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Today the Church of England commemorates Samuel Seabury, first Anglican Bishop in North America, 1796 https://t.co/at4cgh92Ja
— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) November 14, 2023
Image: Portrait (1785) by Ralph Earl, in the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution (CC0); bequest of Lispenard Seabury Crocker pic.twitter.com/l8kK9PIdP1
O Lord of life, who didst raise from the sleep of death the daughter of Jairus the ruler: Extend to us, we pray thee, thy quickening power, that we may know the life more abundant which thou didst come to bring; for the glory of thy holy name.
It was a bit grey out there this morning so here is some of yesterdays sunshine to brighten things up. Taken in Glastonbury not long after sunrise. pic.twitter.com/BZy9tSQfOp
— Michelle Cowbourne (@Glastomichelle) November 14, 2024
The Heidelberg House
— Matt Richardson (@greenkayak73) June 6, 2023
Bonclarken Conference Center
Flat Rock, North Carolina pic.twitter.com/O7r67oJ3ro
Almighty and eternal God, from whose love in Christ we cannot be parted, either by death or life: hear our prayers and thanksgivings for all whom we remember this day; fulfill in them the purpose of your love; and bring us all, with them, to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
‘At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them’#RemembranceSunday #Remembrance2024 #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/EkwP5nwA3J
— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) November 10, 2024
Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
“One breath of #autumn
— Margaret O'Connell🌻 (@MargaretOC6) November 10, 2024
is pure joy to the senses.”
~ Laura Jaworski #SundayYellow 🍁💛🍁#London 21/10/2024 pic.twitter.com/XsZ0FEhgaK
Gracious God, we offer thanks for the lives and work of Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton, and Margery Kempe, hermits and mystics, who, passing through the cloud of unknowing, beheld thy glory. Help us, after their examples, to see thee more clearly and love thee more dearly, in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior; who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Richard Rolle was a hermit, mystic and writer in the first half of the fourteenth century. Believed to have been born in Thornton-le-Dale, he studied at Oxford before returning to Yorkshire where he lived as a hermit in various locations. pic.twitter.com/VpTYmeTFb8
— HistoryandHeritageYorkshire (@GenealogyBeech) February 12, 2024
One finding concerns the impact of setting targets in the first place. A recurrent theme of the evaluations is a feeling that many targets were unrealistic, or not “owned” at a grass-roots level. The finding in Salisbury was that such programmes “risk being an extra pressure point for already over-stretched people, contributing to a crisis-like situation for those managing it”.
Such evaluations are relatively scarce in the public domain, and this fact coincides with the identification by reviews of a crisis of trust in the Church, for which Sir Robert Chote observed that the SDF programme had served as a “lightning rod”. Anxiety about the reaction to a transparent account of projects, including missed targets, is hardly misplaced: those involved may find it hard not to take criticism personally. Nuances may be missed amid the broader angst about the distribution of resources.
Stacey’s public reckoning with results included the suggestion that it might be the underlying approach (resources = output) that deserved attention. It finds a contemporary echo in Dr Stefan Paas’s diagnosis of the dearth of anthropology in church-growth literature, in which “most if not all attention is directed towards the strategic action of the Church.” Is this the real failure at hand?
What had originally been scheduled as a fall Diocesan Men’s Hike was transformed, this past month, into a Hurricane Helene Assistance trip. Seventeen men from 11 different churches travelled to the Lutheridge Camp and Conference Center in Arden, NC, to help make it ready for them to reopen.
“We had a group that planned to go hiking,” says Les Sease, Diocesan Coordinator for Men’s Hikes, who organized the trip. “But the trails were closed so we pivoted. I’m so glad we did!”
The men travelled caravan-style on October 10, 2024 with cars, trucks and trailers full of water, gas, food and other supplies.
“While the roads were passable, Lutheridge was a mess,” says Sease. “Piles of debris lined the main road.”
#SouthCarolina Diocesan Men’s Group Pivots from Hiking to Relief Assistance https://t.co/YMfbQvLwFK '“It felt great to help Lutheridge out,” says [Les] Sease. “Our upcoming Men’s Conference, which will be held in February, will be there. This was a way for us to help them reopen… pic.twitter.com/3B0sK6BGEg
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) November 8, 2024
As in previous years, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) calls on the church worldwide to unite for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Christians (IDOP).
“The reality of persecution today is sobering. In the past year, around 5,000 Christians were murdered simply because of their faith. Over 14,000 Christian properties were attacked, and more than 4,000 have been detained, often in harsh and inhumane conditions”, says WEA Ambassador for Religious Freedom, Godfrey Yogarajah.
For Yogarajah, “in a world where religious freedom is under threat, our prayers are more crucial than ever. We stand with our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, encouraged by their example and committed to supporting them in their time of need”.
Christians worldwide are called to join for International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on November 10th.https://t.co/4UQcNcRC1B
— Evangelical Focus (@Evan_Focus) November 7, 2024
Grant us, O Lord, not to mind earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to cleave to those that shall abide; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
🍂Guten Morgen 🍂☀️🍂 pic.twitter.com/EaJ2Z9ZG6b
— 💫Stein_harmonie🍀🧚♀️ (@SteinHarmonie) November 8, 2024