A Protestant friend of mine who is sympathetic to Orthodoxy and likes icons recently felt he had to draw the line. On a weekday service in church he saw an Orthodox friend bowing down in prostration before an icon of a saint, and he thought this was a bit over the top. Kissing icons of Christ, sure; and of His saints—um, okay. And prostrating before an icon…
For the choirmaster, a poem of David, when Doeg the Edomite went and warned Saul, ‘David has gone to Ahimelech’s house’
But God will break you down for ever; he will snatch…
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me…
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Fill me with joy and gladness; ...
Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you.
…you thought that I was one like yourself.
(Psalm 50:7, 21)
My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
(Psalm 49:3)
Since St. John the Forerunner and Baptist adorns every icon-screen in the Orthodox world it is hard to imagine that he was ever scandalously controversial. But he was. And what was it that made the child of desert so controversial? What did…
We ponder your steadfast love [Hesed], O God, in the midst of your temple.
(Psalm 48:9 RSV)
Hesed is one of the key words of the Hebrew Bible. In Greek eleos, mercy. In Latin misericordia. It has a range of nuances…
God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
(Psalm 47:5)
Psalm 47 is used throughout the feast of our Lord’s Ascension. So we begin 2014 with a psalm that represents the end…
If you are at all like me, it is not Christmas until you have seen the holiday special A Charlie Brown Christmas, which has been shown seasonally every year since it first appeared in 1965. I have watched it faithfully…
Dear friends,
The Chancery offices will close this afternoon for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ and will reopen December 27th. I will return to writing the Chancellor’s Diary after the New Year, on Thursday…