Category Archives: Bible

Bible

Bleg: a portable NT and psalter

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Dear readers: I’m looking for a New Testament and Psalter. A very specific kind, for daily prayer, and I want to know if you’ve seen what I want. This is a bleg: a blog beg.

It ought to be:

  1. Compact, say smaller than 4×6 inches
  2. Hard-bound to survive a book bag, and not leather bound (as I’m a vegetarian)
  3. Ideally a modern but literary translation
  4. Loosely bound a plus, so I can paste in prayers in the covers

I suppose a Bible on my phone would work, but that’s a depressing, fiddly thought. Second best so far is a little KJV Gideon New Testament and Psalter, but they’re more portable than useful.

Any ideas? Any suggestion much appreciated.

Bible, General Assembly, Preaching

A project out of General Assembly (for lectionary preachers)

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It was a good General Assembly, but for (me, anyway) the soft relationships defy programming. Trust and relationship building, arts of the ministry, stories that shape identity. Evidence about strength and weakness, and a willingness to address both. There was a spirit, and I don’t want to crush it with explanation. It was so good that I didn’t finish this thought on-site!

So, what’s the takeaway? Unclear. Perhaps we can experiment by spinning up some projects. Experimentation is also in the air. I mentioned Faithify for those that need funding, but sometimes there’s an itch that needs scratching at no cost than the doing.

I was lunching with a couple of colleagues in Christian churches who preach from the Revised Common Lectionary. We identified a need to share notes: ideas, themes, resources. Something simple.

Is this something you could use? Be interested in participating in? If so, please say so in the comments.

Bible, Worship

So, why readings?

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A liturgical thought for Unitarian Universalists and, by extension, not a small number of Christians.

Why do we have long readings — often two, sometimes three — in our services?

  • Almost everone in worship is literate; that is, worshippers can read long passages for themselves.
  • These books are in print, Bibles or otherwise. The Mary Jones days are behind us.
  • Too often, they have no other purpose than to source a sermon. Why not embed the important parts — that will like be repeated anyway — in the sermon?
  • A long reading, not to mention plural readings, are hard to remember and are rarely a delight, even when declamed well, which is rare. And in many Unitarian Universalist congregations they function as a spoken anthem, or a pre-sermon.

Perhaps that’s a side effect — both on the Unitarian and Universalist side — of publishing sermons and commending them to be read in mission churches where a preacher could not go, or go regularly. (Unitarians tended towards pamphlets; Universalists, in newspapers.) On the other hand, Protestant responses to the Liturgical Movement — to which Unitarian Universalists are not immune; stoles, anyone? — have tended towards longer and more readings, a tendency I think of as the cod liver oil approach.  (Get as much down their throats as they can bear.)

So it may shock some of you — I use the Revised Common Lectionary for preaching texts after all — but I’m about ready to suggest we dispense with the reading of the lessons, unless some reason can be found to maintain them where they are.

Art and culture, Bible, Sacraments

Reading list update, January 12

I’ve finished two more books — not on my list — since I last checked in. Relatively shorter and less difficult than what (I think) appeals to me, so I read them without discouragement!

  1. William L. Barclay. The Lord’s Supper. (2001, of 1965 ed.)
    Brief review of the history and meaning of the sacrament, useful (if gently dated) for ecumenically-minded mainline Protestant churches.
  2. Anya von Bremzen. Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking. (2013)
    Fascinating family memoir usung food to unpack 20th and 21st century Soviet and Russian history.
Bible, Technology, World Unitarianism and Universalism

Hungarian Unitarians promoting free and open source software

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The website of Hungarian Unitarian church, in Hungary and Transylvanian Romania, points out three free and open source software projects — thank you, Google Translate! I use all three, and recommend them, too. Links to the English software sites follow:

Bible, Blog administration, Preaching, Worship

New page: “Lectionary and Propers index”

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For more than a year, I’ve been typing out the appointed prayers (proper collects) and biblical lessons from two sources — Universalist and “Free Church” — which map the historic Western lectionary. It’s not complete, but I’ve transcribed enough to make it worth it worth indexing them. Follow this link. Like the main project, it will be a work in process.

Bible, Preaching

Preparation for the Third Sunday after Pentecost

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Free Church Book of Common Prayer (1929)

Second Sunday after Trinity or Third Sunday after Pentecost.

O Lord, who never failest to help and govern them whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love; keep us, we beseech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Epistle: 1 John iii. 13-18.
Gospel: Luke xiv. 16-24.
A book of prayer for the church and the home (Universalist, 1866)

Third Sunday after Whit-Sunday

O Almighty and most merciful Father, in thy goodness regard our prayers, and free our hearts from the disturbance of all perverse and evil thoughts, that we may become a fit abode for thy Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Gospel, St. Luke xiv. 16.
Epistle, St. John iii. 13.

Bible, Preaching

Preparation for the First Sunday after Pentecost

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Also celebrated in some communions as Trinity Sunday. While some Universalists have always been Trinitarians — at least a few — the propers here barely line up.

Free Church Book of Common Prayer (1929)

Trinity Sunday or First Sunday after Pentecost.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace by the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the divine majesty to worship the Unity; grant that by stedfastness in the same faith we may ever be defended from all evil; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Epistle: Rev. iv, 1-11 (end), or Rom. xi, 33-36 (end).
Gospel: John iii, 1-15, or Matt. xxviii, 18-20 (end).

A book of prayer for the church and the home (Universalist, 1866)

First Sunday after Whit-Sunday

O Lord our God, who by thy Son hast taught us that love is the fulfilling of the law and of the gospel; fill us, we beseech thee, with the spirit of universal charity, that we may love thee above all, and our neighbor as ourselves. Amen.

Gospel, St. John iii 1.
Epistle. 1 St. John iv. 7.

Bible, Preaching

Fifth Sunday in Easter preparation

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Free Church Book of Common Prayer (1929)

Fourth Sunday after Easter

O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; grant unto thy people, that they may love the the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Epistle. James i, 17-21.
Gospel. John xvi, 2-15.

A book of prayer for the church and the home (Universalist, 1866)

Fourth Sunday after Easter

O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; grant unto thy people that they may love the the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found, even on the kingdom and promises of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Epistle St. James i, 17.
Gospel St. John xvi, 5.

Bible, Preaching

Third Sunday of Easter preparation

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Free Church Book of Common Prayer (1929)

Second Sunday after Easter

Almighty God, who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an ensample of godly life; give us grace that we way always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

or this,

Almighty God, who shewest to them that be in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion, that they may eschew those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Epistle: I Pet. ii, 19-25 (end)
Gospel: John x, 11-16.

A book of prayer for the church and the home (Universalist, 1866)

Second Sunday after Easter

Almighty God, who showest to them that be in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; grant unto all them that are admitted to the fellowship of Christ’s religion that they may eschew those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same, through thy grace in Jesus Christ thy Son. Amen.

Gospel, St. John xvi. 16.
Epistle,  1 St Peter ii. 11.