The Turning Point of the Gospel at Mark 8

The reading for Trinity 16 in this Year B (Trinity 15 in other years) is Mark 8.27โ€“38, the encounter with forms the pivot in the second gospel: until now, there has been power, success, dynamism and crowds, but from now on, Jesus walks the lonely path to suffering and the cross. At the northernmost point … Continue Reading

What do we do when we worship God?

When I became an Anglican (from a background of a different church tradition), I was at first quite puzzled by the choice of Scripture passages that Anglican (that is, Church of England) services kept coming back toโ€”the Benedictus (Luke 1.68โ€“79) in Morning Prayer, the Magnificat (Luke 1.46โ€“55) in Evening Prayer, and the Nunc Dimittis (Luke … Continue Reading

The turning point of the gospel in Mark 8

The reading for Trinity 15 in Year B is Mark 8.27โ€“38, the encounter with forms the pivot in the second gospel: until now, there has been power, success, dynamism and crowds, but from now on, Jesus walks the lonely path to suffering and the cross. At the northernmost point of his ministry, Jesus turns from … Continue Reading

What does worship involve?

When I became an Anglican (from a background of a different church tradition), I was at first quite puzzled by the choice of Scripture passages that Anglican (that is, Church of England) services kept coming back toโ€”the Benedictus (Luke 1.68โ€“79) in Morning Prayer, the Magnificat (Luke 1.46โ€“55) in Evening Prayer, and the Nunc Dimittis (Luke … Continue Reading

No, you should not love your neighbour ‘as you love yourself’

Oliver Harrison writes:ย Often, in normal times and in a normal church service, we start our prayers of confession with a very short excerpt from the Bible.ย The minister reads out Jesusโ€™ words from Matthew chapter 22.37โ€“40: The first and greatest commandment is this: โ€˜Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your … Continue Reading

Is the ‘seal of the confessional’ Anglican?

Andrew Atherstone writes:ย The Church of England has at last published the report of the โ€˜Seal of the Confessionalโ€™ working party, more than a year after it finished its work. It is a contradictory report, which does not follow through on its own logic. Its key assumptions deserve scrutiny. The very name of the working party … Continue Reading

What is worship?

When I became an Anglican, I was at first quite puzzled by the choice of Scripture passages that Anglican (that is, Church of England) services kept coming back toโ€”the Benedictus (Luke 1.68โ€“79) in Morning Prayer, the Magnificat (Luke 1.46โ€“55) in Evening Prayer, and the Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2.29โ€“32) at night. For one thing, all these … Continue Reading