Liturgy and belief

Episcopalians subscribe to a way of thinking about liturgy:
"lex orandi, lex credendi." This Latin phrase means, in short, that we believe as we pray. Our prayer book therefore contains much theology in it.

Did you ever really listen to the words of the Eucharistic Prayer (any of them)? Have you heard a sermon on the baptismal covenant we repeat when first baptized, and thereafter, whenever others are baptized in worship? Do you know any collects (the prayers at the beginning of the eucharist that change every week)?

• What is the priest's role in eucharist and why can't priests say mass by themselves?
• Why do priests, deacons and bishops wear those weird clothes and stoles? Where does it say that these vestments are required?
• Where did Easter Vigil come from?
• When did the church first start blessing marriages?
• Can anybody be buried from the church?
• What does it mean to be ex-communicated, and why does the church do this?
• What do we believe about personal confession?
• Can a deacon perform a wedding? When can lay people perform baptisms?
• What does High Church and Low Church mean? When were candles banned from altars?

What are your questions about liturgy and Episcopal beliefs?

The Rev. Elise Johnstone will lead the discussion on liturgy and Episcopal belief at "Canterbury Pub," held at Azur restaurant's patio this Tuesday night at 6:30. Have an age-appropriate beverage, try to stump the priest!

July Doldrums

Well it's nearly vacation time, and I'm bored. I have put together brochures for MSU and all the parishes in the Diocese for their campus ministries. Theology on Tap, aka "Canterbury Pub", the third night, is tonight, and it ends next Tuesday.

I will begin having group meetings for students at Morehead on Wednesdays starting Wed. Aug. 8, and will also have services at St. Alban's at 6 pm on Wednesdays. I will be putting up a MSU link on this blog so students can keep abreast of what's happening there.

KSU is stalled a little for lack of contacts there. Ideally we would have an Episcopal faculty member who could help us get a student group going. We won't be doing that as early as this fall, probably, but I hope to begin something sometime this next year.

At UK I will be beginning a Thursday Holy Eucharist at noon. I would like it to be a little different, perhaps with contemplative music (Taize or something similar). I will need to find a musician to help with that. A flute, celtic harp, hammered dulcimer, etc. would be wonderful.

Things start up mid-August, so this vacation will be the last days off until Christmas break. Nothing big planned for this vacation, as I am hoping to go to France next May and will be saving up for that trip.

Fr Matthew' Video Log

Hey, check out my new function at the bottom of the page. Matthew Moretz is curate (assistant) at St. Paul's Yonkers, NY, and has a video log that has drawn a lot of attention across the Episcopal church and beyond. I have added his VLog to this page. Hope you like it!

Jass mass--you missed a good one!

We had great music, an engaging liturgy and a fun time at the jazz mass. Byron McChord played keyboard and John Bell provided guitar and vocals, as we sang from Lift Every Voice and Sing.

Newly ordained transitional deacon, The Rev. Janey Wilson, gave a sermon peppered with jazz references and the spirit of Benedict, whom we celebrated last night.

Hopefully we can do another eucharist with jazz, when more folks can come, perhaps in the fall on a Saturday evening, early, before people go out for the night, or Sunday evening when we can get even more musicians involved.

Sorry you missed it!

All that is perfect is not good

In the middle of issues cropping up in the Jazz Mass preparations I am reminded of Leonard Cohen's words:

Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.

It seems that I learn best when things are not exactly as I planned. That's when I am called to understand that there are other ways that a thing can happen that will be okay, that I am ultimately not in control after all, but God is. I have an issue of "atheism in practice", when I believe it's all about me and my accomplishments, rather than God working through me and the talents and gifts I have been given. When I feel responsible for all that happens in my life and work is often when I get caught up short with reality, the needs of others, the timelines of God.

The cracks in the bell are the best I can do, in the last analysis.

Big Week for Diocese of Lexington Young Adults

Two big events this week--
the start of Canterbury Pub tonight at 6:30 at Azur Restaurant's patio, or indoors if it continues to rain...The topic for the next four Tuesdays is "What Do Episcopalians Believe?"

Friday we have young adult musicians providing a jazz setting for Eucharist here at Mission House in Lexington, starting at 6 pm. I hope this will be the first of many services that the young adult commission sponsors with good music and new worship opportunities.

This is an exciting time in the diocese as young adults begin to see their power, look at options for improving the response to their needs and take action to see their needs being met. Several priests of the diocese are engaged in various campus ministries, and the theology on tap program, which I hope will continue once a month this fall.

We ended the vocational discernment group in June and I think there is interest in continuing this fall too. More info will be coming on that.

As campus missioner, my office is still in the diocesan headquarters, but there is a plan to make the office at UK in St. Augustine's chapel, with the current Lutheran pastor there, Barry Neese. I hope to institute one eucharist a week for faculty at UK, more info will be coming on that too.

If there is a program or event you would like to see in the diocese, reply to this post or email me. The more input I have, the better the programming for young adults.

Christian freedom

Last Sunday's epistle included Paul's sermon on Christian freedom to the Christians of Galatia:

For freedom Christ has set us free...not for self-indulgence. We are free to love our neighbors as ourselves, to serve each other.

But we are not free until all are free. Dr. Martin Luther King demanded that freedom ring throughout the country, and once all were free-- male, female, black, white, Jew, Protestant, Catholic--we could then join hand together to sing the negro spiritual, "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last."

Are you truly free? Free from hate of yourself and free to love others?
Do you know how you are forgiven, and then can forgive; are loved, and then can love?
When you are watching the fireworks and listening to the national music tomorrow, remember your freedom in Christ.

Scehdule for Canterbury Pub

Check out the link to the Canterbury Pub schedule that starts on July 10 at Azur Restaurant.