“While others have come to the concept of real presence through faith and or propositional biblical truths, I came to real presence through experience.” — Emilio Alvarez, Pentecostal Orthodoxy
Category Archives: Liturgy
The “fad” of liturgy
Early on in my journey into a more liturgical life I remember reading from other friends on Facebook about their exploration into liturgical worship. I remember when I was “hooked” by the Eucharist. Others, the more I read, really liked the typical “evangelical” worship model (concert level professional worship, topical sermons), but when they wantedContinue reading “The “fad” of liturgy”
Pentecostal Orthodoxy — I had been playing around
My reading has me in Emilio Alvarez’s new work: Pentecostal Orthodoxy: Toward an Ecumenism of the Spirit. As I am in the early pages, I find myself evaluating where I was on my personal timeline compared to Alvarez. There are a few conclusions I draw from my timeline.
Pentecostalism and the ancient church faith
Pentecostal Orthodoxy is out and I am here for it. Emilio Alvarez hits home for me: If you are a Pentecostal and you find yourself tired of solely identifying yourself with ripped-jeans, muscle-shirt preachers with $100 haircuts and heavily tinted beard; if you find yourself tired of moralistic therapy accompanied by emotional, performance-based worship devoidContinue reading “Pentecostalism and the ancient church faith”
All Souls Day
Nov. 2 is All Souls Day. We remember those who have gone before. Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2Continue reading “All Souls Day”
All Saints Day
Hebrews 12:1–3 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For theContinue reading “All Saints Day”
Palm Sunday in the time of coronavirus
Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for thehuman race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ totake upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross,giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grantthat we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also sharein his resurrection; throughContinue reading “Palm Sunday in the time of coronavirus”
Feast of St. Luke
Almighty God, you called your servant Luke to be an evangelist and physician to the soul: Grant that, by the wholesome medicine of the doctrine he taught, all the diseases of our souls may be healed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now andContinue reading “Feast of St. Luke”
One of the beauties of liturgy
One of the things that may confound some folks who wonder about me leaving the Pentecostal denomination I grew up in is how I go to a place that has liturgy. I mean, it “repeats” every Sunday! Where is the moving of the Spirit? (Of course, no one actually asks me these things. Silence isContinue reading “One of the beauties of liturgy”
The way home for the American Church
As surely as there will be messed up theology and practice in the Church, there is a marked way home. Our challenge is to follow it. That’s hard because it’s not the dynamic way. It’s not full of light shows and professional music and polished communicators.