Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” is derived from the first word of John 13:34 in Latin: ” Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos ut et vos diligatis invicem.” “A new command I give you: Love one another. As…
As Easter nears, some Baptists say its time to contemplate Good Friday observances
By Jeff Brumley A group of teachers in Rhode Island, where Catholicism is the prevailing faith, sued their school system earlier this month, demanding they get the day off for Good Friday. The Associated Press reported that the teachers’ union…
How can you love God but hate your neighbor? You can’t.
By Scott Dickison For those of us in the Western wing of the Christian family, yesterday was the first Sunday in Lent, which began last Wednesday and is the 40-day season of fasting and preparation leading up to Easter. But…
The season to ‘stir-it up’
By Scott Dickison I recently learned of a tradition in the Anglican Church that celebrates the final Sunday before Advent as “Stir-Up Sunday.” Apparently the name “Stir-Up Sunday” comes from the opening words of the collect for the day in…
We believe in the communion of saints
By Molly T. Marshall A cluster of important days crowds the liturgical calendar in late October and early November. We will celebrate All Hallows Eve, All Saints and All Souls during this week, and it is a good time to…
Recovering Allhallowtide
By Scott Dickison My wife and I recently received a note from the church where our 1-year-old son is enrolled in a Mother’s Morning Out program encouraging parents not to dress the children in Halloween-themed attire. Guess he will just…
Art gaining in Baptist worship and spirituality
By Vicki Brown The church has used the arts — all forms — to share the story of God’s love and mercy throughout the ages. Poets and authors have written volumes. Painters and sculptors have depicted Bible stories and represented…
Virginia church may look Anglican, but it’s fully Baptist
By Jeff Brumley Sunday mornings at All Souls Charlottesville are fairly common for an Anglican congregation. The Book of Common Prayer and the Revised Common Lectionary are standard, creeds are spoken together, the Eucharist is the central focus of the liturgy…
A feast of ‘splendid nobodies’
By Molly T. Marshall Each fall I teach a course titled “Spirituality and Creativity” with the entering cohort in our create program, a rather up-tempo form of the master of divinity. We meet at Conception Abbey, a hospitable Benedictine monastery…