Episode 81 contains the audio of some reflections on life in Christ which I made before my home congregation of Troy Christian Chapel, in Troy Michigan in the United States.
Link to Troy Christian Chapel’s website is found here
Player and Download Links are below
In this minisode, the lyrics are read of an early 8th century hymn written by the English monk and scholar, the Venerable Bede (672/673 – 735), celebrating the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ back to Heaven. It is an interesting coincidence of church history that the author of this Ascension hymn died on the Feast of the Ascension in the year 735.
Link to website featuring the text of the Ascension Hymn can Lord Jesus Christ back to Heaven can be found here.
Player and Download links are below:
In Episode 80, we close our series on Christian spiritual formation with a discussion about how spiritual practices can be combined to better help your walk in Christ.
A link to Episode 24 on the Bay Psalm (the first printed book in British North America from 1640), a book of the Psalms translated in metre can be found here.
A free downloadable pdf of the 1650 Scottish Book of Metrical Psalms can be found here.
Player and download links are below:
This minisode features the reciting of an English translation of a prayer which originated in the 4th – 5th century, the Te Deum Laudamus (O Lord, We Praise Thee).
Link to a site featuring the Latin and English texts of the Te Deum here
Player and Download links below:
Today is Friday, March 25. On the Western Christian calendar, today is Good Friday, the day that the church remembers the death of Jesus on the cross. It is an interesting coincidence of the church calendar that today is also the Feast of the Annunciation. The Annunciation recalls the announcement made by the angel Gabriel to Mary that she would conceive the Christ child.
The timing of the Annunciation is a logical extension of when Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. At Christmas, we are reminded of and celebrate the birth of Christ. Nine months earlier, on March 25th, the church remembers the conception of Christ as a human.
In European culture, for centuries, March 25th was celebrated as new year’s day since that day commemorates the beginning of Christ’s humanity, which in their understanding, did not start at His birth but at His conception.
This merge of these two church feasts on a single day is a very rare occurrence. It happened only three times in the 20th century (the last time being 1932). It happens only twice in the 21st century (in 2005 and this year). The next time it happens will be in the mid 22nd century in the year 2157.
Please take time to reflect on the two biblical events being remembered today. The start of Jesus’ life as a human being. Though being God throughout all eternity, He started His existence at the Annunciation. Decades later, He would fulfill His calling to die a sacrificial death on behalf of His people. With that death and the resurrection that happened only days later, the Lord Jesus brought new life to those who would trust in Him.
Truly, this is a day for us to consider God’s gifting of life and death and life.