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Again this year for Good Friday I’ve included the links to the AIC’s series for Good Friday, In the Cross of Christ I Glory.  The program was written for use at my former parish from Noon to 3 PM on Good Friday, based on a version of the Seven Words from the Cross which was  first read in 1946 A.D.  The original author relied upon a homily written in 1904 A.D.   To their work I added prayers and quotations from the Holy Fathers of the 4th Century and later.

The format is an opening address followed by seven sets of prayers and meditations for the seven words from the Cross and a closing address.  The entire text is found on pages 75-101 of the AIC Bookstore Publication, Occasional Services for Anglican Worship, now available in paperback and Kindle editions using the links in the Virtual Bookstore section at the bottom of the home page of the AIC Web Site where you found this Blog.

• Part One:  Introduction
• Part Two: First Word
• Part Three:  Second Word
• Part Four:  Third Word
• Part Five: Fourth Word
• Part Six:  Fifth Word
• Part Seven:  Sixth Word
• Part Eight:  Seventh Word & Conclusion

I hope each of you was able to attend a Good Friday service in your area and will attend at your local parish on Easter Sunday.

Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

I got a little behind in my production schedule and neglected to upload two new episodes in The Lives of the Saints – Second Series.  The first is focused on St. Thomas Aquinas, whose Feast Day is March 8th.  The episode includes five illustrations, from the 15th, 17th and 20th Centuries.  St. Thomas is best known for his Summa Theologica.  In the series I avoided comment on whether systematic theology has been a plus or a minus for Christianity.

The illustration at left is one of nine scenes in the Valle Romita polyptych in tempera and gold on panel by the Renaissance artist Gentile da Fabriano from the collection of the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, Italy, painted circa 1400 A.D.  In the original, there are eight scenes in two rows surrounding a larger ninth central image of the Blessed Virgin and Holy Child.   St. Thomas appears in the far right side of the top row.

Watch Episode 13       Listen to Episode 13

 

The second presentation celebrates the life of St. Gregory the Great,

Bishop of Rome, 590-604 A.D.   I include three illustrations, one of which is a 19th C. stained glass window at Stabroek, Belgium.  Gregory’s accomplishments are almost legendary in scope: ambassador to Constantinople; first monastic to be Pope; sponsor of revised liturgies, including the Presanctified Gifts still in use; founder of monastery; author of one of the earliest lists of Christian virtues in the Western Church; and advocate of the style of chanting of the Psalms at Alexandria, now known as the Gregorian chant.  The illustration is the top section of the 19th C. stained glass window referenced above, showing the Holy Spirit, depicted as a dove, whispering into Gregory’s ear as the wrote his Dialogues.  The image is based on the contemporary account by Deacon Peter of Rome.

Watch Episode 14       Listen to Episode 14

The next episode in the series, Episode 15, celebrating St. John Climacus, whose Feast Day is March 30th, will be uploaded next week.   The newest AIC Bookstore publication, The Writing Prophets of the Old Testament is now available in both paperback and Kindle editions.  Use the Virtual Bookstore links at the bottom of our Home Page at http://www.AnglicanInternetChurch.net.

As always, thank you for your intestest and support.

The newest AIC Bookstore Publication, The Writing Prophets of the Old Testament, is now available through our Virtual Bookstore at CreateSpace.com and, by special order, from retail bookstores.  A Kindle edition will be available in the coming weeks.

The finished version includes 128 pages in soft cover, 8.5″ x 8.5″ format.  There are 62 full-color illustrations from the 3rd through the 21st Centuries, including manuscripts, icons, mosaics, frescoes, stained glass windows, paintings, photographs, and engravings from the artistic and religious traditions of both the Eastern and Western Churches.

Order your copy now   100% of all book royalties are contributed to the AIC ministry.

In Part I, I discuss the traditional division of the Old Testament into the Books of Moses, or Pentateuch; the Histories; the Poetic Books; and the Prophets.  In Part II are separate chapters on each of the four “major” prophets (depicted on the cover, from the left, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel) and on each of the twelve “minor” prophets.  For each books, I offer a brief history as well as a summary of the major themes, followed by a series of selected major quotations.   The Scripture text uses the New King James Version, except for select quotations from the King James Version which appear in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  All cross references to the Book of Psalms use the prayer book text, which is based on the version used in the Great Bible of 1539 A.D.

As a bonus feature for readers unfamiliar with the Septuagint text of the Old Testament, I have included at the end of the chapter on Daniel the full text of five Deuterocanonical works.  These are Susanna, the Prayer of Azariah, the Song of the Three Children, Bel and the Dragon, plus Daniel and Habakkuk in the Lion’s Den.    The text is based upon either the St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary Septuagint (SAAS) or older, online translations identified in the text.

In the commentary, special text boxes demonstrate the influence of many of these sixteen prophets on the Christian worship tradition, especially as practiced by Anglicans using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, and also their influence upon the development of Christian theology.   The AIC’s Service Book edition of the prayer book is also available through CreateSpace.com;

The publication of The Writing Prophets of the Old Testament concludes our series of Christian Education Study Publications, Prayers Collections, and Other Publications which have been produced by the AIC since 2014 A.D.  I hope readers will find them useful in broadening their knowledge of and understanding of traditional Christian doctrine and worship.

As always, thank you for your interest and support.  May God bless you in all that you do in His Name.  Glory be to God for all things!  Amen!

 

 

 

The newest AIC video series, currently in production, “Gesima” Season, explains the name of the Church season that isn’t used as much as it once was.  Even many Anglican jurisdictions have followed the lead of the Roman Catholic Church in eliminating the season.    Those who worship using the venerable 1928 Book of Common Prayer still the pre-Lenten Sundays by their ancient names:  Septuagesima Sunday, Sexagesima Sunday, and Quinquagesima Sunday.  These three Sundays are intended to provide a transition between the celebratory tone of Epiphany, which honors the several “manifestations” of Jesus Christ to the world, and the penitential season of Lent, which, in the Western Church begins on Ash Wednesday.  This year it falls on March 1st.   I hope your local parish continues to honor the old traditions.

The series, in two episodes, will explain the history of the season and the meaning of the name, and the earliest and latest dates on which each Sunday can fall.   Look for it to be completed before the end of February.

Meanwhile, I’ve been busy trying to get ahead with episodes in The Lives of the Saints – Second Series.  The next episode honors St. Simeon of Jerusalem on February 18th.  St Simeon is remembered for his dedicated, unwavering leadership of the See of Jerusalem for about a half century until his crucifixion around 107 A.D. during the reign of the Emperor Trajan.

The next episodes don’t appear until March, during which there are three celebrations: St. Thomas Aquinas (Mar. 8); St. Gregory the Great (Mar. 12); and ST. John Climacus (Mar. 30). I will illustrate the series with a collection of oil paintings, drawings on parchment, icons, statuary, altarpieces, and stained glass windows from both the Western Church and Eastern Church traditions.

A final note is just a reminder that the War on Christianity continues on nearly every continent.  People continue to die, be burned out or otherwise driven out of their homes or churches, and, deprived of fair treatment by the courts both in Europe and the United States.  Please remember these modern martyrs in your prayers.

As always, thanks for your interest and support.  Glory be to God for all things!  Amen!

Just in time for January 10th, I have uploaded two new episodes in The Lives of the Saints = Second Series.  Episode Five honors the Blessed William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr in the 17th C. at the start of the English Civil War.   Episode Six recognizes the life and contributions of one of the great Cappadocian Fathers of the 4th Century, Gregory of Nyssa (pronounced NISS-Uh).

Watch Episode Five       Listen to the Podcast – Episode Five

Watch Episode Six          Listen to the Podcast – Episode Six

The next episode in the series, honoring St. Anthony of Egypt will be available on or before his Feast Day, January 17th.

 

The AIC Bookstore grew by one book this week with the publication of The 1928 Book of Common Prayer – Service Book Edition in both paperback and Kindle Editions.  These are linked from the AIC Web Site.   The 1928 B.C.P. Service Book Edition includes the text of the church’s primary liturgies: Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Penitential Office (Ash Wednesday), Litany, and Holy Communion, plus the entire text of the Psalter; plus the collection of Prayers and Thanksgivings and Family Prayers.  This paperback version is intended to help new parishes put prayers books in the pews at a cost about half the average price of the standard edition.

Yet another addition to the Bookstore advanced a step this week with the submission of a a proof edition of The Writing Prophets of the Old Testament.  The final version includes 62 illustrations presented in 128 full color pages.  The Companion Video series is now in production, with the first episode expected before the end of January.

Thanks very much for your interest in an support for the Internet ministry of the Anglican Internet Church.   The service is made possible by donations and by the sale of books through our Bookstore.

May the Lord bless you in all that you do in His Name.  Amen.

It’s that time again.  Tomorrow, December 18th, marks the first of seven presentations in the 12th C. classic The Great “O” Antiphons, based upon the seven key words in the Advent hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.  I updated all seven programs in A.D. 2015 using the piano version of the hymn performed by English artist Rob Stroh as the program theme.  For each of the seven programs, the music solo is performed by Mr. Jared Haselbarth.

I invite you to enjoy an encore of these seven inspiring programs as we head toward the end of Advent season this year. Click on the program title to watch the video.  Podcast versions are available using links on the Home Page at our Web Site (www.anglicaninternetchurch.net)

December 18th – O Sapientia (Wisdom)  11:06
December 19th – O Adonai (Lord) 10:38
December 20th – O Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse)  10:11
December 21st – O Clavis David (Key of David)  10:23
December 22nd – O Oriens (Dayspring) 11:20
December 23rd – O Rex Gentium (King of the Nations) 8:00
December 24th – O Emmanuel (God With Us) 9:24

I also invite you to watch or listen to Lessons and Carols for Christmas Eve, a virtual carol program with for Christmas Eve.  It begins where the final program in the Great “O” Antiphons series ended, with the Christmas Eve Antiphons.

Lessons & Carols for Christmas Eve

May God bless you all this Advent and Christmas Season!