Order of Holy Baptism This is the collection of Fr. Dunbar’s series of short papers on the Order of Holy Baptism, as set forth in its historic and normative Anglican form in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and 1928 American Prayer Book. We are certain you will enjoy his in-depth examination of baptism – […]
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Your hands are the most dangerous parts of your body for transmitting disease. They touch everything (door handles, handrails, chairs, pews, other people’s hands) – and then they touch your mouth, nose, eyes, or other people’s hands or food (or wine – see below). With heightened concerns about highly contagious viruses, the congregation is asked […]
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Praying for the Church (Part 9): Much of the funds raised in the early 1500s for the new St. Peter’s came from the sale of indulgences (reductions in time spent in purgatory), and in Germany, the Dominican friar in charge of the campaign, Johann Tetzel, marketed it aggressively with a catchy jingle: “As soon as […]
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Praying for the Church (Part 8): After praying for the Church as a whole; for its rulers, both civil and religious; for the people of God, that they may receive the Word and serve him in holy and righteous lives; we now come to prayer for those in affliction of any kind: “And we most […]
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Praying for the Church (Part 7): We are taught to pray first for the Church as a whole, and its unity in the truth; then for civil rulers, to maintain the peace and justice in which the gospel may be freely proclaimed; third for those in authority in the church, for the ministry of Word […]
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Praying for the Church (Part 6): The first of the historic “marks of the Church” – indicators of Christ’s presence in it – is the ministry of the Word, faithfully preached; the second is the ministry of the Sacraments, faithfully administered; and so we pray for “all Bishops and other Ministers, that they may… rightly […]
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Praying for the Church (Part 5): The welfare of the Church, and its freedom to pursue its mission, depends greatly on the good order of the state, and so the Church prays for civil rulers. Yet even (as in England), where the church is by law established and the Head of State is the Church’s […]
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Praying for the Church (Part 4): After considering the church as a whole, its unity in truth and love, the Prayer for the Church turns to consider the ordering of the Christian community under its rulers, both civil and ecclesiastical. The startling aspect for modern Christians is the prominence of prayer for the Christian rulers […]
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Praying for the Church (Part 3): If the Church is to carry out its mission, “for all men”, it must first be the church. It must first be the community of reconciliation which it proclaims. And so the first petition for the church itself, is that God would “inspire continually the Universal Church with the […]
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Praying for the Church (Part 2): God is not obliged to hear us; it is of his unmerited grace that we dare to approach him; and so that we may approach him without presumption, the first petition in the Prayer for the Church asks for God to hear our prayers: “We humbly beseech thee most […]
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