The Psalms: Placeholders of Memory

The Psalms: Placeholders of Memory. On Sunday, February 12, at 10 a.m., the Rector gives an introductory talk about the psalms. In particular, he looks at how they are an important part of the life of the Church and its liturgy, and examines them in relation to folk music and folk melody around the world as a means of remembering stories and binding people together in community. Father Turner hopes to offer further talks on the different genres of psalms and the way they have been an essential part of the daily office in cathedrals and parishes, monastic houses, and everyday homes.

The End of Babylon.The Sunday class continues its study of the Revelation of Saint John the Divine on Sunday, February 19 at 10 a.m. As the middle section of the book concludes in the eighteenth chapter, John witnesses the destruction of Babylon. The fall of that great city is not the end of the story, however; with the powers and principalities destroyed, the faithful prepare to receive the “marriage supper of the Lamb.” The class meets on the fifth floor and previous attendance is not required.

Condemned into Redemption: Understanding the Crucifixion. The Rev. Fleming Rutledge is the speaker for the 2017 Spring Theology Lecture. Her most recent book, Crucifixion, was named Best Book of the Year by the magazine Christianity Today. The lecture is on Wednesday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Praise for Fleming Rutledge’s Crucifixion.A remarkable pre-publication review of Crucifixion ran in the magazine Christian Century in 2015. It begins,

Preacher Fleming Rutledge’s magnum opus is many things. It is an examination and rethinking of virtually all the major ways in which the death of Christ has been interpreted. It is also an argument that the how of Jesus’ death – the ghastly and dehumanizing ordeal of crucifixion – matters. But perhaps more than either of these, Rut­ledge’s book is a protest. It is a protest against what might be termed Christianity lite: against the many contemporary iterations of the Christian faith, both conservative and liberal, that don’t have much in the way of theological depth and seriousness – iterations that trade a rich, world-shaking, challenging faith for what seems only a mess of trivia.

The Crucifixion is also an extended protest against the failure to take seriously evil and sin – that is, to take seriously the world in which we live. Implicit in her argument is this thesis: a Christian faith that does not face and come to grips with radical evil does not deserve to be taken seriously.

Full review.

The Rector’s Christian Doctrine Class: The Holy Bible – The Word of the Lord. This class continues on Tuesday, February 14 at 6:30 p.m. in Andrew Hall. Primarily intended for those who wish to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church, it is also open to any who are interested in the topic of the day, or seek a new and different way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The Year of the Lord. Finally, Covenant blog, the online site of the magazine the Living Church, recently posted online one of its magazine editorials from January, 1945. In the face of a churning world grappling with the Second World War, the editorial writer reminds the reader that Jesus Christ remains the Lord of history, come what may. The present moment may be a good time to remind ourselves of that, in our own churning world decades later. The editorial reads,

In this new year of the Lord that lies before us, there will be a plentiful measure of blood and tears. But, as always, Christ stands with outstretched, nail-scarred hands ready to make every man who responds to him an agent in the dispensation of His healing grace.

Yours in Christ, Joel