Worship Music
Sr. Clare (one of our nuns) handled the music at Chapel of St. Francis long before Shirley and I got here. She plays keyboard. When I joined her on Sunday mornings, I brought percussion instruments--bongos and shakers.
Now we've "stepped it up," and I'm excited. I purchased a triangle Saturday, and we added that and the drum kit to the worship music Sunday. It was awesome.
Our music is blended--we combine hymns and praise music. A good bit of our stuff is John Michael Talbot's. We're probably going to add some of the stuff from Monk Rock . We've taken the name "Sanctus." If you're on the OKC area and play guitar, and would like to be a part of a worship band for a Communion service, email me.
Lenten blessings.
br. francis
Monday, March 26, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wednesday Class
Our part of the Church, the United Convergence Church, was so named because we came out of the Convergence Movement.
What is that? A movement of the Holy Spirit in the Church which sought to recover the basic elements of belief and practice of the early Church: evangelical, liturgical/sacramental, and charismatic--a blend, or "convergence" of these elements is a move to our roots in the ancient Church, and makes for balanced, relevant worship in the Church today. Many denominations and independent churches are "convergence" in their worship, or have a service that is. We think that's great.
Recently in our Convocation, Abbot/Bishop Jim spoke of the need of our church to continue to be a Bible church--we believe it's the written Word of God, inerrant, infallible, our authority as Christians. He reminded us that we are to read and meditate in it, as the Psalmist wrote, "day and night." He encouraged us to have our private devotions include some Bible reading.
We then agreed to begin a Bible class on Sunday mornings before Eucharist. We began studying Ephesians. Concurrent with this was the graduate/seminary level class the Abbot/Bishop and I were doing, to train me for ordination. Our clergy expressed interest in attending this class as a "refresher." Last week, most of us attended the class. We believed the Spirit moved to combine both classes. So we did.
I am working on a hefty assignment--explore and discuss the Biblical, historical, and theological origins of the Eucharist and the liturgy, and write a separate paper describing both to a person who has an evangelical and/or charismatic background but not a liturgical/sacramental background. I then offered, after I completed that, to do the same with the Sacraments.
So, here's what our Wednesday Class is like: Eucharist at 7pm. Then I orally present the next part of the assignment (tonight it's the primitive, 1st-century Eucharist) and the apostolic teaching regarding. Anyone can ask me questions, and/or discuss what I'm presenting. Then Abbot/Bishop Jim then uses that as a "launching pad" and teaches more in depth. Fr. Joe and Dcn. Laura Mathy will be with us from St. Timothy Church in Broken Arrow. If you're in Oklahoma and are interested in the beliefs and practices of the ancient Church, we invite you to attend. Come worship with us in the Eucharist and then stay for class. We are meeting here at the hermitage (the home of my wife Shirley, our cockatiel Athalia, and myself), 5901 NW 62nd St at MacArthur, in Warr Acres (NW Oklahoma City). We'll have tea (and coffee, if anyone desires).
Come as you are--dress is casual. It will be interesting!
br francis
Our part of the Church, the United Convergence Church, was so named because we came out of the Convergence Movement.
What is that? A movement of the Holy Spirit in the Church which sought to recover the basic elements of belief and practice of the early Church: evangelical, liturgical/sacramental, and charismatic--a blend, or "convergence" of these elements is a move to our roots in the ancient Church, and makes for balanced, relevant worship in the Church today. Many denominations and independent churches are "convergence" in their worship, or have a service that is. We think that's great.
Recently in our Convocation, Abbot/Bishop Jim spoke of the need of our church to continue to be a Bible church--we believe it's the written Word of God, inerrant, infallible, our authority as Christians. He reminded us that we are to read and meditate in it, as the Psalmist wrote, "day and night." He encouraged us to have our private devotions include some Bible reading.
We then agreed to begin a Bible class on Sunday mornings before Eucharist. We began studying Ephesians. Concurrent with this was the graduate/seminary level class the Abbot/Bishop and I were doing, to train me for ordination. Our clergy expressed interest in attending this class as a "refresher." Last week, most of us attended the class. We believed the Spirit moved to combine both classes. So we did.
I am working on a hefty assignment--explore and discuss the Biblical, historical, and theological origins of the Eucharist and the liturgy, and write a separate paper describing both to a person who has an evangelical and/or charismatic background but not a liturgical/sacramental background. I then offered, after I completed that, to do the same with the Sacraments.
So, here's what our Wednesday Class is like: Eucharist at 7pm. Then I orally present the next part of the assignment (tonight it's the primitive, 1st-century Eucharist) and the apostolic teaching regarding. Anyone can ask me questions, and/or discuss what I'm presenting. Then Abbot/Bishop Jim then uses that as a "launching pad" and teaches more in depth. Fr. Joe and Dcn. Laura Mathy will be with us from St. Timothy Church in Broken Arrow. If you're in Oklahoma and are interested in the beliefs and practices of the ancient Church, we invite you to attend. Come worship with us in the Eucharist and then stay for class. We are meeting here at the hermitage (the home of my wife Shirley, our cockatiel Athalia, and myself), 5901 NW 62nd St at MacArthur, in Warr Acres (NW Oklahoma City). We'll have tea (and coffee, if anyone desires).
Come as you are--dress is casual. It will be interesting!
br francis
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Tornado Warning Siren
It is just past Noon here at our hermitage. I had a particularly tiring night at work last night, and Shirley was working on things here, so we slept in very late this St. Patrick's Day. We had just finished Morning Prayer together out in the Bonny, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, when the Tornado Warning Siren went off.
They test it every Saturday at Noon--and the thing is mounted on a tall pole right outside our back yard ! As it sounded, being as we are in Lent, the Spirit brought to my mind and heart that our spiritual forefathers, the Israelites, were warned many times by the prophets that God's judgement upon them was impending. At times that warning from them was proclaimed in a loud voice, and at times it was loud in other ways--for instance, Ezekiel cooked his meal in public over crap. Jeremiah walked naked. God tried to get His people's attention. He wanted them to be close to Him, to walk in His ways, and to have His full blessing.
Recently, I was with Abbot Jim, our Abbot and Bishop, at his old home (he recently re-married and moved--his first wife passed due to a stroke). He made a statement to the effect that he wouldn't have wanted to be an Old Testament prophet--they lived pretty awful lives. Yet they were blessed in their obedience.
God uses ways to warn His people today. He gave us His written Word, the Bible, and our spiritual leaders. He wants to bless us and to fully give us His life in Jesus. But that is up to us.
This Lent, we should at times be still before the Lord, and ask Him to show us by His Spirit what things He wants to clean up in us, to make right. He wants to show us where we are sinning or making mistakes in our lives, so that we can receive forgiveness from Him, and live in His full, abundant life.
If I spend time with my wife, share my heart with her, do things for and with her that show my love for her, and tell her I love her often, we will have a good marriage, and our relationship as husband and wife will be good. It is the same with our God. So I pray that we may do that this Lenten season--draw close to Him, confess and receive His forgiveness for our sins, do things for and with Him that show Him we love Him, tell Him we love Him and give Him our praise, and our very lives, He will be with us and bless us. And He will make us happy. I pray that for my wife and myself, and for you who read this this Lent.
If you are in or near Oklahoma City we invite you to worship with us tomorrow at 10 am here at the hermitage.
br. francis
It is just past Noon here at our hermitage. I had a particularly tiring night at work last night, and Shirley was working on things here, so we slept in very late this St. Patrick's Day. We had just finished Morning Prayer together out in the Bonny, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, when the Tornado Warning Siren went off.
They test it every Saturday at Noon--and the thing is mounted on a tall pole right outside our back yard ! As it sounded, being as we are in Lent, the Spirit brought to my mind and heart that our spiritual forefathers, the Israelites, were warned many times by the prophets that God's judgement upon them was impending. At times that warning from them was proclaimed in a loud voice, and at times it was loud in other ways--for instance, Ezekiel cooked his meal in public over crap. Jeremiah walked naked. God tried to get His people's attention. He wanted them to be close to Him, to walk in His ways, and to have His full blessing.
Recently, I was with Abbot Jim, our Abbot and Bishop, at his old home (he recently re-married and moved--his first wife passed due to a stroke). He made a statement to the effect that he wouldn't have wanted to be an Old Testament prophet--they lived pretty awful lives. Yet they were blessed in their obedience.
God uses ways to warn His people today. He gave us His written Word, the Bible, and our spiritual leaders. He wants to bless us and to fully give us His life in Jesus. But that is up to us.
This Lent, we should at times be still before the Lord, and ask Him to show us by His Spirit what things He wants to clean up in us, to make right. He wants to show us where we are sinning or making mistakes in our lives, so that we can receive forgiveness from Him, and live in His full, abundant life.
If I spend time with my wife, share my heart with her, do things for and with her that show my love for her, and tell her I love her often, we will have a good marriage, and our relationship as husband and wife will be good. It is the same with our God. So I pray that we may do that this Lenten season--draw close to Him, confess and receive His forgiveness for our sins, do things for and with Him that show Him we love Him, tell Him we love Him and give Him our praise, and our very lives, He will be with us and bless us. And He will make us happy. I pray that for my wife and myself, and for you who read this this Lent.
If you are in or near Oklahoma City we invite you to worship with us tomorrow at 10 am here at the hermitage.
br. francis
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
St. Patrick observance
We mostly observe saints' days at our Wednesday Eucharist. St. Patrick's Day is this Saturday, so we observed the radical missionary bishop's feast tonight at Eucharist at the hermitage.
The Abbot's and Shanna's dog Katie was with us tonight (a miniature pit--she really wanted to meet our cockatiel Athalia) and we had a great time. After Eucharist, we enjoyed some goodies--Heineken, and Ryan's Cream--a liqueur made with Irish whiskey (the stuff is chocolate--yummy!) and a chocolate cake with white icing, a shamrock and green lettering--"Happy St. Patrick's Day." I grabbed some cool Celtic music and threw it on after Eucharist as well. (No Guinness today--I'll have to enjoy some Saturday.)
Normally, Morning Prayer at the hermitage on Saturday isn't open to the public. This Saturday we'll offer it at 6:30 am and observe Bp. Patrick's day again on his feast day. We'll have coffee and tea as usual and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after. If you're in the Oklahoma City area, we welcome you in the Name of Christ.
We hope and pray you're having a blessed, Christ-centered Lent.
br. francis
We mostly observe saints' days at our Wednesday Eucharist. St. Patrick's Day is this Saturday, so we observed the radical missionary bishop's feast tonight at Eucharist at the hermitage.
The Abbot's and Shanna's dog Katie was with us tonight (a miniature pit--she really wanted to meet our cockatiel Athalia) and we had a great time. After Eucharist, we enjoyed some goodies--Heineken, and Ryan's Cream--a liqueur made with Irish whiskey (the stuff is chocolate--yummy!) and a chocolate cake with white icing, a shamrock and green lettering--"Happy St. Patrick's Day." I grabbed some cool Celtic music and threw it on after Eucharist as well. (No Guinness today--I'll have to enjoy some Saturday.)
Normally, Morning Prayer at the hermitage on Saturday isn't open to the public. This Saturday we'll offer it at 6:30 am and observe Bp. Patrick's day again on his feast day. We'll have coffee and tea as usual and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after. If you're in the Oklahoma City area, we welcome you in the Name of Christ.
We hope and pray you're having a blessed, Christ-centered Lent.
br. francis
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Forty Martyrs/Covers
If the Fourty Martyrs of Sebaste had some covers on the night of their deaths, it wouldn't really have done them any good. So their story doesn't really involve covers, or blankets--the covers are another topic.
It is the second century after the resurrection of Christ. (Sorry, Mr. Carmeron--you blew it and your research blows, as well--but we do greatly enjoy Titanic. Your new documentary is the same formula as your great Titanic movie--some truth blended with some fiction. Those names were common in that day, sir. Blessings on you and we pray you find the Truth--Him Who is the resurrected One.) Persecutions in the early days of the Church were common, and these fourty soldiers were ordered to renounce Christ on pain of death. They, of course, refused. So they were stripped naked and forced to lay out on a frozen lake all night. To entice them to apostocize and renounce Christ, a fire was lit and a warm bath provided on the shore. One gave in, and another was sent out to take his place. Ten degrees with rain and a cold north wind is enough for me (we've experienced that of late here in OKC). I can't imagine what that must have been like. May we be as faithful.
Covers would have done them no good. But in In So Deep, the rock band I play drums in, covers do us a lot of good! We are beginning to write originals, but clubs want covers. I just got out from behind the kit. Here's what I'm working on for rehearsal today: our version of the Rush covers of "Heartful of Soul" and "For What It's Worth," Rush's "Temples of Syrinx" (I'm playing that on a 5-piece kit!), and Frampton's "Lines On My Face (the Frampton Comes Alive version--the studio version is nice, as well, but I like the feel of the live version better--thank you, Mr. Siomos: may God shine light upon you There). We're also intending to cover Journey's "Wheel in the Sky" and "Stone in Love." I've learned "Stone" but don't have "Wheel." Supposed to get a copy today (can you burn me the whole album, guys?). Their drummer back in the day, Steve Smith, is a great drummer. Oblate Andy gave his instructional video to me on my birthday last year. Need to get a little tv and a dvd out in the Bonny so I can work on it.
It's a beautiful day here in OKC, lots of sunshine, cool temperatures. Nice day to hang with Shirley, check out the Abbot's and Shanna's open house, and do band rehearsal.
Blessings to you this 2nd Saturday in Lent.
br. francis
If the Fourty Martyrs of Sebaste had some covers on the night of their deaths, it wouldn't really have done them any good. So their story doesn't really involve covers, or blankets--the covers are another topic.
It is the second century after the resurrection of Christ. (Sorry, Mr. Carmeron--you blew it and your research blows, as well--but we do greatly enjoy Titanic. Your new documentary is the same formula as your great Titanic movie--some truth blended with some fiction. Those names were common in that day, sir. Blessings on you and we pray you find the Truth--Him Who is the resurrected One.) Persecutions in the early days of the Church were common, and these fourty soldiers were ordered to renounce Christ on pain of death. They, of course, refused. So they were stripped naked and forced to lay out on a frozen lake all night. To entice them to apostocize and renounce Christ, a fire was lit and a warm bath provided on the shore. One gave in, and another was sent out to take his place. Ten degrees with rain and a cold north wind is enough for me (we've experienced that of late here in OKC). I can't imagine what that must have been like. May we be as faithful.
Covers would have done them no good. But in In So Deep, the rock band I play drums in, covers do us a lot of good! We are beginning to write originals, but clubs want covers. I just got out from behind the kit. Here's what I'm working on for rehearsal today: our version of the Rush covers of "Heartful of Soul" and "For What It's Worth," Rush's "Temples of Syrinx" (I'm playing that on a 5-piece kit!), and Frampton's "Lines On My Face (the Frampton Comes Alive version--the studio version is nice, as well, but I like the feel of the live version better--thank you, Mr. Siomos: may God shine light upon you There). We're also intending to cover Journey's "Wheel in the Sky" and "Stone in Love." I've learned "Stone" but don't have "Wheel." Supposed to get a copy today (can you burn me the whole album, guys?). Their drummer back in the day, Steve Smith, is a great drummer. Oblate Andy gave his instructional video to me on my birthday last year. Need to get a little tv and a dvd out in the Bonny so I can work on it.
It's a beautiful day here in OKC, lots of sunshine, cool temperatures. Nice day to hang with Shirley, check out the Abbot's and Shanna's open house, and do band rehearsal.
Blessings to you this 2nd Saturday in Lent.
br. francis
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