by Peter James | Apr 6, 2024 | Veit Dietrich
It was a most unlikely marriage. The former monk Martin Luther had to find husbands for nineteen nuns who fled convent life to join the Reformation movement. One ex-nun, Katie von Bora, insisted she would only marry Martin Luther and prevailed upon him until he...
by Peter James | Apr 5, 2024 | Litany of the Hours
The first few days of Holy Week were full of drama: Jesus’ triumphal ride into Jerusalem on Sunday, his cleansing of the temple on Monday, and the ensuing temple controversy on Tuesday. Wednesday seems like an off day. The only thing that takes place is a...
by Peter James | Apr 4, 2024 | St. Anselm
We use the word “brilliant” much too often. “He pitched a brilliant game.” “She gave a brilliant performance.” Enough already! Yet Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) was, by all accounts, a perfectly brilliant theologian. He was widely regarded as the most original...
by Peter James | Apr 3, 2024 | Ephrem the Syrian
Why do we sing in worship? Singing is not mere filler, as warm-up to the sermon. Hymn singing has served a valuable teaching role in church history. Songs helped worshipers internalize the theology preached in the sermon. Many of our cherished hymns set Scripture to...
by Peter James | Apr 2, 2024 | Mozarabic Liturgy
I’ve always had mixed emotions about leading worship on Palm Sunday. The day was festive enough as choirs processed into worship, followed by adorable children waving palm branches as everyone sang, “Ride on! Ride on in Majesty!” The very next line...
