June 24: Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Almighty God, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist Was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, following his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. (Book of Common Prayer)

The Language of God

The Language of God from United Church of Christ on Vimeo.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus

A Prayer for Pentecost

Come, thou Holy Spirit come:
and from thy celestial home
send thy light and brilliancy.
Come, thou father of the poor,
come who givest all our store.
What is filthy make thou pure,
what is wounded work its cure,
water what is parched and dry.
Gently bend the stubborn will,
warm to life the heart that's chill,
guide who goeth erringly.
Fill thy faithful who adore,
and confess thee evermore,
with thy sevenfold mystery.
Here thy grace and virtue send,
grant salvation in the end, and in heaven felicity. Amen

- From a 13th century Latin Hymn

What is God?

For over sixteen years, I have cohosted a weekly talk radio interview programme on a KBOO.FM, a community radio station in Portland, OR. KBOO is one of the oldest community radio stations in the US, and continues to offer an alternative perspective to what is heard on commercial and public radio stations.

Recently, my cohost and I interviewed religious scholar and philosopher Jacob Needleman about his new book, "What Is God?" In the book Needleman traces his evolution from an atheistic Ivy-educated student of philosophy to a Zen Buddhist seeker, and finally to a believer with a newfound respect for the religious texts he once rejected. Jacob Needleman, author of "The American Soul" and "Money and the Meaning of Life," is Professor of Philosophy at San Francisco State University.

The interview can be heard here: http://kboo.fm/node/19207

The Language of God

Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead,
the first of the sleepers,
Glory and power are his forever and ever
St. Hippolytus (AD 190-236)

March 28, Palm Sunday

Troparion (Tone 4)
O Christ God, when we were buried with Thee in Baptism, we became deserving of thy Resurrection to immortal life. Wherefore, we praise thee, crying, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord.