Christian liturgy

My analyzation of Richard Notkin’s piece, All Nations Have Their Moment of Foolishness was altered once I read his artist statement. The way my analysis changed was the reasons behind Jesus’ feet, George Bush, and the hooded prisoner. Further, the hooded prisoner in Abu Ghraib Prison is an image of war and destruction according to Notkin’s artist statement . When originally saw the man my first thought was that he was part of the KKK because of the hood he is seen wearing but upon receiving…

The relationship between god and the individual is a great unknown and a common theme in poetry. This subject creates many controversies since the beginning of times, by the fact that people think differently. Some people believe in god and that he was the creator of the universe. On the other hand, some people do not believe in god, but believe that the universe expansion started after a huge explosion. In Emily Dickinson’s “Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church” and “One Need Not Be a Chamber”…

Matthew was a tax collector, and during his time, tax collectors were considered great sinners. Nevertheless, Jesus came to Matthew. He did this because Jesus comes for the sinners, not the righteous. Matthew decided to respond to God’s calling by leaving everything he had and following Jesus. This made him a great example to all of us today. In the painting, Caravaggio represented the event as nearly silent, and very dramatic. The tax collector Levi (Saint Matthew), sits at a table with…

non-emotionally charged command/suggestion (with a list of examples) in the first three verses, to the very emphatic following verses, he advocates strongly for what happens when you don’t follow the thesis. The cataloging of Christian identity markers highlight how good a Christian has it, and they cumulate in the severity of giving that up. Harsh, highly emotional language like “crucifying again the Son of God” represents the climax that is supposed to make the reader want to greatly avoid…

I know humanity to live in a state of brokenness. Article VII of the “Confession of Faith” in our Book of Discipline uses different language to echo this view: “We believe man is fallen from righteousness…” (Book of Discipline ¶104 72). Bishop Scott J. Jones states it this way: “[H]uman beings have a corrupted nature” (Jones 151). My experience in ministry exposes me to this brokenness quite often. Last year, our secretary called me at home to inform me of a young man sleeping on a covered…

With my understanding, during the time of the development of the early church, from the ascension of Christ and the opening of his ministry there, there was an action of “Unity and Diversity” according to our text. There was a conflict with two groups of Jews, which were called “Hebrews”; and those who retained the customs and language of their ancestors, which was the covenant keeper of the law of Moses. And the second group of people who were more open to Hellenistic (Greek) influences. The…

The Old Testament stories, no doubt have an outcome in our modern lives. In the Old Testament ‘forgiveness’ is shown a lot as it is a big thing in life, and that you should forgive anyone. Also ‘trust’ and ‘love’ are shown, as you should trust and love anyone. The Old Testament has everything in it which is relevant to our modern day that can help us. Forgiveness is shown throughout the Old Testament, in the story when Joseph is betrayed by his own brothers and was sold into slavery. After many…

Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele or “Adorn yourself, O dear soul” is a chorale cantata written by Johann Sebastian Bach. A chorale cantata is a church cantata that’s based on both the melody and text of a single hymn. The cantata is based on the Lutheran chorale tune by Johann Crüger, Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele. Bach composed this specific one in his second annual cycle of writing cantatas, also known as, Jabrgang II. It was written for the twentieth day after Trinity, on October 22, 1724. The…

Throughout Christian history there has been controversy about is Jesus really God, is the Holy Spirit a part of God, and is Jesus really full man and God.The first controversy was in 324 A.D. when Arius gives his position of God being the only eternal being and that Jesus the son is only a creature.Alexander (Bishop of Alexandria) response in disagreement was that Jesus is indeed a eternal being equal to God.This ultimately leads to Constantine calling the First Ecumenical Council in Nicea.Next…

The Influence that Moralistic Therapeutic Deism has had on my Worldview and my Response to that Influence. Before this course began, I had never heard of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. Now that we have studied it in depth, I believe that it is a spiritually unhealthy habit, yet we all have it to some extent. I have always seen God as kind of a Therapist in the weird sense that he will always listen to me gripe and will never complain. The morality part is clearly addressed in the Bible…