"Come to publicly worship!"
"Come to publicly worship!" says the author of Hebrews. We trust that this invitation comes from God. There is evidence from the Scriptures [Acts 20:7] that a weekly gathering on Sunday enlivened all in a healthy conversion-journey.
Yes, Easter is a great day. But every Sunday, worship is important for all people. The holy men and women who represent us as they govern the Episcopal Church affirm our joyful celebration of the Lord's Day.
Our on-going conversion can be enhanced by this preparation. Three books help: the Bible, The Book of Common Prayer and the Hymnal.
The Bible:
There is a wonderful general history of how books became part of the Bible by Sewanee's C.K. Benedict Professor of New Testament, Christopher Bryan.
Want to learn about the different Bible translations? You can find the Episcopal Church's list of approved translations. You can also learn how these translations are different.
The Hymnal
"Jesus, thou divine companion" (Hymn 586) is a little-known hymn from the Victorian period. It could be a great Labor Day, for it expresses the incarnate Christ's union with our labors. It also speaks to our trust that Christ is receiving the love of every labor which we do with kindness.
As we renew our vision for enhancing spiritual growth in Ector County, let our words about Jesus' goodness bring us closer to our family AND closer to God.
TITLE II: WORSHIP
CANON 1: Of the Due Celebration of Sundays
All persons within this Church shall celebrate and keep the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, by regular participation in the public worship of the Church, by hearing the Word of God read and taught, and by other acts of devotion and works of charity, using all godly and sober conversation.
CANON 2 : Of Translations of the Bible
The Lessons prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer shall be read from the translation of the Holy Scriptures commonly known as the King James or Authorized Version (which is the historic Bible of this Church) together with the Marginal Readings authorized for use by the General Convention of 1901; or from one of the three translations known as Revised Versions, including the English Revision of 1881, the American Revision of 1901, and the Revised Standard Version of 1952; from the Jerusalem Bible of 1966; from the New English Bible with the Apocrypha of 1970; or from The 1976 Good News Bible (Today's English Version) and its corresponding Spanish version " Dios Habla Hoy;" or from The New American Bible (1970) ; or from The Revised Standard Version, an Ecumenical Edition, commonly known as the "R.S.V. Common Bible" (1973); or from The New International Version (1978); or from The New Jerusalem Bible (1987); or from the Revised English Bible (1989); or from the New Revised Standard Version (1990); or from other versions of the Bible, including those in languages other than English, which shall be authorized by diocesan bishops for specific use in congregations or ministries within their dioceses.
