All posts filed under: Religion

The Sacramental Interpretation of Scripture & the Renewal of the Church — Earth and Altar

May 29, 2020
by Nicholas Knisely
Blogging / Religion

There’s a reconnection with Holy Scripture during this time of quarantine. People are joining to read the Office on Sundays, and clergy and lay people are gathering online to read the Daily Office in record numbers. All that scripture needs to have some sort of interpretive framework. James Stambaugh, writing on the site “Earth and Altar” delivers. He sets out a proper Barthian style hermeneutic and grounds it in the historical method of interpretation that […]

Rhode Island Faith Leaders on Reopening

May 27, 2020
by Nicholas Knisely
Current Affairs / Religion

We recognize that congregational worship has high risk of spreading COVID-19 and could jeopardize the safety and well being of our congregants and our clergy members.  All of our traditions prioritize the care of the most vulnerable as a cornerstone of our values.  We are ever grateful for the right to freely worship and know that with it comes the responsibility to safeguard the greater good.  We yearn to be worshiping together in our traditional […]

A Prayer in a time of Pandemic

May 1, 2020
by Nicholas Knisely
Religion

Healer of souls and stiller of storms; calm the tempests of our hearts in this time of turmoil and fear. Grant us a share of your spirit of Wisdom and Peace that we might proclaim and model your new and redeemed life among the people we serve and in our own families. We ask this in power of your name and placing our trust in your transforming love Lord Jesus. Amen.

The Seven Gifts of Aslan: Sacraments in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Tor.com

April 29, 2020
by Nicholas Knisely
Books / Religion

I just came across a lovely article by Matt Mikalatos that’s part of series he’s writing on the children’s series of Narnia books. The books were written by C.S. Lewis back in the middle of the last century. They were written at roughly the same time as Lewis was working on his popular presentation of Christianity: “Mere Christianity” and there are some obvious connections between Lewis work on Christianity and his Narnia books. I remember […]

Song of Plagues – wisdom for us in a time of pandemic

April 21, 2020
by Nicholas Knisely
Current Affairs / Religion

Is there wisdom in scripture for us in the midst of a pandemic? The library of books that we call “the Bible” is filled with literature written in all sorts of contexts over thousands of years. For the Bible’s “song book”, the Psalms, that’s especially true as they were written as laments or praise, supplication or complaints, depending on the experience of Hebrew people at the time they were composed. A moment like we’re experiencing […]

The Wisdom of the Great Depression Elders

April 3, 2020
by Nicholas Knisely
Current Affairs / Religion

Jesus, our Savior, be known to us in the community in which we live. Help us to trust that our true wealth is found in our relationship to you and to each other. Give us today the bread we need. Help us to trust that tomorrow will have enough for us. Calm our hearts so that we might be your people in a world that needs peace and a blessing. We ask this in your sacred and saving name. Amen.

Companions along the Way

January 22, 2020
by Nicholas Knisely
Religion / SOSc / Travel

Some of you may have wondered about the letters that come after my signature. “SOSc” stands for the Society of Ordained Scientists. It’s a “dispersed” religious community, and I have taken my life vows as a member of that order. The members have been professional scientists at one point in their career (and a significant number still are), and most of them are ordained in one of the churches of the Anglican Communion (though there […]