On a more seasonal note and from the (very) occasional series "Cooking with Cranmer" Society President Fr. Gavin Dunbar has some practical tips when he writes: Eggnog is on my mind, -- the home-made authentic stuff that makes my cat come begging when I pour a glass. (I dip my fingertip and he licks it off). Fortunately my parishioners believe in this culinary tradition and keep me well-stocked in season. But with ample stocks there are opportunities for experiment and these are … [Read more...]
Reflection and Choral Evensong commemorating St Gilbert of Sempringham
Introit : Praise ye the Lord, ye children (Ps 113:1-4) -- Christopher Tye (1500-1572) Preces and Responses*: Wlliam Smith of Durham (1603-1645) Psalm 23: Dominus regit me -- Sir John Goss (1800-1880), The Lord is my shepherd; * therefore can I lack nothing. 2 He shall feed me in a green pasture, * and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort. Magnificat sexti toni -- Adrian Willaert (1490-1562) Nunc dimittis tertii toni -- Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) Reflection on St … [Read more...]
Fr. Gavin Dunbar reflects on Michelangelo and the Conversion of Saint Paul
The Conversion of St Paul, Michelangelo, The Pauline Chapel, The Vatican (public domain) Scripture narratives are not just narratives. They don’t just tell us about persons and events: they are also reflections on the meaning of those events for faith; and this significance is conveyed by the way the story is told, by the selection of details, and the choice of words to describe them. A good preacher will bring out the significance of these stories for faith; and some of the best preachers … [Read more...]
Choral Evensong with Reflection for the Commemoration of St Thomas Aquinas
Image above taken from the upper tier of a polyptych (multi-panelled altarpiece) painted by Carlo Crivelli in 1476 for the high altar of the church of San Domenico, in Ascoli Piceno in the Italian Marche, now in the National Gallery, London, originally placed with Saint Francis at the opposite end of the altarpiece with both looking up at the Lamentation over the Dead Christ, which was originally in the centre panel of the upper tier (now in New … [Read more...]
Choral Evensong upon the occasion of the Feast of St Aelred of Rievaulx
Illumination from a manuscript of St Aelred's Life of Edward the Confessor Showing St Aelred in monastic habit kneeling before King Henry II To hear the Audio please click on the link below: https://soundcloud.com/user-140188366/evensong-upon-the-feast-of-st-aelred-of-rievaulx Opening Anthem: Memento mei Paweł Łukaszewski (born 1968), Mark Dwyer, conductor Memento mei, Domine, dum veneris in regnum tuum. Remember me O Lord, when thou comest into thy kingdom. (cf … [Read more...]
Of Alcuin and Antiphons…..
Raban Maur (left), supported by Alcuin (middle), dedicates his work to Archbishop Otgar of Mainz (Right) From the 9th Century Fulda - Manuscript: Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, cod.652, fol. 2v A reflection with Advent Choral Music including two settings of the O Antiphon: O Sapientia Organ Voluntary: Prelude on Rhosymedre -- Ralph Vaughan Williams Hymn: On Jordan’s bank (Winchester New) O Sapientia (the first of the “O Antiphons”) as set by Paweł Łukaszewski … [Read more...]
Choral Evensong with Sermon (Feast of Ss. Simon and Jude)
St Simon whose emblem is a fish (on the left) and St Jude, with a boat (on the right) All Saints Church Carleton Rode -- Rood screen The opening anthem: "A New Song" by Sir James MacMillan the words from Psalm 96:1-2, 13: O sing unto the Lord a new song, sing unto the Lord all the whole earth. Sing unto the Lord and praise his name, be telling of his salvation from day to day. For he cometh to judge the earth, and with righteousness to judge the world and the people with his … [Read more...]
Choral Evensong with Sermon, Commemoration of Bishop Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667)
Choral Evensong with Sermon upon the occasion of the Commemoration of Bishop Jeremy Taylor, on 12 August, 2020, for the The Grosvenor Chapel in the Parish of Mayfair. Officiant and Preacher: The Revd. Canon Alistair Macdonald-Radcliff To hear please click on the link below: https://soundcloud.com/user-140188366/evensong-sermon-commemoration-of-bp-jeremy-taylor-12-august-2020 Prelude: the Corrente from Bach’s Cello Suite no. 1 in G major_BWV 1007, transcribed for the Viola, … [Read more...]
What are the duties of Christians, … in a time of such dire calamity? – John Keble
That was the Question posed by John Keble in his famous Assize Sermon that launched the Oxford Movement in July 1833 Commemorated in a Choral Evensong with Sermon upon the Feast of John Keble https://soundcloud.com/user-140188366/choral-evensong-sermon-for-the-feast-of-john-keble-july-2020 With music from the sound archives of The Grosvenor Chapel under the Direction of Richard Hobson and the Church of Advent Boston, under the Direction of Mark Dwyer assisted by Jeremy … [Read more...]
Choral Evensong with Sermon For the Feast of St Benedict
Evensong upon the Feast of St Benedict of Nursia Abbot of Monte Cassino, c. 540 The Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair London Officiant and preacher: The Revd Canon Alistair Macdonald-Radcliff Introit : Venite adoremus, Mode VII Psalm 27, 10-16 Dominus illuminatio ; Lessons: Proverbs 2:1-9 ; Luke 14:27–33 Preces and Responses, Radcliffe; The Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, Howells in B minor The Anthem: Lord I have loved the habitation, Tomkins Recessional Hymn: Rendez à … [Read more...]
American Independence began with an act of free speech.
The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull, 1819 June 6, 1756 – November 10, 1843, “The Painter of the Revolution” Born in Lebanon, Connecticut, to Jonathan Trumbull and Faith (née Robinson) Trumbull. His father served as Governor of Connecticut from 1769 to 1784. He entered the 1771 junior class at Harvard College at the age of fifteen and graduated in 1773. After services as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, he travelled to London, where upon an introduction from … [Read more...]
Readings, Sermon and Liturgical Resources for the Third Sunday After Trinity
The Readings 1 Peter 5:5-11 All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that … [Read more...]
The Feast of St Bede
The Venerable Bede from a manuscript in the British Library From a Letter on the Death of the Venerable Bede By St Cuthbert (Nn. 4-6: PL 90, 64-66) On Tuesday before the feast of the Ascension, Bede’s breathing became labored and a slight swelling appeared in his legs. Nevertheless, he gave us instruction all day long and dictated cheerfully the whole time. It seemed to us, however, that he knew very well that his end was near, and so he spent the whole night giving thanks to … [Read more...]
Sermon for the Sunday after Ascension Day
Hans (Suess) von Kulmbach, 1513 (born c. 1480 in Kulmbach, Franconia, died. c. 3 December 1522 in Nuremberg), He was the artist who created the Kraków St John's Altar. Preacher: The Revd. Fr Gavin Dunbar St John's Church Savannah If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.1 … [Read more...]
Lessons for Lent : Chastity (from the Archives)
Virtus vel voluptas? Lorenzo Lotto: Allegory of Chastity, c. 1505, .National Gallery, London nhttps://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.288.html The Revd. Samuel L. Edwards in 1986 wrote a long article for the Newsletter of the Evangelical and Catholic Mission which he later summarized for the Journal of the Prayer Book Society in 1995, under the heading: Sexuality and the Christian. The article set out with his usual clarity four lines of thought. First, he reframed our … [Read more...]
A Sermon in the Season of Epiphany
The Baptism of the Lord Sermon Notes A. Macdonald-Radcliff For an audio version please go to: https://www.theadventboston.org/sermon-preached-by-fr-macdonald-radcliff-january-13-2019/ (The Readings of the day are appended Isaiah 42:1-9, Psalm 89, Acts 10:34-38, Luke 3:15-16, 21-22) In the name of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost… It is striking that the Church calendar, after the great Feast of Christmas plunges rather rapidly after Low Sunday into two particularly … [Read more...]
How Turkish was your Turkey? And how does your Turkey connect to the Prayer Book?
How Turkish was your Turkey? And even more important, how does your Turkey connect to your Prayer Book? (Be assured that it certainly does.) A M-R The modern day mass farmed turkey widely served in America at Thanksgiving (and very commonly in Britain on Christmas day where it has tended to supplant the goose) is not it seems a very direct descendant of the ‘small, bright- eyed’ turkeys that were probably served at the famous initial Thanksgiving meals initiated by English settlers in … [Read more...]
Simnel: the (considerable) history behind a cake.
Easter and Simnel: The history behind a cake The history of the Simnel cake is much controverted, but what is clear is that it has come to have a close association with Easter and the Season that follows Easter Day itself as well as Mothers Day This cake certainly contains an abundance of things that people have often given up during Lent and is a very fine cake indeed, replete with almond paste covering and eleven balls of the same almond paste on top (representing the Apostles other … [Read more...]
Lent II 2018
As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. Proverbs 26:11 The season of Lent is nothing if it does not confuse human wisdom and turn man’s expectations upside down. For what the lections of this Holy Season attempt to show us is that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness. (1 Cor. iii. 19) And again, as Isaiah records, therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people…for … [Read more...]
Septuagesima Sunday
So the last shall be first, and the first last:for many be called, but few chosen.(St. Matthew xx. 14-16) We have just completed our Epiphany-tide pilgrimage and now are entering what is called pre-Lent. The season we have left behind has been characterized by illumination and manifestation. In it, we saw that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us whom we discovered to be the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth (St. John i. 14). Now we turn to a period in the … [Read more...]
Christmas Day
That day is called the birthday of the Lord on which the Wisdom of God manifested Himself as a speechless Child and the Word of God wordlessly uttered the sound of a human voice. His divinity, although hidden, was revealed by heavenly witness to the Magi and was announced to the shepherds by angelic voices. With yearly ceremony, therefore, we celebrate this day which saw the fulfillment of the prophecy…(St. Augustine sermon clxxxv) Tonight, we come to the cradle, the cratch, the manger, and … [Read more...]
St. Michael & All Angels
THERE was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. (Rev. xii. 7) Today is the Feast of St. Michael & All Angels. It is our Patronal Feast. And, evidently, our Patron and His angelic compatriots are soldiers of war. We don’t tend to think of angels –and St. Michael is a sainted angel, as being at war at all. Because of the modern psychologizing of Christianity, … [Read more...]
Trinity IX
Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. (St. Luke xvi. 9) In last week’s Gospel we prayed that God’s never failing providence that ruleth all things both in heaven and in earth [might] put away from us all hurtful things and [might] give to us those things which are profitable (Collect: Trin. VIII) for our salvation. And this week Jesus illustrates how we might apply what we know of God’s providence to … [Read more...]
Quinquagesima Sunday
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem (Matthew 20. 18) The Gesima season ends with an invitation to another beginning. Behold we go up. (Matt. 20. 18) We are invited on to yet another road, a spiritual road that leads to our death and new life with God. The road which we will tread is not an easy one. It will require a new and determined readiness. It will demand serious moral introspection. It will call for drastic measures as we learn how to hand over our sin to the Lord for death. It will demand a … [Read more...]
Septuagesima Sunday
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. (St. Matthew xx. 14-16) We have just completed our journey from Advent through to Epiphany-tide. The season we have observed has been a time of illumination and manifestation. In it we saw that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us whom we discovered to be the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. Now we turn to a period in the Church’s life extending from Septuagesima Sunday … [Read more...]