The Church receives their teaching, learns from their example, prays for unity in the Spirit, and stands upon “the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord.” Peter is not the Gospel, and Paul is not the Gospel. Their differences remain and their callings are distinct.
June 24: the Nativity of John the Baptist. One of only two births celebrated in the Anglican calendar, the other being Christmas. The Church does not observe birthdays generally. That it has kept June 24 since the fourth century says everything about John’s place in salvation history.
Today the Church observes the Feast of Saint Barnabas. He stood before the apostles in Jerusalem and vouched for Saul when no one else would. If he had been wrong, the cost would have been real. He was not wrong. The man he testified for wrote half the New Testament.
Why does the church observe a feast rooted in the Advent story on May 31st, right in the middle of Trinity season? The answer reveals something surprising about how the church orders time, and something beautiful about the scene at the heart of this feast.
Trinity Sunday is unlike any other Principal Feast. It doesn't commemorate an event; it celebrates who God eternally is: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This week we explore the history, doctrine, and significance of the day the church sets aside to worship the Triune God.
The BCP 2019 recognizes Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving Day as National Days. These observances teach Christians to love their country without worshiping it, to receive liberty and abundance with gratitude, and to bring national life beneath the lordship of Jesus Christ.