Here’s another reason I like WordPress: Pages. This is a work in progress–a static chant resource page. I’ll put it on the sidebar later…
Trial Liturgy: An Anglican Office of the Dead
(One of the reasons I transferred to WordPress is the ability to connect files to posts–this is a test of that functionality…)
Linked here are two files for an Anglican Office of the Dead. First, a Matins of the Dead; second, a Vespers of the Dead.
I have adapted the Roman form as found in the Anglican Breviary using the same kind of manipulations that were used to create our Morning Prayer form the combination of Matins and Lauds (there is no Prime version of the Office of the Dead) and Evening Prayer from Vespers (again–there is no Compline Office of the Dead). (For those unfamiliar with these Offices, see the article from the Catholic Encyclopedia.)
Following the traditional use, these may be read after the regular days Offices 1) on the first Friday of every month where we pray for all the departed, 2) on the day of death–or the day we are notified of someone’s death, 3) again on the day of burial, and 4) on the 3rd, 7th and 30th days after either death or burial. (While a double office is preferable you could, of course, read this instead of the usual offices…)
One of the reasons I post these files is because this disputed theological topic–praying for the dead–is part and parcel of the theological conundrum that the Lutheran Zephyr brought up: the invocation of the saints. I see them as inseperable because they are rooted in a shared Christian theology of death. I’ll write more on this a little later.
I welcome comments on the Offices.
Welcome to the New Digs
This is the new web home of haligweorc.
There will be a few more changes coming in the near future. All good as far as I know…
We did loose a post or two and a few comments but other than that, everything else seems to have made the change fairly well.
I’m hoping to have left some baggage behind at the old site. Much less will be written about the Great Unpleasantness; much more will be written about things spiritual and medieval. Hopefully much more will be written of and therefore on the Damn Dissertation. Time will tell…
Medieval Databases
No, silly, databases about medieval things…
There’s been some discussion about medievalist folks thinking about manuscript databases. I have a great deal of interest in the subject–but absolutely no time to do anything about it. If I may offer a few points of professional advice–since I am a database programmer in my day job:
- Don’t choose a database because it happens to be the one on your computer. I.e., yes, you may well have MS Access on your computer if you’ve got the full Office Suite. No, don’t use it just because it’s there. Consider how you will use the database. Is it for merely personal use? Maybe Access will work for you. Do you want to put it on the web? Think about using MySQL instead. It integrates really well with a dynamic programming language called PHP. In fact, a whole lot of commercial websites are MySQL/PHP integrations. Limited project budget? You’re in luck–MySQL is free… (And so’s a good front-end for Windows here.)
- Plan your database in advance. The biggest failing of most amateur databases is a lack of planning in the beginning stages. Think about you want to capture. Then, consider what fields make sense together in terms of tables, and what will tie those tables to one another.
- A major issue that often comes back to haunt beginners is field normalization. In plain English, it means making sure that your data is in small enough bits. Thus, a shelfmark field shouldn’t contain “London, BL, Cotton Nero D IV” Rather, three different fields should have “London”, “British Library” and then “Cotton Nero D IV”. When in doubt, use multiple fields.
- In terms of front-ends (that is, what a user will see as opposed to the back-end which is what the programmer interacts with) flashy is cool–but achieve stability first. Then go for cool. All the napkin drawing will be pointless if you can’t get your data out the way you want it…
- Academics spend years learning dead languages and grappling with French poststructuralists, et al.; not all have invested the time in learning the technologies to disseminate what fruits they’ve gathered. When in doubt, talk with your IT department and their techies. Consider taking the money saved from buying a database and get a research assistant fluent in computer…
No, I haven’t been putting any thought into this recently. Why do you ask? Of course it had completely slipped my mind that Mediawiki works off a MySQL back-end… As does WordPress…
I’m going to stop talking now…
Goth Laundry
I’m sorting the grown-ups clothes right now.
There’s a tiny load of white, a small load of colored clothes (mostly grey), and two loads of black…
The Other Thing I’m Giving Up for Lent
Micro$oft…
My main machine is now running ubuntu. M has got my Windows machine as I work on the transition. It’s an experiment, but hopefully a successful one.
Lent and a Trial Liturgy
I’m not doing much this Lent. My work schedule is so involved and I’m getting so little sleep that I think any sort of physical ascesis might lead to health problems. I’m abstaining from meat on Fridays but that’s about it in that department.
Instead, I’m recommitting to good habits–some that had fallen by the wayside.
First, I recommitted to doing the Office as much as possible including saying Compline with M when my work schedule allows (i.e., the nights when I *don’t* end my shift at midnight).
Second, I recommitted to memorizing and mulling over the weekly collects.
Third, I decided to memorize the seven penitential psalms, taking one a week or so.
Two and three are going well; one is difficult as a function of time with the Office Book. I do have time–it’s during my commute which is more by car these days than mass transit and I’m not going to try and read while I’m driving in this town! While the Brief Devotions in the BCP are ok for bedtime prayers with G and H, I can’t see the morning one as a substitute for MP. Thus, I’ve been trying to work up a fully memorizable Anglican Lauds for the mornings when I can’t get to the prayer book. Here’s the pattern as it currently stands:
Opening Versicles
Ps 51
Little Chapter [Seasonal]
Hymn [Seasonal]
Benedictus
Pater Noster
Collect of the Day
Closing Versicles
Those familiar with the Anglican Breviary will recognize the ordo as a stripped-down version of Lauds 2 straight from there. I invite any interested to give it a try and let me know how it goes. Note that it can be used as a supplement in addition to MP as well as a replacement for it. Let me know what you think…
Instead, I’m recommitting to good habits–some that had fallen by the wayside.
First, I recommitted to doing the Office as much as possible including saying Compline with M when my work schedule allows (i.e., the nights when I *don’t* end my shift at midnight).
Second, I recommitted to memorizing and mulling over the weekly collects.
Third, I decided to memorize the seven penitential psalms, taking one a week or so.
Two and three are going well; one is difficult as a function of time with the Office Book. I do have time–it’s during my commute which is more by car these days than mass transit and I’m not going to try and read while I’m driving in this town! While the Brief Devotions in the BCP are ok for bedtime prayers with G and H, I can’t see the morning one as a substitute for MP. Thus, I’ve been trying to work up a fully memorizable Anglican Lauds for the mornings when I can’t get to the prayer book. Here’s the pattern as it currently stands:
Opening Versicles
Ps 51
Little Chapter [Seasonal]
Hymn [Seasonal]
Benedictus
Pater Noster
Collect of the Day
Closing Versicles
Those familiar with the Anglican Breviary will recognize the ordo as a stripped-down version of Lauds 2 straight from there. I invite any interested to give it a try and let me know how it goes. Note that it can be used as a supplement in addition to MP as well as a replacement for it. Let me know what you think…
Thoughts on the Thursday Question
Jim Naughton has been wondering out loud about something I’ve been pondering for a while. Since he brought it up, I’ll extend my thoughts on it a bit…
He suggests that one of the best reasons for TEC to turn down the Communique is the opportunity that such a move might make for evangelism. I don’t think he goes this far–but I will: perhaps turning down the Communique would give TEC an opportunity to evangelize the socially liberal/progressive for whom the “traditional”–read “socially conservative”–moral message with which the Gospel of Jesus is normally associated is a stumbling block. To put it another way, has the Good News of Jesus’ reconciling work through the cross and empty tomb been entrapped by a culturally binding morality which prevents it from being heard?
I don’t say this lightly. After all, I’m more on the socially conservative side myself. I’m not posing this as a rhetorical question that seeks to persuade but as an open question for discussion.
If–IF–this is the case, then perhaps TEC does have a calling separate from the Anglican Communion. As far as I’m concerned, we have a clear picture of what we don’t want–Europe. A continent where, according to all the reports I’ve seen, the Gospel is more often than not regarded as irrelevant for modern humanity. What is to say that will not characterize the US in fifty years?
One of the key issues that gives me pause, though, is this: I can’t think of a single denomination where the majority both embraces a liberal social vision and proclaims orthodox, Nicene, creedally grounded Christianity.
Is that because it hasn’t been done…or because it can’t?
He suggests that one of the best reasons for TEC to turn down the Communique is the opportunity that such a move might make for evangelism. I don’t think he goes this far–but I will: perhaps turning down the Communique would give TEC an opportunity to evangelize the socially liberal/progressive for whom the “traditional”–read “socially conservative”–moral message with which the Gospel of Jesus is normally associated is a stumbling block. To put it another way, has the Good News of Jesus’ reconciling work through the cross and empty tomb been entrapped by a culturally binding morality which prevents it from being heard?
I don’t say this lightly. After all, I’m more on the socially conservative side myself. I’m not posing this as a rhetorical question that seeks to persuade but as an open question for discussion.
If–IF–this is the case, then perhaps TEC does have a calling separate from the Anglican Communion. As far as I’m concerned, we have a clear picture of what we don’t want–Europe. A continent where, according to all the reports I’ve seen, the Gospel is more often than not regarded as irrelevant for modern humanity. What is to say that will not characterize the US in fifty years?
One of the key issues that gives me pause, though, is this: I can’t think of a single denomination where the majority both embraces a liberal social vision and proclaims orthodox, Nicene, creedally grounded Christianity.
Is that because it hasn’t been done…or because it can’t?
Cool Tunes and Other News
On a more cherry note, I positively and whole-heartedly endorse a new (to me) recording: Thou art My Refuge: Songs of Salvation and Mercy by Gloriae Dei Cantores. (It’s on Amazon–can’t get the link to work.) It’s a collection of 21 psalms using the classical Coverdale Psalter sung with Anglican Chant. Great stuff…
In other news, Fr. Director has indicated that he believes there are three almost-done chapters in the big box o’ crap. In delineating these three he has restricted the scope of the project to something more manageable. This is very good news…
Tanzania Reflection
I had a comment on the whole
Tanzania thing but had pretty much
decided to pass it by… Then the ABC’s address to General Synod came yesterday. Included in it is this line in reference to the Communiqué and its
directions/instructions/commands to the Episcopal
Church:
“Much here depends upon goodwill and
patience.”
…and that’s precisely why it will
fail. There isn’t good will and there isn’t patience. That’s why, at the end of
the day, the Panel of Reference isn’t worth a hill of beans nor the Delegated
Episcopal Oversight process. They begin from the premise that both sides want
reconciliation and are willing to do the hard work required and that’s simply
not the case.
Pray for the
Church…