Baptismal Identity: Dying and Rising
This video excerpt again features Reverend Daniel Eggold, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Lafayette. Pastor Eggold, in conversation with Reverend Timothy Droegemueller, pastor of Living Faith Lutheran Church, Cumming, Georgia, presented at the virtual conference held in June 2021, Orbiting Christ: Belonging, Believing, Behaving. Their conversation, in which they discussed their practices of preaching and […]
An Act of Repentance
This video excerpt features Reverend Daniel Eggold, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Lafayette, Indiana (with a cameo appearance by Reverend Timothy Droegemueller, pastor of Living Faith Lutheran Church, Cumming, Georgia). The two pastors presented on at the virtual conference held in June 2021, Orbiting Christ: Belonging, Believing, Behaving. Their conversation, in which they discussed their […]
A Ritual Journey: Blessings of the Catechumens
The period of the catechumenate immerses the catechumens in the gospel Word that leads to faith and Christian life. As we have seen, celebrations of the Word of God—in addition to ongoing catechetical instruction—feed and structure that immersion, along with various ritual acts that apply the Word to the lives of the catechumens. These include: […]
A Ritual Journey: Prayers for Christian Life
As I mentioned last week, the Catechumenate stage in the RCIA is filled with a number of minor rites in addition to the Celebrations of the Word of God. The rites include: Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings of the Catechumens. They all flow from and lead back to the service of the […]
A Ritual Journey: Rites of the Word
The Catechumenate stage in the RCIA is filled with a number of minor rites, minor in comparison to the major rites by which catechumens move from one stage to the next, such as the Rite of Election. These minor rites include: Celebrations of the Word of God; Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings […]
A Ritual Journey: The Stage of the Catechumenate
Over the last several weeks we have explored in detail the Rite of Welcome/Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. Once the inquirers cross this ritual threshold they enter into a new status in the church. They are now officially catechumens, intentionally committed to exploring the faith of the church and life within the […]
Advent: A New Beginning for Those Seeking God and Community
In last week’s video excerpt Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor spoke about the anointing of the senses in the Rite of Acceptance as practiced at Redeemer Lutheran Church in The Bronx. In this excerpt from the same conference conversation, Pastor Taylor discusses other aspects of the Rite of Acceptance: The use of a recurring musical […]
A Ritual Journey: Formative Aspects of the Welcome Rite
As I mentioned last week, the most significant aspects of the welcome rite are the presentation and dialogue with the candidates, the signing with the cross and of the senses, the presentation of a Bible, and the prayer and blessing of the candidates. We’ll take up the signing along with a brief video discussion of […]