Gary Neal Hansen

Theology. It's good for you.

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You are here: Home / Archives for Church Year

Forgiveness Vespers

March 8, 2018 by Gary Neal Hansen 9 Comments

forgiveness vespers

A couple weeks ago I attended a gathering for the night before Lent began. No, this was not a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. Nor was it a Mardi Gras carnival. This was a Sunday evening worship service. It was an Orthodox church — and for the East Lent does not begin on a Wednesday. Orthodox […]

Filed Under: Church Year, Community, Worship Tagged With: Ceremony of mutual forgiveness, Forgiveness Sunday, Forgiveness Vespers, Lent, Rite of Forgiveness

What Was Holy Saturday About?

April 17, 2017 by Gary Neal Hansen 4 Comments

Writing

Christ is risen! That really makes all the difference. Or at least we know that it should. My fellow Protestants, as I’ve noted before, have a hard time really focusing in on just how Christ’s resurrection makes the difference. We are so committed to preaching only “Christ and him crucified” that we find ourselves inextricably […]

Filed Under: Church Year, Iconography, Music, Theology, Worship Tagged With: Harrowing of Hell, Holy Saturday

Celebrating the Birth of Jesus with His Mother

December 30, 2016 by Gary Neal Hansen 6 Comments

During Advent I went one Wednesday night to St. George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Pittsburgh. I was surprised to hear a service that was new to me: Not the ordinary Vespers, but the “Advent Paraklesis.” As in so much of Orthodox worship, the hymns carry a huge freight of theology. As always there is much […]

Filed Under: Church Year, Music, Saints, Worship Tagged With: Nativity Paraklesis, Orthodox hymns, Twelve Days of Christmas

New Online Class for Advent — Lectio Divina

November 24, 2016 by Gary Neal Hansen Leave a Comment

Advent starts Sunday! And so does my brand new online class on lectio divina. I suspect that, like me, you want this Advent to be a time of deepening your connection with God — instead of being swept into the hurly burly of shopping and office parties. As the prophet and the gospel remind us, we need to […]

Filed Under: Bible, books, Church Year, Reviews Tagged With: Advent, Lectio divina, online class

Upcoming Webinar on Lectio Divina

October 17, 2016 by Gary Neal Hansen Leave a Comment

As I write, it is mid October. From my kids’ perspective two things stand between now and Christmas: Halloween and American Thanksgiving. (In our house we have already celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving. Multiple cultures make for extra thankfulness.) For the Church, though, there is another whole season between now and Christmas: Advent, the four week period when […]

Filed Under: Bible, Church Year, Prayer Tagged With: Lectio divina, Presbyterian Outlook, scholarships, Webinar

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Theology. It’s good for you.

I'm a Church historian by trade. My writing, speaking, and teaching explores the Christian past to equip today's disciples. Join me here for regular posts on the best of theology, spirituality, community, and ministry. read more…

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