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That's right! Today we are precisely one day from our annual 30 (40) Days of Blogging adventure! Many of you will remember last year's blog entries, and they were excellent. We are in the process of making a major change here at Preachers Institute, which we believe will make homiletics resources even easier to use and to make PI a better resource for you, the Orthodox Christian preacher, pastor and priest. As a result, we aren't … [Read more...]
by Fr. John A. Peck Dormition is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Christian faith. Of course, this is a great preaching opportunity, so we here at Preachers Institute, are offering an article on Dormition and a few things which we hope you will find valuable as you prepare this festal sermon. 1. Preach the Gospel … [Read more...]
My dear friends and supporters of Preachers Institute, Christ is Risen! It's that time of year again, the month of June - my annual vacation time, and I'll be taking a hiatus this month from regular publication and updating of Preachers Institute. There will be articles scheduled for publication, but I won't be updating or moderating comments during the month of June. Thanks for all your support for our work and mission. In the coming year, we … [Read more...]
by Fr. John A. Peck Well, friends, it is that time in our exercise. There's no shame in it. Blogging has become difficult. We're hitting 'the wall' in this marathon. Runners know what 'the wall' is. It's that wonderful experience you just have to push through. It's tough. It's all will power. Now for those of you who took up the challenge of the 30 (40) Days of Blogging, first let me congratulate you for takinng the challenge. Second, for … [Read more...]
During every Nativity Fast, I offer my spiritual children and parishioners an exercise in Scripture which I call "The New Testament Challenge." It's really not all that challenging, but for someone who has never read the entire New Testament before, it is an excellent time for just such an exercise. If you begin on Nov. 15th, you will do the 40 day schedule. If you begin on Dec. 1, you will do the 25 day schedule. Both schedules … [Read more...]
by Fr. John A. Peck The final installment of our five part series A Short History of the Liturgical Location for Preaching: The Ambo, the Pulpit and the Lectern. The Lectern (Analogion) The Lectern (from the Latin lectus, past participle of legere, "to read") is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to a some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading … [Read more...]
by Fr. John A. Peck Part Four of a Five Part series A Short History of the Liturgical Location for Preaching: The Ambo, the Pulpit and the Lectern. The Exterior Pulpit There is a wonderful history of outdoor, or exterior pulpits, attached to Churches. As stated previously, exterior pulpits were used for funeral orations in the churchyard, for the preaching of pilgrimages, or for the exhibition of relics, and were often built outside of … [Read more...]
by Fr. John A. Peck Part Three of a Five Part series A Short History of the Liturgical Location for Preaching: The Ambo, the Pulpit and the Lectern. The Pulpit The word pulpit comes from the Latin pulpitum, meaning a stage or scaffold. The most popular and consistent architectural 'solution' to a highly visible and clearly audible location in a Church has been the pulpit. The pulpit is the direct descendant of the ambo, as is an … [Read more...]
by Fr. John A. Peck Part Two of our Five Part series. A Short History of the Liturgical Location for Preaching: The Ambo, the Pulpit and the Lectern. The Ambo An Ambo (pl. Ambones) is a Greek word, supposed to signify a mountain or elevation. This was understood in the west as well – and well after the Great Schism. Even Pope Innocent III of Rome so understood it, for in his work on the Liturgy (II.I. 33), after speaking of the … [Read more...]
By Fr. John A. Peck Part One of a Five Part Series A Short History of the Liturgical Location for Preaching: The Ambo, the Pulpit and the Lectern Throughout history, the place occupied by the preacher has changed based on liturgical and theological need. Primarily of course, the purpose of changing the location was of necessity – to be seen and heard by those listening and looking. Our Lord Himself ascended a mountain for the “Sermon … [Read more...]
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