STORM FRONT

 

Yesterday was beautiful and sunny, but it was just a ruse, a cunning device to deceive brought on by the Old Adversary. Today is different. Our Enemy the Climate has changed. Thunder rolls, while rain lashes down against the weathered timbers of the Compound's HQ with elemental, enraged fury. Not unlike Hillary on hearing the news of Trump's victory in 2016.

Are we deterred, thrown into wailing, weeping, tariff induced panic as we hunker down in our hardened bomb/tornado shelter? Hardly. First step: Stand on the porch like Ahab, braving the elements. Second Step: Gather the faithful for Evening Prayer at Mission #1, 1928 BCP thank you very much. Then say that important act of communal worship as thunder rolls like an artillery barrage and rain crashes down.

My soul doth magnify the Lord, regardless of climactic opposition. Speaking of which, do any of you pray the Roman Breviary? I used to and liked it, but its hideous English translations of psalms and canticles became too much to bear and I jettisoned the thing. For all I know there's a better variant out there but I haven't seen it.

Speaking of which, I remember talking with some senior Roman priests somewhere in Gloucestershire, years ago. They scorned the new liturgical texts, "All they had to do, Father, was use the language already worked out by the Church of England. But no, they wouldn't do that, thought they were clever. But they weren't, utterly useless." I loved those old boys.

Regardless, the Texan sky has turned that shade of green which may or may not presage a further storm. Does this mean we should pay the Weather moar tax, like some kind of Dane Geld? I say no, you might say yes. Your call.

No Rule,

LSP

Liturgical Slaughter

 

One of the ways Satan attempts to destroy the Church, the Ark of Salvation, is by deforming its language, the language of worship. We see this clearly in the liturgical revisions of the 1970s and '80s. These were supposed to make the language of corporate prayer available to all and succeeded in turning everyone off.

Why? Because the revisions were rubbish, the language ugly, banal, and unprayable. Here's the modern, ahem, Nunc Dimittis from the 1979 Episcopalien Book of Common Prayer, I believe it's common to the Breviary:

Lord, you now have set your servant free *

to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *

whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations, *

and the glory of your people Israel.

"These eyes of mine." Well isn't that just dandy, said no one ever who's tried to pray this deformed attack language. Here's the original:

LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, 

* according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen * thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared * before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, * 

and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Do you see the difference? One is hideous, the other is beautiful. Satan, punters, does his best to destroy our worship, in this case through language.

Here at the Missions we ignore demonic innovation,

LSP