Deus Misereatur

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri My rating: 5 of 5 stars With regard to this particular edition, not knowing Italian, I can't vouch for the quality of the translation, but I can say the following. The format is poetry (rather than prose), and the rhythm normally flows well. The translation is by Allen Mandelbaum (4 May 1926 – 27 October 2011), an award-winning translator of many classics. Along with the core material, there are a truck load of end notes that are knowledgeable (the annotator understands his Christianity and his Catholicism, as well as the historical innuendos and incidents of the text). I found myself regularly turning to the end notes to either assure myself of what I had gathered, or to instruct me in what I had completely missed. Simply because of my ignorance of hagiographa, medieval history and hoary-headed sages, I kept returning to the end notes making the reading slow and sluggish. All told, it was enjoyable to read Dante's "Commedia". T...

Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America Anthony B. Bradley Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, IL 60187 USA www.crossway.com ISBN: 978-1-4335-1147-9; $17.99; 28 February 2010 Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Michael W. Philliber for Deus Misereatur. Biblical and Black 5 Stars of 5 It was bound to happen. It was Black History Month , I had just gone to a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial service, and then attended my quarterly Presbytery meeting where my denomination is presently in the topsy-turvy toils of hammering out how to pursue racial reconciliation. So there I was at a Lifeway bookstore looking for commentaries on Proverbs to help with a new sermon series when I turned around and saw it, squeezed in tight between other books on pastoral issues. I thought to myself, “Well, I’ve never read this fellow, but the book looks perfect for this month,” and snatched up a copy of “Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience ...

(I am praying this today for my dear friend in Midland, TX, Fr. Charles Hageman) LITANY FOR THE DYING. O  GOD the Father; Have mercy upon the soul of thy servant.      O God the Son;      Have mercy upon the soul of thy servant.      O God the Holy Ghost;      Have mercy upon the soul of thy servant.      O holy Trinity, one God;      Have mercy upon the soul of thy servant.     From all evil, from all sin, from all tribulation;      Good Lord, deliver  him.     By thy holy Incarnation, by thy Cross and Passion, by thy precious Death and Burial;      Good Lord, deliver  him.     By thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension, and by the coming of the Holy Ghost;      Good Lord, deliver  him.     We sinners do bes...

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth; stir up your might and come to save us! Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, as we pray on behalf of your Church wherever she gathers; including this congregation; Church on the Rock; City Church; Community Abundant Life Church; Covenant Life Church; Crossings Community Church; The Cube; Dayspring Church of Christ; and Everlasting Gospel Lighthouse Church. May she have strength to endure the heat of day and the gloom of night. May she have courage to maintain her witness with honesty and integrity. May she be comforted in her tribulations and hold faithful in her good fortunes. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved! Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, as we pray for those who are pursuing ordination in Gospel ministry – in our own church and in our families….May they be shaped by the hands of the master artisan into good unde...

The tone and temperament of this election season are bringing me to pray more, which is not a bad thing. But this brings me to ask myself often, what ought I and other Christians to request? What should we seek after? How should we approach the throne of grace as we yearn for mercy and grace to help in our time of need? The following are some suggestions that I have pulled from the various versions of the Book of Common Prayer , and others I have penned myself. Use them as freely as you like; share them as freely as you dare. Mike.   ----  O eternal God, through whose mighty power our fathers won their liberties of old; Grant, we beseech thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen ( Book of Common Prayer ).  ----  O God, you have shown us what is good, and what you require of us; that we are to do justly, to love mercy, and the walk humbly b...

Sunday morning: O Father who sits enthroned in the heavens , but is not contained or circumscribed by your creation; whose brilliant glory radiates into all places; who “ though the darkness hide Thee, though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see, only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee, perfect in power, in love and purity. ” To you, O Father, we come to offer our prayers and requests. O Father who sits enthroned in the heavens , you who are the giver of every good and perfect gift, we pray for your Church wherever she is gathered this Lord’s Day, particularly for this congregation; the Body of Christ Praise Fellowship; Bridgeway Church; Calvary Chapel; Calvary Temple; Christ Community Church; Christ Covenant Fellowship; Church at the North Gate; and Church of the Harvest. Grant that our witness and testimony of Christ may be certain, our teaching proper, our fellowship gracious, and our doctrine sound. O Father who sits enthroned in the heavens , in your ...

Today I was pondering Luke 11.14-28  and Jesus releasing those trapped by devilish, dark and destructive powers. It brought me to pray for the addicted: Lord Jesus, who has come to set the captives free; who through your cross and resurrection has disarmed principalities and powers, making a public spectacle of them and triumphed over them: set free these for whom we pray….that all may know that you are Lord of lords and King of kings, and that these may glorify and enjoy you now, hereafter and forever. Amen.