Category Archives: Advent

A Punk Band Wrote a Folk Song That’s Actually a Pretty Good Advent Hymn

Posted on November 27, 2020 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

I first heard Bad Religion‘s “Sorrow” on the radio in it’s acoustic version, sung and played solo by its lead singer Greg Graffin. To me it sounds like it could be a folk song from the ‘sixties. Only after I … Continue reading →

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Resources for An Advent Service of Lessons and Carols

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

These are resources for An Advent Service of Lessons and Carols which will be held online on the First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 2020. The resources are gathered from a variety of sources and, while assembled mainly for The … Continue reading →

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Joy in the Ruins of Old Jerusalem

Posted on December 24, 2019 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

Day Twenty-Three of “Through Advent with Isaiah” The first reading on Christmas Day (the third Eucharist of Christmas), from the Hebrew scriptures, is (no surprise) from Isaiah. 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who … Continue reading →

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For Unto Us A Child Is Born

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

Day Twenty-Three of “Through Advent with Isaiah” Here is the reading from Isaiah that is appointed for the first Eucharist of Christmas, and which will be used in millions of churches on Christmas Eve at the “Midnight Mass”. 1 But … Continue reading →

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Who Is The Servant in Isaiah?

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

Day Twenty-Two of “Through Advent with Isaiah” As discussed in earlier posts, the “servant” of God is a major theme in the Book of Isaiah. Much of the time the servant is identified: Descendants of Jacob and Judah (65:9). The … Continue reading →

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A Kingdom Without a King

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

Day Twenty-One of “Through Advent with Isaiah” One of the most striking things about the transition from First Isaiah to Second Isaiah is the shift in interest in the Davidic monarchy. In First Isaiah the prophet begins in 1.1 and … Continue reading →

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Highways in Isaiah and the Gospels

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

Day Twenty of “Through Advent with Isaiah” As is well known, the synoptic gospels quote Isaiah 40 in reference to John the Baptist. In Isaiah 40 we read: 1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly … Continue reading →

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The Brain as a Model for Prophecy in Isaiah

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

Day Nineteen of “Through Advent with Isaiah” I warn you, this is a weird post. Thinking About Brains. Once upon a time, not so long ago, scientists who studied the human brain said that it had a triune nature. By … Continue reading →

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The Texts of Isaiah

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

Day Eighteen of “Through Advent with Isaiah” Although parts of the Book of Isaiah go back as far as the eighth century BCE – 2700 years or so – the oldest complete manuscripts are only about a thousand years old. … Continue reading →

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The Servant of God in Isaiah

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Bruce Bryant-Scott

Day Seventeen of “Through Advent with Isaiah” Bernard Duhm (1847-1928) wasn’t a liturgist, but his work has influenced the lectionary used in the Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican churches. In Holy Week the readings from the Hebrew Bible, traditionally called the … Continue reading →

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