On today's episode...

We finish our series of episodes on the worship services of Holy Week. Today we discuss the Great Vigil of Easter (Easter Vigil), the last of three services called the Triduum.

We discuss not only what the service is about but its meanings. Why is there a fire? What is the prayer to the candle about? Why so many readings? Why are we celebrating Easter at night, shouldn’t it be in the morning? Most of all, why would anyone come to this service?

Up next: Next Wednesday we will release an episode on the Resurrection and what it means for us.

We look forward to seeing you for worship during Holy Week and Easter! Tonight is Tenebrae and we’ve got services all week leading up to Easter Sunday, April 5. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/easter/ and see you in church!

Thank you for listening to this episode of Cross Connections. Be sure to follow or like us on your favorite podcasting app to find us easily each week, or join our email list at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections/

We love getting your questions! Please call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. You can also email questions to us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

If you like what you hear, please share this episode with your friends and rate us in Spotify and Apple podcasts so other people can find us as well. If you really love what you hear, we'd be ever so grateful if you would donate to St. David's Church. You can visit our website at ⁠stdavidschurch.org/giving⁠ and write "Cross Connections" in the memo line to indicate your support.

Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA and is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org.

On today's episode...

We continue our series of episodes on the worship services of Holy Week. Today we discuss Good Friday, the second of three services called the Triduum.

We first talk about the oddities of language in the name of Good Friday. Why is it called good? Do you also confuse Good Friday and Black Friday? We also touch on some of the colloquial names for other days of Holy Week.

When we get into the liturgy of the day, we note a few things right away: it’s not participatory in quite the same way that Maundy Thursday is; it starts in silence (the continuation from Maundy Thursday ending in silence, perhaps?); and the Passion reading is always only from the Gospel of John. We do talk about two of the participatory moments: standing/ kneeling during the Gospel reading and the veneration of the cross. Before we get into talking about the veneration, first we discuss the Gospel of John and how its specific wording hascaused great damage over the years and up to today. You can hear more about this in our episode on the Gospel of John from last season. We also get into Elliot’s issues with only using the Gospel of John for this service.

Then Rick asks us why we think people should come to this service, which looks death in the face and sits in grief, on a sunny spring evening. Elliot and Natalee give their answers and then Rick gives his own thoughts – which, interestingly, include a reference to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Finally, we move on to the other participatory moment of the service – the veneration of the cross. Rick explains it for Natalee (“Explain to me how this is not idolatry?”) in a satisfying way. We then talk about Elliot’s favorite part: thesolemn collects – something you’ll only ever experience in this service–prayers that go back thousands of years.

We close out with a few quick fun facts and fascinations. First, a rundown of the Holy Saturday service. This is a short one-page liturgy for during the day, ahead of when we would celebrate Easter Vigil, which is our next episode. Then, a noteabout the tradition around Holy Saturday being the day that Jesus “descended to the dead.” Finally, Natalee’s fascination with imagining what it was like to be a disciple on that day between Jesus’ death and resurrection. Up next: our Easter Vigil episode.

We look forward to seeing you for worship during Holy Week and Easter! Palm Sunday this year is Sunday, March 29 and we’ve got services all week leading up to Easter Sunday, April 5. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/easter/ and see you in church!

Thank you for listening to this episode of Cross Connections. Be sure to follow or like us on your favorite podcasting app to find us easily each week, or join our email list at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections/

We love getting your questions! Please call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. You can also email questions to us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

If you like what you hear, please share this episode with your friends and rate us in Spotify and Apple podcasts so other people can find us as well. If you really love what you hear, we'd be ever so grateful if you would donate to St. David'sChurch. You can visit our website at ⁠stdavidschurch.org/giving⁠ and write "Cross Connections" in the memo line to indicate your support.

Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA and is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode/ Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org.

On today's episode...

We continue our series of episodes on the worship services of Holy Week. Today we discuss Maundy Thursday, the first of three services called the Triduum, and what Rick calls the “most full” service of the year. We start off by defining some terms – which includes a funny and relatable story about Rick’s sister. Then we get into the many Biblical events commemorated by this one liturgy – from foot washing to the new commandment to the Last Supper and the vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane. Learn about the biggest controversy in all the Christian denominations – and how the Anglican Church (and thereby The Episcopal Church) finds a middle way through it. Find out what you can expect at St. David’s Maundy Thursday worship, or what you might find at your local Episcopal church if not able to join us here.

We look forward to seeing you for worship during Holy Week Easter! Palm Sunday this year is Sunday, March 29 and we’ve got services all week leading up to Easter Sunday, April 5. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/easter/ and see you in church!

Thank you for listening to this episode of Cross Connections. Be sure to follow or like us on your favorite podcasting app to find us easily each week, or join our email list at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections/

We love getting your questions! Please call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. You can also email questions to us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

If you like what you hear, please share this episode with your friends and rate us in Spotify and Apple podcasts so other people can find us as well. If you really love what you hear, we'd be ever so grateful if you would donate to St. David's Church. You can visit our website at ⁠stdavidschurch.org/giving⁠ and write "Cross Connections" in the memo line to indicate your support.

Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA and is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill with editing support from Blinck Media . Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode/ Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org.

On today's episode we begin our next series on the worship services of Holy Week. We get started with Palm Sunday, or “Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday” as it is officially named. This is the final Sunday in Lent, the week immediately prior to Easter Sunday. Did you know that in the Episcopal Church we combine Palm Sunday with the passion, but that in the Church of England they celebrate Passion Sunday a week prior – two weeks before Easter Sunday? Learn more about Palm/Passion Sunday, including its Biblical roots, its liturgical history, how we practice it at St. David’s, and why we celebrate when and how we do in today’s episode. Then, come and join us this year for worship for Holy Week and Easter! Palm Sunday this year is Sunday, March 29, 2026 and we’ve got services all week leading up to Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/easter/⁠ and see you in church!

Thank you for listening to this episode of Cross Connections. Be sure to follow or like us on your favorite podcasting app to find us easily each week, or join our email list at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections/

We love getting your questions! Please call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. You can also email questions to us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

If you like what you hear, please share this episode with your friends and rate us in Spotify and Apple podcasts so other people can find us as well. If you really love what you hear, we'd be ever so grateful if you would donate to St. David's Church. You can visit our website at ⁠stdavidschurch.org/giving⁠ and write "Cross Connections" in the memo line to indicate your support.

Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA and is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5. You are welcome to learn more about all of St.David’s worship and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org.

We invite you to lean into your Lenten discipline of study and reflection with this extra-long episode of Cross Connections on the Mystics. We promise it's worth it: There's even some music and a conspiracy theory this week!

What makes someone a mystic? What do they do and how do they live?

In this episode we explore the idea and history of mysticism and what mystics can teach us about God and how tolive our lives. The Rev. Rick Morley, Natalee Hill, and Elliot VanHoy each bring a mystic to discuss: The pseudo-Dionysius, Evelyn Underhill, and Thomas Merton. Come and find out when these mystics lived, what they believed, and what we have to learn from them.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Cross Connections. Be sure to follow or like us on your favorite podcasting app to find us easily each week, or join our email list at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections/

We love getting your questions! Please call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. You can alsoemail questions to us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

If you like what you hear, please share this episode with your friends and rate us in Spotify and Apple podcasts so other people can find us as well. If you really love what you hear, we'd be ever so grateful if you would donate to St. David's Church. You can visit our website at ⁠stdavidschurch.org/giving⁠ and write "Cross Connections" in the memo line to indicate your support.

Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA and is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St.David’s worship and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org.

We’re releasing this week’s episode a day early so that we can myth-bust Ash Wednesday and Lent and give you the facts.

Where do the ashes come from? We discuss the purpose and history of Ash Wednesday, back to Tertullian, and the Biblical roots for using ashes on people. We talk about sacraments, sacramentals, and signs. We wonder why there are 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, not 40?

We discuss where the forty days come from and how you can walk the way of Jesus this Lent to make your Easter even more meaningful. We’ll even give you a list of ways that you and your household can accept the invitation to observe a Holy Lent. Grab your Book of Common Prayer, or find it online (https://www.bcponline.org/ or download a PDF through the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music website) and join us as we enter this season.

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Thank you for listening to this episode of Cross Connections. Be sure to follow or like us on your favorite podcasting app to find us easily each week, or join our email list at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections/

We love getting your questions! Please call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. You can also email questions to us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

If you like what you hear, please share this episode with your friends and rate us in Spotify and Apple podcasts so other people can find us as well. And if you really love what you hear, we'd be ever so grateful if you would donate to St. David's Church. You can visit our website at ⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/giving⁠ and write "Cross Connections" in the memo line to indicate your support.

Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA and is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org.

On today's episode we’re continuing our discussion on how we talk about God, specifically the metaphors we use for God. We start off by defining metaphors, both using Merriam Webster and a theologian’s description. We then move into naming some of the metaphors for God that are found in the Bible.

We talk about which metaphors feel comfortable, and which ones are more difficult for our modern ears. We find ourselves talking about how some of the metaphors are used predominantly for one person of the Trinity, but not all of them. We also talk about how the metaphors we use to understand the Trinity itself also break down. There is a reference to a funny St. Patrick’s meme about the heresies of understanding the Trinity. (St. Patrick’s Bad Analogies from Lutheran Satire)

We also talk about how some of the metaphors we use are there for us when we need them. Rick talks about how God the shepherd is actively in his mind when he goes into certain situations. We also discuss how some of the metaphors for God that we have are also contradictory: shepherd and sheep being one example.

We then move into talking about gendered imagery for God as found in the Bible. We also discuss our use of masculine and feminine imagery throughout our liturgy and conversation. We discuss the emotional responses that come when our learned assumptions about God are challenged.

We move into a discussion about how we know if a metaphor for God is a good one and which ones break down too easily. We recall that as Christians the main way we understand the meaning of the whole Bible is through the person of Jesus Christ. We also talk about Divine accommodation, the Christ as different from Jesus, and the problems with absolutizing any of our understandings of God. We close out by recalling that metaphors are meant to help us open up our understanding, not to close it off.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Cross Connections. Be sure to follow or like us on your favorite podcasting app to find us easily each week, or join our email list at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections/

We love getting your questions! Please call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. You can also email questions to us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

If you like what you hear, please share this episode with your friends and rate us in Spotify and Apple podcasts so other people can find us as well. And if you really love what you hear, we'd be ever so grateful if you would donate to St. David's Church. You can visit our website at ⁠stdavidschurch.org/giving⁠ and write "Cross Connections" in the memo line to indicate your support.

Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA and is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org/.

In this episode, we delve again into the complex and multifaceted ways of understanding God based off theologian Peter Rollins’ four concepts of God. You can watch his conversation with Rob Bell on The RobCast here. Last week we covered God as Super being and God as Hyper being. This week we move on to God as Ground of Being and God as Event.

The conversation touches on influences from theologians and philosophers like Paul Tillich, Simone Veil, and C.S. Lewis, and explores concepts for God in both scripture and historical context. We underscore the importance of avoiding idolatry in our conceptions of God and highlight the progression of faith development that moves from concrete, child-like beliefs to more abstract, mystical understandings. We also discuss how different states of human experience, such as fear and anger, can shape our perception of God. Finally, stay tuned for future episodes focusing on metaphors for God and the significance of our language in religious discourse.

00:00 Introduction and Recap

00:36 Philosophical Ways of Understanding God

01:00 God as Super Being

01:34 God as Hyper Being

03:06 God in Christian Development

08:14 God as Ground of Being

13:06 Mystical Perspectives on God

27:32 Scriptural References and Idolatry

31:53 God as Event

37:40 Framing the Concept of God as Event

38:27 Philosophical vs. Theological Perspectives

40:27 God's Presence in History

42:07 Greek Philosophy's Influence on Christian Theology

47:29 Process Theology and Open Theology

50:54 The Weakness of God and the Theology of the Cross

01:11:03 Stages of Faith Development

01:15:06 Upcoming Topics and Reflections

Thank you for listening to this episode of Cross Connections. Be sure to follow or like us on your favorite podcasting app to find us easily each week, or join our email list at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections/

We love getting your questions! Please call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. You can also email questions to us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

If you like what you hear, please share this episode with your friends and rate us in Spotify and Apple podcasts so other people can find us as well. And if you really love what you hear, we'd be ever so grateful if you would donate to St. David's Church. You can visit our website at ⁠stdavidschurch.org/giving⁠ and write "Cross Connections" in the memo line to indicate your support.

Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA and is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org.