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CSI Bay Area Preview Service
- September 07, 2023
- by
- user
St. Paul’s Los Altos opened its doors to a holy communion service in Malayalam, led by Bishop Sabu Cherian of the Church of South India and Reverend Aby Thomas, representing the Los Angeles CSI congregation.
This remarkable gathering wasn’t just an ordinary service; it was a preview of something profoundly transformative—a new mission partnership between the Reformed Episcopal Church under Bishop Ray Sutton of the Diocese of Mid-America and the Church of South India. The service was a poignant reminder that faith knows no boundaries and that unity in Christ...
“Decently and in Order” – Canterbury Leadership Theme
- August 19, 2023
- by
- Steve Macias
I recently led a week of teacher orientation for our 2023-2024 school year at Canterbury School. I presented the following notes as my opening remarks for our teaching staff.
“Let all things be done decently and in order.”
“Decently and in order” is a principle taken from 1 Corinthians xiv:40, which St. Paul encourages maintaining an organized and well-structured environment.
Daily Schedules and Routine:At Canterbury we follow a consistent daily schedule that allows for smooth transitions between classes, activities, and breaks. This helps students know what to expect and reduces chaos. We...
The Anti-ADHD Diet
- August 08, 2023
- by
- Steve Macias
There exists a debate on whether diet and particularly whether sugar consumption is connected to hyperactivity. Some experts claim that parents like myself are mistaken when we connect the birthday cake and the chaos that follows. They tell us that there is not enough evidence to suggest that it was the Pepsi that caused our children to bounce off the walls.
A similar debate around the affect of carbohydrates has raged for decades. The foundation of the American food pyramid and the standard...
The British Model of Classical Education
- August 07, 2023
- by
- Steve Macias
The early missionaries to the British Isles brought not only Christianity, but also Western culture to the regions of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England. Early 5th Century missionaries like St. Patrick, St. Columba, St. Ninian, St. Kentigern, and St. David were responsible for establishing churches and monastic communities that provided opportunities for education through the Christian Church. These early monastic communities provided the infrastructure for what would become schools and libraries.
A Celtic scriptorium was a place within a monastery or other religious community where...
Transfiguration: Christ as the Greater Moses
- August 06, 2023
- by
- Steve Macias
A new MP3 sermon from Saint Paul’s Anglican Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details:
Jesus not only foretold His journey to the cross but also revealed that His followers would need to embrace the path of the cross (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). The concept of the cross and resurrection remained an enigmatic puzzle for the disciples, even leading Peter to rebuke Jesus for mentioning death (Matthew 16:22; Mark 8:32). Their expectations, rooted in the context of first-century Jewish beliefs, envisioned the Messiah as a leader...
The She-Bear Wedding in That Hideous Strength
- August 05, 2023
- by
- Steve Macias
Lord Byron once remarked,
“All tragedies are finished by a death, All comedies are ended by a marriage.”
This adage has resonated with many throughout history and has found its way into various literary works. In my own journey through literature, I first encountered this quote during our study of Shakespeare back in high school. Little did I know that this saying would take on a new, intriguing meaning when I later explored the CS Lewis novel “That Hideous Strength” and its captivating ending...
English Bible Vernacular: From Church Latin to King James English
- August 04, 2023
- by
- Steve Macias
Today, the term “vernacular” implies the local language spoken by a particular people. For instance, English is the common language in the United Kingdom, Cantonese in Hong Kong, and various Dravidian tongues like Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam are used by South Indian people. This diversity of languages has significant implications for Bible translations. Unfortunately, I often find myself disappointed with efforts to make the Bible more accessible by “dumbing down” the language instead of encouraging readers to grow in their understanding.
While I am not a King James Onlyist,...
The Book of Common Prayer in Spanish
- August 03, 2023
- by
- Steve Macias
The earliest versions of the Anglican Prayerbook existed in French, German, Latin, and Spanish during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The “English” of the prayer book is an important part of its legacy – in that it provides the prayers and Scripture in the common vernacular tongue that could be understood by the people. It also represents the return to a Pre-Norman conquest identity. To pray in English not only throws off the Pope and Romanism, but also centuries of French dominance over English Christianity. It was the eleventh century invasion...
Canterbury Theological Library Catalog
- August 02, 2023
- by
- Steve Macias
I am thrilled to announce that the task of unloading and shelving all the books in our newly acquired library has been successfully completed! Thanks to the generous gift from Western Seminary‘s former San Jose campus, we now have over 3,000 theological books at our disposal, along with convenient book carts and double-sided shelving. It has been a labor of passion and dedication to organize and arrange these valuable resources. Fortunately, the books were organized in Dewey Decimal Classification with unique numerical codes to each subject, which helped with planning...
Church of South India in the Bay Area
- August 01, 2023
- by
- Steve Macias
I had some friends from Kerala, India visit us at St. Paul’s Anglican Church Los Altos. They are part of Church of South India in the Madhya Kerala Diocese. Their Achen Rev. Aby Thomas is currently leading a congregation in Los Angeles called St. Peters and now exploring the idea of a Malayalam service for the Bay Area. Malayalam is one of the Dravidian language primarily spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and nearby states with approximately 38 million native speakers. The services would be in their language and...