St Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles

06/08/2026

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” - Thomas Ken (1637-1711), Bishop

Thomas Ken was a man of principle, a quality that brought him much trouble. He served as the chaplain to Queen Mary, daughter of the English King James II and wife of King William of Orange. He corrected William for his mistreatment of Mary and was quickly sent packing. He then became chaplain to King Charles II. Charles asked that his mistress, Nell Gwyn, be temporarily lodged in the chaplain’s residence. Ken refused and chastised the King. Charles so admired Ken’s honesty and principled stand that he later insisted that Ken become the Bishop of Bath & Wells, saying, “None shall have it but that little man who refused lodging to poor Nellie!” On his deathbed, Charles asked for Ken to minister to him in his final hours. Ken swore fealty to James II, Charles’ successor. James converted to Roman Catholicism and imprisoned Anglican bishops for refusing to back his political agenda. The English people initiated the “Glorious Revolution,” replacing James with William & Mary. Ken’s sworn loyalty was now to a dethroned king and he could not in good conscience swear a new oath to a different sovereign. Ken was labeled a ‘non-juror’ (someone who refuses to swear an oath), was stripped of his bishopric, and served his final years as a private tutor and writer. His most famous hymn, known as “The Doxology” (“Praise God from whom all blessings flow”) is now sung in churches throughout the world.

O God, our heavenly Father, you raised up your faithful servant Thomas Ken to be a Bishop and pastor in your Church and to feed your flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Art & history by Ben Lansing

ORDER the “Our Church Speaks” book 📚 ourchurchspeaks.com

06/07/2026

A joyous and historic day as Bishop Kym Lucas presided over the Byzantine Divine Liturgy and received a newer SMM member into the Episcopal Church!

06/02/2026

Theotokion

The King of heaven, *
because of his love for us *
appeared on earth and dwelt among us. *
He took flesh from the pure Virgin *
and after assuming it, he came forth from her.*
The Son is one: in two natures, yet one Person. *
Proclaiming him as perfect God and perfect human, * we confess Christ our God! ***

Entreat him, O unwedded Mother,
to have mercy on our souls!

05/30/2026

We were able to the get the primary AV finished in the nave and sanctuary yesterday (and we hope to add a camera to the narthex soon)!

Our first streamed Divine Liturgy will be June 7th.
Access will be through a zoom link on our website smmdenver.org (and stjohngolden.org).

05/24/2026

“He will teach you all things.” John 14:26b

Pentecost

Pentecost is the name used by Greek-speaking Jews for the Jewish feast of Shavuot. It is a festival of first fruits, when God is given an offering from the land’s early produce. Ancient Jewish tradition connected this feast with the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Siniai. Its name, “Pentecost,” refers to its placement on the calendar - fifty days after Passover - and it is now associated with the Christian feast commemorating the coming of the Holy Spirit. After Christ’s ascension into heaven, his disciples met in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. While they were together, the sound of a rushing wind filled the room and the Holy Spirit fell upon all, manifesting in flames of fire. The disciples began speaking in the languages of the Gentile nations and they were empowered to fulfill Jesus’ final command to “go into all of the world, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Fifty days earlier, Jesus had promised that he would ask the Father to send the Helper (the Holy Spirit) who would be with them forever. Now, in the presence of all, this promise was fulfilled.

The cultural chaos following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 led to conflicting traditions in how to calculate Passover. Today, Western Pentecost, Eastern Pentecost, and Jewish Shavuot all fall on different days. This reminds us to pray that through the Holy Spirit’s power, all of his people will be fully unified in his truth and love.

Almighty God, on this day, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, you revealed the way of eternal life to every race and nation: Pour out this gift anew, that by the preaching of the Gospel your salvation may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Art & history by Ben Lansing

Book now available 📚- www.ourchurchspeaks.com

05/19/2026

One of the blessings of dual-rite identity is living beyond many rigid divisions that exclude alternatives. One example is that we do not engage in the battles over whether it is more ethical to have the clergy face liturgical east (ad orientem) or the laity (versus populum) while at the altar; as our identity is simultaneously Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Orthodox, we simply practice and value both! In small ways like this, we hope to tangibly be a church that breathes “with both lungs.”

05/19/2026

9NEWS spent months profiling the emotional stories of those who receive care inside the Rocky Mountain Refuge.

05/19/2026

Our parish has supported the Rocky Mountain Refuge for the last few years. The great need they are trying to address calls for contributions from every part of society and the church!

Rocky Mountain Refuge provides hospice care for people experiencing homelessness, offering dignity, comfort and a place to call home.

05/16/2026

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗬 𝗘𝗨𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗡 .

Within Christian theology, the mystery of the Holy Eucharist has been expressed in different ways across traditions. Two of the most commonly referenced explanations are Transubstantiation and what is often called Consubstantiation.

Transubstantiation is the teaching, formally articulated in Roman Catholic theology, that at the consecration of the Eucharist, the substance of bread and wine is changed into the actual Body and Blood of Christ, while the outward appearances remain unchanged. This explanation is closely tied to medieval scholastic philosophical categories.

Consubstantiation, a term commonly associated with Lutheran theology (though Luther himself preferred the language of “sacramental union”), expresses the belief that Christ is truly present in, with, and under the bread and wine. In this understanding, the bread and wine do not cease to be bread and wine, yet Christ is truly and sacramentally present alongside them.

The Anglican Church, however, does not officially define the mystery of the Eucharist using the scholastic framework of Transubstantiation. Article XXVIII of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion rejects it as a philosophical explanation not fully consistent with Scripture in its scholastic formulation.

Yet this rejection must never be misunderstood as a denial of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist. Classical Anglican theology firmly upholds the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the sacrament.

Anglicans believe that the Holy Communion is not a mere symbolic remembrance, but a true sacramental participation in the life of Christ. In the Eucharist, Christ is truly and spiritually present, and through faith by the power of the Holy Spirit, believers genuinely partake of Him. While the outward elements of bread and wine remain unchanged in substance and appearance, they become for the faithful a means of grace, an instrument through which Christ nourishes His Church.

Because of this sacramental mystery, Anglican theology does not insist on a single rigid philosophical explanation of how Christ is present. Instead, it holds the presence of Christ with reverence, humility, and doctrinal breadth. This allows different emphases within Anglicanism.

Some Anglo-Catholic Anglicans express a belief in the Real Presence in a manner very close in language and devotion to Transubstantiation.

Others, often within Evangelical or low-church traditions, emphasize a more spiritual and memorial understanding. Yet both remain within the bounds of Anglican sacramental theology.

The strength of Anglicanism lies in this historic balance, holding together Scripture, Tradition, and Reason; while preserving the mystery of the sacraments without over-defining what the Church has chosen to leave in reverent silence.

The Anglican understanding of the Eucharist is best described not as a reduction of mystery, but as an invitation into it. Christ is truly present, not limited by human explanation, but graciously given to His Church as spiritual food for faith, life, and salvation.

The LORD preserve His Church! 🙇‍♂️