The Collect Call has hit double digits! And in this tenth episode, we discuss the prayer for the only feast day devoted to doctrine, 1800 year old heresies, and the unexpectedly racy Athanasian Creed. The Collect Call is a podcast that unpacks and reflects upon the meaning of the collect of the week – that prayer at the start of the service that changes every week. Turns out there’s a lot in those little paragraphs! Hosts Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale and Holli Powell challenge themselves to learn about the history of the prayers, reflect on their spiritual meaning and application to daily life, and, inevitably, reduce them to tweets.

Or on Soundcloud:

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As we move forward into Ordinary Time, we want to have some special guests! If you would be interested in talking some theology and whatever other random things we come up with, let us know!

You can now follow us on Soundcloud, you can send us an e-mail (listen to the show for the address), and you can reach us on our new Twitter account – @thecollectcall.

If you like the show, please give us a shoutout on Facebook or Twitter, comment here, or leave us a review on iTunes.

This Week’s Prayer

(page 228 of the Book of Common Prayer, or bcponline.org):

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.

About the hosts:

Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale is a member of the Episcopal Church of All Saints, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holli Powell is a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Other Credits:

Theme Music: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, performed by Aaron DeVries, distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Image: Grant C., distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

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In the ninth episode of the Collect Call, we tackle the collect for Pentecost Sunday, wax poetic about the true meaning of Pentecost, and discuss the use of an unusual grammatical flourish by one Alexander Hume, a poet famous enough to have a Wikipedia page, but not famous enough for it to be anything other than a stub article. The Collect Call is a podcast that unpacks and reflects upon the meaning of the collect of the week – that prayer at the start of the service that changes every week. Turns out there’s a lot in those little paragraphs! Hosts Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale and Holli Powell challenge themselves to learn about the history of the prayers, reflect on their spiritual meaning and application to daily life, and, inevitably, reduce them to tweets.

Linky Time:

The Pentecost video Brendan mentions

Kyle Oliver’s Twitter account

As we move forward into Ordinary Time, we want to have some special guests! If you would be interested in talking some theology and whatever other random things we come up with, let us know!

You can now follow us on Soundcloud, you can send us an e-mail (listen to the show for the address), and you can reach us on our new Twitter account – @thecollectcall.

If you like the show, please give us a shoutout on Facebook or Twitter, comment here, or leave us a review on iTunes.

This Week’s Prayer

(page 227 of the Book of Common Prayer, or bcponline.org):

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it 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.

About the hosts:

Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale is a member of the Episcopal Church of All Saints, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holli Powell is a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Other Credits:

Theme Music: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, performed by Aaron DeVries, distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Image: Grant C., distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

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***Note from the Collect Callers: we had some audio issues, which we are working through. Please don’t hate us! We promise to get better. — B&H ***

In the eighth episode of the Collect Call, we tackle the collect for the seventh (and last) Sunday of Easter, where we say goodbye to Easter by reflecting on exaltation and the peripatetic corpse of the Venerable Bede. The Collect Call is a podcast that unpacks and reflects upon the meaning of the collect of the week – that prayer at the start of the service that changes every week. Turns out there’s a lot in those little paragraphs! Hosts Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale and Holli Powell challenge themselves to learn about the history of the prayers, reflect on their spiritual meaning and application to daily life, and, inevitably, reduce them to tweets.

As we move forward into Ordinary Time, we want to have some special guests! If you would be interested in talking some theology and whatever other random things we come up with, let us know!

You can now follow us on Soundcloud, you can send us an e-mail (listen to the show for the address), and you can reach us on our new Twitter account – @thecollectcall.

If you like the show, please give us a shoutout on Facebook or Twitter, comment here, or leave us a review on iTunes.

This Week’s Prayer

(page 226 of the Book of Common Prayer, or bcponline.org):

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son
Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to
strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior
Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

The John passage Brendan reads during this podcast can be found here (beginning at verse 20).

Since the collect references the King of Glory, it’s the right time to share this video, which went viral many years ago, with good reason.

And if you want a picture of the tomb of the Venerable Bede (WHO WOULDN’T?), here’s a link.

About the hosts:

Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale is a member of the Episcopal Church of All Saints, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holli Powell is a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Other Credits:

Theme Music: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, performed by Aaron DeVries, distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Image: Grant C., distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

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In this special BONUS episode of the Collect Call, we talk about the collect for the Ascension, in the meantime touching on the inscrutability of the Ascension and whether Jesus really ascended into the cloud along with all our data files. The Collect Call is a podcast that unpacks and reflects upon the meaning of the collect of the week – that prayer at the start of the service that changes every week. Turns out there’s a lot in those little paragraphs! Hosts Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale and Holli Powell challenge themselves to learn about the history of the prayers, reflect on their spiritual meaning and application to daily life, and, inevitably, reduce them to tweets.

Big News!

The Collect Call was conceived as a pilot project for the Easter Season, but after seeing the interest it’s generated, we’ve decided to keep going! Thanks for all of your support.

We have also launched new ways to stay in touch. You can now follow us on Soundcloud, you can send us an e-mail (listen to the show for the address), and you can reach us on our new Twitter account – @thecollectcall.

Our shoutout for the week is the Rev. David Kendrick, who has been posting about our podcast on Facebook and Twitter. He’s also doing a really interesting project of recording morning and evening prayer on Soundcloud. Thanks David! Follow him on Twitter at @frdavidken.

If you like the show, please give us a shoutout on Facebook or Twitter, comment here, or leave us a review on iTunes.

This Week’s Prayer

(page 226 of the Book of Common Prayer, or bcponline.org):

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ
ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things:
Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his
promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end
of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory
everlasting. Amen.

For extra special bonus points, the collect we didn’t use for Ascension Day is:

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your
only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended
into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend,
and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

And as not to spoil the fun of hearing the Twitter challenge firsthand, after you’ve listened, click here for a visual representation of Holli’s initial idea.

About the hosts:

Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale is a member of the Episcopal Church of All Saints, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holli Powell is a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Other Credits:

Theme Music: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, performed by Aaron DeVries, distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Image: Grant C., distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

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In the sixth episode of the Collect Call, recorded live at Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary, we tackle the collect for the sixth Sunday of Easter, where we deal with circular logic and wonder what it’s like to be in seminary. The Collect Call is a podcast that unpacks and reflects upon the meaning of the collect of the week – that prayer at the start of the service that changes every week. Turns out there’s a lot in those little paragraphs! Hosts Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale and Holli Powell challenge themselves to learn about the history of the prayers, reflect on their spiritual meaning and application to daily life, and, inevitably, reduce them to tweets.

Big News!

The Collect Call was conceived as a pilot project for the Easter Season, but after seeing the interest it’s generated, we’ve decided to keep going! Thanks for all of your support.

We have also launched new ways to stay in touch. You can now follow us on Soundcloud, you can send us an e-mail (listen to the show for the address), and you can reach us on our new Twitter account – @thecollectcall.

If you like the show, please give us a shoutout on Facebook or Twitter, comment here, or leave us a review on iTunes.

This Week’s Prayer

(page 225 of the Book of Common Prayer, or bcponline.org):

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

About the hosts:

Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale is a member of the Episcopal Church of All Saints, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holli Powell is a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Other Credits:

Theme Music: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, performed by Aaron DeVries, distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Image: Grant C., distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In the fifth episode of the Collect Call, recorded live at Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary, we tackle the collect for the fifth Sunday of Easter, where we learn about eternal life and the heat death of the universe. The Collect Call is a podcast that unpacks and reflects upon the meaning of the collect of the week – that prayer at the start of the service that changes every week. Turns out there’s a lot in those little paragraphs! Hosts Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale and Holli Powell challenge themselves to learn about the history of the prayers, reflect on their spiritual meaning and application to daily life, and, inevitably, reduce them to tweets.

Big News!

The Collect Call was conceived as a pilot project for the Easter Season, but after seeing the interest it’s generated, we’ve decided to keep going! Thanks for all of your support.

We have also launched new ways to stay in touch. You can now follow us on Soundcloud, you can send us an e-mail (listen to the show for the address), and you can reach us on our new Twitter account – @thecollectcall.

If you like the show, please give us a shoutout on Facebook or Twitter, comment here, or leave us a review on iTunes.

This Week’s Prayer

(page 225 of the Book of Common Prayer, or bcponline.org):

Almighty god, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Other Things we Referred to on the Show

The collect for the fifth Sunday of Easter was previously used for the Feast Day of St. Philip and St. James. Here’s the collect they get today, found on page 240 of the Book of Common Prayer.

Almighty God, who gave to your apostles Philip and James grace and strength to bear witness to the truth: Grant that we, being mindful of their victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Wikipedia entry on the heat death of the universe. Honestly we can’t make heads or tails of this.

Thank you to St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Bay Village, Ohio, for helping get the word out about our show. You can follow St. Barnabas on Twitter at @bvbarnabas.

About the hosts:

Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale is a member of the Episcopal Church of All Saints, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holli Powell is a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Other Credits:

Theme Music: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, performed by Aaron DeVries, distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Image: Grant C., distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Collect Call is a podcast that unpacks and reflects upon the meaning of the collect of the week – that prayer at the start of the service that changes every week. Turns out there’s a lot in those little paragraphs! Hosts Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale and Holli Powell challenge themselves to learn about the history of the prayers, reflect on their spiritual meaning and application to daily life, and, inevitably, reduce them to tweets. In the fourth episode, we tackle the collect for the fourth Sunday of Easter, and we learn that sheep are smarter than you think.

The Collect Call is a pilot project offered by the Acts 8 Moment through Easter Season. Will it last past Easter or burn in the tongues of flame on Pentecost? You tell us! If you like this show, please share it, comment here or on Facebook, and leave us a review on iTunes.

This Week’s Prayer

(page 225 of the Book of Common Prayer, or bcponline.org):

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Things we referred to in the show:

The Restoration Project – A movement devoted to nurturing mature followers of Jesus with a clear call

Holli’s Sermon for Good Shepherd Sunday – wherein we learn that sheep will hold you accountable

Listening Hearts – a slim volume about discernment

Easter People – a podcast featuring four friends talking lightheartedly about faith

About the hosts:

Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale is a member of the Episcopal Church of All Saints, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holli Powell is a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Other Credits:

Theme Music: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, performed by Aaron DeVries, distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Image: Grant C., distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Collect Call is a podcast that unpacks and reflects upon the meaning of the collect of the week – that prayer at the start of the service that changes every week. Turns out there’s a lot in those little paragraphs! Hosts Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale and Holli Powell challenge themselves to learn about the history of the prayers, reflect on their spiritual meaning and application to daily life, and, inevitably, reduce them to tweets. In the third episode, we tackle the collect for the third Sunday of Easter, and we learn about the mysterious office of the Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer.

The Collect Call is a pilot project offered by the Acts 8 Moment through Easter Season. Will it last past Easter or burn in the tongues of flame on Pentecost? You tell us! If you like this show, please share it, comment here or on Facebook, and leave us a review on iTunes.

This Week’s Prayer

(page 224 of the Book of Common Prayer, or bcponline.org):

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Things we referred to in the show:

Pulpit Fiction – A weekly podcast by Robb McCoy and Eric Fistler about the lectionary and more.

Draughting Theology – Including The Rev. Steve Pankey’s sermon about this show!

About the hosts:

Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale is a member of the Episcopal Church of All Saints, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holli Powell is a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Other Credits:

Theme Music: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, performed by Aaron DeVries, distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Image: Grant C., distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Collect Call is a podcast that unpacks and reflects upon the meaning of the collect of the week – that prayer at the start of the service that changes every week. Turns out there’s a lot in those short little paragraphs! Hosts Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale and Holli Powell challenge themselves to learn a little about the history of the prayers, reflect on their spiritual meaning and application to daily life, and, inevitably, reduce them to tweets. In the first episode, we tackle two of the three collects offered for Easter Sunday.

The Collect Call is a pilot project offered by the Acts 8 Moment through Easter Season. Will it last past Easter? You tell us! If you like this show, please share it, comment here or on Facebook, and leave us a review on iTunes.

This Week’s Prayers

(page 222 of the Book of Common Prayer, or bcponline.org):

O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

and

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

About the hosts:

Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale is a member of the Episcopal Church of All Saints, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Holli Powell is a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Things we referred to in the show:

A Commentary on the American Prayer Book, by Marion J. Hatchett

Fifty Days of Fabulous – Join this community to celebrate the whole 50 days of Easter

Other Credits:

Theme Music: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, performed by Aaron DeVries, distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Image: Grant C., distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Barking Dog in the Background: Scottie, Brendan’s neighbor’s dog. He probably saw a squirrel.

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