…to a few miscellaneous questions posed by visitors via the search terms. It’s interesting to hear what people are wondering about!
Q. Did Jesus recline while eating?
A. Yes — that was the custom in his day, and all the disciples (and everyone else living at the time) would have “reclined at table” at mealtimes.
Q. What does “own Thy sway” mean?
A. This is the closing line of the beautiful old hymn The Day Thou Gavest Lord Is Ended. The entire last line reads: “till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.” The phrase is very old British-English. “Thy sway” means something like “Your power” or “Your reign.” The phrase implies the person being spoken to is the rightful leader or ruler. To “own” something in old English is to admit or acknowledge it. So the phrase “own Thy sway” means something along the lines of “acknowledge You are the rightful Ruler”. It’s the same thing the apostle Paul means when he says “every knee shall bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:10-11)
Q. What are the words of preparation for saying the Apostles’ Creed?
A. There aren’t any — you can say it anytime you like!
There are two other questions I’m planning to look at in separate posts in the near future: “What do ‘laypeople’ do at church?” and “Explain the hymn ‘I Am Thine O Lord’?”. Both are great questions, and I will need a little more time and space to give worthy answers — keep watching this space!
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