In the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, we confess, “O Lord, have mercy on us, miserable offenders.” Those are deep, strong statements that reveal our condition and status.
The Prayer Book’s Exhortation for Faithful Priests
On a crisp, bright Alabama day in December of 1994, I received my commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. I proudly stood before my friends and family in my dress greens (an abominable polyester creation) as each of us new officers received the gold bars of our new rank. One of…
Choir Dress: The Vestment That Is Never Wrong
Though you may be accustomed to seeing your priest in an alb and stole, choir dress is always an appropriate vestment in the Anglican tradition. Indeed, I would argue that there are many reasons it may be the preferred choice! Choir dress is the vestment that is never wrong.
O Emmanuel
It is folly to the world wrapped in darkness, but our pleas to God to send us Immanuel find their answer in God’s naturally ordered creation by sending us a baby.
O Rex Gentium: O King of the Nations
Traditional Antiphon O King of the nations, and their desire, The Cornerstone making both one: Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel O come, Desire of nations, bindin one the hearts of all mankind;Bid thou our sad divisions cease,And be thyself our King of Peace. It…
O Oriens: O Dayspring
December 21st arrives draped in shadow. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice—the shortest day of the year and the longest night—often falls on this day. It’s a time when darkness seems to have truly overcome the light. Thus, it is particularly fitting that the Church assigns O Oriens, the O Antiphon naming Christ as…
O Clavis David: O Key of David
O Clavis David, meaning “O Key of David,” proclaims God’s appointed leadership of Christ Jesus as the fulfillment of the hopes and promises given to the dynasty of King David.
O Adonai: O Lord of Might
The O Antiphons give seven Messianic titles to Jesus. The first title, Wisdom (Sapientia), evokes God’s creation as described in Genesis and Proverbs. The second title, Adonai, derives from the second book of the Bible, Exodus, in which God delivers his people. Traditional Antiphon O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared…
O Sapientia: O Wisdom From On High
In the original O Antiphons, and still to this day on the church calendar, “O Wisdom” was the first of the seven
The Great Litany: A Rookie Anglican Guide
In times of fasting or seasons of special need, Anglicans use an ancient form of responsive prayer called the Great Litany. This litany is extensive and encompassing, running across eight pages in the 2019 Book of Common Prayer (pp. 91-98). It includes prayers to the Trinity, prayers for protection against all manner of evil, petitions…
Veni Creator Spiritus: The Ancient Ordination Hymn
The silence of the ordination service is heavy with expectation, especially when the ordinand lowers his body to the ground. He has been examined by the bishop, and soon he will kneel under the bishop’s hands. Though he has just made lofty vows, he knows, like Isaiah, that he is a man of unclean lips….
For the Procreation of Children: The First Purpose of Marriage
The first purpose of marriage is the procreation of children. This is the teaching of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. What’s more, children are a blessing and a joy! Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior…
