As you are browsing through the Daily Office of the 2019 Book of Common Prayer, you will run into an order of liturgy called “Compline.” Maybe you’re familiar with Compline and maybe you’re not. It doesn’t really matter… yet. In either case, this ancient prayer hour is prayed at the conclusion of every day and…
The Rev. Porter Taylor has served as the rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta, Georgia, since September 2024. An almost-cradle Episcopalian, Porter was ordained to the priesthood in 2013. Most recently, he served as rector of St. David’s by the Sea in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he founded the St. David’s Institute, a theological resource and training center. He previously served in diocesan leadership in California and at two church plants in California and Kansas.
Fasting & Feasting in Lent
The penitential and preparatory season of Lent includes 40 days of fasting. However, if you look at the calendar closely enough and do the math, you’ll see that the actual season is a bit longer. Why? Within those 40 days, we exclude those Sundays. Sundays are feast days and cannot be fast days. These Lord’s…
Why Do We Kneel in Prayer?
There used to be a time not long ago when pews or sitting furniture of any kind were wholly absent from the sanctuary. Let’s be honest, we’re a bit removed from the ancient traditions of the Church when it comes to furniture and prayer. We now live in an era when comfortable chairs are replacing…
What is the Sunday Lectionary?
It is likely that you’ll hear a variation of the following words at an Anglican Church on Sunday morning, “Please be seated to be instructed from the Word of God.” It’s clear that the Bible is going to be read aloud for the purpose of teaching and formation, but who assigns the lessons? Is it…
An Intentional Lent
My social media newsfeeds are a flutter with posts about the beginning of Lent: Shrove Tuesday meals, Ash Wednesday services, Lenten disciplines and strong opinions about the relevance of the season. It seems that there are differing views and/or misunderstandings about the nature of the Lenten season. People write about Lent being “Roman Catholic” or…
