Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who led the development of the Book of Common Prayer, crafted collects for Good Friday with a special emphasis on the church as the family of God. There are three collects for the day, the only occasion for which Cranmer appointed more than one. The first asks God to “behold this thy…
The Liturgical Home: Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday begins the sacred journey of the Easter Triduum (pronounced tree-do-um), the “Three Days” that span from sundown on Maundy Thursday to sundown on Easter Sunday. These are the holiest and most solemn days of the Christian year, drawing us into the heart of our faith. On this night, we remember the Last Supper,…
Palm Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Palm Sunday is a day of palm fronds, outdoor processions, and loud praises to Christ. With these practices, we mimic the crowds that went with Jesus on his way into Jerusalem. Like them, we celebrate Christ as the returning King, the son of David, and the long-awaited messiah. However, when we remember what Jesus went…
Today in the Spirit: Palm Sunday C
In Lent Year C, we come now to Holy Week and the crisis ending in our Lord’s death in Jerusalem. As always on Palm Sunday, the combination of the triumphal entry and the passion narratives will send us as worshipers reeling in the Spirit between the joy of crying “Hosanna” at one moment and the…
Hymn Guide: My Worth is Not in What I Own
“My Worth is Not in What I Own” is a contemporary hymn about the surpassing worth of Christ and his cross. It references the many good things of this world—including possessions, strength, skill, and reputation—but rejects them as the basis of personal worth. Instead, it fixes our value in the unconditional love of Christ, our…
Today in the Spirit: Lent 5C (Passion Sunday)
Passion Sunday at Lent 5 marks the beginning of the traditional Passiontide period, which extends through the Saturday before Palm Sunday. This deep in Lent, we walk with Jesus in our worship into the last week of his life, either just before or after his triumphal entry. In Year C, the assigned Gospel reading is…
Contemplative Movies for Lent
The season of Lent is a time for contemplation. The Ash Wednesday service in the Book of Common Prayer calls us to observe the season “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and alms-giving; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word” (BCP 2019, pg. 544). In its call for self-examination and repentance, Lent…
The Liturgical Home: The Feast of the Annunciation
On March 25, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. This feast remembers one of the most incredible mysteries of our faith: the moment the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and proclaimed that she would conceive and bear the Son of God. This day marks the very moment of the Incarnation when God…
Today in the Spirit: Lent 4C (Laetare Sunday)
Generally, at Lent 4 every year, we can discern a transition in the Church’s selected readings from the straightforward message of the horrific consequences of failing to repent from sin (recall the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” from last week’s Gospel reading) to the promises of blessing for those who do. This is evident nowhere more than in…
The Annunciation: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Annunciation refers to the conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary and the announcement of this pregnancy by the angel Gabriel to Mary. The Church celebrates the feast on March 25, which is easy to remember when you realize it is precisely nine months before Christmas! This day reminds us…
The Liturgical Home: The Feast of St. Joseph
Though the Gospels record no words from Joseph, his actions speak volumes, his unwavering faith, obedience to God’s call, and humble strength make him one of the most inspiring figures in Scripture.
Today in the Spirit: Lent 3C
The experience of worship in the third week of Lent is part and parcel of the experience of the whole season of Lent. Once again, we hear stories, prophecies, or songs of Israelites receiving God’s commands in the wilderness of Sinai or Palestinians listening to the words of the Son of God incarnate in Palestine,…
