In the original O Antiphons, and still to this day on the church calendar, “O Wisdom” was the first of the seven
Today in the Spirit: Advent 4A (Annunciation)
We all know that sense of heightened desire that accompanies the arrival of a big day, like a wedding day or the first day of a new job. A moment of transition is at hand, and, like a child waiting for, well, Christmas, we feel more intensely that combined force of eagerness from not yet…
The Liturgical Home: The Tradition of Christmas Markets
The Christmas market is more than a charming winter custom or a festive place to shop; it has deep Christian roots that reach back to the medieval Church.
Hymn Guide: Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending
“Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” is Charles Wesley’s great hymn on the second coming of Christ, and one of the most majestic congregational songs in the entire repertoire.
Today in the Spirit: Advent 3A (Gaudete)
In all three years of our Sunday lectionary, Advent 3 is also “The Baptist” 2. After reacquainting us with the character and preaching of John the Baptist in Advent 2, the church assigns a collect and readings to take us deeper into consideration of the power of biblical prophecy in general and John’s role, in…
Eight Unique Gifts that Support Anglican Artists
The gift-giving season of Christmas is right around the corner. Here are a few ideas to steer you away from big-box gadgets and toward creative choices that will convey your thoughtfulness and build up our community of faith.
Today in the Spirit: Advent 2A
On the second and third Sundays of Advent, our attention is drawn to the NT Gospel accounts of John the Baptist’s ministry. So, the church abruptly shifts our adoration from the contemplation of Jesus’ second coming to his first. Like many good films that give their audience the end before the beginning, we wonder, as…
Blue is for Beginnings: The Color of Advent
Advent blue recalls for us our Hebrew origins, inspiring us to holiness and hope in the promises of God.
Book Review: The Biggest Story Advent by Kevin DeYoung & Don Clark
The Biggest Story Advent is a children’s board book that functions like an Advent calendar.
Today in the Spirit: Advent 1A
The first Advent Sunday marks the arrival of a new year in the life of the liturgical church. While there is little fanfare to celebrate that fact, we find the church, after the slow drip of nourishment in the Pentecost season, urgently inviting us, as worshipers, to take stock of our lives in view of…
Christ the King Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The final Sunday of the church year is the Feast of Christ the King. Pope Pius XI established the feast in 1925, seeking to counter the rise of secularism and atheism by reasserting the sovereignty of Christ. Though the named feast is a 20th-century innovation, the theme of Christ’s kingship is central to scripture and…
Today in the Spirit: Proper 29C (Christ the King)
The feast of Christ the King is the Church’s celebration of Jesus Christ’s kingship over all things, earthly and heavenly. Though many Anglican provinces around the world have unofficially celebrated the feast for a century, the only official Prayer Book designation I could find of the final Sunday of Pentecost as “Christ the King” is…
