Did you know “Be Thou My Vision” was written by a blind monk? The text is traditionally attributed to Saint Dallรกn, a 6th-century Celtic monk who went blind in the middle of his life. Some modern scholars have argued for a later date in the 10th or 11th century. Either way, the text reflects the…
Death, Be Not Proud: A Reading of John Donne’s Holy Sonnet X
“Death, Be not proud,” also known as Holy Sonnet X, is John Donne’s great poem in mockery of Death. Composed in 1609, the poem was published posthumously in 1633. It is fitting that Donne got the final word, laughing at Death from his grave. The power of the poem is its reversal of our experience….
Hymn Guide: O Sacred Head
“O Sacred Head” is a deeply moving devotional hymn about the Passion of Christ. It explores and celebrates the paradox that Jesus’ suffering is both ugly, in its external form, and also beautiful, in its salvific love. The hymn is most fitting to be sung during Lent, Holy Week, the Stations of the Cross, alongside funerals,…
Hymn Guide: God Be Merciful To Me
“God be merciful to me” is a setting of Psalm 51, David’s great hymn of repentance, forgiveness, and faith. More than most hymns and worship songs, it sets forth the stark reality of human sin and turns to God as our only hope for salvation and spiritual renewal. Composed anonymously for the 1912 Psalter, it…
George Herbert: A Rookie Anglican Guide to the Priest and Poet
George Herbert, perhaps the greatest devotional poet in the English language, was also a faithful pastor to a small country church. When I was a student, Herbert helped lead the way of my pilgrimage to Christ. As an adult disciple and priest, I have continually refreshed my spirit by dipping back into Herbert’s prose and…
Hymn Guide: Once In Royal David’s City
The moment is magic. A hush descends as the Christmas Eve service is about to begin. And then a single child’s voice breaks the silence, singing: “Once in royal David’s city…” This tradition, first started at King’s College in its annual service of Lessons and Carols, has spread throughout the Anglican world and now to…
C.S. Lewis and the Fullness of Joy
I cannot imagine a more fitting tribute to the work of Jesus in the life of author, professor, and apologist C.S. Lewis than Psalm 16:12: You shall show me the path of life; in your presence is the fullness of joy, and at your right hand there is pleasure for evermore. Most deeply, this psalm…
Book Review: Why We Create: Reflections on the Creator, the Creation, and Creating
Brian Brown and Jane Clark Scharl of the Anselm Society edited a collection of essays entitled Why We Create: Reflections on the Creator, the Creation, and Creating, published by Square Halo Books in the spring of 2023. At under 200 pages, this paperback delivers more proverbial weight than its compact trim size might indicate. In…
A Renaissance of the Christian Imagination: The Anselm Society
Brian Brown and his wife, Christina, put their finger on a troubling trend within their community ten years ago. They noticed that friends of theirs who were artists often felt forgotten or even mistrusted within the church, so they had to find other communities to support their artistic endeavors. Churches, in turn, had little idea…
And I replied “My Lord”: A Reading of George Herbertโs โThe Collarโ
As someone who did not always observe All Saints’ Day or All Souls’ Day, I have grown to appreciate the spiritual significance of both these feasts deeply. As we remember the followers of Jesus who died before us, these feasts remind us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves and encourage us to…