“Morning Has Broken” is both an international pop classic and a hymn of uncommon theological depth. It begins the day with praise to God for the beauty of his creation and the sustaining power of his Word. The story of the hymn begins with Anglican priest Percy Dearmer, who wanted a text set to the…
A Holy Place: Preserving Historic Churches
A few weeks ago, my church took a field trip—one that went over the road and almost 200 years into the past. A small group of us met in one of our village’s oldest buildings, a tiny stone chapel constructed in 1853 to serve the tiny population of English settlers who’d brought their faith with…
Hymn Guide: Lift High the Cross
“Lift High the Cross” is a hymn of missionary encouragement and spiritual victory. It sets forth the paradox of the cross: that an instrument of torture and death has become a symbol of triumph and life.
Our Church Speaks: The Voice and Vision of Ben Lansing
If you have spent time on social media with enough other Anglicans, chances are you’ve come across Ben Lansing’s artwork. In a few short years, he has built up a collection of over 250 portraits called Our Church Speaks, inviting viewers to engage with the words and lives of saints from throughout the ages. His…
Remembering Rod Whitacre: The Ukulele Evangelist
In early 2023, the Rev. Dr. Rod Whitacre sat in a hospital bed, reflecting on his life with his son Chad. He was receiving treatment for lymphoma and would soon decide to come home to hospice care. Together that day, they remembered Rod’s many published contributions to New Testament studies, including the IVP New Testament…
Rogation Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Rogation Sunday and the three subsequent Rogation Days commemorate Jesus’ final days on earth before his Ascension. Accordingly, these days focus on the earth, agricultural work, and human dependence upon God. On Rogation Sunday, we especially remember to abide in Christ the Vine, to receive his love and bear fruit in love for each other….
On This Most Holy Night: An Easter Vigil with the Arts
An Ancient Tradition The first Easter Vigil I ever attended was in southern Ukraine, what is now annexed Crimea. I was 15 years old, on a spring break mission trip with my Christian high school. I don’t remember as much as I wish I did (and I admit I was smitten with a particular boy…
Good Shepherd Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
On Good Shepherd Sunday, we both acknowledge that we are sheep who go astray and also glory in the good news that Jesus is our shepherd. Typical features of the day include a collect on the theme of the Good Shepherd and the reading or singing of Psalm 23 or Psalm 100. The gospel reading…
Hymn Guide: Be Thou My Vision
Did you know “Be Thou My Vision” was written by a blind monk? The text is traditionally attributed to Saint Dallán, 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…
