“We Three Kings” is a festive carol that both tells the story of the magi visiting baby Jesus, and also explores the deeper significance of their gifts.
Hymn Guide: Good King Wenceslas
“Good King Wenceslas” is a Christmas Carol that celebrates generosity, sacrifice, and the power of holy imitation.
Hymn Guide: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
The majestic Christmas carol, “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” celebrates both the birth of Christ and the saving work he came to do. First written by Charles Wesley, with small but significant modifications by George Whitefield, it reflects the confidence of the Great Awakening in the glorious grace of God.
Singing the Faith with Mrs. Alexander
On the surface, there is precious little widely available on the life of Cecil Frances Alexander, a “Hymn-writer and Teacher of the Faith,” as she’s called in the 2019 Prayer Book. I was able to find precisely one biography available online, which, in turn, led me to a smaller one that her husband wrote after…
Hymn Guide: All Things Bright And Beautiful
While “All Things Bright and Beautiful” is childlike, it is not childish. It contains much more than first meets the eye.
Hymn Guide: Amazing Grace
“Amazing Grace” is a universal anthem of God’s grace to sinners. Now sung all over the world, it began as the personal testimony of John Newton, Anglican priest and former slave trader. Like Paul and the woman with the alabaster jar, Newton loved God much, because he had been forgiven much. Newton’s hymn traveled across…
Hymn Guide: How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place
“How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” is a hymn of longing and spiritual ascent. It is a paraphrase of Psalm 84 and began in the ancient Hebrew practice of pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Hymn Guide: Morning Has Broken
“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…
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.
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…
