“Convertirse al amor que nos visita”
In 1977, in the country named after our Lord (El Salvador), St. Oscar Romero greeted those in attendance and listening over the radio as he preached on Christmas Eve (using the same texts prescribed in the ACNA’s lectionary for Christmas: Isaiah 9:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14).
Now, as a Latino priest myself, Romero is a […]
Christmas Eve is rough on preachers; at least for this one.
The atmosphere for a truly great sermon is all there: scenery, families, music, lighting, Scripture, attendance, joy, and a holy hope in every heart and on every face. But my Christmas Eve sermons (33 and counting) are never equal to this setting. They always seem weak […]
The Anglican tradition has inherited many ancient pieces of liturgy, so it may be a bit surprising to learn that the Festival/Service of Nine Lessons and Carols (traditionally held on or near Christmas Eve) is a fairly recent invention, celebrating its one-hundredth birthday only last year in 2018. It was constructed out of the grief and horror of the First […]
I have been having fun writing about some gift ideas for Rectors and their Spouses. I served as a Rector for over 30 years and spend a lot of time now with Rectors and their families.
I know that many laypeople want to get the Rector and their Spouse a gift for Christmas to show their love and appreciation. […]
Earlier, I wrote a post about What Your Rector Wants For Christmas. I love Rectors and have the good fortune to spend time with, teach, coach, and encourage lots of Rectors around the Anglican Church in North America.
But I don’t just love Rectors. I also love their families! The role of a Rector is unique. So is the role of […]
Sure, you’ve heard the song, but did you know that the “12 days of Christmas” actually start on Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and go until the day before Epiphany (Jan. 5)? This mini-season of the Church calendar is also known as “Christmastide”!
So, December 25 is the first day of Christmas. December 26 is the second day. And so on, until […]
Several years ago, I served as the Assistant Rector at a large Anglican Church. This meant, of course, that I had the wonderful opportunity of preaching cultural holiday weekends when attendance would be predictably low … i.e. Memorial Day Weekend, Labor Day Weekend, etc.
One of the key weekends that I always got to preach was the First Sunday of Christmas. […]
This post is a part of Rookie Anglican, a blog dedicated to Making Anglicanism Accessible. It was first preached as a sermon by Fr. Steven Lanclos on January 3, 2018 at Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd in Pelham, AL.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which […]
This post, in addition to being a part of Rookie Anglican, is part of a series on the Collects of the Christian Year (ACNA), called “Collect Reflections.” If you’re just jumping in, make sure to check out the introductory post, “Announcing Collect Reflections.” All Collect Reflection posts can be found here.
Have you ever had a hard “Christmas […]
The “Christ Candle” is the large white candle in the middle of an Advent wreath.
On the four Sundays of Advent, you’ll see the Advent wreath at the Anglican Church. Around it will be four candles, three purple, and one pink. […]
Last week, I talked about how to encourage generosity at the end of the year by making Growing generosity is a part of your teaching ministry, and teachers need to be creative. We’ve talked about getting creative by making a Christmas Wish List for your church. It’s a way to engage the people directly with the needs […]
At LeaderWorks, we are all about helping church leaders do their work. To that end, we posted a new idea for helping your church give in the final month of the year: make a Christmas Wish List for your church!
Still, you deserve more than a lump of coal, so take a break and write your Christmas wish list. […]
We’ve talked a lot about increasing generosity at the end of the year. As we’ve posted elsewhere, the end of the year brings challenges. You’ve got this year’s budget gaps, next year’s budget planning, end-of-the-year appeal letters—it’s a lot. On top of that, Christmas is fast approaching.
There are two temptations during seasons like this in ministry.
I’ve seen […]
“Hey! Good News has come here! I bring you Good News.”
That’s the message I heard as I woke from my snooze.
The daylight had gone, I had fallen asleep.
I was cold to the […]
Here are a few lines from some of the wisest writers and thinkers… Drink deep and believe!
–David Roseberry from LeaderWorks
Hast thou not heard, that my Lord Jesus di’d?
Then let me tell thee a strange storie.
The God of power, as he did ride
In his majestic […]
Here is a question about the wonderful parish tradition of Lessons and Carols: Is there room for a brief homily or meditation during this service? Is there an opportunity to present the gospel from the lectern (through the nine lessons) AND through the pulpit? John Yates III thinks so. He has done so for the past few years. Here he […]
A very Merry Christmas to you from all of the writers at Anglican Pastor. Below are a few links to some of our musings on the season, and a few links to boot.
What are the Twelve Days of Christmas? by Greg Goebel
Christmas is actually […]
How do we as Christians find a way to celebrate the Feast of the Incarnation and the birth of Christ, and yet at the same time be a part of our culture?
We have to know both the culture in which we live and the Bible in order to be faithful. In order to navigate this in our own culture, it might be […]
