Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who led the development of the Book of Common Prayer, crafted collects for Good Friday with a special emphasis on the church as the family of God. There are three collects for the day, the only occasion for which Cranmer appointed more than one. The first asks God to “behold this thy…
The Liturgical Home: Good Friday
Good Friday is the most solemn day of the church year. It holds profound significance for Christians, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. We solemnly remember the sacrificial acts of Jesus, who bore the sins of humanity and “reconciled to himself all things, whether in heaven or on earth, making…
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: When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is one of the first hymns written in the English language; three hundred years later, it remains one of the finest. Isaac Watts composed and published the text in his groundbreaking 1707 work, Hymns & Spiritual Songs. Because of the emphasis on the cross, it is especially fitting for the…
Good Friday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Good Friday is the most somber day of the Christian year. On this day, we remember the death of Jesus on the cross. But why do we call the day “Good Friday”? The etymology of Good Friday goes back to Middle English, where “good” had the sense of “holy.” At the time, other days in…
10 Ways to Preach the Good Friday Sermon
As a pastor, when I encouraged people to attend our Good Friday liturgy, I would say something like this: “On Good Friday, we gather to remember the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth and his death upon the Cross. If you’re wondering whether to attend, I ask you to consider one question. Would you…
The Way of the Cross: An Invitation to Holy Week
Holy Week is the high mark of the church’s liturgical year. In it, we celebrate Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem, from his arrival on Palm Sunday to his death on Good Friday. Then, we celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday, with all the momentous events in between. There are many ways to commemorate the week,…
Holy Week: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Starting on Palm Sunday, Holy Week begins. As I put it in my overview of the Church calendar and the Christian liturgical year, The last week of Lent, Holy Week, remembers the last week of Christ’s earthly life, beginning with Palm Sunday’s commemoration of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Holy Week is the week between…
Lent: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting for 40 days, Lent is a season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter. The Church year revolves around two “cycles,” one for Christmas and one for Easter. As the Christmas cycle begins with Advent, the Easter cycle does likewise with Lent. The season has a penitential character….
I’m not an Anglican During Holy Week
I love being an Anglican Christian. This Communion is my home, these are the people I’m called to serve with, and I’m thankful for the beauty of this tradition. But during Holy Week, I’m not an Anglican. I’m not a Baptist either. Or a Presbyterian. Or a Roman Catholic. Maundy Thursday On Maundy Thursday, my feet…
Holy Week and the Cross of Christ: Notes and Quotes
Here is a small collection of quotes and comments about the Cross and Holy Week that I have collected over the years. They are sermon starters, devotional nudges, and deep expressions of our faith and love of Jesus Christ and the Cross He endured. May the Lord richly bless you all in the Holy Week. …
Last Minute Instructions for Lent
Lent is drawing near! The word “Lent” comes from the Old English “lencten,” meaning springtime, when the days lengthen. You’ve probably already noticed that! Lent spans the 40 days, excluding Sundays, leading up to the great Paschal Feast of Easter. It is always celebrated in the Western Church on the First Sunday after the first…
