Saint Boniface, the 8th-century English bishop, missionary to Germany, and martyr, was a master of discretion. Guided by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, he knew the importance of choosing the right action at the right time. Boniface knew when to take up the axe, and he knew when to put it down. The Discretion…
Standing Firm in God’s Love with Athanasius
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” – 1 John 4:8 “God is love.” This is a sentiment that we all, well, love. We love to say it, and we love to believe it. But what does it mean? Love implies a relationship between two or more persons. And…
Saint Thomas Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Sunday after Easter is also called “Saint Thomas Sunday.” This Sunday, we read the story of the apostle Thomas, his doubts about the news of the resurrection, and his confession of faith when Jesus showed him his wounds. It is a day to acknowledge skepticism and celebrate belief. Most importantly, Saint Thomas Sunday is…
Lent at Antioch: The Spiritual Disciplines of the First Christians
The first Christians did not have the word Lent, nor did they have a season of forty days before Easter. However, they did practice the spiritual disciplines of Lent: almsgiving, fasting, and prayer. In the New Testament, we see all three practices together at the church at Antioch, where believers were first called Christians. Acts…
Called By His Grace: 10 Theses on the Conversion of Paul
If we want to understand grace, we should look at the conversion of Paul. Not because grace is always so dramatic as to convert a murderer on the Damascus Road, but because grace can be so dramatic as to convert a murderer on the Damascus Road. As Paul explains in his letter to the Galatians:…
Reclining On Christ: Saint John’s Example of Intimacy with Jesus
Saint John was an apostle, an evangelist, and a bosom friend to Jesus, who set an example of reclining on Christ. John’s feast is December 27th, and we also remember him on Maundy Thursday and any time we read from his Gospel. A Bosom-Friend I call John a bosom friend because it was he, “the…
The Liturgical Home: The Feast of St. Thomas
On December 21st, as Christmas Day fast approaches, we celebrate one more commemoration of a saint, the Feast of St. Thomas. We often know St. Thomas, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles, as “Doubting Thomas” for questioning Jesus’ resurrection after the other disciples told him about it. Tradition holds that he is the only apostle who…
The True Story of Santa Claus
Is Santa real? Yes, he is, and his true story involves a 4th-century bishop, a 19th-century Anglican, liturgical vestments, and an altercation with a heretic. The true story is so fabulous that only the kids would believe it!
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…
The Liturgical Home: All Saints’ Day
Halloween is almost here! I doubt this is news to you. The stores have been filled with hanging witches and zombies for weeks, and nowhere is Halloween on fuller display than in neighborhood yards. Driving through my mom’s neighborhood yesterday, I passed by ghosts hanging from trees and gravestones placed in the grass. There was…
