by Guest | Jan 2, 2019 | Liturgical
O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright;Westward leading, Still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light! So begins one of my favorite Epiphany hymns, setting to music the feelings inspired by the awe-inspiring Star of Bethlehem. This hymn,...
by Guest | Dec 17, 2018 | Church Life
A New Year’s PlanMary Fairchild I tried to think of a clever new phrase –A slogan to inspire the next 365 days,A motto to live by this coming New Year,But the catchy words fell flat to my ear. And then I heard His still small voiceSaying, “Consider this simple, daily...
by Becky Gleason | Dec 17, 2018 | Liturgical
As the annual St. Michael’s by-the-Sea Christmas Pageant draws ever nearer, I’ve been thinking a lot about the characters in the Nativity story – in particular, the shepherds. They fascinate me because in many ways, we are just like them. They’re average people,...
by Guest | Dec 10, 2018 | Liturgical
My father was a pastor in a very non-liturgical church. In fact, I would call it anti-liturgical in many ways. We would stand to pray, not kneel. Communion was grape juice, not wine. And sermons were long and pedantic, not pithy and pointed. There was a choir, but the...
by Guest | Dec 1, 2018 | Church Life
In 1991 the Soviet Union, rightly called an “Evil Empire” by President Reagan, dissolved without a shot being fired. The collapse of the USSR remains the most remarkable, unexpected and utterly amazing event of my life. But now I often think about the fact that a...
by Becky Gleason | Nov 26, 2018 | Liturgical
Advent is not something we hear much about outside of church – or even outside of liturgical churches. If you asked a retailer when the “Christmas season” begins, they would probably say the beginning of November. In our faith tradition, the Christmas season does not...
by Guest | Nov 19, 2018 | Church Life
O give thanks unto the Lord, and call upon his Name, tell the people what things he hath done. The Book of Common Prayer Morning Prayer, Rite Onefor Occasions of Thanksgiving (40) On All Saints’ Day, and for other major Saints’ days, we open service with these...
by Guest | Nov 12, 2018 | Church Life
I have spent almost all of my adult life around the military. I went to university in Washington, DC, so it was inevitable that I would see and meet service members. The summer after I graduated from university, I signed my contract and went to Marine Corps Officer...
by Guest | Oct 31, 2018 | Liturgical
Feasting with Saints in the Kingdom of God In the Apostles’ Creed we recite that we believe in the communion of saints. The communion of saints includes us! For Anglicans “all baptized Christians are saints” (Price and Weil Liturgy for Living 240). Yet we...
by Guest | Oct 29, 2018 | Church Life
During the past thirteen years I’ve served as a full-time staff member, part-time staff member, and retired associate priest. However, my coveted title has been “Priest Not In Charge”. In fact, I now like to think of myself as “Priest Not In Charge Emeritus”. But...
