Notes

The Magi have left the Sacristy, headed for the crèche. Let me explain. One of my favorite things about our resplendent Christmas decorations is our crèche. While many churches have grand, elaborate nativity sets, with wooden barns, hay, or numerous figurines, ours sits humbly on a table with a starched white table cloth, in that understated Colonial architectural manner. Immediately behind it are a bank of red and white poinsettias, which really pop against the Colonial ... Read More

While conducting some personal, plagiaristic research for this week's blog, I suppose we should not be surprised that, in late Advent for the past four years, I have written about the Magnificat or "Mary's Sunday.” The stories in our Revised Common Lectionary are told over and over in a three-year cycle, and they never grow old. They feed us and sustain us, and we have come to expect them and rejoice when a familiar one crops up. I hear the comments and questions fro... Read More

Well, it’s actually the rose candle. But I digress. What does the pink candle signify? When do we light the pink candle? Why is one of the Advent wreath candles pink? I love to hear such liturgical questions, as one of my missions is to help us all better understand the Christian story through our worship, music, symbolism, and practices. Our lives are made better and we help spread the Gospel throughout the world by practicing our faith with intent. Firstly, we need to briefly menti... Read More

So, what are the Great “O” Antiphons? Episcopalians are great with “church-speak,” are we not? For the second time, the parish choirs are singing our annual Advent choral service this Sunday evening (December 9), which follows the order of a liturgy centered around the Great “O” Antiphons. In traditional Western Christian liturgy, an antiphon is a short sentence of scripture that is or recited before or after a canticle, which is a hymn or chant wit... Read More