Christ is risen!
“… While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright thewomen bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen!’” -.. read more →
Holy Saturday
O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown: how pale thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn! What thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners’ gain; mine, mine was.. read more →
On Good Friday: Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle
Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle, sing the ending of the fray; now above the cross, the trophy, sound the loud triumphant lay: tell how Christ, the world’s Redeemer, as a victim won the day. Tell how, when at length the fullness of th’appointed time was come, Christ, the Word was born of woman, left.. read more →
Mandatum Day
Like countless other children, I grew up hearing the term “Maundy Thursday” during the Lenten season and just assumed that the grown-ups around me were saying “Monday Thursday.” I knew Easter was a special time, so I just assumed that this “Monday Thursday” thing was part of the deal. If Jesus could come out of.. read more →
Hosanna, loud Hosanna!
In the spirit of prayer on this Palm Sunday, I wanted to offer these biblical and liturgical images of the celebration of the coming of our king by heralding him with palm branches held high in the air: The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming.. read more →
This journey with Jesus
My hope had been to put something up about Lent prior to Ash Wednesday. Work pressures and parenting two newborn twins got in the way of that. So here we are, 10 days into Lent, and I am just now putting up that post. I trust that grace abounds in this, as in all things. Lent.. read more →
Baptism of the Lord
Today is Baptism of the Lord Sunday, the day when we remember Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by John. The Scripture accounts of Jesus’ baptism can be found in Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; and John 1:29-34. It is thus one of the few events in Jesus’ life that is recorded in all.. read more →
Prayer for the Epiphany
O God, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only- begotten Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know thee now by faith, to thy presence, where we may behold thy glory face to face; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and.. read more →
Covenant Prayer for the New Year
[Since the 1750s, Christians who stand in the Wesleyan tradition have been renewing their baptismal covenant often at the beginning of the new year. While the full service of covenant renewal within the community of faith is the best way to worship in this way, it is also appropriate simply to take a little time.. read more →
A Season of Thanks
As I write this post, the clock is close to striking 12:00 midnight. It’s about to be Christmas Eve. There is much to be thankful about during this time of year. And as I have spent this Advent season amongst wonderful communities — my family, my church, and the seminary where I teach — I.. read more →