AdventWord 2019: 24. Beloved
In this week’s epistle, St. Paul addresses the saints: “To all God’s beloved in Rome… Grace to you and peace from God our Father and…
AdventWord 2019: 23. Message
The season of Advent is a time of preparation. It’s not about the hustle and bustle, but about waiting for the coming of the One who redeems us all. As Episcopalians, what’s going…
AdventWord 2019: 22. Restore
When I think about the importance of manual labor, I think of my brother. The winter he turned twenty, Joshua was living in my grandparents’…
AdventWord 2019: 21. Rest
“Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” From the Confessions of St. Augustine The last year has been an exciting one…
AdventWord 2019: 20. Go
“When the path is long, Christ wanders with you. When the path is difficult, God’s spirit carries you. When the path is dangerous, God’s hands…
AdventWord 2019: 19. Bless
“My life has been filled with multiple blessings, too many to count. Among the greatest of these blessings are the many different people with whom…
AdventWord 2019: 18. Worship
Worship is an integral part in the life and mission of the church. We are an “ecclesia” because we gather to worship. I consider worship…
AdventWord 2019: 17. Pray
“Lord, teach us to pray…” Luke 11:1 I was at a conference recently in Brazil and soon after arriving, Luz Maria, a friend from Colombia,…
AdventWord 2019: 16. Learn
We learn through information and through experience. The work of the General Convention Office involves creating information and resources for the Church as well as…
AdventWord 2019: 15. Turn
Our faith encourages us to turn toward one another and toward God. Under Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, The Episcopal Church is called to engage Becoming Beloved Community, a…
AdventWord 2019: 14. Gather
When I first moved to Liverpool, I had met only one person, through Skype, who picked me up at the airport. I was nervous; I…
AdventWord 2019: 13. Water
It is easy to overlook the powerful nature of water. Many of us engage with water when it is controlled – pouring out of taps…
AdventWord 2019: 12. Harmony
Bringing people and cultures together. Singing hymns in the Navajo language. Gathering together in hózhó, in beauty, balance, and the love of Christ. This is what harmony means in the Episcopal…
AdventWord 2019: 11. Confess
We humans get so many things wrong, but we also get a lot of things right; we are often cruel and make a mess of…
AdventWord 2019: 10. Grace
In August 2017, a group of young people and their leaders gathered in Shrine Mont, Virginia… Shrine Mont is the spiritual heart of the Virginia…
AdventWord 2019: 9. Root
Sitting on my couch, broken foot in cast, holiday and life plans completely jacked up, I had my very own conversion experience. But instead of…
AdventWord 2019: 8. Worthy
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his…
AdventWord 2019: 7. Unity
Advent confronts us with a comforting truth that in spite of seemingly insurmountable challenges we have at a personal, family, national, ecumenical, or interfaith level,…
AdventWord 2019: 6. House
Scraping windows is one of those chores that can only be done slowly. Repeatedly. Diligently. Painstakingly. And it is awful, boring, sweat-producing, tedious work. I…
AdventWord 2019: 5. Raise
Lift every voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring … at Voorhees College and Saint Augustine’s University, two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) founded by…
AdventWord 2019: 4. Humble
In the crypt of the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem, a painting in an apse represents Mary, the mother of Jesus, surrounded by the disciples on…
AdventWord 2019: 3. Time
More than six years of preparation. Hours and days spent in planes, trains, and automobiles to visit sites for General Convention and to attend meetings…
AdventWord 2019: 2. Visit
We visit because being in relationship is one of our deepest callings from God. We visit because we desire human contact, companionship, friendship, and love.…
AdventWord 2019: 1. Unexpected
Come, thou long expected Jesus born to set Thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.…
AdventWord: Peace
The Episcopal Church works to support peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and reconciliation in our churches, communities, nations, and around the world. We partner with provinces and…
AdventWord: Persist
St. Augustine’s University (SAU) in Raleigh, N.C., one of the Episcopal Church’s two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), recently celebrated graduation and the 151st…
AdventWord: Expect
Do you know that moment when you are reading a really good book or watching a really good movie when what you expect to happen…
AdventWord: Ancestor
In the gospel of Matthew, the author starts the stories of Jesus with Jesus’ lineage, often fondly known as the “begats.” The King James Version…
AdventWord: Rejoice
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! In Old Testament and New, rejoicing is not just a response; it’s a command. It’s not…
AdventWord: Smooth
Luke 3:4-6 “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be…
AdventWord: Grow
The Young Adult Service Corps is giving me the opportunity to experience God in another part of his kingdom and build relationships. It has inspired…
AdventWord: Alert
Encouraging Episcopalians to engage in the political process through advocacy and voting is a key component of our work in the Office of Government Relations.…
AdventWord: Light
As our days shorten in the north, we lament the loss of light and seek alternatives to illuminate our spaces. Candles, lamps, and fires provide…
AdventWord: Night
On Sunday, April 3, 2016, I wanted to die. I was lying in bed, at the end of my rope, after long years of depression,…
AdventWord: Focus
As one might imagine, humanitarians are prominent in the history of the Episcopal Church, and the Archives of the Episcopal Church works tirelessly to acquire…
AdventWord: Watch
“Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.” It is…
AdventWord: Journey
It was the story of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt as refugees that inspired Episcopalians in Southern Ohio in the 1930s to offer refuge…
December 24: Where is the Star Pointing You?
From the Episcopal Networks Collaborative “O Antiphons: Advent 2017” INCARNATION Sparking a Grassroots Movement I love to participate in Las Posadas (The Inns), a Mexican/Latin…
Advent 4: Repairing the Breach in Institutions and Society
Pray the Collect for This Sunday. Read the Scripture Together: Luke 1:26-38 Reflection: Here I Am … Imagine young Mary’s surprise: She has just learned…
December 22: Do Not Be Afraid
“Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid” – Frederick Buechner In Charlottesville, VA on the afternoon hundreds of angry…
December 21: Repairing the Breach
What institutions and systems are broken near us? How will we participate in the repair, restoration, and healing of people, institutions, and systems? I recently…
December 19: Here Am I; Send Me!
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am…
December 18: Practicing the Way of Love
Practicing the Way of Love In this holiday season, we often find ourselves attending social gatherings with colleagues, friends, family, and neighbors whom we may…
Advent 3: Practicing the Way of Love in the Pattern of Jesus
Pray the Collect for This Sunday. Read the Scripture together: Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11 Reflection: Stir Us Up The Prophet Isaiah envisions a holy community where all…
December 15: Begin with “Why?”
In this Advent season of preparation, we await the coming of the one who will redeem us. For some of us, this is a time…
December 14: A DREAMer Proclaims the Dream
I am a priest, a seminary professor, an evangelist, a speaker. I am all those things and I am a DREAMer, a child that entered…
December 13: Make a Joyful Noise
When we have good news, it is hard to keep it under wraps. Whether it is a new baby, a change of career, or an…
December 12: What Does Beloved Community Look Like?
In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.…
December 11: Proclaiming the Dream of Beloved Community
Being part of a loving community is an incredible. The security of knowing that you can be who you are and still be held up…
Advent 2: Proclaiming the Dream of Beloved Community
Pray the Collect for This Sunday. Read the Scripture Together: Mark 1:1-8 Reflection: Proclaim Good News God sent John the Baptist to proclaim the good…
December 8: The Five Levels of Truth-Telling
“The Five Levels of Truth-Telling: First, you tell the truth to yourself about yourself. Then you tell the truth to yourself about another. At the…
December 7: On the Outside Looking In
Welcome feels good. Being included makes us feel warm and wanted. However, all of us, at some point in our lives, have felt unwelcomed, outside…
December 6: Who is My Neighbor? Recognizing the Face of God in the Stranger.
Whether we live in small towns or big cities, defining our neighbor can be a bit of challenge. Who do we treat as beloved? Who…
December 5: How Do You Practice Welcome?
We’ve all experienced a moment of feeling welcomed. What does that feel like to you? How do you practice welcome in your life? Share your…
December 4: Telling the Truth: Looking in the Mirror
The focus for the first week of advent is “Telling the truth.” For congregations, that means examining our church homes with a visitor’s eye, and…
Advent 1: Telling the Truth about Our Churches and Race
Pray the Collect for This Sunday. Read the Scripture Together: Mark 13:24-72 Reflection: Keep Awake In the gospel, Jesus promises a new day is coming. He…
December 1: Why Advent?
This Advent, the whole Episcopal Church is invited to journey toward becoming Beloved Community, as together we explore race, reconciliation and healing. Advent may seem…
Advent 2016 Reflections on Social Justice
The Episcopal Networks Collaborative, consisting of the Episcopal Network for Economic Justice, the Union of Black Episcopalians, and the Episcopal Ecological Network, has published a…
Liberated by God’s Grace: 2016 Advent Devotions
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry joined the leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in…
Christmas Day / Peace
Merry Christmas! May a hurting world find peace and healing on this holy day. The word peace, or versions of the word, is used in…
The Holy Family
The Holy Family is the name given to the family unit of Jesus: Jesus, his mother the Virgin Mary, and his foster-father Joseph. We know…
O Emmanuel / O Come O Come Emmanuel
The final of The Great “O” Antiphons reminds us that God is with us. O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations…
O King of Nations / Reign of God
Jesus as king and cornerstone is the message of the sixth of The Great “O” Antiphons, proclaiming the building of a new Christ-centered kingdom. O…
O Dayspring / Light in the Darkness
On this first day of winter, the fifth of The Great “O” Antiphons invites reflection on the promise of Jesus bringing light to a dark…
O Key of David / Liberation
The fourth of the Great “O” Antiphons heralds the coming of Christ as the great liberator. Through his ancestor King David, Jesus holds the power…
O Root of Jesse / Jesse Tree
The third of The Great “O” Antiphons highlights Jesus’ lineage from Jesse, David’s father. The antiphons are seven brief prayers that are traditionally chanted or…
O Adonai / Discipleship
The second of The Great “O” Antiphons is O Adonai. These antiphons are seven brief prayers that are traditionally chanted or sung on successive evenings…
O Wisdom / Storytelling / Testimony
The Great “O” Antiphons are seven brief prayers that are traditionally chanted or sung on successive evenings starting on December 17. The precise origin of…
Posada / Hospitality
Las Posadas, Spanish for “the inns,” is an Advent celebration of hospitality in Mexico and some parts of Central and South America. The Posadas symbolize…
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Charles Wesley, one of the co-founders of the 18th century Methodist movement, wrote well over 6,000 hymns including seasonal favorites “Come, Thou Long- Expected Jesus,”…
Gaudete Sunday / Rejoice!
The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday. The term is derived from the Latin opening words of the introit antiphon, “Rejoice (Gaudete)…
Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12, when people from across Mexico and other countries make a pilgrimage to see…
The Blessed Virgin Mary
During Advent, we wait with Mary for the birth of her son. We share her anticipation and honor her as Christ’s mother. The traditional western…
St. Nicholas
While Advent is a time of waiting with hope and patience for the coming of the Christ Child, celebrating the life of St. Nicholas offers…
The Prophets
The longings and the expectations of generations are revealed through the readings of the Old Testament prophets, particularly in the book of Isaiah. The prophets…
Rorate Coeli
Known as The Advent Prose, Rorate Coeli are texts adapted from prophet Isaiah that speak to the longing of the prophets for the Messiah. “Drop…
Simbang Gabi
“Simbang Gabi,” a Filipino Christmas tradition, is a series of nine dawn masses that begin on December 16 and end with midnight mass on Christmas…
Stir-up / Traditional Holiday Food
“Stir up,” from the Latin “excita,” reminds us of God’s power moving in the world, but the stirring up also connects Advent to preparing time-honored…
John the Baptist
John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus Christ as the Son of God, calling for a return to God and repentance and baptism for…
Hope, Expectation
Advent is a season of hope: for the coming of the Christ Child, for a light in dark days, for peace that passes all understanding.…
Life-giving Choices: Advent Meditation, 12/25/2012
I’ve been pondering lately, just what does it mean to make a “life-giving” choice? Does it mean to nurture relationship with others rather than focus…
Tonight … Advent Meditation, 12/24/2012
Luke 1:67-79 By: Amy Real Coultas It’s Christmas Eve! We’ve been waiting and preparing and hoping and wondering and longing for this night for weeks…
God Surrounding Us With Love and Hope: Advent Meditation, 12/23/2012
Luke 1:39-49 By: Vivian Taylor The summer after I graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, I was in the running for a…
My Soul Magnifies the Lord: Advent Meditation, 12/22/2012
Luke 1:46-56 By: Jason Sierra When I was little, my brother and I had a cassette tape with a dramatic telling of Jesus’ birth story…
Season of the Red Cups: Advent Meditation, 12/21/2012
Psalm 33:20-22 By: Joe Chambers We’re seven weeks deep into the Season of Red Cups, an eight-week celebration of secular Christmas that starts in early…
A Good and Joyful Thing: Advent Meditation, 12/20/2012
Luke 1:28-32 By: Christopher Esposito-Bernard While we know that this “Jesus” would eventually change the world, the scandal that would have risen from the baby…
A Fortress to Keep Me Safe: Advent Meditation, 12/19/2012
Psalm 71:1-6 By: Jason Sierra In you, O Lord, I take refuge;let me never be put to shame.In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;incline your…
Emmanuel: Advent Meditation, 12/18/2012
Matthew 1:18-25 By: Carrie Diaz-Littauer Emmanuel, God with us. I like this particular birth narrative in Matthew, because, amidst all the popular talk about Mary…
Justice and Equality: Advent Meditation, 12/17/2012
Psalm 72:1-8 By: Joe Domko Much can be said about this royal psalm, the last in the second book of psalms. Although there is some…
Be Overcome: Advent Meditation, 12/16/2012
Luke 3:15-18 By: Lucas John Mix God can be overwhelming. We forget that in the church sometimes. We forget that God is not tame or…
Keep Me Where the Light Is: Advent Meditation, 12/15/2012
Psalm 80:1-3 By: Kimberly Jackson One sentence encapsulates my first impression of today’s scripture: Wow, they sound desperate! The whole of Psalm 80 is part…
Hold Hope: Advent Meditation, 12/14/2012
Psalm 1:1-3 By: Rachel Jones Riparian forests are subject to frequent inundation.Riparian forests help control sediment, reduce the damaging effects of flooding and aid in stabilizing stream banks.Riparian…
Prophets Among Us: Advent Meditation, 12/13/2012
Matthew 11:9-10 By: Hillary Raining When I was about 4 years old, I attended a Christmas Eve service with my parents and step-cousins who never…
Christ Leading Me: Advent Meditation, 12/12/2012
December 12, 2012 By: Vivian Taylor There are a lot of different kinds of bad news. There’s the “we’re out of that the flavor of…
From the Mouths of Babes: Advent Meditation, 12/10/2012
Psalm 8:1-8 By: Joe Domko Psalm 8 celebrates and honors both the Creator and the created order. Echoes of Genesis are easy to notice; perhaps…
Turning Toward God: Advent Meditation, 12/9/2012
Luke 3:1-6 By: Amy Real Coultas During Advent, we are preparing our hearts to experience the arrival of the Word of God. We’re told to…
May God’s Peace Be Upon You: Advent Meditation, 12/8/2012
Lately the religious diversity of the United States is more apparent. As a result of this increased awareness and familiarity with other religious communities, we…
Struggling Towards Peace: Advent Meditation, 12/7/2012
Psalm 27:1 By: Christopher Esposito-Bernard During the season of Advent, we anticipate peace. Anticipate because we know peace is still just out of reach. That’s…
Dance Upon the Surface of the Deep: Advent Meditation, 12/6/2012
Matthew 7:24-27 By: Lucas John Mix The world can be stormy. Chance and fate play a large role in our lives, from school and family…
Psalm 23 & Peace: Advent Meditation, 12/5/2012
Psalm 23 By: Carrie Diaz-Littauer The beautiful verses of this well-known psalm have afforded comfort and peace to weary and anxious souls for centuries. But…
Peace in the Midst of Life: Advent Meditation, 12/4/2012
Luke 10:21-24 By: Rachel Jones Peace: it does not mean to be in a place where there isno noise, trouble, or hard work.It means to be…
Grant Us Thy Peace: Advent Meditation, 12/3/2012
Isaiah 2:2-5 By: Hillary Raining Last summer, I was blessed to take a pilgrimage to a holy little island off the coast of Wales, named…
God Will Prepare the Way: Advent Meditation, 12/2/2012
Today’s passage from the 25th Psalm is all about trust – trusting in God to show us the way to salvation. Aren’t we already doing that?…