Saturday Synaxis

Loving Father,

We thank you for the gift of your Son,

Whose birth at Bethlehem

We now prepare to celebrate.

May our hearts and our homes

Always be open to him,

That he may dwell with us forever,

And we may serve him gladly all our days,

To the honor and glory of your name.

Amen.

- Roger Pickering

Photo of the Week

Now there were shepherds at work in the hills,

Safeguarding their sheep, all silent and still,

When a blaze of glory split the night sky,

An angel of God confronting their eyes.

 

Fear seized their hearts, but the angel, he laughed:

"Oh, give up your terror; fear's day is past!

Joy is the message our God has unfurled,

Yes, great joy for you and for the whole world!

 

Today he arrives, the long-sought-for One--

Heartbeat of heaven, the Father's own Son!

The Savior, Messiah, the endless Lord!

Full incarnation of God's holy Word!

 

And this is the sign by which you may know

The One that God sends to make all things whole:

A baby is he, in swaddling clothes,

Laid in manger. You have it: now go!" 

 

And then there burst forth an army of light,

With praises exploding the stillness of night.

"Glory to God in the highest!" they sang,

As over the hills their symphony rang.

 

"Let there be peace in the nations of men!

Peace for all creatures, a peace without end!

And God's great goodwill shall reign in this place,

And love to all people, and riches of grace!"

Quote of the Week

"All heaven and earth resound with that subtle and delicately balanced truth that the old paths are the best paths after all."

- J. C. Ryle, 19th-century evangelical Anglican clergyman

Saturday Synaxis

When we see dark gray clouds forming in the sky, we fear a mighty storm. In the same way when we see the darkness of our sin, we fear the storm of your wrath. But just as in truth rain brings new life to the earth, so you rain down mercy on our sinful souls, bringing forgiveness and peace. Be to us always like a mighty storm, raining down upon us the abundant waters of your mercy. Amen.

- Gilbert of Hoyland, 12th century

Photo of the Week

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day.

- Psalm 91:4-5

Quote of the Week

Truth, Lord: my conscience 

meriteth damnation, 

but no offense equals Thy compassion. 

Spare me therefore; 

because it is not unbefitting Thy justice, 

nor unwonted to Thy mercy, 

nor difficult to Thy power, 

to spare the penitent.
Blot out the number of my crimes, 

renew the multitude of Thy compassions. 

More canst Thou remit, than I commit; 

more canst Thou spare, than I offend. 

However unclean, Thou canst cleanse me;
however blind, enlighten me; 

however weak, restore me; 

yea, though dead, raise me. 

Of what kind soever I am, be it good or bad,

I am ever Thine.

- from the private devotions of Lancelot Andrewes, an Elizabethan-era British clergyman and scholar, and one of the translators of the KJV Bible

Part 2 of the Evangeliad Now Available!

I'm happy to announce that Part 2 of my Evangeliad (Come and See: Jesus Begins His Ministry) is now available in book form. It can be purchased from Amazon.com, as can the book form of Part 1 (To Love and to Save: The Story of the Nativity), which I released last year. Click the pictures below to be taken to the Amazon pages for each book.