In The Practicing Congregation, Diana Butler Bass, a church historian by training, distinguishes between custom and tradition […]
Browsing all articles in In the Sacristy
Which colors do we use for various church seasons and what do they symbolize? […]
Earlier this year I asked my staff to take some time and consider the question, “What does it take to make church?” […]
The wreath symbolized God’s unending Love for His people, using greenery, plants and herbs symbolic of the season or stemming from Biblical times […]
Toward the end of The House at Pooh Corner Christopher Robin tells Pooh that what he likes doing best is “nothing.” Most of us don’t have the time to do just nothing as we might have done as children. Perhaps, though we should make the time to do it […]
If I asked you to describe the sacrament of baptism, what adjectives would you choose[…]
An act of spiritual communion is a phrase which is probably unfamiliar to many. This is a devotional act which may be used on occasions when we are unable to receive Holy Communion […]
It has been a tradition in the Church to bless chalk at the Masses for Epiphany, and then use the blessed chalk as part of blessing one’s home in the New Year […]
When a disaster rolls in, make sure your altar guild is ready! No matter what kind of disaster looms, when it strikes, not only do you lose your personal things, so too does your parish […]
My parishioner, Ed, was an electrical engineer. During World War II he worked on a highly secret project involving long-wave radio technology. Later he learned the purpose of the technology he’d helped to perfect […]
“The function of Advent is to remind us what we’re waiting for as we go through life too busy with things that do not matter to remember the things that do” […]
If you are purchasing new vestments, it is possible to duplicate your current ones, yet, increasingly, clergy want their own vestments […]
Icon means image in Greek, and this is the word used in the Greek translation of Genesis 1:27: “So God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them.” As an image, the icon is not simply a mirror image […]
Over the years we moved a lot. I couldn’t help noticing things that were the same in various churches and things that were different or unique in each place. And the symbols — what did they mean; why were they there […]
In the time just before the English Reformation, there were many vestments in use: cassock (fur lined for cold churches,), amice, cincture, surplice, tippet […]
What? The whims of fad and fashion enter the church? Sure, did and does. Even in the church, styles change with passing centuries and the adaptations needed to perform the liturgy […]
Slow me down, Lord.
Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind […]
A form of servant ministry that is a good fit with Maundy Thursday worship is the washing and drying of dirty clothes. “Laundry Love,” a ministry begun in an Episcopal congregation in Ventura, CA […]
To help altar guild members experience the Triennial Eucharist service while learning from colleagues around the country, we have assembled items we believe will bond and motivate altar guilds with clergy at the parish and diocese levels. The proceeds from the sale of these items provide scholarships to attend Triennial […]
Shop at our Sacristy Shop, featuring items designed specifically for NAGA — NAGA silver pin/necklace, altar care aprons, note cards, tote bags and more […]
‘How do I go forth and spread the good news?’ ‘How has the Holy Spirit guided me in my ministry?’ ‘Does the way I live show forth my belief and relationship with God?’ […]
The lenten spring shines forth,
the flower of repentance!
Let us cleanse ourselves from all evil […]
When you use an Advent wreath in personal or family devotions, you can use whatever scriptures and prayers you like. Here is something to get you started […]
Father, to Thee I raise my whole being —a vessel emptied of self. Accept, Lord, this my emptiness, and so fill me with Thyself […]
It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss…Let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope […]
Here is the root trouble of our lives. We all love life, but the moment we try to hold it, we miss it. The fact that things change and move and flow is their life […]
The tradition of Christian icons began in the Roman catacombs of the early church, with roots that can be traced back to Egyptian sarcophagus portraits. An icon represents the Word of God as image; it is theology depicted in line and color, and is therefore called icon “writing” […]
Most gracious Father Who has called me Your child to serve […]
O Lord, let me be a pillar of strength […]
Three prayers to bless your guild and the work that you do […]
This prayer, based on the Lord’s Prayer, is a good way to start your meetings […]
A meditation from Anthony deMello’s “Book of Spiritual Exercises” [..]
Two prayers for Lent […]
To paraphrase Churchill, art is influenced by the culture in which it is created and then influences the culture that follows. And vestments speak volumes about who we are, how we see ourselves and where we are heading as the people of God […]
Because the Easter Vigil begins in darkness, one of the most powerful symbols is the lighting of a new fire […]
This pattern takes a bit of practice, but looks like the ones we used to get when we were young […]
The name candle comes from the Latin candere meaning “to shine.” While no date can be definitely pinned down for the development of the first candle, accounts of their use date back to ancient times with Biblical references as early as the 10th century BC […]
Palm Sunday is over, but what is to be done with those leftover consecrated palms? […]
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