NAGA board members and spouses began to gather in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 20 to begin the process of unpacking and setting up the Sacristy at the Convention Center and for the NAGA Triennial meeting […]
Browsing all articles tagged with liturgy
As we gain more and more ways to “save” time we are tempted, and often do, involve ourselves in more time-consuming activities […]
In The Practicing Congregation, Diana Butler Bass, a church historian by training, distinguishes between custom and tradition […]
Which colors do we use for various church seasons and what do they symbolize? […]
Does your sacristy wall have a mysterious dent in it about five or six feet from the floor? Many do. Those mysterious dents are caused by the heads of rectors who have just heard yet another person say, “But we’ve always done it that way!” […]
We are delighted to present our 2021 NAGA program for July 7, and hope you will be pleased with what has been planned for you […]
Where to begin when sewing for your place of worship? When Carrie Roberts began sewing for her church years ago, she had a difficult time finding the specialty fabrics, trims, and other supplies she needed […]
The altar guild is a behind-the-scenes ministry, and that can make it an unappreciated ministry. My thanks to Jane Mercer who invited me to share excerpts from my book, Celebrating the Eucharist, to highlight the importance of every altar guild’s ministry […]
If you are purchasing new vestments, it is possible to duplicate your current ones, yet, increasingly, clergy want their own vestments […]
It was with great anticipation and a bit of anxiety that I arrived in Austin Friday morning to attend my first Episcopal Convention. Within an hour of my arrival […]
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 […]
While not a substitute for deeper study, this a wonderful book you can give to friends with confidence […]
My greatest joy serving in the office and role of bishop is to bring children deeper into our worship. What I find, more often than not, is they will teach me, long before I can teach them […]
What is the protocol for using colored embroidery on linens? Where should the inscription go on vessels or paraments? Send us your questions and we’ll find the answers […]
‘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 recruitment and retention of new altar guild members is always a challenge. We are pleased to offer some suggestions, thanks to Province VII, that may prove helpful […]
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” […]
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 […]
The Episcopal Church’s most important liturgical season is the one that starts on Shrove Tuesday and ends on Easter Sunday — filled with liturgical music, altar flowers (or lack thereof), vestments and altar cloths that reflect the passion, suffering, mystery and, ultimately, the ecstasy of the Christ […]
As suppliers of fine quality textile appointments since 1789, Wippell has enormous experience in handling all sorts of fabrics, trimmings and embellishments, and we pass on the stewardship of these various pieces to the altar guild team, who care for them in a most generous way […]
A school friend of mine once jokingly remarked that it was not until he was a teenager that he learned that all girls were not named either Mary Martha or Martha Mary! Both of these women have places in our liturgical calendar and are honored by the church […]
When we think about hospitality and welcome in churches, we most often think of greeters, ushers and newcomers committees. But the fact is that the first work of hospitality comes in the ministry of the altar guild — long before anyone walks into the church for the celebration of the liturgy […]
Do you have an ordination coming up and want to make a present? What could be better than a stole? It doesn’t matter if you cross-stitch, needlepoint, embroidery, weave or paint, or quilt […]
Weddings can be the most exciting and frustrating times in the lives of couples about to be married. They can also be the most exciting and frustrating times in the lives of altar guilds, particularly if the parish doesn’t have a “wedding customary” […]
A church wedding is not primarily a social occasion but a service of congregational worship. The center of the service is God, not the couple, and the music selected for the occasion needs to reflect the majesty of God […]
“…they shall use gold, blue, purple and crimson yarns and fine linen.” (Exodus 28:5) Finely woven white linen and vividly colored textiles, have been part of our worship tradition for a very long time […]
Because the Easter Vigil begins in darkness, one of the most powerful symbols is the lighting of a new fire […]
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