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 prayer
As we gain more and more ways to “save” time we are tempted, and often do, involve ourselves in more time-consuming activities […]
A book written for real people with language easy to follow, Sydnor says, “by understanding the delicate balance between the need for change and the preservation of what is timeless … Episcopalians will find anew the common ground of common prayer which is our legacy, our inspiration, and our joy” […]
Earlier this year I asked my staff to take some time and consider the question, “What does it take to make church?” […]
A coincidence might seem random…I think a coincidence is a God Wink — a sign of hope placed along your path to let you know that God is thinking of you […]
“For it is better to suffer for doing good if suffering should be God’s will than to suffer for doing evil.” Could suffering ever be God’s will? […]
This story begins with gratitude. St. Mary of the Angels was blessed with a vibrant and dedicated altar guild for many decades. The last five years we gradually experienced a loss of membership […]
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 […]
NAGA will be holding a short virtual Triennial meeting on July 7. Here is how to register […]
During the anxious moments that have made up the last few months, I have looked to my dogs for spiritual guidance. They are calm, centered, consistent, and joyful […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
My first awareness of the ministry of the altar guild comes from my childhood. I remember my mother regularly excusing herself from life at home to work with other altar guild members[…]
The lighting of candles in worship goes back over 3,000 years into the history of ancient Israel. But what can do you do with all those old candle stubs […]
Recently I was asked “Do you still do needlepoint?” The next question was “Why?” This started me thinking — why, indeed, do I still do canvaswork when I now am a senior citizen with the usual arthritic aches and pains, especially in my hands […]
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 […]
The spirit in which your altar guild lives ripples out to affect the feel of the whole congregation […]
Archbishop Williams identifies the elements essential to Christian life, those things that make one part of a Christian community. He sees the four most obvious as Baptism, Bible, Eucharist and Prayer […]
For Flannery O’Connor, the craft of her art — good stories well told — was an end in itself and a sign of God’s grace […]
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 […]
Many of us use a daily reading as part of our Lenten observation. Here are a few suggestions for Lent and Easter […]
Watch for the Light offers a cross section of literature tied together by the recurring themes of Advent, expectancy and watchfulness […]
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 […]
Bishop Charleston would not be surprised at the readers who read his book as I did, grasping — no, gasping — for entries most significant, finally settling down to quiet contemplation of each meditation […]
Father, to Thee I raise my whole being —a vessel emptied of self. Accept, Lord, this my emptiness, and so fill me with Thyself […]
“The beauty of holiness” is a familiar phrase to most Episcopalians. Keynote speaker, Sr. Suzanne Elizabeth from the Community of St. John Baptist explores the meaning of these words and how they shape our lives […]
The joy I found in The Eyes of the Heart was so uplifting that I kept reading passages over and over […]
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 […]
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” […]
When we offer ourselves to serve at the altar, we are offering ourselves to God as a living prayer. The sun is up by the time I begin the Great Thanksgiving, but my prayer does not end with the Amen; it continues with the awareness of God’s love and offering myself through the day […]
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 […]
Two prayers for Lent […]
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 […]
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