In The Practicing Congregation, Diana Butler Bass, a church historian by training, distinguishes between custom and tradition […]
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 […]
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 […]
Weaving literature and experience, Father Rohr shows how the search for meaning has been a constant, and that only through struggle is a transformation achieved […]
In many denominations, flowers are removed totally from the church and instead are replaced by green foliage during Advent. There are however, always exceptions to the rule […]
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” […]
A meditation from Anthony deMello’s “Book of Spiritual Exercises” [..]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Because the Easter Vigil begins in darkness, one of the most powerful symbols is the lighting of a new fire […]
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 […]
Would you like to stitch kneelers for your church? There is no joy to compare with putting our own work down in the church, to be there long after we are gone […]