a liturgical note from Fr James and the Music Committee The guidelines for worship in the Anglican tradition call for variation within a structure of regularity. Some of these variations are weekly (e.g., readings or collect), some variations are annual (e.g., the church calendar), and some variations are seasonal (e.g., colors). With this first Sunday […]
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the sign of the cross
a liturgical note from Fr James Arcadi What? A bodily gesture that expresses that we belong to God Why? As Christians we stand under the sign of the cross. Baseball players wear a logo on their hat, some gangs have hand signs, some countries or clubs have other gestures to show allegiance. Our sign of […]
Not so ordinary.
a liturgical note from Deacon Mary Baker You may have noticed that our liturgical colors have changed to green. Green is the seasonal color for the church season called Ordinary Time. Like me you might associate ordinary with boring, but this is not the case here! Ordinary. Not ordinary. The word ordinary does not refer […]
Come pray with the Souls.
a liturgical note from Deacon Mary Baker In the summer of 2020, when meeting together was still not possible due to the pandemic, we began Morning Prayer on Zoom on Wednesday mornings at 7:30a. The times were dire, and the church was in upheaval. We encouraged those who could not join us on Zoom to […]
What is a verger?
a liturgical note from Brad Cathey for Bruce Knowlton and Mark Tader, your vergers Have you ever wondered who the person is, dressed in all black, that leads our processions with a stick, swings incense, and assists at the altar? If you’ve come from non-liturgical backgrounds, and are new to All Souls, you might not […]
The Feast of the Ascension
a liturgical note from Fr James Arcadi After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God…as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Acts 1: 3 & 8 There […]
What prayer book does All Souls use and why?
a liturgical note from Deacon Mary Baker In November of 2019, All Souls was received into the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. During the next several months, we learned that the Diocese strongly recommended parishes use the (then brand-new) Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Doing so creates unity among ACNA […]
What season of the church are we in?
a liturgical note from Deacon Mary Baker Today you may have noticed that our vestments and altar colors have turned from white to green, which symbolizes that our season of Epiphany has ended and the pre-Lenten season has begun. As this is an in-between season — between Epiphany and Lent — it comes under the […]
Why did the Gospel book move?
a liturgical note from Fr. James Arcadi, Presiding Priest I received the question, “Why did the Gospel book move?” The answer is part pragmatics and part tradition, which emerged from a series of questions that I asked. The first question I asked was, “Can we put the sacred vessels on the altar for the entirety […]
Our Prayers as Incense
a liturgical note from Fr. James Arcadi, Presiding Priest Anglican worship is embodied worship; it is a multi-sensory experience. Too often in our day do we become disembodied consumers relegated to being avatars, profile pics, and bar codes. But when we come to worship, we bring all that we are, minds and bodies. In grade […]