One of the basic ways to thwart tyrants, bullies, and thugs is this: Do not let them steal your joy.

An opposition party. Is this anything?

"Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ... Amen"🙏

Epiphany thoughts... "We may not find God in conventional wisdom, but rather in trust and deep faith. And we should expect that the Herods of our time...cannot or will not comprehend that God’s love demands that we reject coercive power and might." ⚓️ forwardmovement.org/2026/01/forw...

Remember back in the good old days when amoral leaders at least pretended to be moral? Hoping for a day when we have leaders with an actual moral compass.

The Book of Common Prayer (1979) provides the Supplication for use "in times of war, or of national anxiety", beginning on page 154. Here is the full text 📕 🧵

On today’s walk, I spotted lawn decor that perfectly captures 2026 energy.

Eternal Father, who didst give to thine incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we beseech thee, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, even our Lord Jesus Christ... Amen. 🙏

Photo of 16th century icon of the Holy Family on their flight to Egypt. Took this photo on my trip in Cairo last year — where I visited the place tradition says the Holy Family stayed in Egypt. Poignant to remember our Lord Jesus fleeing his homeland due to a tyrant, given current events. ⚓️

Almighty God, who hast poured upon us the new light of thine incarnate Word: Grant that the same light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.🙏

A mural showing the stoning of Stephen, painted ca. 1100. I snapped this photo in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona earlier this month. A blessed feast day to you.

I try to be forgiving and all that, but I’d like to imagine a world in which the people who design hard-to-open plastic packaging spend eternity opening their designs (with no scissors or knives to help). The people who design Apple packaging are truly the best. It’s easy! And sustainable!

May God make us abound evermore in the faith that St Stephen professed and the love that held fast in him as he prayed for those who killed him. from St Augustine's Prayer Book 🕯

“We give the thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to thy Son Jesus Christ, who standeth at thy right hand; where he liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.” 🙏

I’m sitting in the back seat of a car on the way to Iowa. Help me pass the time. Ask me anything! 📕

Merry Christmas from me and everyone at Nakatomi Plaza 🕯️

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"Christ, who by his incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill you with peace and goodwill, and make you partakers of the divine nature; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen." #9lc 🕯️

That chord is the sound of the Incarnation. #9lc 🕯️

WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #9lc 🕯️

"Fain we embrace thee, with awe and love..." Hymnal 1982 users, take note. There is a better way. #9lc 🕯️

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." In case anyone forgot, THIS is the reason for the season. It's always about grace. It's always been about grace. It will always be about grace. #9lc

Ah, yes, our annual celebration of the famous Bethlehem harbor. So much maritime traffic in the **checks notes** Judean mountains. #9lc 🕯️

"When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled..." Tyrants are always afraid of love, terrified of grace and mercy because it undermines their coercive grip on power. By God's grace, the Herods of this world don't have the last word. #9lc 🕯️

BTW, this is *so* much better than "bands of cloth": "And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." #9lc 🕯️

And here we have another bedrock requirement of #9lc, along with macaronic carols. You gotta have some Rutter. And for that I am grateful. 🕯️

David Willcocks knew a thing or two about hymn-singing! What an enduring gift to us he left in all those glorious arrangements. #9lc 🕯️

That new Portman carol was gorgeous, text and music #9lc 🕯️

Episcopalians, attend! This is a vastly superior tune to our usual options for this excellent text (It came upon the midnight clear). #9lc 🕯️

Ah, yes. You cannot have Lessons & Carols without a macaronic carol. I don't make the rules, regulae omnibus hominibus sunt. #9lc 🕯️

This lesson is proof for the Anglophiles in the USA that you don't have to have a British accent to read the Word of Lord with purpose and gravity. (You can do that with *any* accent!) #9lc 🕯️

This boy should run the lector training for...everyone. He's reading God's word like it matters, because of course it does. #9lc 🕯️

"All this did he for us freely, For to declare his great mercy; All Christendom be merry therefore, And give him thanks for evermore." This is the Gospel, the real meaning of Christmas. #9lc 🕯️

"...let us at this time remember in his name the poor and the helpless, the cold and the hungry, the abused, the exploited, the hated, and the oppressed..." This is the posture of Christ. We must seek the well-being of all people, never using faith to justify abuse, exploitation, and hatred. #9lc 🕯️

At first, I was disappointed by the way they have the hymn-singing miked. The choir is less prominent than I was expecting. But I was quickly converted. The softer-than-expected descant is just the way it would sound from the nave. Brilliant. #9lc 🕯️

The little guy did a GREAT job on the opening of "Once in royal David’s city." 12/10 #9lc 🕯️

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In the eternal battle of Best New Haven Pizza, the answer has always been Pepe’s. In case you doubted me, I give you this. 🍕 boingboing.net/2025/12/22/n...

It’s beginning to look like the end of Advent…at Nakatomi Plaza. #AdventCalendar #DieHardChristmas 🕯️

Now that the winter solstice is behind us, I’m loving the longer days. 🕯️

Forgot to post this last night. I found the Advent section at the Frankfurt Christmas Fair. 🕯️

¡Adiós, España! Guten Tag, Deutschland! MAD ✈️ FRA

It’s ADVENT WREATH CHAOS over here in Barcelona. 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️

Sagrada Família going for the OG Advent wreath colors (German, mid-19th c). Plus the vertical wreath gives a “spin the wheel” vibe. (I don’t love this, but there it is!)

All the Prayer D stans have a pilgrimage site! Every week, a Mozarabic liturgy happens in this chapel in Toledo Cathedral. ⚓️

Managed to photobomb myself with my own shadow in this late golden-hour selfie from the roof of Barcelona Cathedral. As one does.

They do Advent wreaths the right way here in Spain 🕯️

I’m a little offended there’s no Cincinnati, Spain.

Today’s panagram on Spelling Bee is the best one ever! 🐝

Today some Anglicans celebrate the Conception of the BVM. I think the biblical narrative about the Mother of Our Lord is quite radiant as is. We do not need to make up additional teachings about Mary. But if you want to believe extra stuff, I’m not here to steal your joy! ⚓️