The music at VTS has always been spectacular. I say “always” like I haven’t only been here for two years, but for the two years I’ve been here, the music has been spectacular. For someone who did not grow up in the Episcopal Church, or any sort of Liturgical-leaning denomination, the music has been a […]
“You are a chosen people, royal priest, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession.” – 1 Peter 2:9 Welcome and welcome back! I pray that we are all entering this new semester refreshed, renewed, and revived. I am thankful for the traveling mercies bestowed upon us as we make our way back to […]
When Dean Markham and Dr. Barney Hawkins approached me about writing a new musical setting of the Ordinary for the Bicentennial, I was still on faculty, but subsequent retirement provided a lot of time to compose. Early in the process I felt led by the Spirit to base the composition on early American hymn tunes […]
Yesterday morning, 53 students and faculty gathered at St. Cyprian’s Labyrinth for the first worship service of the morning. Despite the August heat (and an invitation from Dr. Strout to wear comfortable clothes), I chose to wear my usual Sacristan uniform of cassock and cross. No, I’m not a glutton for punishment; rather, I knew […]
To me, art is movement. It’s fleeting, it inspires a flow of emotion, ignites the sight with color and texture, brings forth lessons, remembrances, and perspective, and allows you to step into the moment before you. The intention with chapel art is similar. The gospel and the feast day often inspire the theme of the […]
When in our music God is glorified… it is as though the whole creation cried Alleluia! (Hymn 420) Welcome to a new academic year filled with glorious sacred music! Notable choral services in the fall semester include the Alumni Convocation Evensong on October 11, sung Compline offered by our Schola Cantorum on November 29, and […]
It is wonderful to welcome our incoming students to VTS. Each year, we are blessed to have faithful and talented students join us from not only across the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion but also from other traditions as well. Each brings such valuable gifts to our community. The chapel department is excited to […]
While this week we have taken a tour of our strategic priorities, TryTank is also experimenting in other areas. Here are some of our recent experiments: We created a Holy Week experience where 838 people received multiple texts a day in real time (based on their time zone) following the last days and moments in […]
Today, I want to focus on the third strategic priority for TryTank, youth and young adult ministry. I’ll never forget the first time that I realized that parents would change where they go to church based on the children’s ministry. A friend left the church where he and his wife were married to go to […]
The second of our strategic priorities this year at TryTank has been a focus on Latino ministry. We are fortunate that we have been able to work closely with the Office of Latino Ministry of the Episcopal Church (TEC). Last Fall, we created, printed, and distributed 10,000 copies of a Spanish-language missalette. The goal of this […]