Start on a journey through Church history, spanning more than two thousand years. It all started in the 1st century with Jesus Christ’s teachings and the formation of early Christian groups. Moving into the 4th and 5th centuries, important gatherings, like Councils, shaped lasting ideas still important in Church history today. Around the world, Christianity spread, and in medieval Europe, the church became more crucial despite a split in 1054, creating two parts.
As we move through time, the Renaissance becomes an influential period. In the 16th century, leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin made significant changes, leading to different Protestant groups. Fast-forward to the 20th century, marked by events and meetings trying to bring Christian groups together, and echoes of church history still impact our lives.
Follow the historical journey to discover how Church history shapes faith, culture, and life. Find connections from the past to the present, learning valuable lessons from Christianity. Reflecting on this history encourages acceptance of our differences, builds unity, and creates a better future for all Christian communities. Thus, keeping our mutual venture creates a strong bond of compassion, humility, and enduring love.
As we confront challenges today, let the wisdom of Church history guide us to better understanding, cooperation, and harmonious living in our global community. And, embrace the lessons of the past for a brighter future. As we travel together through our shared history, let’s work towards a future where everyone in the entire Christian community feels welcomed and cared for. By appreciating our past, we can build bridges of unity and kindness, fostering a more compassionate world for all.
The word “antiphon” is probably not in the vocabulary for those of us who aren’t all that familiar with liturgical chants but traditionally they were short chants of the Psalms often sung with a refrain. The meaning of antiphon actually has its roots in Greek origin as it literally means “before the sound.” The most famous song or hymn to come forth from the O Antiphons is the Christmas hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Katharina is believed to have been born in 1499, the daughter of a poor German nobleman and his wife. Like so many men, her father was left to raise his daughter when her mother died young. To better care for her, Mr. Von Bora took his daughter Katharina to a convent in 1504, where she would be educated.
From the very beginning, Christians have celebrated Advent with some antiphons like O Radix Jesse that encapsulate the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the Incarnation. “O Radix Jesse,” translated in English as “O Root of Jesse,” celebrates the royal descent of Jesus through His mother Mary.
The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer. This is a beautiful prayer about the birth of Christ that can serve as a meditation for Advent. The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer is customarily prayed up to fifteen times daily from November 30th until Christmas Day.
Lutherans and Roman Catholics celebrated the feast days of St. Philip and St. James the Apostles on May 1st and 3rd. Both church bodies agree on the importance of these Apostles. Philip was called by Jesus in Bethsaida and brought Nathanael to Christ, while St. James is traditionally believed to have been martyred. Ecclesiastical Sewing has introduced “The Apostle Collection” of church vestments, emphasizing these important figures in Christian history.
Good Friday Liturgical Art. The story of Joseph of Arimathea’s honorable burial of Jesus.
Ecclesiastical Sewing introduced a design collection entitled Dayspring. The collection features timeless and elegant designs created by our liturgical artist friend, Edward Riojas. The collection features a variety of design themes that symbolize both the Nativity of Christ and His Resurrection. The designs were gold threads stitched on white paraments and vestments, featuring designs like the IHC monogram with a rising sun, the Pomegranate design, and several others found in our various collections.
The Historic Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milwaukee was on fire. Throughout the day and evening hours, there was a live news feed of fire destroying a once beautiful church.
The Monastic Chasuble is a wonderful, full chasuble that is both graceful and elegant. It is suited for use in a variety of church settings. In many of the larger traditional cathedrals, altar hangings are no longer used. The chancel is often open with a large altar made from stone as in the above photo. These vast open spaces are lovely and well suited for using a Monastic Style Chasuble.
If your travel plans include a visit to Minnesota, this is an Ecclesiastical Arts Needlework Collection worth seeing. Many of the pieces in the collection are becoming fragile with age, and so, this may be the last exhibit for some of the pieces in the collection. The rose copes shown in the above photo are embroidered on a lovely white silk ground fabric. The piece is close to 100 years old or more.
A special Kickstarter Campaign in the works by the Massachusetts Historical Society, arranging for an Exhibition of Historical Costumes and would like to publish a companion book that details information about the techniques, costumes, and designs that will be on display.
Our Luther Rose Brocade features the Luther Rose Symbol woven into the fabric. Created by Carrie R. around the fall of 2016, it was designed for the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Inspired by her Patonce Cross and Luther Rose Symbol, Carrie collaborated with artist Edward Riojas to perfect the design. The fabric was then sent to England for production, resulting in this unique and meaningful brocade.
Church celebrates the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus. This event honors and fulfills the requirements from the Old Testament. The Law commanded that every mother should be cleansed from the experience of childbirth. The life of every firstborn child belonged to the Lord and must be redeemed. For readings look at Luke 2:22-32. This feast day is also called Candlemas by some. It is where the Candles have a tradition of being blessed. Also, some families wait until now to take down their Christmas ornaments. In celebration and for your viewing pleasure, I would like you to look up a painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
During Advent, we see candles in wreaths. As children, we opened little Advent Calendars with goodies. At night, we hear the O Antiphons. And yet another symbol and image that is associated with Advent is the Tau Cross–the Anticipatory cross of the Old Testament.
The third special post in July recounts summer travels to Montana, It reflects on the beauty of old, weathered stumps in various locations, contemplating the possibility of life lingering within them. The lush greenery and surviving stump found on the Lohn’s Lake Trail inspire hope and reflection on promises from days of old. As a reference to the O Antiphon “O Root of Jesse,” connecting the natural surroundings with deeper reflections.
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