Lauren Winner reviewsTrue Places: a Lowcountry Preacher, His Church, and His People by photographer Stanley Lanzano: Herewith a white photographer's journey into the churches of African Americans in the South Carolina low-country. The project was born when photographer Stanley F. Lanzano was vacationing at a posh inn on Pawley's Island. The inn made for a lovely getaway: each room was well-appointed; cocktails were served on the porch each evening. But what "intrigued" Lanzano was the "silent black staff. They moved slowly, their eyes kept low … . [W]earing starched white uniforms, they did their jobs in a quiet, efficient, and accommodating...

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Church of the Holy Communion parishioner Frank Royster's latest record, Innocence Is Bliss, is out and available for purchase!  And I think I recognize our newest boat boy on the cover.  The album may be downloaded from Digstation, here, and from iTunes by the end of this week.  It's also available from local music retail outlets.  And Frank can hook you up after Mass.  Frank's website is here. About the album: A look at the cover of Frank Royster's newest solo album, you'll see the image of his 5-year old son standing, lifting up a giant blue sphere. "He almost looks like a...

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Charlotte Hays in the Wall Street Journal: On a recent evening, about 60 people—ex-Episcopalians, curious Catholics and a smattering of earnest Episcopal priests in clerical collars—gathered downtown for an unusual liturgy: It was Evensong and Benediction, sung according to the Book of Divine Worship, an Anglican Use liturgical book still being prepared in Rome. Beautiful evensongs are a signature of Protestant Episcopal worship. Benediction, which consists of hymns, canticles or litanies before the consecrated host on the altar, is a Catholic devotion. We were getting a blend of both at St. Mary Mother of God Church, lent for the occasion....

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Here's an interesting essay advancing the thesis that the Christian imagination lends itself to fantasy (i.e., Tolkien & Lewis) and the Jewish imaginaiton to Science Fiction (i.e., Asimov & Silverberg): C. S. Lewis was always clear that he did not set out to write The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe as a didactic project. It began, he said, with an image in his head of an umbrella-toting faun standing in the snow. Nonetheless, when he wrote the Narnia books, Lewis drew deeply from his Christian beliefs. In this, he and the many Christian fantasy writers have an advantage over...

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From the Rector's Desk: Many of you will have read that we hosted the national gathering of the Anglo-Catholic Rectors Conference here a few weeks ago.  It was a very helpful, encouraging and rewarding experience.  It was good to meet new friends, and to reconnect with acquaintances of long standing.  And of course, one of the best things about such gatherings is the opportunity to hear and share stories.  Fr. Reid, the Rector of St. Clement's, Philadelphia, for example, is a regular raconteur, and he kept me in stitches the entire time.  He shared with us regarding his parish, We...

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