Holy at Home: Prayer and Devotion

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Daily Bread are short spiritual reflections by clergy, members, and staff of Saint Philip's that arrive at 5:45am Sunday-Friday.  These are pieces of encouragement, insight, and devotion that are perfect with your morning coffee.  Subscribe by clicking the button below.

Lenten Devotional

This year we observe the 40 days of Lent with an acute awareness of the global pandemic that continues to rage. We are put in mind of the fragility of life and our common call to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We make a humble and realistic assessment of where we stand. We grieve and mourn the dead, intercede for those who are sick and those who tend to their needs, and bid God’s grace to bring the pandemic to an end.

At the heart of this booklet remains the simple desire to strengthen and unite the prayers of Saint Philip’s many parishioners and friends, across distances, in this season of penitence and fasting.

Prayer Resources for Families

One of the most challenging aspects of parenting is figuring out how to grow faith in the home and make it a living part of our daily lives so that church is not something we do on Sundays but something we are and live out in our homes.  Below are some resources for you and your children to grow together.

  • Grow Christians - An online community of discipleship focused on the practical details of life at home. Gathering reflections, stories, images and recipes from diverse Episcopalians, this group blog inspires generations to come together as they celebrate the presence of God through the Christian year. It has sections on parenting, prayer, discipleship, and more.

The Daily Office (Morning and Evening Prayer)

At the center of the Anglican spiritual tradition are the ‘offices’ – the daily services of preparation for the day ahead and reflection for the day past. These can be found near the front of the Book of Common Prayer, but several websites and apps exist to make praying the office easier.

Daily Devotions

  • Forward Day by Day – an Episcopal daily devotion available through subscription in print, email, or podcast.

  • Daily Bread - A daily spiritual reflection by members of Saint Philip's that arrives at 5:45am Sunday-Friday.  These are short bits of insight, encouragement, and more that are perfect to enjoy with your morning coffee. 

  • Brother, Give us a Word – a very brief meditation emailed every morning from the brothers at the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE), an Episcopal monastery in Cambridge, Mass.  

  • Monday Matters – a wonderful weekly meditation by Jay Sidebotham, an Episcopal priest based in North Carolina who is also the director of RenewalWorks which Saint Philip's has recently undertaken.

Scripture

Christians believe that one of the primary ways they may know God is through the Bible. The Bible records how countless people throughout the centuries have experienced God in their lives. Paying attention to their stories is one way we start to notice God at work in our own stories. It is by prayerfully approaching the Scriptures for ourselves that God still speaks to us.

Online Bibles

  • Oremus Bible Browser – the simplest way to search or read within the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible, the translation we use in church on Sundays. 

  • Bible Gateway – a searchable version of the Bible that includes dozens of translations in English and other languages. Also includes a Verse of the Day email subscription service.

  • OliveTree – Bible study apps for iPad, iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire, Mac, Windows.

Online Lectionaries

  • The Lectionary Page – calendar view to find assigned Bible readings for every Sunday and feast day of the year.