From there:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I send this communication to you while I am presently attending the ACNA College of Bishops Meeting (via Zoom). The violence at our national capital yesterday took place while we, as bishops, were in deliberations to consent to newly elected bishops (bearing witness to the fact that the church’s work goes on). Nevertheless, we paused our deliberations briefly to pray. Archbishop Foley Beach then issued a call for the church to pray. You will find his call to prayer here.

Bishops Guernsey and Dobbs, ACNA bishops in the DC area, prayed this morning the Great Litany* before the National Capital on behalf of our church. I join with our Archbishop to encourage our congregations and parishioners, as they are able, to pray the Great Litany for our nation and for God’s intervention as our society descends into increasingly aggressive actions and suspicion, and where trust of one another continues to be in short supply.

Yours in Christ,
Bishop Lawrence

'Join us this Sunday, November 22, 2020, as we, in the #Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina, give thanks for the work and #ministry of our #Bishop in the 13th year of his Consecration, the Rt. Rev. Mark Joseph Lawrence' https://t.co/1lQuJWNHeY #lowcountrylife pic.twitter.com/jAmqhJtT06

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) November 22, 2020

Lord Jesus Christ, who in the offerings of the wise men didst receive an earnest of the worship of the nations: Grant that thy Church may never cease to proclaim the good news of thy love, that all men may come to worship thee as their Saviour and King, who livest and reignest world without end.

“You are not here to verify,
instruct yourself,
or inform curiosity.
Or carry report.
You are here to kneel….” ~T. S. Eliot, “Little Gidding,” Four Quartets #Epiphany pic.twitter.com/s3RFPG3GS8

— Kenneth Kovacs, PhD (@KenKovacs) January 6, 2019

Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.

–Psalm 146:5-7

The Isle of Palms is showing off for us on this COLD start to our Sunday. Grab that hot cup of coffee and join @KaugustineTV and I right now on @WCBD News 2 Sunday! pic.twitter.com/PDyxwGnnbG

— Megan James (@MeganJamesWX) January 10, 2021

Scotland’s first woman bishop is at the centre of a “bullying” row that is threatening to cause a schism with the Episcopal Church.

The Rt Reverend Anne Dyer, 63, was consecrated as the Anglican bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in 2018. The Scottish Episcopal Church has begun an investigation after she dismissed the musical director at her cathedral and suspended a high-profile priest.

Lord Glenarthur, a church member and a minister of state for Scotland in the Thatcher government, was so dismayed that he wrote to The Most Rev Mark Strange, primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, urging him to intervene. He alleges that he was “deliberately misled” when he asked Bishop Dyer about recent developments and insisted that there was growing unease over her conduct.

Last year she and the other bishops from the country’s third largest Christian denomination took part in bullying awareness training after a report suggested that harassment was endemic within Scotland’s Anglican community. A survey found a “negative atmosphere which can foster bullying and harassment within the church” — with more than a third of clergy reporting being victimised.

Read it all (requires subscription).

Scotland’s first woman bishop is at the centre of a bullying row – a year after all bishops in the Episcopal Church underwent bullying training. https://t.co/xMUczJ2YIY

— TimesEditorScotland (@magnusllewellin) January 9, 2021

Britain has one of the most aggressive surveillance regimens, analyzing up to 10 percent of samples that test positive for the virus. But few countries have such robust systems in place. The United States sequences less than 1 percent of its positive samples. And others cannot hope to afford the equipment or build such networks in time for this pandemic.

In Brazil, labs that had redirected their attention from Zika to the coronavirus had discovered a worrisome mutation there as early as this spring. But little is known about the variants circulating in the country, or how quickly they are spreading.

“We just don’t know because no one is either sequencing or sharing the data,” said Dr. Nuno Faria at Imperial College and Oxford University who coordinates genomic sequencing projects with colleagues in Brazil. “Genomic surveillance is expensive.”

As the virus continues to mutate, other significant variants will almost certainly emerge. And those that make the virus hardier, or more contagious, will be more likely to spread, Dr. Read said.

“The faster we can get the vaccines out, the faster we can get on top of these variants,” he said. “There’s no room for complacency here.”

Read it all.

As the coronavirus mutates to become more contagious, scientists around the globe are pressing for a faster vaccine rollout and funding for genetic surveillance. https://t.co/6ScCBUH52C

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 9, 2021

God of all creation, who dost call us to make disciples of all nations and to proclaim thy mercy and love: Grant that we, after the example of thy servant Julia Chester Emery, might have vision and courage in proclaiming the Gospel to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ, our light and our salvation, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Julia Chester Emery, Lay Leader and Missionary, 1922 https://t.co/7eJaSe8o2N pic.twitter.com/R974R9eQY5

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) January 9, 2020

O God, who by the shining of a star didst guide the wise men to behold thy Son, our Lord: Show us thy heavenly light, and give us grace to follow until we find him, and, finding him, rejoice. And grant that as they presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh, we now may bring him the offering of a loving heart, an adoring spirit, and an obedient will; for his honour, and for thy glory, O God most high.

Happy Epiphany! The Magi in #HaydonBridge Old Church. pic.twitter.com/BOn8KvUB1Q

— Michael Sadgrove 🇪🇺 (@MichaelSadgrove) January 6, 2016

The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and for evermore.

–Psalm 121:8

Adoration of the Magi, a copy after Hugo van der Goes, Netherlandish, late 15th century (Met Museum) #Epiphany pic.twitter.com/Wq1QxUQDLY

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) January 6, 2019

The Archbishop of Wales will retire in May after four years as leader of the Church in Wales, it has been announced.

The Most Rev John Davies, the 13th man to hold the position, was appointed in 2017 and has also been bishop of Swansea and Brecon since 2008.

Mr Davies, 67, will retire from his roles as archbishop and bishop on 2 May.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said he valued Mr Davies’s “wisdom, passion, skill and diplomacy”.

Read it all.

Archbishop John Davies will stand down as head of the Church in Wales after four yearshttps://t.co/4SLYCqtnaX

— BBC Wales News (@BBCWalesNews) January 8, 2021

There is no guarantee that 2021 will be better, but Christians must step up. We need to challenge one another in love and support each other when facing strong headwinds. If we live like the world, why should non-Christians listen to us. More importantly, why would they listen to God? With this in our mind, here is our charge to the body of Christ for 2021:

• Read the entire Bible. This is a blessing—and doing it in a year takes only about 15 minutes a day. There are plenty of reading plans and even apps to make the process easy. Encourage others to join you. How can we expect to share God’s word passionately and accurately if we Christians are not Bible-literate?

• Pray. Pray for our pastors, teachers, politicians, family and friends. Many of us tell others that we will pray for them, but do we do it? Don’t simply tell someone that you will pray for him. Stop and say, “I am going to pray with you.”

• Repent. Repentance is a word American culture have lost sight of. It means to turn away from the direction one has been headed. Repentance applies not only to salvation but to everyday life. If 2020 has exposed worry, jealousy, racism, pride, greed or anger in our hearts, we must repent.

• Return to our home churches. The relationships built in our local churches are critical for our personal growth—and the church’s growth as a whole.

Read it all.

If you find your faith is strained by the pandemic, these practices can help, write @TonyDungy and @BenjaminSWatson https://t.co/n0PEtTIEI9

— WSJ Editorial Page (@WSJopinion) January 8, 2021

She spent the previous weekend reading the Constitution, poring over the 12th Amendment and Title 3 of the U.S. Code. She wanted to understand exactly what they said about Congress’ power in the coming vote to certify electors.

It wasn’t confusing. Their role was ceremonial.

If we don’t follow that, she thought, we aren’t a nation at all.

She could not go along with the president and much of her party.

Mace had long ago learned some things about courage. Her father was a brigadier general, a war hero, the most decorated living graduate of The Citadel.

But nothing fueled her courage like a day when she was 16 years old. A friend and classmate sexually assaulted her. Afraid and ashamed, she’d blamed herself. She’d feared what other people would think.

She dropped out of high school. Her fire faded.

But then, she rediscovered her courage, a new and stronger kind, one that didn’t blame herself and wouldn’t bend to fear of what other people thought. She returned to school, earned her diploma and, in 1999, became the first female to graduate from The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets.

Read it all.

Nancy Mace’s first 100 hours in Congress: threats, violence and challenging Trump https://t.co/o7dxc57XFg

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) January 8, 2021

I will take comments on this submitted by email only to KSHarmon[at]mindspring[dot]com.

A coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to be effective against a key mutation in the more infectious variants of the virus discovered in the U.K. and South Africa, according to a study conducted by the U.S. pharmaceutical giant.

It comes as countries scramble to contain the variants that are significantly more transmissible, with public health experts anxious about the potential impact on inoculation efforts.

The research, published Thursday on preprint server bioRxiv and not yet peer-reviewed, suggested the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine worked to neutralize the so-called N501Y mutation.

The N501Y mutation has been reported in the more infectious variants. It is altering an amino acid within six key residues in the receptor-binding domain — a key part of the spike protein that the virus uses to gain entry into cells within the body.

Read it all.

🏥 A new study shows Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid vaccine appears to neutralize a key mutation of two highly contagious variants found in the U.K. & South Africa.

🗣️ “These findings are good news."

👇 Here's the full story:https://t.co/qvANvM2Mk0

— Sam Meredith (@smeredith19) January 8, 2021

Holy God, thou didst choose thy faithful servant Harriet Bedell to exercise the ministry of deaconess and to be a missionary among indigenous peoples: Fill us with compassion and respect for all people, and empower us for the work of ministry throughout the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For the last day of #womenshistorymonth here's a 1934 photo of Deaconess Harriet Bedell with Seminole women and children of the #Everglades pic.twitter.com/j8QuVBw965

— Digital Collections (@FIU_Digital_Lib) March 31, 2017

O God, who by the guidance of a star didst manifest to the Gentiles the glory of thine only begotten Son: Grant us grace that, being led by the light of thy Holy Spirit, we may, in adoring love and lowliest reverence, yield ourselves to thy service; that thy kingdom of righteousness and peace may be advanced among all nations, to the glory of thy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today is the feast of the Epiphany, when the Church remembers the visit of the Magi to the infant Christ. Here in a C15 alabaster, once part of an altarpiece, at Long Melford, Suffolk. The Magi present their gifts to the standing child while Mary, Joseph and a midwife look on. pic.twitter.com/liPsWvYt8O

— Simon Knott (@last_of_england) January 6, 2021

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
laud him, all you peoples.

For his loving-kindness toward us is great, *
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Hallelujah!

–Psalm 117

Goodmorning pic.twitter.com/WzFDqv76PE

— E?M… (@EgwEimai6) January 8, 2021

O Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, shine graciously into our hearts that, walking as children of light, we may glorify thee before men, and, being always ready to obey Thy call, may, in our place and measure, hold up the light of life to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death. Hear us, O Lord, for Thy great mercies’ sake, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now and for ever. Amen.

Today is Epiphany, the Christian feast day that commemorates the visit of the Magi (three Wise Men/Kings from India, Persia and Africa) to the Christ Child. We look after this print by Hendrick Goltzius, 1594. It shows Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar bearing their gifts. pic.twitter.com/1RYnBA4T8Q

— Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (@bristolmuseum) January 6, 2021

Let us now return to the exposition of the Gospel, where we previously left it. The astronomers went into the place where the child was staying, and found him with his mother. Then with prostrate bodies they worshipped Christ, and opened their coffers, and offered to him threefold gifts, gold, and incense, and myrrh. Gold is fitting for a king; incense belongs to God’s service; with myrrh the bodies of the dead are prepared that they may not soon rot. These three astronomers worshipped Christ, and offered to him symbolic gifts. The gold betokened that he is true King; the incense that he is true God; the myrrh that he was then mortal, though now he continues immortal in eternity…

My brothers, let us offer to our Lord gold, for we confess that he is true King, and rules everywhere. Let us offer to him incense, for we believe that he was always God, who at that time appeared as a man. Let us bring him myrrh, for we believe that he was mortal in our flesh, who is incapable of suffering in his divine nature. He was mortal in human nature before his Passion, but he is henceforth immortal, as we all shall be after the universal resurrection.

We have spoken of these threefold gifts, how they apply to Christ. We also wish to say how they apply to us in a figurative sense. Truly gold betokens wisdom; as Solomon said, “A goldhoard much to be desired lies in the mouth of a wise man.” Incense represents holy prayer, of which the psalmist sang, “Lord, let my prayer be sent forth like burning incense in thy sight.” By myrrh is shown the mortality of our flesh, of which Holy Church says, “My hands dropped myrrh.” To the born King we bring gold, if we are shining in his sight with the brightness of heavenly wisdom. Incense we bring him, if we set fire to our thoughts on the altar of our heart with the eagerness of holy prayers, so that through heavenly desire we may give forth something of a sweet smell. Myrrh we offer him if we quell the lusts of the flesh by self-restraint.

Read it all (and note the link to the full sermon text).

Lone wanderers and the 'star-wise men': an Anglo-Saxon sermon for the Feast of the Epiphany https://t.co/Fy1VHuuIAr pic.twitter.com/pKC4EQIHZt

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) January 6, 2016

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

One the little joys of the Epiphany happens at Compline:

Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven;
to be praised and glorified above all for ever. pic.twitter.com/FlX1Dtx7Jw

— laudablePractice (@cath_cov) January 5, 2021

Dear friends, this is the question that the Church wishes to awaken in the hearts of all men: who is Jesus? This is the spiritual longing that drives the mission of the Church: to make Jesus known, his Gospel, so that every man can discover in his human face the face of God, and be illumined by his mystery of love. Epiphany pre-announces the universal opening of the Church, her call to evangelize all peoples. But Epiphany also tells us in what way the Church carries out this mission: reflecting the light of Christ and proclaiming his Word. Christians are called to imitate the service that the star gave the Magi. We must shine as children of the light, to attract all to the beauty of the Kingdom of god. And to all those who seek truth, we must offer the Word of God, which leads to recognizing in Jesus “the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).

—Benedict XVI.

Adoration of the Magi, 1636-37, by #ArtemisiaGentileschi (Italian, 1593-1652/3?). Pozzuoli Cathedral, Naples; source, https://t.co/cQqiMGO9LN #artherstory #womenartists #Epiphany #FeastofEpiphany pic.twitter.com/XUynPcRn6A

— ArtHerstory (@NoteArtHerstory) January 6, 2021

Lyrics:

All they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense;
and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. Alleluia.
The Kings of Tharsis and of the isles shall give Him presents;
the Kings of Arabia and Sheba shall bring gifts. Alleluia.

The same thing happens to Father Kendall Harmon every year during the 12 days after the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

It happens with newcomers at his home parish, Christ-St. Paul’s in Yonges Island, South Carolina, near Charleston. It often happens when, as Canon Theologian, he visits other parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.

“I greet people and say ‘Merry Christmas!’ all the way through the 12 days” of the season, he said, laughing. “They look at me like I’m a Martian or I’m someone who is lost. … So many people just don’t know there’s more Christmas after Christmas Day.”

Read it all.

O God, who by the leadings of thy providence didst bring wise men from far to give homage to Jesus, born to be King of all: Help us, who by various ways are led to Christ, humbly and thankfully to adore him with our gifts, and as our costliest treasure to present before him ourselves for his honour and service, now and always.

Happy Three Kings Day! ¡Feliz Día de Reyes! 👑👑👑 January 6th is the traditional celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord, with so many different customs around the world. pic.twitter.com/Php9UylwNN

— Christopher Rosario (@BAMBAMBPT) January 6, 2021

On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it. When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

–John 2:1-11

Happy 10th day of Christmas! (slightly in advance). Epiphany is Jan. 6, but as the celebration is transferred to Sunday in the US, I'm sharing this marvelous image of "The Adoration of the Kings" by Jan Gossaert (ca. 1510, from the National Gallery, UK). pic.twitter.com/9WFpIYpkKE

— Holly Ordway (@HollyOrdway) January 3, 2021

look through them all.

Men jump into a lake to catch a wooden cross during Epiphany Day celebrations in Sofia, Bulgaria. More photos of the day: https://t.co/ojli7cCAL7 📷 Stoyan Nenov pic.twitter.com/XONuukgJwy

— Reuters Pictures (@reuterspictures) January 6, 2021

O Blessed Jesus, who by the shining of a star didst manifest thyself to them that sought thee: Show thy heavenly light to us, and give us grace to follow until we find thee; finding, to rejoice in thee; and rejoicing, to present to thee ourselves, our souls and bodies, for thy service for evermore: for thine honour and glory.

The Adoration of the Magi from Horae ad usum Rothmagensem (Paris,1498) [ZZ1488.5] #Epiphany pic.twitter.com/IntoR26E12

— LambethPalaceLibrary (@lampallib) January 3, 2021

O God,
who by the leading of a star
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
mercifully grant that we,
who know you now by faith,
may at last behold your glory face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

#Epiphany
“Although he dwelt entirely in a body,
still he dwelt entirely in the universe.
Blessed is the Unlimited who was limited.
Blessed is your birth that stirred up the universe!”
(Ephrem of Syria) pic.twitter.com/m7ZdmAw019

— Barry Naylor ن 💙 (@KaJuror) January 6, 2021

…that this star was not of the common sort, or rather not a star at all, as it seems at least to me, but some invisible power transformed into this appearance, is in the first place evident from its very course. For there is not, there is not any star that moves by this way, but whether it be the sun you mention, or the moon, or all the other stars, we see them going from east to west; but this was wafted from north to south; for so is Palestine situated with respect to Persia.

In the second place, one may see this from the time also. For it appears not in the night, but in mid-day, while the sun is shining; and this is not within the power of a star, nay not of the moon; for the moon that so much surpasses all, when the beams of the sun appear, straightway hides herself, and vanishes away. But this by the excess of its own splendor overcame even the beams of the sun, appearing brighter than they, and in so much light shining out more illustriously.

…[Later in the narrative] it did not, remaining on high, point out the place; it not being possible for them so to ascertain it, but it came down and performed this office. For ye know that a spot of so small dimensions, being only as much as a shed would occupy, or rather as much as the body of a little infant would take up, could not possibly be marked out by a star. For by reason of its immense height, it could not sufficiently distinguish so confined a spot, and discover it to them that were desiring to see it. And this any one may see by the moon, which being so far superior to the stars, seems to all that dwell in the world, and are scattered over so great an extent of earth,””seems, I say, near to them every one. How then, tell me, did the star point out a spot so confined, just the space of a manger and shed, unless it left that height and came down, and stood over the very head of the young child? And at this the evangelist was hinting when he said, “Lo, the star went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.”

Read it all.

In Western Christianity, today is #Epiphany, a feast day that commemorates principally the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation to the Gentiles. 'Tis sometimes called #ThreeKingsDay, and in some traditions celebrated as Little Christmas. pic.twitter.com/lNVj5KVSUi

— Dr. Paul (@DrPnygard) January 6, 2021

How could they have known not to come
On what amounted to pretense? Everything
Their learning held, all their beliefs
Said regal gifts were needful for a king.

The things they brought were left behind,
Doubtless; or maybe traded for bread:
Impecunious Joseph with a family
To feed, a roof to put over his head.

Read it all.

Antiphon:#TheMagi saw the star & said to one another:
This is the sign of the great King;
let us go & seek him;
let us offer him gifts:
gold, frankincense & myrrh.

First #Vespers of the #Epiphany #EveningPrayer #ChristmasSeason

Image by Celeste Lauritsen pic.twitter.com/6dV7Uy8A82

— McCrimmon Publishing (@McCrimmonsuk) January 5, 2021

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast made known the incarnation of thy Son by the bright shining of a star, which when the wise men beheld they adored thy majesty and presented costly gifts: Grant that the star of thy righteousness may always shine in our hearts, and that for our treasure we may give to thy service ourselves and all that we have; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today we celebrate the #Epiphany of Our Lord, the day the Magi visited the Christ Child and the day of Christ's physical manifestation to the Gentiles.

The visit of the Magi is depicted here in the 14th-century Litlyngton Missal, a service book made for the Abbey's High Altar. pic.twitter.com/7SR7VzdUB3

— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) January 6, 2021