St. Lydia's Anglican Church

09/05/2026

"I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live."

Join us tomorrow at 10am as we once again proclaim the salvation found only in Jesus Christ.

328 Guilbeau Rd. in Lafayette. Come and see.

08/28/2026

“Joy is the net of love by which you can catch souls.- Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo, Teacher of the Faith

Augustine was a North African Early Church Father and one of the most influential theologians in church history. Until his 30’s, Augustine wanted nothing to do with Christianity. He spurned the Christian faith of his mother and sought fulfillment in sexual indulgence, academic achievement, and esoteric, occult spirituality. His autobiographical “Confessions” beautifully recounts the many ways that God sought Augustine and brought him into the fullness of the faith, fullness of beauty, and fullness of joy in Jesus Christ. As a Christian, Augustine became a bishop and addressed many pastoral controversies, including confronting the cult of Manichaeism that had once had such a powerful hold on Augustine. Augustine’s greatest work, “The City of God,” is a cornerstone of Western theology.

Almighty God, you gave your servant Augustine of Hippo special gifts of grace to understand and teach the truth revealed in Christ Jesus: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Art & history by Ben Lansing //

PREORDER the NEW book 📚, order prints & downloads 🖼️, and listen to the podcast 🎙️ at www.ourchurchspeaks.com

08/27/2026

“Nothing is far from God.” - Monica (331-387), Mother of Augustine of Hippo

Monica was an African Christian who watched her family fall apart. Her husband cheated on her. Her son, Augustine, left the Christian faith for a decadent life in the big city, becoming a slave to sexual addiction and the occult. For many years, Monica spent every night praying and weeping, pleading for the Lord to bring her son back into the truth. The Lord kept every one of Monica’s tears in his bottle (Psalm 56:8), and brought her son to repentance and acceptance that Christ was the answer to his wanderings. Augustine was baptized and eventually became the most influential Church Father of the Western Church.

Almighty God, you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses: Grant that we, encouraged by the good example of your servant Monica, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at last, with her, we attain to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Art & history by Ben Lansing //

preorder the NEWbook 📚 and listen to the podcast 🎙️ at www.ourchurchspeaks.com //

08/24/2026

“Rabbi, you are the son of God! You are the King of Israel!” - Bartholomew (c.1-c.69), Apostle

Bartholomew was one of Jesus’ 12 Apostles. Also known as Nathanael, he is introduced in the Gospel of John 1:45-51. In this passage, his brother Philip tells him that he has found Jesus, the fulfillment of Scripture. Skeptical, Bartholomew replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” From a distance, Jesus saw Bartholomew approach and said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Bartholomew asked, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Bartholomew was stunned and placed his faith in Jesus. “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” To this, Jesus said, “You will see greater things than these… you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Bartholomew remained with Jesus during his earthly ministry. After Jesus’ Ascension, he was among the disciples present when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, empowering them to “go into all the world” baptizing and making disciples. Church tradition says that Bartholomew made some of the farthest apostolic journeys. India, China, and Ethiopia were said to all be locations visited by Bartholomew. Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History, recounted that Bartholomew went to India and left behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. While in Armenia, Bartholomew was sentenced to death for converting people to Christianity. Tradition says that he was flayed alive in an agonizing death. For this reason, artistic depictions of Bartholomew often show this dedicated apostle triumphantly holding the flaying knife (sometimes along with his own skin) that brought about his martyrdom.

Almighty and everlasting God, you gave your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your Word: Grant that your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

📚 🎙️ ourchurchspeaks.com

08/18/2026

“He that is mighty has magnified me, and holy is his name.” - The Blessed Virgin Mary

In Luke chapter 1, Mary is described as a virgin of Nazareth, pledged to be married to Joseph, a descendant of David. This humble young girl was visited by an angel of the Lord and greeted with high honor. “Do not be afraid, Mary;” The angel said. “You have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Mary’s response has been a model for all Christians, “Behold, I am a servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.” Mary conceived, just as the angel foretold. Bearing God within her womb, Mary has been called “Blessed” and “the Theotokos” (God-bearer) by Christians of subsequent generations. She was present with Jesus in his earthly ministry and witnessed his suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. She was present with the Apostles at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell upon the church and empowered them to obey the Great Commission. Some church traditions say that Mary, like Elijah and Enoch, never died but was taken (or “assumed”) into heaven. Others say that she died (“dormition”), and that her body was received into heaven. In either case, Christians of all traditions have given her highest honor, among all of God’s creatures.

O God, you have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Art & history by Ben Lansing

PREORDER the NEW book 📚 and listen to the podcast 🎙️ at www.ourchurchspeaks.com

08/10/2026

“The sick, the aged, the poor, the widows, the orphans: these are the treasures of the Church.” - Laurence (225-258), Deacon & Martyr at Rome

Laurence was a deacon in the Roman church, responsible for distributing alms to the poor. During the persecution of Emperor Valerian, Laurence was arrested and ordered to surrender all of the riches of the church to the Roman Empire. Laurence asked for three days to gather the wealth. He quickly distributed the remaining alms to the needy. The poor then bravely joined Laurence when he returned to the Roman court. When the Roman prefect ordered the wealth surrendered, Laurence brought forward the poor and said, “The sick, the aged, the poor, the widows, the orphans: these are the treasures of the Church.” The prefect was enraged, bound Laurence, and executed him on a hot gridiron. Today, he is one of the most widely honored martyrs and one of the most famous deacons from the early church.

Almighty God, you gave your servant Laurence boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Art & history by Ben Lansing

This post is the DEBUT of this artwork of St. Laurence. 🎈

NEW - PREORDER the book 📕 www.ourchurchspeaks.com

08/08/2026

Join us tomorrow (8/9) at 8:45am as we begin our “Coffee & Catechism” series through our confession, the 39 Articles of Religion.

A separate class will be available for young children.

328 Guilbeau Rd, Lafayette. See ya there!

08/08/2026

Members and friends of St. Lydia’s participated today in the “Pack the Backpack” event put on by our friends at Gifting Grace Project. Around 3,000 backpacks were packed with school supplies for homeless children in the area. Praise God!

08/04/2026

“Grant me the body of Jesus.” - Joseph of Arimathea (BC 40 -AD 45)

Ancient church traditions often tied their founding origin story to a disciple of Jesus. For Anglicanism, it is Joseph of Arimathea. The Gospels tell us that Joseph of Arimathea was a respected, wealthy, and righteous man who served on the Jewish High Council (the Sanhedrin). He was a disciple of Jesus, but kept his devotion secret, out of fear of his colleagues. The Sanhedrin condemned Jesus without Joseph’s consent, and delivered Jesus to the Roman authorities for trial and ex*****on. Joseph risked his life and reputation and asked Pontius Pilate for Jesus’ body, to be wrapped in a linen cloth and buried in Joseph’s own tomb. Christian fables credit Joseph with taking the Gospel to England, establishing the first church at Glastonbury (where his staff budded and became the Glastonbury thorn), and carrying with him the cup from the Last Supper (the origin of the Holy Grail stories of King Arthur legends). History indicates that Christianity did reach England very early, perhaps as early as the lifetime of Joseph of Arimathea.

Almighty God, you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses: Grant that we, encouraged by the good example of your servant Joseph of Arimathea, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at last, with him, we attain to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Art & bio by Ben Lansing,

Order the book 📚 ourchurchspeaks.com

08/04/2026

Happy birthday to our friends at Parish Church!

Parish Church is turning 10! On August 16th we will celebrate all that God has done in and through our church.

Join us for:
• A special worship service
• A church fellowship meal
• Bouncy Houses
• Parish Church merch
• Testimonials from members of our church

Bring your family, and come celebrate this milestone with us.