Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

“I am a Christian.” - Blandina (162-177), Martyr at Lyon

Wherever the early church was planted, rumors arose about the practices of the mysterious new group of people called “Christians.” Some said that the Christians were cannibals, because it was overheard that they were eating someone’s body and drinking his blood as a central act of worship. Others said that they were practicing in**st and gross immorality, because their “love feasts” involved a “kiss of peace,” shared among all members. Others suspected that the Christians were insurrectionists, because they spoke of their Lord and His kingdom and did not sacrifice to Caesar. In the 2nd century in Lyon, France, the populace of the city fell into a frenzy, demanding that Christians be rounded up and eradicated. One Christian arrested during this period was a slave girl named Blandina. Before a riotous crowd, she was first tied to a stake and wild beasts were set upon her. She prayed for her captors and the animals refused to touch her. Her furious tormentors then subjected her to many cruel tortures and were bewildered that her faith remained resolute and her life persisted, despite their cruelty. Tied in a net, she was thrown to a wild steer and thrown savagely into the air. To everyone’s astonishment, she survived, praising God. She was finally killed with a dagger. Blandina’s memory was cherished by the early church, and her story remains one of the most emblematic witnesses of the faith from the church’s earliest centuries.

Almighty God, you gave your servant Blandina 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 and history by Ben Lansing

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06/01/2026

The Visitation: “From now on, all generations shall call me blessed.” “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

May 31 commemorates the Visitation of the Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth. This meeting of two pregnant women is filled with prophetic significance. Mary’s prophetic statement that “all generations” would call her “blessed” was first realized when she was greeted by Elizabeth. Both women bore children in their wombs whose births had been prophesied. The Prophet Malachi had said, centuries before, that Elizabeth’s son, John the Baptist, was to “prepare the way of the Lord.” John, it was prophesied, would “be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). Even before his birth, Scripture records that John began to fulfill this prophetic mission. As Elizabeth greeted Mary, John sensed the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb and proclaimed the coming of the Messiah by leaping in Elizabeth’s womb. In response to these significant events, Mary proclaimed her hymn, “The Magnificat” (“My soul magnifies the Lord,” Luke 1:42-45). This hymn continues to be sung by Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Lutherans and many other Chrisians every day at Evening Prayer.

Almighty God, by whose grace Elizabeth rejoiced with the blessed Virgin Mary and greeted her as the mother of the Lord: Look with favor on your lowly servants, that, with Mary, we may magnify your holy Name and rejoice to acclaim her Son as our Savior; 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

ORDER the book - www.ourchurchspeaks.com

05/28/2026

“However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.” - John Calvin (1509-1564), Reformer

John Calvin was the son of an assistant to the bishop of Noyon, in France, and educated at the University of Paris and University of Orléans. While at school, Martin Luther’s early writings were widely discussed in academic circles and Calvin was compelled by Luther’s message. Calvin became well versed in Scripture and the writings of the early church fathers, particularly Augustine. In time, Calvin became a teacher in Protestant Geneva. He frequently faced disputes and conflict with city elders, but his wisdom as a leader asserted his stature among the citizens. Europe was consumed by unrest during this time, as European kingdoms and principalities went different directions over the Reformation question. Calvin corresponded with Reformers like Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, hoping to bring Geneva, the Church of England, and other Reformation churches into a single Reformed Catholic Church. Cranmer was executed by Mary Tudor in England before this vision could become a reality. Calvin gave safe harbor to English Protestants fleeing Bloody Mary’s persecution. The Genevan influence on Church of England Protestants would mark the launch of the Puritan movement within the Anglican tradition. Over his lifetime, Calvin wrote and revised his greatest work, “The Institutes of the Christian Religion.” It is considered one of the most significant systematic theologies in church history.

O God, by your grace your servant John Calvin, kindled by the flame of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church, turning pride into humility and error into truth: Grant that we may be set aflame with the same spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; 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

Order the book - www.ourchurchspeaks.com

05/26/2026

O God, our heavenly Father, you raised up your faithful servant Augustine of Canterbury to be a Bishop and pastor in your Church and to feed your flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

“Let us entreat God, who makes men to be of one mind in His Father’s house.” - Augustine of Canterbury (534–604), First Archbishop of Canterbury

Christianity has had a native presence in the British isles since the earliest centuries. The 6th century Scottish historian, Gildas, recorded that the faith first reached England within 5 years of Jesus’ resurrection. A Celtic tradition of Christianity, with unique worship and customs, developed in England over this 500 year age. The islands produced famous saints like Alban, Patrick, and Ninian. But by Gildas’ time, Christianity was in decline. The Celtic church was increasingly weakened by invasions from pagan Anglo-Saxons. Many wondered if Christianity in England would disappear altogether. In 595, Pope Gregory the Great commissioned an Italian monk named Augustine (not to be confused with the 4th century African saint) to re-launch the Gospel by ministering to the Anglo-Saxons. Augustine established the center of his ministry in Canterbury, England. As the first Archbishop of Canterbury, Augustine converted the Anglo-Saxon King of Kent to Christianity and, thereby, regained a foothold of the faith in a critical region of the British Isles. Augustine is now considered the “Apostle to the English” and his ministry marks a turning point for the faith in the British isles. Under the first Archbishops of Canterbury, English Chrisitanity would become more centralized and distanced from many of its unique Celtic practices, and increasingly conformed to catholic practices shared with Christians throughout the world.

O God, our heavenly Father, you raised up your faithful servant Augustine of Canterbury to be a Bishop and pastor in your Church and to feed your flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Art & bio by Ben Lansing

ORDER the book - ourchurchspeaks.com

05/20/2026

Check out the latest Coram Deo with Bishop Clark https://conta.cc/3PSuB5x

Email from DWGC May 20, 2026       In Today's Coram Deo with the Bishop: Final Tour Visit to St. Patrick's and HopePointe Dear Saints of the Diocese: Though last Saturday’s Electing Synod had differen

05/14/2026

Happy Ascension Day!

Almighty God, whose only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven: May our hearts and minds also there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

40 days after Easter Day, the church observes Ascension Day, in recognition of the astonishing moment when the resurrected Christ ascended, body and soul, into heaven. After his resurrection, Jesus remained with his disciples for 40 days. Over these five and a half weeks, over 500 people witnessed the resurrected Christ. Jesus’ death had been publicly confirmed and now he was publicly confirmed as alive. The resurrected Messiah fellowshipped with, taught, and ministered to his disciples, and even cooked for them and ate with them. For the remainder of the 1st century, these 500+ witnesses’ stories were cross-examined and investigated by skeptics and proven true time and time again and the Gospel spread with new generations of converts convinced that Jesus Christ was the living God.

At the culmination of these 40 days, Jesus lifted up his hands and blessed his disciples and was suddenly “taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” (Acts 1:9) Yet Jesus had not abandoned his disciples. “I am with you always,” (Matthew 28:20) Jesus said in one of his final teachings. And so he is. Jesus is the true vine (John 15:1) and all who are in Christ are grafted into him (Romans 11:17). He is present in his body and his blood, giving us life and love, wisdom and truth. He continues to minister to us today as we await his coming again in great glory and power at the very end of the age.

Almighty God, whose only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven: May our hearts and minds also there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Order the book - www.ourchurchspeaks.com

05/11/2026

“He will give the rain for your land in its season… that you may gather in your grain and your w**e and your oil.” - Deuteronomy 11:14

God designed us to be dependent creatures. Every few hours our stomachs remind us that self-sufficiency is a myth. We rely on creation and those who cultivate it to satisfy us on a daily basis. And creation is sustained only by our gracious God, who upholds all things. These fundamental realities are easy to forget in our modern society, where conveniences often separate us from the growth and harvest of the food we eat. This makes the observance of the Rogation Days all the more important reminders today. Since at least the 5th century, the Western church has set aside five specific days to petition God for blessings on the growth and harvest of the year’s produce. April 25, the sixth Sunday of Easter, and the three days before Ascension day are designated “Rogation Days” (“Rogation” coming from a Latin verb meaning “to ask”). On these days, the church remembers our dependence on God for our sustenance. We fast and pray for a bountiful year and ask blessings upon those who labor for the harvest. In an ancient tradition, these prayers are made in procession in a practice called “beating the bounds.” The clergy and congregants pray and walk the boundaries of their parish neighborhood, blessing the fields and gardens, acknowledging God as our source of life, growth, and sustenance.

Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth: We humbly pray that your gracious providence may give and preserve to our use the harvests of the land and of the seas, and may prosper all who labor to gather them, that we, who are constantly receiving good things from your hand, may always give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Art & history by Ben Lansing

Book available at ourchurchspeaks.com

05/11/2026