Restoration Journal
News, Updates, and Resources
Welcome to Lent, a forty-day journey set aside to be with Jesus as he walks to Jerusalem to die for us and rise for us. During this time, we make intentional decisions to create space in our lives to listen to the Holy Spirit guiding us, correcting us, and turning us to know evermore deeply the love of Jesus.
Advent begins December 1st, when we get ready to enter the mystery of Christmas. How do you prepare to enter such a wonderful mystery, and how do you help your children do the same? There is no right or wrong way to do Advent, but the practice of slowing down and waiting for our Savior helps us make room in our hearts to wonder at His love. As Ashley Wallace says, “Advent in the home puts the world in its proper place.”
We are about to embark on another liturgical year together with the season of Advent. It is fitting that we enter into the year in darkness, mystery, and anticipation. It is the sacred vocation of the church to stand in the midst of a dark world, heralding a great mystery, eagerly anticipating the return of our king.
My soul magnifies the Lord,” Mary rejoices after being blessed by her cousin Elizabeth, who received the Holy Spirit as the two women met each other in the house of Zechariah. All of Israel had been waiting for so long for the Messiah to come and set this people free from their captivity, a promise he made to their forefathers, and now the moment was here! Elizabeth’s baby leapt in her womb for the joy of it all. Mary was about to give birth to that long-awaited Messiah, Jesus.
The season of Epiphany is drawing to a close, and Lent is just around the corner. Lent, the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is a spiritual pilgrimage; it is a great fast before the great feast; it is a giving up and a putting on; it is prayerful and slow; it is ancient and new. I encourage you to enter into Lent with intentionality and anticipation.
A diocese is a group of churches led by a bishop. Within the ACNA, there are about 30 dioceses. Most dioceses are geographically organized. Several others are non-geographic; their relationships are based on common affinities, common histories, or missional emphases.
The vast majority of people at Restoration are brand new to Anglicanism. We offer this simple chart to help explain how Restoration fits within the broader Anglican Communion.
