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‘Our King and Saviour draweth nigh, O come let us adore him.’
I made the first of two pilgrimages to the Holy Land in February 2018. For all my ministry I thought a lot about going but always hesitated—wondering if the reality would be disappointing—different to what I had built up in my imagination. So, having decided finally to go, I steeled my heart not to expect too much.
But to my surprise I simply loved visiting all the holy shrines and sites. I think what captured my heart was the sheer physicality of it—through the dramatic landscape of desert, sea, lake, and mountains—the Spirit spoke to my heart and imagination.
Back home I told everyone about my experience. One friend stopped me short by saying, “I’m not interested in making a Hallmark Christmas card pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I want to experience and understand better the conflicts and politics that govern life there today with a guide who will show me the real Holy Land.”
My friend’s remark startled me and made me think harder about what I had experienced. In fact, as I had discovered, you can’t really separate the images built up in the imagination from a lifetime of Bible reading and the stark realities of the contemporary environment. As we close out 2025, who can escape the reality of so many dead and so many destitute and homeless within striking distance of Bethlehem.
H.V. Morton, the mid-twentieth century travel writer, reminded, some time ago (In Search of the Holy Land, 1979) that there is always a mental and emotional conflict in our minds as we travel the road to Bethlehem:
As I walked on [towards Bethlehem from Jerusalem], I thought that travel there is different from travel in any other part of the world because it exists already in our imagination before we start out. From our earliest years, it begins to form in our minds side-by-side with fairyland, so that it is often difficult to tell where one begins and the other ends. Therefore, the holy land of reality is always in conflict with the imaginary holy land, so violently at times that many people cannot relinquish this creature of the imagination without a feeling of bereavement.
Morton goes on to point out that the first visible symbol of disparity is dead ahead of you on the road to Bethlehem:
... at the bottom of the road that leads up to this white hill town is a noticeboard which absurdly pins this region to reality: ‘Bethlehem Municipal Boundary: Drive Slowly’.
The traveler, approaching Bethlehem with his mind on Saint Luke and Botticelli, pauses in surprise before this board because it has never occurred to him that Bethlehem could be confined by municipal boundaries ...
Today the road to Bethlehem is marked by checkpoints and security barriers as you cross into the Palestinian controlled West Bank with signs indicating ‘Area A’ (Palestinian control) and alerts about Israeli military zones.
But history prepares us for this. The Bible prepares us for this. The very star set in the pavement to mark the spot of the birth of Christ in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem prepares us for this.
The star was placed there in 1717 by the Roman Catholics. Round it is a Latin inscription which says: ‘Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary’. In October 1847, a group of Orthodox monks were charged with moving the stone. This led to a quarrel between France and Russia, which the historians tell us was a trigger for the Crimean war (1853-1856).
Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), the longtime Rector of Trinity Church, Boston and Bishop of Massachusetts, was the author of our Christmas carol, ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’. He wrote it for his Sunday School children—recollecting a ride out to Bethlehem at dusk one star filled evening.
We might say this is a hymn written for Sunday School children, full of light and joy and hope—an ideal world. Yes, it is. But Phillips Brooks visited the Holy Land in 1865 and wrote his hymn in 1868 in the near aftermath of the carnage and bloodshed of the American Civil War (1861-1865).
Phillips Brooks wrote his hymn, knowing the mixed joys and sorrows of our world--- and knowing that we need a Savior. John the Baptist, whose cries we heard so sharply in the Gospel the Second Sunday in Advent—shouted “Repent!’ knowing that we need a Savior. We approach Christmas feeling the weight of the complexity of our life mixed up with joy, suffering, confusion, and longing—knowing that we need a Savior.
May God bless us all this Christmas and fill our hearts with the joyous antiphon:
V. Our King and Saviour draweth nigh.
R. O come let us adore him.
| | Laude Abbey on St. Lucy's Day | | |
St. Lucy's day is brief and bright with frost,
In round cupped dew ponds shallow waters freeze,
Delicate fronds and rushes are held fast,
The low sun brings a contrast to the trees
Whose naked branches, dark against the skies
And fringed with glory by the light behind,
In patterns too severe for tired eyes,
Burn their bright beauty on the weary mind.
Saint Lucy's sun still bathes these abbey walls
And in her garden rose stalks stark and bare
Shine in a frosty light that yet recalls
The glory of the summer roses there.
Though winter night will soon surround us here,
Another Advent comes, Dayspring is near.
— Malcolm Guite, Priest and Poet
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A memoir of the life and ministry of Frank Stanley Cerveny, the Sixth Bishop of Florida (in office 1974-1992) has just been published. I have included two excerpts from the book—the first from Bishop’s Cerveny’s recollection of the large part family and his church played in his formation as a Christian. The second is from what he writes about building relationships with and the support of the clergy and clergy spouses as a high priority of his episcopate. I chose these excerpts as I think they reveal their author’s deep personal commitment to Christ and the warmth of his love for his family and his church that suffuses this book from cover to cover.
I was excited to finally have the book in hand early this month. Bishop Hamilton West sent me to seminary (and largely paid for it) and his successor, Bishop Cerveny ordained me to the Diaconate in June 1975, in the second year of his episcopate and guided and settled me in my first church after ordination—which turned out to be in the Diocese of Georgia.
There is a striking distilled clarity to these reflections—clarity suffused by warmth and love. The theological and spiritual insights offered along the way are a special gift—but the gift of self in this memoir is what moves my heart. The chapters are brief—usually two pages to a specific episode or topic—you could almost read it as a kind of daily devotional over a two- or three-month period. You would be very richly rewarded.
The book is available from the Cathedral Book Store: in store and at www.jaxcathedralbooks.org.
— Douglas Dupree
| | An Excerpt from "You Will Be My Bishop: A Memoir" by the Rt. Rev. Frank Cerveny | | This excerpt is from Part I: The Early Years, Chapter 13: ‘Come As a Little Child’ | | Frank Cerveny in boys’ choir, Christ Church Cathedral, 2nd row, 2nd boy on the right | | |
N.B. Each excerpt below is prefaced by the initials FC (for Frank Cerveny).
Early Calling
The Great Commission in the New Testament is the charge of Jesus to his disciples to spread his teaching world-wide, making disciples and bringing others to baptism and the Christian faith. Parents begin to be faithful to this charge by introducing children to Jesus and his teaching. It was so for Frank Cerveny as a boy.
FC: When I think of my childhood, I remember feeling so loved by the clergy and laity of my cathedral church. I remember their warm hugs as I entered the church and their genuine smiles as they welcomed me.
Going to church with my family ranks very high among my earliest childhood memories. Church was always very important to us, especially to my father, who took me to church every Sunday. I’m sure my sisters went to church with us, but somehow, I only remember my dad and me sitting together in the pews, and I remember feeling so proud to sit with him.
I think my father grew up in the Lutheran Church, so how he became Episcopalian I do not know. I do know, however, that he loved the Episcopal Church, and because I love my father so much, I began as a young boy to love the church too. I know that my deep commitment to the church began as I sat beside my father Sunday after Sunday in Christ Church Cathedral. I don’t know if he was ever aware of how profoundly his love for the church impacted me or how I was nurtured simply by being in his presence. But I know it, and I give thanks for it.
‘Jesus loves me this I know’.
FC: My father always wanted to enrich my life as much as possible, and he felt that church was the best place for this to happen. When I was young, he took me to Sunday School every Sunday, and he stayed to assist with the class. My mother, before her accident, was in charge of the junior choir. The children met for worship on the second floor of the parish hall, where there was a large stage and an altar with two candlesticks. Our church school worship leader was a large woman who loved her Lord and her children. She would greet each child on Sunday morning with a great big hug. I can still feel her heavy arms wrapped around me and her gentle kiss on my forehead. As she led the children into worship, she belted out in double fortissimo, ‘Jesus loves me this I know’. She sang off key, but she sang with such conviction that I felt certain of Christ’s love for me.
The Cathedral choir: formation for life
FC: When I grew older, it seemed only natural that I would join the men and boys’ choir. The choir was composed of 60 voices of men and boys. On Sunday mornings, we sang the liturgy of the church, and we also performed an anthem that we had practice during the week. . .
Reflecting upon my early years, I realized how much the Church loved, guided and nurtured me. The lessons I learned from singing in the choir remain with me. . .
Only as I disciplined myself to be ever attentive to the direction of the choirmaster, did I begin to understand the sound he wanted to create and the unique role that my voice played in creating that sound. In subtle ways that I did not understand at the time, the Lord was teaching me to be attentive to His direction… The lessons I learned in my Cathedral church became the very foundation of my journey toward priesthood and would, in many ways, characterize my approach to ministry when I became a priest.
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Each year we pray for candidates for ordination and for all Christians in their vocation in a series of three days which occur four times over the year. The Advent Ember Days in December follow the Feast of St. Lucy (December 13) on Wednesday 17th, Friday 19th, and Saturday 20th. Similar days set aside for prayer for the ministry of the Church occur following Ash Wednesday, the Day of Pentecost, and Holy Cross Day (September 14th).
In the early Church the times (originally three) were associated with sowing, harvest, and vintage, for which one prayed, fasted, and gave alms. Later the four times became occasions for ordination, for which the Christian community prayed and the candidates prepared themselves by prayer and retreat.
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Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, in your divine providence you have appointed various orders in your Church: Give your grace, we humbly pray, to all who are called to any office and ministry for your people; and so fill them with the truth of your doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before you, to the glory of your great Name and for the benefit of your holy Church; 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.
| | An Excerpt from "You Will Be My Bishop: A Memoir" by the Rt. Rev. Frank Cerveny | | |
This excerpt is from Part VI: The Sixth Bishop of Florida, Chapter 4: ‘Building Relationships with
Clergy and Their Spouses’
| Bishop-elect Cerveny kneeling at his consecration on May 23, 1974 | | |
N.B. Each excerpt below is prefaced by the initials FC (for Frank Cerveny).
A hallmark of Bishop Cerveny’s ministry as the Sixth Bishop of Florida was the nurture and support of the clergy. This chapter reveals this commitment coupled with a desire to encourage the clergy to enable the laity in their ministry: ‘Those who are ordained are there to help the people of God become the people of God.’
Building Relationships with Clergy and their Spouses
FC: One of the highest priorities during my episcopacy was the care and encouragement of clergy and their families. I saw myself not simply as an administrator, but as a pastor to the pastors – their chief advocate, a safe place, and a consistent voice of affirmation.
Ministry is demanding. It drains the soul and the body. There are never enough strokes given to clergy. No matter the denomination, they need encouragement and support. I made it my responsibility to regularly remind our clergy, again and again, in every way, I could: “You are important. God loves you”.
Being new to the Diocese of Florida, I knew trust would not come automatically. Many clergy had deep roots in the Diocese; I did not. So, I met with them every three months for half a day – unstructured, personal conversations. They could ask anything. I answered honestly, even when it was difficult. Leadership involves risk, and I wanted them to know I was willing to take that risk with them.
Recognizing clergy spouses
FC: Of course, it was not just clergy who paid a price for being in the ministry, but their wives, as well.
They are often the unseen backbone of our clergy families, bearing a heavy emotional load without much formal acknowledgment. I wanted to change that. For every ordination or funeral where clergy were required to attend, I reserved rows of pews labeled clergy wives. I did the same at Diocesan conventions. It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes: “You are not invisible. You are essential”.
We hosted an annual clergy wives retreat – three days of laughter, rest, and renewal. I covered all expenses: meals, childcare, lodging. These women had so much in common and once they felt safe, they became a true sisterhood. Emmy also hosted a yearly luncheon at our home. She smartly enlisted help from the wives themselves, which turned food prep into fellowship – chopping salads, and baking casseroles became a way to share tears, laughter, and love.
We invited clergy wives to our conferences, too, integrating them more fully into their husbands’ ministerial lives. And when I sensed tension or difficulty in a marriage, I made sure to arrange for counseling with competent therapists. I didn’t wait to be asked. I tried to notice and intervene before things unraveled.
Clergy and spouses: Not just roles but people
FC: If Emmy or I sensed that a priest or their family were struggling, I’d show up at their office unannounced and say, “Let’s get coffee.” Sometimes that was all it took for their hearts to open. Other times, I had to be more direct: “Enough is enough. I know you’re struggling, and you need to let me help you. You need a rest”.
But rest costs money, and many clergy had no means to afford a sabbatical. So, I raised the resources to create a sabbatical and refreshment fund specifically for clergy and their families. It was deeply fulfilling to offer that kind of tangible support.
Supporting clergy means supporting their families. My ministry to them – husbands and wives alike – was never just about roles. It was about people. People loved by God, called by grace, and in need of care.
Clergy and Laity: ‘the one ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ’
While it was very important to me that the clergy understood that I supported them in their priestly ministry, it was also important to me that they understood how the laity could share with them in the one ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a threefold ministry in the episcopal church of bishops, priests and laity, but ministry for all of us begins at baptism. It is in baptism that our gifts are given and called forth. The Prayer Book clearly identifies the laity as the ministers of the gospel, so it become the role of the clergy to call forth the laity’s gifts. I wanted to elevate the theology of baptism so the clergy could experience more freedom and the laity could see their call to ministry. Everyone is called to ministry in baptism. Nothing transcends baptism, not even ordination. Those who are ordained are there to help the people of God become the people of God. I saw this as the pivotal point upon which I would build my ministry as bishop.
| | Rector's November Book List | | |
Daniel Darling. The Characters of Christmas: The Unlikely People Caught Up in the Story of Jesus Paperback – October 1, 2019.
A fresh look at the Christmas story through the eyes of some of the minor characters that played a part in Jesus’ birth and a family genealogy. A wonderful reflection to prepare the heart and mind for Christmas.
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Sudhir Hazareesingh.
Daring to Be Free: Rebellion and Resistance of the Enslaved in the Atlantic World Hardcover – December 2, 2025.
Hazareesingh, a truly fine historian, recasts the story of slavery’s end by showing that the enslaved were themselves the driving force at the center of the action.
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Jill Lepore. We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution Hardcover – September 16, 2025.
"Challenging both the Supreme Court’s monopoly on constitutional interpretation and the flawed theory of 'originalism,' Lepore contends in this 'gripping and unfamiliar story of our own past' that the philosophy of amendment is foundational to American constitutionalism."
— Amazon review
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Michael Symmons Roberts. Quartet for the End of Time: On Music, Grief and Birdsong Hardcover – April 17, 2025.
Maybe for the music lover on your Christmas list.
"The story goes like this: on a freezing winter night in 1941, a new piece of chamber music was performed to a crowd of prisoners of war on a three-stringed cello, clarinet, violin and pub piano with sticky keys. It was the premiere of Olivier Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps."
— Amazon review
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Ruth Riley. Ruth: A Novel Hardcover – August 19, 2025.
Named a Wall Street Journal Top 10 Book of 2025
Named a Washington Post Top 10 Fiction Book of 2025
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Arnoud S.Q. Visser. On Pedantry: A Cultural History of the Know-it-All Hardcover – November 4, 2025.
For the know it all at the family Christmas table.
"Taking readers from the academies of ancient Greece to today’s culture wars, Arnoud Visser explains why pretentious and punctilious learning has always annoyed us, painting vibrant portraits of some of the most intensely irritating intellectuals ever known..." — Amazon review
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Vaughn Vreeland, New York Times Cooking. Cookies: The Best Recipes for the Perfect Anytime Treat [A Baking Cookbook] Hardcover – October 28, 2025.
For the baker on your Christmas list. 100 delicious cookies from NYT Cooking.
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Keon West. The Science of Racism: Everything You Need to Know but Probably Don’t―Yet
Hardcover – February 18, 2025.
"Studies and surveys show, time and again, that about 50 percent of people believe that racism is no longer an issue today. The other half would disagree—vehemently. In The Science of Racism, social psychologist Keon West [moves] this urgent conversation beyond anecdote and polemic in search of conclusive answers and solutions."
— Amazon review
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Andrew Wilson. The Gardens of Luciano Giubbilei
Paperback – March 16, 2021.
A beautiful book, affordable in paperback, for the gardener or dreamer on your Christmas list.
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Tarn Wilson. 5-Minute Daily Writing Prompts: 501 Prompts to Unleash Creativity and Spark Inspiration Paperback – April 26, 2022.
For the regular journal writer, diarist or creative writer on your Christmas list.
| | From St. John's Cathedral, Jacksonville | | The bookstore will host additional church road trips with author Jonathan Rich in 2026. Go to their website www.jaxcathedralbooks.org or subscribe to the newsletter here to learn more. | | | | |
