In this episode, I talk with Reverend Dr. Sam Hole from Durham University about theology, liturgy, and why he wrote Nourishing Prayer: A Handbook on Holy Communion. He explains liturgy as a structured, sensory, often repetitive way of worship, and notes even “non-liturgical” churches have patterns. His book aims to help newcomers understand what’s happening in Anglican services—like “The Lord be with you / And also with you”—and to see communion as a whole act of prayer that can feel different across seasons like Lent. He argues liturgical worship is deeply biblical, rooted in Scripture and early Christian order, and frames communion through meal images (communion, thanksgiving, sacrifice, wisdom’s feast, nourishment). We also connect this to St. John of the Cross, especially emotion, God’s seeming absence, and spiritual formation. The book is published by Canterbury Press.
The Joy and Discipline of Liturgical Worship: with Reverend Dr. Sam Hole
