Since 1900, the Christian Century has published reporting, commentary, poetry, and essays on the role of faith in a pluralistic society.
© 2026 The Christian Century.
Holy Thursday,
The Stripping
The Celebrant returns to strip the Altar and
chancel of all ornamentation, recalling the
stripping of our Lord’s body at the crucifixion.
The stripping proceeds without haste.
In this choreography
of total eviction
a bow accompanies each removal
of chalices and fair linen,
candelabra, the historic
embroidery,
the gilded Gospel.
We would love to hear from you. Let us know what you think about this article by writing a letter to the editors.
Pete Hegseth’s war horse
The monk and the machine
The inclusivity trap
Faith formed in correspondence
