For the seventy years of her reign, Queen Elizabeth II served as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Now that Charles III has ascended to the throne, he takes the same role, and like Elizabeth promises to “maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine worship, discipline, and government thereof, as […]
Each year, on the 14th of September, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Cross. Known as “Holy Cross Day” in much of the Anglican Communion, this major feast of the Church reminds us to boast in nothing “except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). It is clearly […]
Every ten years, Anglican bishops from around the globe gather in England for the Lambeth Conference. The conference takes its name from Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, which housed the first conference of 76 Bishops in 1867. Since 1978 the conference has been held in Canterbury, but retains its original name.
(Note: Anglican Compass has published a book about Advent! Check out The Liturgical Home: Advent, by Ashley Wallace!)
Advent is the first season of the Church year. It lasts for four weeks leading up to Christmas Day on December 25:
Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon himself our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share […]
Michaelmas is a shortened form of “Michael’s Mass” (just like Christmas is a shortened form of Christ’s Mass). It is also known as the feast day of Holy (or “St.”) Michael and All Angels.
Celebrated similarly to Thanksgiving, Michaelmas conjures images of cool fall days, abundant harvests, and feasting. Festivities focus on the defeat of sin and Satan, often symbolized […]
Whether you’re a Rookie Anglican or just “Angli-curious,” perhaps you’ve heard of this new Book of Common Prayer 2019 (BCP 2019) and are asking yourself, “What is this thing?” or “How do I use it?”
We’ve put together a “Rookie Anglican Guide” to the BCP 2019 for more information. However, if you’d like to dive […]
Why do Anglicans celebrate “feast days” for various “saints”? After all, aren’t all Christians saints?
If you’re asking these questions, you’ve come to the right place!
Commemoration of saints has its roots in the Bible.
In 1 Cor. 11:1, St. Paul writes: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” From this we learn one of the most powerful means of […]
The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) has recently released its 2019 Book of Common Prayer (BCP). In the interest of making the new ACNA Book of Common Prayer 2019 accessible, we’ve put together a Rookie Anglican Guide to the ACNA Prayer Book!
FYI:
The Church year revolves around two cycles:
But what about the rest of the year?
Well, there are two periods of the liturgical year that are called “ordinary time” that stitch together the […]
I don’t know about you, but when I first heard about “Ember Days,” I thought of a dying fire!
However, when I began my ordination process, I quickly found out that Ember Days are about ordination and Holy Orders, not about fireplaces.
As […]
Easter Sunday is only the beginning!
A great fifty-day feast (known as “Eastertide,” “Easter Season,” or “Easter Time,” as well as “Paschaltide,” “Paschal Season,” or “Paschal Time”) kicks off on Easter Day. In the Church Year, this is quite literally fifty days of feasting.
Easter is the high point of the Church Year. So it makes sense that we would party […]
Starting on Palm Sunday, we embark on what’s known as “Holy Week.”
As I put it in my overview of the Church calendar and the Christian liturgical year,
The last week of Lent, Holy Week, remembers the last week of Christ’s earthly life, beginning with Palm Sunday’s commemoration of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11).
So, put simply, Holy Week is […]
Beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting for 40 days, Lent is a season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter.
The Church year revolves around two “cycles,” one for Christmas and one for Easter.
Because Lent lasts for forty days […]
You can’t be curious about Anglicanism for very long without running into the Book of Common Prayer—commonly abbreviated as the “BCP” or referred to as the “Prayer Book.”
(Looking for specific information about the Anglican Church in North America’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer? Read our Rookie Anglican Guide to the ACNA’s 2019 BCP […]
Have you ever wondered what’s going on during a liturgical service of Holy Communion (AKA Eucharist, AKA Lord’s Supper, AKA, Lord’s Table)?
So many moving parts! And what’s the deal with shaking hands in the middle?
You’re not alone.
Thankfully, a relatively simple overall structure unifies the many moving parts.
Most services of Holy Communion […]
I was asked by the Telos Collective a while back to write a post, based upon my work here at Rookie Anglican, about what’s drawing people into the Anglican tradition.
Writing the post was a helpful exercise in summarizing what I’ve been noticing since starting Rookie Anglican about two years ago. I used what I’m calling “subversive cultural resonance” as […]
In case you’ve never heard of it, The Telos Collective is an initiative of the Anglican Church in North America [ACNA], created:
When introducing Anglicanism to family, friends, and acquaintances, I have found it helpful to summarize some of the key points of Anglicanism by outlining them as the four “P’s.” Other traditions hold one or two of these points in common with Anglicanism, but the Anglican tradition has, I think, combined them all in a unique way and, as […]
Great news! I’ve finished work on the latest version(s) of the Daily Office Booklet.
Based on user feedback, I’ve created 3 different versions of the booklet.
“OK, let’s sing that verse again,” the worship leader said. “And this time sing it with everything you’ve got!”
I was sitting in the back row of the church cradling a sleeping baby. I was lonely and exhausted—deeply disconnected from the upbeat music coming from the stage. A voice inside my head whispered back to the man with the guitar: “What […]
For me, my “Anglican story” is intimately tied up in the desire to be anchored both in the tradition it represents and the calling to plant more churches firmly anchored in that same tradition.
A few years back, my wife and I were Confirmed in the Anglican Church in North America. This is interesting, because at the time, I was already […]
