Easter is a long season of feasting, lasting a full 50 days. And the celebration is especially pronounced in the first week after Easter, often called Easter Week or Bright Week. For more on the season of Easter, check out our Rookie Anglican Guide to Eastertide. In this post, we outline the history of the…
The History of the Holy Week Collects
We outline the history of the Holy Week Collects, located on pages 607–609 of the Book of Common Prayer 2019. In researching this topic, we drew especially from commentaries by Massey Hamilton Shepherd, Jr., Marion J. Hatchett, C. Frederick Barbee, and Paul F. M. Zahl. What is a “Collect?” A collect is a short, formal prayer, written in “collect…
The Way of the Cross: An Invitation to Holy Week
Holy Week is the high mark of the church’s liturgical year. In it, we celebrate Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem, from his arrival on Palm Sunday to his death on Good Friday. Then, we celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday, with all the momentous events in between. There are many ways to commemorate the week,…
Reformation Anglican Worship by Jensen (Review)
Prefatory note: This is an updated version of my earlier review of Reformation Anglican Worship. The original post engendered a fruitful and clarifying conversation between the Rev. Dr. Jensen and myself, in which I profited much. In particular, he highlighted a couple of areas in that first version where he felt my reading was not…
Worshiping with the Reformers by Karin Maag (Review)
When I began Worshiping with the Reformers by Karin Maag, I expected a history lesson and perhaps a further introduction into more of the details of the Anglican tradition. What I did not expect was the book captivating me in such a way that I found myself sitting in worship with my eyes watching the…
The Bible Arranged for Worship: Our Book of Common Prayer
There is a rather common saying that the Book of Common Prayer is composed of 85% bible passages. It is true. As J.I. Packer once said, The Book of Common Prayer is the Bible arranged for worship. I like that. (To learn more about the Book of Common Prayer, read our Rookie Anglican Guide.) On…
Why Do Anglicans Bow to the Cross?
I was a new Anglican, trying to participate by watching everyone else. I heard a voice shout “Please stand” and then “Blessed be God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!” As a cross passed, some people bowed their heads. Parade of Clergy? Everyone stood up as we sang a hymn. I was looking…
Hymn Guide: The Storm Is Passing Over
This is the fourth in a series on sacred hymns, the story behind them, their text, a recording, and a simple companion devotional. “When the world is tossing me, like a ship upon the sea, thou who rulest wind and water, stand by me.” – Charles Albert Tindley Every Hymn Has a Story Charles Albert…
Hymn Guide: There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
This is the third of a series on sacred hymns, the story behind them, their text, a recording, and a simple companion devotional. “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.” ~William Cowper Every Hymn Has a Story William Cowper was…
The Story of All Creatures Of Our God And King
This is the second of a series on sacred hymns, the story behind them, their text, a recording, and a simple companion devotional. “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” – St. Francis of Assisi Every Hymn Has a Story St. Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. Although…
Hymn Guide: Abide With Me
This is the first of a series on sacred hymns, the story behind them, their text, a recording, and a simple companion devotional. “Many a man who has labored in obscure places, practically unnoticed and un-praised by his own generation, has achieved a fame after his death that grows in magnitude with the passing years,”…
Praying Around the Table: Making a Prayer Space in your Home
Now that the family is together every day and worship is virtual, families begin to wonder how to keep their children growing in the faith. Family devotions begin to seem more necessary. But how to begin? How to keep everyone’s attention? Maybe you’ve tried before, but things didn’t seem to work. You want family devotions…
