From The ACNA Catechism The following is an excerpt from the Anglican Church in North America’s catechism, To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism (Crossway, 2020), pp. 55–63. You can download a PDF of the entire catechism here. Concerning Sacraments 121. What is a sacrament? A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an…
Why Do We Baptize Babies If They Cannot Make a Profession of Faith?
Many people coming to Anglicanism stumble over infant baptism. They come for the beauty of the liturgy, the appreciation of both Word and Sacrament, of Scripture and Tradition. But for many, whether Baptist or not, infant baptism is a hang-up. There are many good reasons for such worries and many good answers—including on this site…
(Why) Are Priests and the Liturgy Necessary for Holy Communion?
Many people coming into the Anglican tradition from other traditions have questions. Quite often, these questions center on the sacramental nature of the Church. This pattern makes sense. After all, the Anglican Church emphasizes sacraments more than some other branches of the Christian Church. All churches have preachers of the Word. Not all have a…
The Prayer of Humble Access: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Prayer of Humble Access is a traditional part of the Anglican service of Holy Communion. I recently learned how beloved the Prayer of Humble Access was to so many Anglicans when I posted about it on Twitter. I posted what I thought was a slightly humorous tweet poll that indicated some questions I have…
Baking the Body: How to Make Homemade Communion Bread for Your Church
For the past ten years, I’ve made homemade Communion bread from the same handwritten recipe on a molasses-stained scrap from a yellow legal pad. A team of volunteer bread bakers in my small church plant now shares this recipe. They follow it each week to bring homemade loaves to our Communion table. I’ve got absolutely…
Isn’t Eating and Drinking the Body and Blood of Jesus…Gross?
A common reaction I am a lecturer at an evangelical liberal arts college. One of my main responsibilities is to teach the Christian doctrine course required for all undergraduates. In every class, the question of what is or isn’t happening at the Lord’s Table is always a source of fascination and debate. “Wait a minute,”…
“The Best Children’s Book I Have Read on Baptism”: Why You Should Read “On The Day You Were Baptized” by Sarah Howell
The phrase “remember your baptism” is familiar to many Lutherans and Anglicans alike. Luther famously wrote in his Larger Catechism, “Therefore, if you live in repentance, you walk in Baptism. For Baptism not only illustrates such a new life, but also produces, begins, and exercises it.” But, of course, for those who are baptized and…
4 Reasons Why I Now Celebrate Communion Facing The Altar, Not the People
Editor’s note: Here at Anglican Compass, we feature content from low church to high church, as long as it’s written with both clarity and charity. Even if you would never consider an “ad orientem” Holy Communion in your own church, I invite you to read about how and why Fr. Ben Jefferies has made the…
Bautismo Infantil: ¿Por qué los Anglicanos Bautizan a los Bebés?
¿Por qué bautizar a los infantes? El verso lema anglicano para niños tendría que ser: “Dejen que los niños vengan a mí y no los obstaculicen, porque a tales pertenece el reino de los cielos”. Comenzando muy temprano en la vida de la Iglesia cristiana, los niños cristianos fueron vistos como miembros de la comunidad…
¿Qué Creen los Anglicanos sobre la Santa Comunión?
¿Qué creen los Anglicanos acerca de la Santa Comunión? Esto puede ser difícil de precisar. En primer lugar, porque la Santa Comunión tiene muchos nombres: Sin embargo, la Santa Comunión se describe en el Artículo 28 (XXVIII) de los Treinta y Nueve Artículos de la Religión. Esto ofrece una visión de lo que los Anglicanos creen acerca de…
