I cannot remember the last All Saints’ Sunday I sat in the pew instead of the chancel. However, this All Saints’ Day, I wasn’t collared and vested, leading the liturgy in the parish I serve. I sat in a pew in another parish because I’m taking a sabbatical this autumn. Where does an Anglican priest…
Eucharist and Forgetfulness
One of the greatest of the abundant joys of celebrating the Eucharistic liturgy is the sure knowledge that few, if any, parishioners will congratulate me afterwards on a job well done. Certainly, it does happen from time to time. When it does, it is a gift graciously offered and graciously received. I have forgotten myself in…
A Baptismal Affront
For several reasons, I’ve been thinking often about baptism lately. These two beautiful children recently became my sister and brother in Christ. It involved a little water, a little oil, some vows made by parents and godparents, and some prayers offered. The courts of heaven and Apostles Anglican Church resounded with joy. Every baptism is a mystery…
Be the Church: Facing Nominalism
Recently, we were told that the Christian church in America is “hemorrhaging members” and that the church is shrinking. It is true that the number of Americans who claim to be Christian is shrinking. However, as usual, Ed Stetzer provides some real clarity in his interpretation of statistics. Turns out that people are not so much “leaving church” as they…
Ascension Day & the Real Absence of Christ
Ascension Day is forty days after Easter. After Jesus rose again, he spent forty days with the disciples, then, “…he parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). His ascension marked the beginning of his absence. Imagine the roller coaster ride the disciples went through, from their disappointment at Jesus’s death to…
The Gospel in Human Decline
In several of his books, Henri Nouwen recounts how the severely physically and mentally disabled residents of Daybreak, a L’Arche community became his spiritual mentors. Nouwen saw, with the eyes of faith, what many could not: the Spirit is not hindered by human frailty. He believed that great saints who are in continual, hidden converse…
Maundy Thursday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
What’s “Maundy Thursday?” Has there ever been a child who didn’t think I was saying Monday Thursday during the Holy Week announcements? Growing up, I thought today was Monday Thursday until about age 14. No one could explain why it was called Maundy Thursday when I finally learned it was Maundy rather than Monday! Friends,…
Is Catholic Biblical? Does Baptism Save us?
In my “Journey” series, I mentioned wrestling with the question: Do catholic and biblical go together? One of the key aspects of this exploration was understanding the significance of baptism. What Do You Mean by Catholic? When I use the word ‘catholic’, I mean the ancient and continuing, shared and historic practices and theology of…
Sacramental Theology
Sacramental theology emphasizes that God utilizes his creation to convey grace to humanity. During the Reformation and the period known as the “Settlement,” the Church of England maintained the concept of the Sacred and the transmission of God’s grace through elements of creation. Today, sacramental theology is integral to Anglican thought and practice.
What do Anglicans Believe about Holy Baptism?
All Christians, not just Anglicans, should trust their baptism. If they believe that Baptism is something God does in and for us, not something we do. And that is exactly how the early Church and the Reformers saw this sacrament! God brings people to the water of baptism. He sends his Holy Spirit into their…
After Communion: A Rookie Anglican Guide to the Post-Communion Liturgies
What happens when a worshipper approaches God with faith in Christ through the liturgies of Word and Sacrament? What happens after we come by faith to receive Holy Communion? Anglicans believe that the worship experience has a transformative effect on the worshipper. The people of God change as they spend time together in the presence…
Infant Baptism: Why do Anglicans Baptize Babies?
Why baptize infants? The Anglican theme verse for children would have to be, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19.14 Starting very early in the life of the Christian Church, Christian children were seen as members of the covenant community…
