Today I found myself completely distracted by my little robot vacuum. (We call him “Eufy.”) While I should have been helping the kids with their homeschooling, I found myself increasingly frustrated by his sense of aimlessness.
All I wanted was for Eufy to clean the kitchen. With four teenagers in the house all day, that […]
Years ago I started researching a book about celebrating Advent. I learned so many things along the way! Here are ten of my favorite unusual discoveries about Advent.
In England and Ireland, plum pudding […]
We just published Simply Anglican by Winfield Bevins. Winfield graciously agreed to answer some questions about the book’s backstory and what he hopes it will accomplish!
The “Anglican” movement in the sixteenth century was a return to the pure and simple faith of Christianity as embodied in the Holy Scriptures. —W. H. Griffith Thomas
What we believe shapes our identity, and ultimately, who we are. Singer-songwriter Rich Mullins affirmed this in an older song called “Creed.” In the words of […]
In case you haven’t heard, we recently published Simply Anglican: An Ancient Faith for Today’s World by Winfield Bevins (#1 New Release in Anglican Christianity!).
It’s an easy-to-read introduction to Anglicanism, prompting many of our readers to ask “What’s the difference between Simply Anglican and The […]
Anglican Compass’s latest book, Simply Anglican: An Ancient Faith for Today’s World by Winfield Bevins, is available for purchase in both Kindle and paperback editions. The following post is an excerpt from the book.
Since I became an Anglican I have had countless conversations with those who are seriously exploring Anglicanism but don’t know […]
Where did Christ descend to?
If you worshiped in an Anglican Church between 1552 (when the Creed was first printed in full in the Prayer Book) and 1979 you would answer “he descended to hell” because in the Apostles’ Creed as you would have learned it, that is what it says: “[He] was crucified, dead, […]
From its inception in 1549, the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) has always been a text intertwined with the text of the Bible. Many of the prayers utilize phrases that have been extracted from the Bible. Verses of the Bible are quoted directly (for example, Opening Sentences in the Daily Office and Offertory Sentences in the Eucharist service) […]
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.
Everyone stood up as we sang a hymn. […]
Many folks accustomed to reading Bible-in-a-year plans are delighted to find out that the Book of Common Prayer (2019) has a Daily Office lectionary that leads the faithful Anglican to read through the whole Bible in a year—at least, most of it. Those same folks are sometimes a little dismayed to then find out that a number of books are […]
“If God, why evil?”
When men first announced the death of God these four, short, stabbing, syllables were thought to be the nails in the Creator’s coffin. This riddle may not have been the instrumental cause of his death, but it was certainly thought that it would prevent any future resurrection on his part. Unfortunately for them, scoffers have a bad […]
Deacons cannot absolve, bless, or consecrate. These “ABCs” of the diaconate are often the first and most consistent way that people describe the order today, inadvertently defining the most foundational of the Holy Orders by what deacons cannot do. I have attempted to add parochial reports to the list, but it neither follows the alphabetic scheme nor works out consistently […]
Since the beginning of the modern era, westerners have typically divided the world into two categories: natural and supernatural. The natural world is thought to contain everything that can be proven by science, can visibly be seen; it’s the world of evidence, facts, and reality. In other words, it’s the “real” world. The supernatural is then considered the realm of […]
Whether you’ve been Anglican your whole life or are just starting to explore your local parish, chances are you’ve encountered the terms “Anglo-Catholic” and “Anglo-Catholicism.” What exactly do these terms mean? (How) is Anglo-Catholicism different from Anglicanism? What do Anglo-Catholics believe, teach, and do?
I want to try to begin answering these questions in a simple way. This article is for […]
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
William Cowper was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, […]
In the shadow of a global pandemic and the uncertainty it has brought to every aspect of life, I have found myself drawn again and again to the Compline service in the Book of Common Prayer. I have especially found deep comfort in the service’s collects and prayers, which deftly blend a realism about the contingencies of life with an […]
With an admirable diversity of contributors, this book is a bracingly informative look at the challenges involved, even within “orthodox Anglicanism,” in defining what it means to be an Anglican Christian.
In September 2018, Beeson Divinity School held its first […]
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
St. Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. Although never ordained […]
Pentecost is, for many of us and our congregations, the Sunday (or season) in which we turn our attention to the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The reality, however, for many of the people in our pews, is that the Spirit is often conceived of as more like the Force from Star Wars than a distinct divine person. […]
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,” E. E. Ryden says of […]
Note that the ACNA collect is a bit different from the two collects for Ascension […]
“Is this it?”
The thought snuck into my head every Sunday. Despite the faithful preaching, there was something missing from the standard order of three songs, a prayer, announcements, sermon, final song, lunch at Chipotle.
It wasn’t that I was looking for more components that suited my preferences. I wanted to come to church and worship God, not to be a consumer […]
During Rogation Days last year, I joked with our priest about making the drive to our home to pray over and bless our little garden patch for the spring. Rogation Days seemed like a charming ritual, sweet and a little antiquated. After all, if our zucchinis failed, there was the farmer’s market, the grocery store, the bulk warehouse, all […]
