Never Enough: The Beautiful Insufficiency of the Diaconate
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 […]
Bridging the Divide: Anglicanism and the Supernatural
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 […]
What is Anglo-Catholicism?
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 […]
The Story of Our Hymns: 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 born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, […]
The Consolations of Compline in Quarantine (and Beyond)
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 […]
The Future of Orthodox Anglicanism (Review)
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.
What is Anglicanism? Good Question!
In September 2018, Beeson Divinity School held its first […]
The Story of Our Hymns: 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 never ordained […]
Preaching Pentecost: The Person and Work of the Spirit in a Time of Coronavirus
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. […]
The Story of Our Hymns: “Abide with Me” by Henry Francis Lyte
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 […]
Ascension Day: A Collect Reflection
Ascension Day
Almighty God, whose only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven: May our hearts and minds also there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Some Collect Housekeeping
Note that the ACNA collect is a bit different from the two collects for Ascension […]
My Anglican Journey: A Sunday Service that Directs Me to Christ
“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 […]
Rogation Days in Coronatide: Beseeching the Lord of the Harvest
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 […]
Rogation Days: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Days of fasting and prayer in the midst of a feast season seem counterintuitive. However, Rogation Days remind us that our lives and seasons are in God’s hands.
What does “Rogation” mean?
“Rogation” comes from the Latin noun rogatio, meaning “asking” (the verb is rogare, “to ask”).
When are the Rogation Days?
The Sixth Sunday of Easter (the fifth Sunday after Easter […]
How to Pray as a Family at Home? Here Are Some Tips for Family Prayer
Family Prayer, sometimes called Family Worship, is a cornerstone activity of the Christian family’s life. In it, we come together to sing, read Scripture, and pray. Yet, this activity can feel daunting and unfamiliar. What do we read? What do we pray? How long should it be? How often should we do Family Prayer?
My goal is to help you make […]
Anglican Definition: What Does “Anglican” Mean?
What does “Anglican” mean? This is a great, common, complicated question!
First, let’s get this out of the way: It’s “ANGLican,” not “ANGELican.” We don’t worship angels!
“Anglican” Means “English”
Next, let’s go to Merriam-Webster. On its own, the word “Anglican” simply means “English”—“of or relating to England or the English nation.” When applied to a segment of the Christian Church, it means […]
Christian Feasting vs. Cultural Feasting: What’s the Difference?
Fasting is intuitively a bodily and a liturgical act. The Liturgical Year invites us to “days of discipline, denial, and special prayers” in Lent, Fridays outside of Christmastide and Eastertide, Rogation Days, and Ember Days (BCP, pg. 689). While intermittent fasting has recently been a diet fad, ordinarily fasting in our North American context is connected to the Church Year.
And, […]
Baptizing a Convert from Islam with an Anglican Liturgy
I didn’t even remember the phone call. One evening when I was loafing around the house an Arabophone brother called me from a foreign country and had some questions about our small Arabophone fellowship, Kanisa. What did we believe? I answered: we had an evangelical orientation and confessed the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds. Did we belong to a particular […]
Should We Pray Written Prayers? Didn’t Jesus Tell Us Not to Repeat Prayers?
Jesus teaches us how to pray by example and by explicit teaching. Embedded within the Sermon on the Mount written in the Gospel according to Matthew, there is an instruction from Jesus that seems to speak directly against repeating our prayers to God.
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray […]
Eastertide in the Time of Coronatide
Today is Easter Tuesday, the third day of Eastertide, which for Christians traditionally marks a period of fifty festal days.
This past Sunday, Christians gathered across the country, dressed in their finest (or most comfy) and raised the roof with their hallelujahs. They likely greeted each other, through their digital screens, with shouts of “Christ is risen!”, to which others […]
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 to be a joyful family […]
Interactive Easter Vigil for Home Use with Music Selections
Are you at home for the Easter Vigil? We have created an webpage with a guided tour of the Great Vigil of Easter, BCP 2019, with music links for streaming. You can learn more about Holy Week and the Easter Vigil here.
Visit the Great Vigil of Easter Page
The liturgy normally assumes a church gathered, but this […]
Zoom Church: Five Tips for Engaging Young Children in Worship at Home
For the past three Sundays, we’ve joined Christians around the world in worshipping from our living rooms. As a mom of three children under five, it’s heartbreaking to see their disappointment at not being able to go to church.
They miss church. Of course they miss it—so do I! On Palm Sunday, as we marched around the living room with palms […]
Wednesday of Holy Week: A Collect Reflection
Assist us mercifully with your grace, Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the meditation of those mighty acts by which you have promised us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
If you’ve ever had a horrendous […]
