On a crisp, bright Alabama day in December of 1994, I received my commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. I proudly stood before my friends and family in my dress greens (an abominable polyester creation) as each of us new officers received the gold bars of our new rank. One of…
The Great Litany: A Rookie Anglican Guide
In times of fasting or seasons of special need, Anglicans use an ancient form of responsive prayer called the Great Litany. This litany is extensive and encompassing, running across eight pages in the 2019 Book of Common Prayer (pp. 91-98). It includes prayers to the Trinity, prayers for protection against all manner of evil, petitions…
For the Procreation of Children: The First Purpose of Marriage
The first purpose of marriage is the procreation of children. This is the teaching of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. What’s more, children are a blessing and a joy! Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior…
How Anglican Liturgy Stewards Our Emotions
As someone raised within the charismatic tradition, I grew up believing that emotions played an important role in Christian worship. However, after seeing numerous worship leaders and pastors use certain practices to fabricate an emotional atmosphere within worship, I became disenchanted with certain worship styles and their façade of authenticity. I later had the opportunity…
The Formularies: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Anglican Formularies are the Thirty-Nine Articles, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal (the service for ordaining clergy). A strong case can be made that the Books of Homilies also serve this function. The Formularies provide both cohesiveness and clarity to the Church’s doctrine.
A Brief History of Anglicanism, Part 2
With more than fifteen hundred years of rich history, this ancient tradition still has the power to speak to our contemporary world with a faith that is relevant for a new generation.
The Lord’s Prayer: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most well-known features of Christian worship. Many Christian denominations, even ones that don’t use pre-written prayers in their worship services, still teach children this prayer in Sunday school. However, to many Christians, Anglicans included, it can easily lose its meaning through rote repetition. So why do we pray…
The General Thanksgiving: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The General Thanksgiving is an extended prayer of thanks to God and one of the riches of our Anglican tradition.
The Decalogue: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Decalogue is a responsive paraphrase of the Ten Commandments, used (sometimes) in the Sunday Communion service. The priest recites each commandment, followed by a congregational response. For example, here is the first commandment: Priest: God spoke these words and said: I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods but me….
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Do you want to pray with the church and immerse yourself in the Bible? Then the Book of Common Prayer is for you. But there are lots of different versions. If you crave simplicity, then consider The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition. This book can be a structure for your spiritual life. It’s…
You Visited Me: Prison Chaplaincy in the ACNA
“I was in prison, and you visited me.” Those are the words of Jesus to His disciples, to His body, to us, the Church, in Matthew 25:36. These are words that Father Julio Valenzuela takes to heart as a prison chaplain at a federal correctional facility in New Mexico. The days are long as a…
