“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…
Getting Started with the Daily Office: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Let’s face it: to the modern ear, “Daily Office” sounds more like your workplace than your prayer routine. However, while this “office” is not the workplace that it sounds like, it is, in a certain sense, a task or, more appropriately, a vocation. The odd name comes from the Latin officium divinum, which means “divine…
The Liturgy Will Pray for You: A Journey Through Grief with the Book of Common Prayer
I did not become a Christian in a liturgical tradition, but I was introduced to liturgical prayer and worship very early in my walk. I found liturgy especially helpful in giving me words and phrases to cling to when my own prayers felt “stuck.” Now, after 21 years as a Christian, having shifted into the…
When Two or Three Are Gathered: Reflections on the Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
Introduction Few preachers in the Patristic Church are as admired and enduring as John Chrysostom.[1] Born in A.D. 349, John developed a love for the written word that his mentor, Diodore, heavily influenced. In response to the rising trend of allegorical interpretation, Diodore and his apprentice emphasized that the Bible should be taken in its…
Compline: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Compline as Night Prayer Many of us are accustomed to saying a quick prayer before bed. The church has a formal tradition of doing this called Compline, the final of four prayer times collectively called the Daily Office in the Book of Common Prayer. Unlike the two principal offices, Morning and Evening Prayer, Compline (as…
10 Reasons for Anglican Optimism
When we observe the world—the sin and disbelief and conflict surrounding the church, together with the sin and disbelief and conflict within the church—it is easy to grow weary of the “changes and chances of this life” (BCP, 60). But take heart: our Lord Jesus Christ is on his throne, his Kingdom is at hand,…
Confession: A Rookie Anglican Guide to the Reconcilation of Penitents
When I first explored Anglicanism, I was surprised when I came across the Reconciliation of Penitents in my Book of Common Prayer. I was shocked as I read through the rite: this was confession! But wait, isn’t confession a “Catholic” thing? We can approach God without going through a priest! It’s one of the hallmarks…
Let All Mobile Phones Keep Silence
The Prayer Book has seen many revisions: in America alone, there are the 1789, 1892, 1928, 1979, and now 2019 editions. Some have suggested that the next step should be to phase out printed copies of the Prayer Book altogether and replace them with an all-digital format that worshippers can access on their smartphones. I…
A New Generation of Anglicans
Today there is a new generation of Anglicans joining the Church. Through my work on the Word & Table podcast, and with Saint Paul’s House of Formation, I have had the privilege of meeting and speaking with many. In my experience, the majority of these converts are millennials from evangelical protestant traditions. Over the last…
The Bible Arranged for Worship: Our Book of Common Prayer
There is a rather common saying that the Book of Common Prayer is composed of 85% bible passages. It is true. As J.I. Packer once said, The Book of Common Prayer is the Bible arranged for worship. I like that. (To learn more about the Book of Common Prayer, read our Rookie Anglican Guide.) On…
