Stepping into a rhythm of silence is counterintuitive to everything we practice in our society, but it has many gifts to impart.
The Decalogue: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Decalogue is a responsive paraphrase of the Ten Commandments, used (sometimes) in the Sunday Communion service. Each commandment is recited by the priest and is followed by a congregational response. For example, here is the first commandment: God spoke these words and said: I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other…
From Baptist to Anglican: On Apostolic Succession and the Real Presence of Christ
I am an alum of a Baptist university, a graduate student at a Southern Baptist seminary, an active volunteer in Young Life, and a youth minister in an Anglican Church. You might be thinking, “One of these things is not like the others, what gives?” I was a cradle Baptist. I grew up around Reformed…
The Prayer of Humble Access: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Prayer of Humble Access is a traditional part of the Anglican service of Holy Communion. I recently learned how beloved the Prayer of Humble Access was to so many Anglicans when I posted about it on Twitter. I posted what I thought was a slightly humorous tweet poll that indicated some questions I have…
Isn’t Eating and Drinking the Body and Blood of Jesus…Gross?
A common reaction I am a lecturer at an evangelical liberal arts college. One of my main responsibilities is to teach the Christian doctrine course required for all undergraduates. In every class, the question of what is or isn’t happening at the Lord’s Table is always a source of fascination and debate. “Wait a minute,”…
Holy Communion: A Rookie Anglican Guide to the Eucharist
This article was originally written in 2018 using the 1979 BCP and updated for the 2019 BCP in 2023. Important: As with all of our Rookie Anglican guides to the Prayer Book, differences will exist between what exists here and other historic and global Prayer Books. Have you ever wondered what’s going on during a…
A Gift of God: The Eucharist Revives a Weary Christian
“OK, let’s sing that verse again,” the worship leader said. “And this time sing it with everything you’ve got!” I was sitting in the back row of the church cradling a sleeping baby. I was lonely and exhausted—deeply disconnected from the upbeat music coming from the stage. A voice inside my head whispered back to…
