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…
How Anglicanism Saved Me from “Following My Heart”
Hello, my name is Ethan, and I am a recovering expressive individualist. You are familiar with “expressive individualism,” even if the term isn’t familiar. I’ll define and describe it below, but phrases like “be authentic” or “follow your heart” capture the idea to a tee. I became an Anglican to “be authentic” and “follow my…
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: The One Prayer Book Every Rookie Anglican Needs
A liturgy makes it easier to pray with others, and to pray with the church—past, present, and future. Liturgical prayers are not the only kind, but there is something special about them. These prayers can be etched on your heart, taught to your children, and remembered at the close of life. For Anglicans, these prayers…
Married to (a) Minister: The Vocation of a Priest’s Spouse
One of the first things I knew about my husband was that he had been accepted to two different seminaries. The following conversation was all about how he had spent the past year trying to discern what God was calling him to do. At the time, he thought God was calling him to become a…
Tell Us More! An Interview with Winfield Bevins about Simply Anglican
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! What prompted you to write this book? Why do you think it’s important that this book exists? This is a good question. Writing a book is deeply personal. There…
The Surprising Contextualizability of Anglicanism—Yes, Anglicanism—to Frontier Mission Fields
I remember it as clear as yesterday. Ahmet had left Islam and decided to follow Jesus. In the Middle Eastern country where I served, this was not illegal, but it also wasn’t easy. After a few months of walking with Jesus, Ahmet approached me and said, “Chris, now that I’ve become a Christian, tell me…
What Do Anglicans Believe? An Overview of Anglican Beliefs
When someone visits an Anglican church, if they are new to our tradition, they often ask, “What do Anglicans believe?” As you can imagine, it is not that easy to summarize the doctrinal beliefs of a global communion with a long history and various schools of thought and practice. Nevertheless, here at Anglican Compass, we…
Where Did Christ Descend To? The Rationale Behind the BCP 2019’s Translation of the Apostles’ Creed
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,…
The Bible in the Book of Common Prayer
Since its inception in 1549, the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) has remained intertwined with the Bible. Many prayers use phrases extracted from the Bible. The Prayer Book quotes the Bible are quoted directly (for example, Opening Sentences in the Daily Office and Offertory Sentences in the Eucharist service). Whole passages of the Bible exist…
Why Do Anglicans Bow to the Cross?
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. Parade of Clergy? Everyone stood up as we sang a hymn. I was looking…
A Rule of Life for Online Discourse
During a tumultuous year where much of our interpersonal interaction has been relegated to online spaces, many of us have found ourselves at odds with others on Facebook groups, Twitter threads, or any myriad of blog comment sections. Lively discussion about important matters should not be discouraged whenever there is a possibility of mutual growth…
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…
