Rogation Sunday and the three subsequent Rogation Days commemorate Jesus’ final days on earth before his Ascension. Accordingly, these days focus on the earth, agricultural work, and human dependence upon God. On Rogation Sunday, we especially remember to abide in Christ the Vine, to receive his love and bear fruit in love for each other….
Good Shepherd Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
On Good Shepherd Sunday, we both acknowledge that we are sheep who go astray and also glory in the good news that Jesus is our shepherd. Typical features of the day include a collect on the theme of the Good Shepherd and the reading or singing of Psalm 23 or Psalm 100. The gospel reading…
Saint Thomas Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Sunday after Easter is also called “Saint Thomas Sunday.” This Sunday, we read the story of the apostle Thomas, his doubts about the news of the resurrection, and his confession of faith when Jesus showed him his wounds. It is a day to acknowledge skepticism and celebrate belief. Most importantly, Saint Thomas Sunday is…
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 Collect For Purity: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Collect for Purity is one of the gems of Anglican liturgy. It is a prayer both appealing at first glance and also one that invites a depth of reflection: on preparing the heart for worship, on the Trinity, and on the Catholic and Reformed aspects of Anglicanism. It is good we have so much…
Evening Prayer: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Evening Prayer can be a great way to transition from the busy rhythms of work or school into a more restful, reflective last chapter of the day. Multiple authors have explained the value of such prayer for finding God, emotional stability, and even verse memorization. Like all our offices of daily prayer, it can be…
Confession: A Rookie Anglican Guide to the Reconciliation of Penitents
When I first explored Anglicanism, I was surprised to come 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 of…
Good Friday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Good Friday is the most somber day of the Christian year. On this day, we remember the death of Jesus on the cross. But why do we call the day “Good Friday”? The etymology of Good Friday goes back to Middle English, where “good” had the sense of “holy.” At the time, other days in…
The Authority of Holy Scripture: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Anglicanism is deeply committed to the authority of Holy Scripture. It seeks to uphold the authority of Scripture in doctrine and to apply its authority in practice. This double dynamic of orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right practice) is reflected in Cranmer’s lovely Collect for the Second Sunday in Advent: Blessed Lord, who caused all…
The Circumcision & Holy Name of Jesus: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The best way to begin a new year is with the Holy Name of Jesus. Thanks be to God, that is precisely what the church gives us on January 1st, with the annual Feast of the Circumcision and Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Collect Almighty God, your blessed Son fulfilled the covenant…
The British Monarch as Governor of the Church: A Rookie Anglican Guide
For the seventy years of her reign, Queen Elizabeth II served as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Now that Charles III has ascended to the throne, he takes the same role, and like Elizabeth, promises to “maintain and preserve the settlement of the Church of England inviolably, and the doctrine, worship, discipline,…
Holy Cross Day: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Each year, on September 14th, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Cross. Known as “Holy Cross Day” in much of the Anglican Communion, this major feast reminds us to boast in nothing “except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). It is clearly an important symbol for the Church. After…
