I was a young child the first time I encountered the sign of the cross. It must have been on TV—probably watching The Sound of Music for the hundredth time. Having grown up in a staunchly non-liturgical evangelical home, I can’t imagine where else I would have ever seen such a gesture. It captivated me….
The Purposes of Marriage
Marriage is purpose-driven, that is to say, driven by God’s design from the beginning. In the marriage liturgy, after the majestic words introducing the origins of marriage, there follows a statement of its “causes” or purposes: The union of husband and wife in heart, body and mind was ordained by God: for the procreation of…
Finding a Fuller Table in Anglicanism
A spiritual appetite that had been slowly growing for many years fueled my journey. It was a hunger for rootedness, a desire to be part of a denomination not built on modern, nitpicky doctrinal statements but on the ancient consensus of the creeds, and a craving for what I now know to be the beauty of sacramental theology.
A Baptismal Affront
For several reasons, I’ve been thinking often about baptism lately. These two beautiful children recently became my sister and brother in Christ. It involved a little water, a little oil, some vows made by parents and godparents, and some prayers offered. The courts of heaven and Apostles Anglican Church resounded with joy. Every baptism is a mystery…
After Communion: A Rookie Anglican Guide to the Post-Communion Liturgies
What happens when a worshipper approaches God with faith in Christ through the liturgies of Word and Sacrament? What happens after we come by faith to receive Holy Communion? Anglicans believe that the worship experience has a transformative effect on the worshipper. The people of God change as they spend time together in the presence…
