The most significant decision a Christian makes every week is whether they will go to church. The corporate worship of God is the principal activity of the people of God, and as the Westminster Catechism reminds us, the reason for which we were created. No other decision will so impact a disciple’s beliefs and practices than entering the house of [...]
The following is an excerpt from the Anglican Church in North America’s catechism, To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism (Crossway, 2020), pp. 81–87. You can download a PDF of the entire catechism here. A Rule of Prayer: Scripture, Prayer, and Worship 224. What is a “rule” of prayer? A rule of prayer is a regular discipline by which I cultivate a life [...]
There was a long period where many Anglican churches didn't have communion every Sunday. They would have morning prayer for a few weeks, and then a Holy Communion once a month or so. But a movement called Parish Communion successfully restored the tradition around the world. Today, most (but not all) Anglican churches celebrate Holy Communion every week on Sunday. [...]
Anglican Vestments Can Be Confusing I knew almost nothing about Anglican vestments when I first visited an Anglican church. My only experience of robes was graduations—and that one time my dad wore a hilarious robe with colorful puffies glued onto it by a friend, as a joke. (You can read more about my [Greg's] Anglican journey here.) You walk into [...]
Christian Imagery Our Creator gave us physical senses to experience the world around us. In His mercy and wisdom, He inspired His people to create various aids to worship that engage those senses. One category of such an aid is that of Christian imagery – images and artwork specifically intended to help in the act of worshiping God by providing [...]
When you drive out to St. John's Island from Charleston, South Carolina, you move through filtered sunlight through overhanding oak branches draped with Spanish moss. The low country is filled with tall grasses and salt marshes. And when you pull up to Camp St. Christopher, at the very point of the barrier island, you are greeted by the figures of [...]
On April 10, LeaderWorks will facilitate a webinar from the meeting of the ACNA's Liturgy Taskforce as they work on common texts for liturgical use for our province. We hope to provide an opportunity to hear from the faithful men and women who have put in years of hard work on this prayer book. In October 2017, we were able [...]
Easter isn't a finish line—it's our kickoff to a season of celebration. Still, pastors can be forgiven for admitting that after Holy Week, they are a little exhausted. Whether your church hosts vigils, daily services, or some other Easter extravaganza, there is a lot to juggle. Especially tricky is managing the liturgies. Palms and Passion, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday; [...]
After the events in Charlottesville in August, I came across an article by Doug Paul of Missio Alliance with a catchy and convicting subtitle: "When a Generation of Church Planters Reach Only White People” In reviewing the book The Creative Class, Paul argues (persuasively) that in creating ‘hip’ church plants, many young pastors may be inadvertently signaling a bias toward white [...]
Throughout the next several months I will be posting on the relationship of art and theology. We will look at how the concept of types (the participation of all creation in the divine), compels us to embrace a sacramental outlook on life, and the artists role in that-- as we have been given earthly substances (the perceptible) to communicate that which [...]
We’ve made two wrong turns so far, and that’s my fault. I keep looking up from the map on my phone at the mountains surrounding us here in northern Washington state. We are looking for a retreat center in Sumas, a town that seems to be mostly small farms patched in among the forested hills. I am here with David [...]
This post is a part of Rookie Anglican, a blog dedicated to Making Anglicanism Accessible. At my ordination, the bishop gave me the option of kneeling or laying prostrate while he prayed over me. Laying face-down in a worship service in front of hundreds of people? That might seem odd, but for me it was a no-brainer. As a Pentecostal, [...]
A long time ago on a continent far, far away, Christians had several councils to discern whether icons and sacred images could be used to aid worship and prayer. Iconoclasts wanted no images or icons, and Iconophiles wanted to retain them. After a lot of debate and prayer over centuries, it was finally determined that if a person is looking [...]
I don't know about you, but I'm quite possibly addicted to podcasts. Right now, NPR's UpFirst, The Tim Ferriss Show, and The Art of Manliness are some of my favorites. However, it's been a bit of struggle for me to find great Anglican podcasts. Granted, perhaps that's due to my own ignorance, but when you search for "Anglican" in most [...]
"For all those who departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection, in thanksgiving let us pray to the Lord." In Anglican worship, we don't pray to the dead. But, we do pray for the dead and we pray with the dead. Many people have asked me why we do this. Most of the time they are asking because they were [...]
This post is a part of Rookie Anglican, a blog dedicated to Making Anglicanism Accessible. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, Not an iota, not a dot, will pass from [...]
As Anglicans, we use various forms of ancient worship called “liturgical.” This is the major thing that distinguishes us from “low” churches that do not have a traditional liturgy. Liturgy: The Work of the People Liturgy comes from a Greek word which means “the work of the people.” In this ancient custom of worship, we become as a group of [...]
This post is a part of Rookie Anglican, a blog dedicated to Making Anglicanism Accessible. Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; Tremble before Him, all the earth! — Psalm 96:9 (ESV) In the course of Morning Prayer, Anglicans often read or sing together a canticle (a liturgical hymn) called the Venite (“Come”) – named after the first word in [...]
We are used to community parades, graduation processions, and wedding processions. Not everyone is used to a procession in worship at church. However, even though many modern churches or traditions don't process anymore, it is an ancient and important Christian practice. In many Anglican churches, as the worship is starting, the ministers process to the front of the church, following [...]
Have you considered how dangerous it is to be a Christian? Perhaps not so much for us, but for millions of Christians around the world, the name of Jesus upon the lips of the believer can be life-threatening. From the earliest depictions of martyrdom, to the tragic reports of the victims of modern day terror, we see heroic accounts of what it means [...]
Driving to church yesterday, I caught the news feed on my smartphone out of the corner of my eye. I clicked the radio on. Shooting. Night Club. Massacre. Orlando. The death tolls was, at that time, about 20. I thought, “…this is like San Bernardino again…this is our own Paris or Brussels…what a tragedy.” Fifteen minutes later, the service at [...]
At the heart of every church tradition is one priority which shapes the identity of the community. This central aspect is the source of its energy and vision, and becomes the first of all other priorities. This aspect determines much, if not all, of its distinctive traits and eventually becomes the touchstone for every other facet of church life. For [...]
Worship with four songs and a sermon (and a short a pastoral prayer) that varies little over the fifty-two weeks of the year is inadequate. Throwing in the occasional video, drama, or surprising stage prop doesn't really change that reality. Songs are good. Sermons are essential. Videos, dramas, and occasional visual aids can be helpful. I've been to many worship [...]
The penitential and preparatory season of Lent includes 40 days of fasting, but if you look at the calendar closely enough and do the math you’ll see that the actual season is a bit longer. Why? Because within those 40 days are excluded each and every Sunday. Sundays are feast days and cannot be fast days. It is for this [...]
