Ben Jefferies

Ben Jefferies

Writer

The Rev. Ben Jefferies is the rector of The Good Shepherd Anglican Church, Opelika, Alabama. He served on the Task Force that produced theย Book of Common Prayer 2019. He is married with three daughters.

Christian Feasting vs. Cultural Feasting: What’s the Difference?

Posted on April 22, 2020
|

Fasting is intuitively a bodily and a liturgical act. The Liturgical Year invites us to “days of discipline, denial, and special prayers” in Lent, Fridays outside of Christmastide and Eastertide, Rogation Days, and Ember Days (BCP, pg. 689). While intermittent fasting has recently been a diet fad, ordinarily fasting in our North American context is…

The Calendar of Saints: A Rookie Anglican Guide

Posted on July 22, 2019
|

Why do Anglicans celebrate โ€œfeast daysโ€ for various โ€œsaintsโ€? After all, arenโ€™t all Christians saints? If youโ€™re asking these questions, youโ€™ve come to the right place! Biblical Beginnings Commemoration of saints has its roots in the Bible. In 1 Cor. 11:1, St. Paul writes: โ€œBe imitators of me, as I am of Christ.โ€ From this…