Cædmon is a quiet saint whose voice still echoes across the centuries, not because he sought his own fame but because he listened to God’s call. In the late seventh century A.D., he lived at Whitby Abbey in Northumbria (now northeastern England), a vibrant monastic community for men and women founded by the abbess Hilda….
The Rev. Jacob A. Davis serves as Editor of Anglican Compass. He is a priest in the Anglican Diocese of Christ Our Hope. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where he serves as Assisting Clergy for Pastoral Care at Grace Anglican Church. Jacob holds a B.A. in English from Reinhardt College, an M.A. in Theology and Arts from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Selah Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Leadership Transformations. As a lifelong artist and storyteller, he loves to explore the intersection of Christian faith with art, creativity, and beauty.
Holy Baptism: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The baptized receive regeneration, the forgiveness of sins, and adoption as children of God and members of the covenant. Both infants and adults, upon being baptized, are made members of the Covenant of Grace.
O Oriens: O Dayspring
December 21st arrives draped in shadow. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice—the shortest day of the year and the longest night—often falls on this day. It’s a time when darkness seems to have truly overcome the light. Thus, it is particularly fitting that the Church assigns O Oriens, the O Antiphon naming Christ as…
St. Hilda of Whitby and the Ministry of Unity
In an era of polarization, even within the Church, it’s often hard to find leaders who attempt—let alone succeed—in bringing Christians together for the sake of the gospel. St. Hilda of Whitby stands among the most significant luminous figures of the early English Church—wise, steady, and quietly formidable. Centuries before the Reformation, when English Christianity…
What are Godparents? A Rookie Anglican Guide
For centuries, it has been the godparents’ primary role, second only to that of the parents themselves, to raise and disciple children in the Christian faith.
Today’s Anglican Poets
Among all the Christian traditions, and especially those in the Protestant sphere, Anglicanism stands out for its rich and beautiful language. From the creation of the Book of Common Prayer forward, we have been a tradition of prayer through cadence, rhythm… poetry. This tradition may flow naturally from the emphasis on beauty in the Prayer…
We Believe: Maker of Heaven and Earth
After the Nicene Creed asserts that we believe in “One God, the Father, the Almighty,” we begin to explore his characteristics. The first and most fundamental of these reflects the opening statement of the Bible itself: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). From that sentence onward, Scripture leaves no…
Easter Vigil: A Rookie Anglican Guide
There may be no more powerful portrayal of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Christian liturgy than that which happens in the darkness of night before Easter morning. In the Easter Vigil, a service that begins in total darkness, light is carried into the midst of the people and spreads, culminating in the jubilant proclamation…
Palm Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Palm Sunday is a day of palm fronds, outdoor processions, and loud praises to Christ. With these practices, we mimic the crowds that went with Jesus on his way into Jerusalem. Like them, we celebrate Christ as the returning King, the son of David, and the long-awaited messiah. However, when we remember what Jesus went…
Contemplative Movies for Lent
The season of Lent is a time for contemplation. The Ash Wednesday service in the Book of Common Prayer calls us to observe the season “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and alms-giving; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word” (BCP 2019, pg. 544). In its call for self-examination and repentance, Lent…
