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…
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.
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…
Think on These Things: The Compass Writing Ethos
Amid the often contentious online discourse among Christians, we at Anglican Compass want to strike a different tone.
Review: Eighth Day Prayers (Volume 1)
Eighth Day Prayers: Daily Hope for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, takes the focus on Christ’s incarnation deep into the heart, inviting us to a place of deep spiritual reflection in God’s presence as we enter the darkest yet most hopeful time of the year.
Halloween and the Victory of Christ
Halloween assures us of the ultimate comfort in our times of darkness. Taken together with the rest of Allhallowtide, it tells us that, though Satan’s forces still rage against us and this world’s ills plague our frail bodies and minds, Christ preserves his people from generation to generation.
What is Lectio Divina?
How do we read Scripture? What happens when we sit down with our Bibles and begin to pore over the wisdom God has given us through its ancient authors? In our rationalistic world, we often find it easy to study the Bible but not as easy to meditate upon and absorb it. We’re tempted to…
Stepping into Silence
Stepping into a rhythm of silence is counterintuitive to everything we practice in our society, but it has many gifts to impart.
Book Review: J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Evangelical Press)
Ryle, J.C. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels. Eds. Graham Hind and Mary Davis. Evangelical Press, 2024. Seven-volume set. Where does one begin reviewing a set of books that have existed for over 150 years? The first Bishop of Liverpool, J.C. Ryle, published his set of commentaries, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, between 1856 and 1873. As a…
