Days of fasting and prayer in the midst of a feast season seem counterintuitive. However, Rogation Days remind us that our lives and seasons are in God’s hands. What does “Rogation” mean? “Rogation” comes from the Latin noun rogatio, meaning “asking” (the verb is rogare, “to ask”). When are the Rogation Days? The Sixth Sunday…
The Rev. Joshua Steele is a priest and web developer who was the first Managing Editor of Anglican Compass. You can learn more about him at joshuapsteele.com.
Anglican Definition: What Does “Anglican” Mean?
What does “Anglican” mean? This is a great, common, complicated question! First, let’s get this out of the way: It’s “ANGLican,” not “ANGELican.” We don’t worship angels! “Anglican” Means “English” Next, let’s go to Merriam-Webster. On its own, the word “Anglican” simply means “English”—“of or relating to England or the English nation.” When applied to…
Wednesday of Holy Week: A Collect Reflection
Assist us mercifully with your grace, Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the meditation of those mighty acts by which you have promised us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen….
Palm Sunday: A Collect Reflection
The Collect for Palm Sunday Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon himself our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way…
Here Are the Holy Week Liturgies from the 2019 Book of Common Prayer
We recently received a question from a reader looking for “Good Friday liturgies that would work well for home worship,” given the global COVID–19 pandemic. The 2019 BCP’s Good Friday service could easily be adapted for use at home. If you’re looking for liturgical materials for Holy Week and Easter, you should know that you…
Here’s a Bookmarked, Easy-to-Navigate PDF of the ACNA’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer
The Anglican Church in North America’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer is available for free online here. However, I’ve heard that people are looking for an easy-to-navigate bookmarked PDF. (Granted, an app or something like http://www.bcponline.org/ would be better! But for now a PDF must suffice.) Special thanks are due to Matthew Heflin, who took…
We’re Expanding Anglican Pastor into a New Family of Resources Called Anglican Compass!
Announcing Anglican Compass: Your Guide to Anglican Life! In order to better meet the needs of our growing audience, we are expanding Anglican Pastor into a new family of resources called Anglican Compass. We’re not losing anything in this transition, we’re expanding! Anglican Compass will be the go-to resource for everyone who’s interested in Anglicanism…
What Do Anglicans Believe about Scripture, Prayer, and Worship? A Brief Overview of Anglican Spirituality
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…
What Do Anglicans Believe about the Creeds and Holy Scripture?
From The ACNA Catechism The following is an excerpt from the Anglican Church in North America’s catechism, To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism (Crossway, 2020), pp. 29–35. You can download a PDF of the entire catechism here. The Apostles’ Creed and the Life of Faith All genuine Christians affirm that authentic Christianity is apostolic Christianity. Apostolic Christianity…
What Do Anglicans Believe about the Sacraments? (Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Ordination, Marriage, Absolution, Anointing of the Sick)
From The ACNA Catechism The following is an excerpt from the Anglican Church in North America’s catechism, To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism (Crossway, 2020), pp. 55–63. You can download a PDF of the entire catechism here. Concerning Sacraments 121. What is a sacrament? A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an…
