For more than 400 years, the Anglican tradition has played a central role in the development of the United States of America. The intellectual culture of recent decades has obscured this historical truth, both on account of revisionist historians who see America as a secular nation and also by the failure of Anglicans to tell…
The Ven. Dr. Peter Johnston serves as the Ministry President of Anglican Compass. He is a priest and archdeacon in the Anglican Diocese of All Nations and the founding rector of Trinity Lafayette. He lives with his wife, Carla, and their nine children near Lafayette, Louisiana.
Living Inside Psalm 51: A Conversation with David Roseberry
In a sense, Psalm 51 is emblematic of the Old Testament. It struggles with sin and the distance it creates from God—a distance King David is very nervous about personally experiencing—but it doesn’t offer a path to reunion and redemption except through the offering described at the end of the Psalm.
Psalms and Prayers for Ice and Snow
I grew up in Chicago, where snow is a frequent fact of winter. We took note of the first snow and significant snowfalls, and every once in a while, an actual blizzard would come to shut down work and school. The danger in such a storm is often greater from ice than from snow; ice…
What is Boxing Day? A Guide to the Second Day of Christmas
Boxing Day, celebrated on December 26, is the second day of Christmas and a day of charity and public festivity. The day is named for gift boxes given to those outside the immediate family, especially those who serve us throughout the year. (It might have something to do with boxing, too, but you’ll have to…
Hymn Guide: Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming
The image of a rose blooming in winter, emerging from a tender stem, reflects both the beauty and the vulnerability of baby Jesus and his mother Mary.
O Sapientia: O Wisdom From On High
In the original O Antiphons, and still to this day on the church calendar, “O Wisdom” was the first of the seven
Hymn Guide: Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending
“Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” is Charles Wesley’s great hymn on the second coming of Christ, and one of the most majestic congregational songs in the entire repertoire.
Blue is for Beginnings: The Color of Advent
Advent blue recalls for us our Hebrew origins, inspiring us to holiness and hope in the promises of God.
Christ the King Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The final Sunday of the church year is the Feast of Christ the King. Pope Pius XI established the feast in 1925, seeking to counter the rise of secularism and atheism by reasserting the sovereignty of Christ. Though the named feast is a 20th-century innovation, the theme of Christ’s kingship is central to scripture and…
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied: The Importance of Speed in Church Discipline
Speed is an essential quality of effective church discipline. Speed is not merely helpful; rather, speed is essential. We find this principle grounded in Biblical teaching, English common law, the American Constitution, and contemporary practice. The saying is true (and worthy of full acceptance): when justice is delayed, justice is denied. Moreover, the church’s recent…
