The creed used on most Sundays is the Nicene Creed. This creed is a product of the Nicene and Constantinopolitan Church councils of the 4th – 8th centuries. It is an expansion of the Apostles Creed, the earliest Christian Creed which is used during the service of Holy Baptism and in the Daily Office. It is…
Classic resources from the founding team of Anglican Compass.
Preaching
Preaching has been called “truth through personality.” This is one area of the liturgy in which one person’s personality is highly involved, and the rest of the community listens. This listening is a moment of reflection and devotion in which the Word of God is presented to the people by a minister set apart for this purpose….
The Offering
The giving of resources to one’s local parish is both a partnering together in mission and an offering of a portion of one’s income as a sacramental act representing God’s ownership of all things. The placement of this offering within the service of the Sacrament reminds us that we are living the “exchanged life.” We…
Music in Worship
Music speaks to our souls. Song is a part of virtually every tradition of Christian worship, and therefore music is the most ecumenical aspect of the Christian faith. Hymns and songs are borrowed between denominations and churches. Anglican music is therefore as eclectic as any other tradition, but with specific hymnody and songs which fit into particular…
What do Anglicans Believe about Holy Communion?
What do Anglicans believe about Holy Communion? This can be difficult to nail down with precision. First off, because Holy Communion goes by many names: Nevertheless, Holy Communion is described in Article 28 (XXVIII) of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. This offers a glimpse into what Anglicans believe about Holy Communion, and it does so…
The Confession of Sin
In Anglicanism, it is believed that only God through Christ can forgive sins in the legal sense. But Anglicanism also focuses on both the conscience of the sinner and the teaching of the Church in relationship to forgiveness. We follow a process of challenge and reconciliation, based on both Matthew 18:15-20 in which we are…
Anglican Worship: The Object of Our Worship
Anglican Worship of the Holy Trinity Like other Christian churches, we worship God. This God is identified clearly and consistently in our liturgy as the Trinitarian Godhead taught in the Christian creeds. We gather to pray about, to sing about, and to meditate upon his character and attributes. We speak to him, thanking him, for the goodness…
Anglican Worship: The Center of Parish Life
Worship “Why” & “How” is What Shapes Christians At the heart of every church tradition is one priority that shapes the community’s identity. This central aspect is the source of its energy and vision and becomes the first of all other priorities. This aspect determines much, if not all, of its distinctive traits and eventually becomes…
Five Other Sacramental Rites
Main Two: The Sacraments of the Lord Christ instituted Holy Baptism and Holy Communion for his Church to perpetually celebrate. We call these the Sacraments of the Lord. (To learn more about what Anglicans believe about the sacraments, go here.) The Other Five: The Sacraments of the Church There are five other rites of the…
Christmas & The Holidays
In order to navigate this in our own culture, it might be helpful for us to see “the holidays” as distinct from “Christmas.”
Feasting in Lent
Common Misconceptions We’ve all said it. I know I have said it: “In Lent, we fast except on Sundays.” We do think that way; at least, I do. I’m focused on the fast, and I think of Sunday as an exception: a time to give up the fast so I can take a break and indulge in…
Love One Another
The people would plead with JOhn to say a few words. But he had only one thing he said to the people repeatedly: “Little children, love one another.”
