What is an Anglican, anyway?
Anglicans are reformed Catholics who trace their heritage to the English reformation. We believe in the creeds of the catholic faith and the authority of holy scripture, and we try to maintain a balance between tradition and reform. The Anglican church is the largest body of Protestant Christians on the planet (85+ million!), most of whom are in Africa. The average Anglican is a woman from Nairobi – not a man from London!
What is the Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is Anglicanism’s catholic gift to the Protestant movement. We’ve taken biblical doctrine (justification by faith alone), consulted the best sources from the ancient church, and raised this doctrine to its most beautiful expression in exalted English prose. The Book of Common Prayer is common because we all use it – from the Archbishop to the layperson – and we use it for all of life. Inside are services for daily prayer and Sunday worship, life events like marriage, funerals, and ordinations – along with a calendar for the church year and a Bible reading plan, among other things. Our church is united by this common pattern of devotion. (insert a link to ACNA’s site Book of Common Prayer page)
What is your service like?
We have two services: 8:30 (Traditional) and 10:30 (Contemporary). The primary difference between the two is the type of music we sing. Each service is arranged around two parts: Scripture and Sacrament. In the first half, we sing and read scripture and hear a sermon. The second half we respond to scripture by confessing our sin and participating in holy communion. We do this by using a liturgy (an orderly pattern of worship) that comes from the Book of Common Prayer. Every part of our service – from what our clergy wear during worship to the colors of the fabric on the table and the direction we face during the gospel reading – is meaningful. Don’t be worried if you don’t understand the symbols at first. It takes time to learn!