The Anglican Way: A Guidebook

by Thomas McKenzie

The secular world has assembled an endless series of holidays, each of which has its own marketing schemes and special sales. All of these are designed to form you into a more effective student, or employee, or consumer.

Beginning with the foundations of the Jewish calendar, the early church built a temple to God in time rather than in space. Our spiritual ancestors measured out the days, weeks, and months. They collected, sorted, and named them. They put everything in place so that we, their children, would have a splendid palace in which to worship.

Those who live for even a few years in the calendar often find it a wonderful and mysterious place to call home.

The ashes of Palm Sunday remind us that even our greatest victories fail, and that all of our glory is destined for the trash bin. We are made of the basic elements of the universe: the dirt and the dust. What we are made of, we’ll return to. Ash Wednesday sets the tone for the rest of this holy season.

The purpose of these disciplines is not to punish ourselves for our sins. Jesus took all the punishment for us. Rather, the disciplines are meant to empty us so that the Lord may fill us. We are making ourselves available to Christ in hopes of growing in our faith.

Every Eucharist is an act of theater.

On Easter, churches receive more visitors than on any other day of the year.

On the day of Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. On this day, the Spirit reversed the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). At the tower, God confused the language of the people so they could not fulfill their selfish ambition. However, on Pentecost, he gave language to his people so that their mission of redemption might be fulfilled. God sent his Holy Spirit, empowering all Christians to minister the Good News to the world.

The classic Anglican definition of sacrament is “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace.” In other words, a sacrament is an encounter between God and his people through something material. In order for this to be an official church sacrament, it must be something that Christ commanded us to do.

Creation was God’s first sacrament; and the incarnation of Jesus Christ was his greatest sacrament. All other sacraments flow from these two while anticipating a third, the return of Christ.

Baptism is a confrontation between the powers of fear and chaos on one side and the redeeming love of God in Christ on the other. In Baptism, we cross from death in the flesh to life in the Spirit. We die with Christ, and are raised with him (Romans 6:8).

In baptism, a person is made holy (sanctified) by the Holy Spirit. This doesn’t mean the baptized person has been perfected. The word “holy” means “different, special, set apart.” The baptized person is set apart by God and for God.

The church is like Noah’s ark. It isn’t perfect, it isn’t always pretty, and it isn’t our permanent home. But it’s big enough and strong enough to keep us safe until we come to our true home—on the other side of death.

Receiving communion doesn’t mean I know more about God. It doesn’t mean I have an emotional experience of God. It means that I have fed on Christ, and he has transferred his life into me. Jesus told us he would feed us this way, and he does. Receiving communion in the context of hearing the Gospel proclaimed is the very best way to open yourself to the grace of God in your life.

In a sacrament, grace is given inwardly, to our souls, through an outward sign.

The Holy Spirit is given in baptism because, unlike the Samaritans in Acts 8, we baptize in the Name of the Trinity, not just the Name of Jesus.

Divorce is a sin, but it’s also a tragedy. It requires a loving response.

A deacon is called to be a holy pain-in-the-butt to the self-satisfied religious, particularly to priests and bishops. In this context, it’s important to note that every priest was first a deacon. The priests among us still have this calling.

Unlike some religious people, Anglicans do not believe that we have control over everything that happens to us; or that prayer will certainly heal a good person. If someone isn’t getting better, it isn’t because they aren’t faithful enough. When healing doesn’t come, we’re called to seek God in the midst of our suffering. Christ is still present and merciful, even when we feel far from him. He still has blessings for us. Ultimately, we will all die (unless Jesus returns first). Those in Christ will experience the only complete and permanent healing God offers: the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

In other kinds of churches, you are the focus. In the Anglican Way, however, God is the focus.

Symbolically, the cross carried in the procession (called a “processional cross”) represents the presence of Christ. He leads our parade, as he is our conquering hero and our king (2 Corinthians 2:14). The people in the congregation have been awaiting his coming, so they stand when they hear that he is near. This reminds us that we will all rise to meet Jesus when he returns for the final judgment.

When incense is used, it represents the prayers of the saints going up to the throne room of God. It’s also a way to show the holiness of Christ. Even the air around us is changed by his coming.

Everyone else follows in order of their ministry. Lay people serve Christ and follow him. Deacons serve the lay people as well as Christ. Priests serve all of those. Bishops serve the entire church, which is why they always come in last. This is a reminder of Christ’s commandment that those who lead must be last of all and servants to all (Mark 9:35).

In some denominations, worship begins when the pastor greets the congregation. In the Anglican Church, we begin by greeting God. We acknowledge him, we declare his divine attributes, we give him glory, and we bless his work among us.

Collect for Purity If the Collect for Purity is used, the celebrant prays, “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord.” A collect is a short prayer with a single request. The request of this prayer is that the Holy Spirit may fill us and purify us. This collect is at least 1,200 years old. It was originally said by the priests before they entered the worship service, but now it’s everyone’s prayer. It’s a reminder of God’s immense love, that he would accept us, even knowing the evil thoughts of our hearts.

A canticle is a prayer based in scripture or other ancient texts; they tend to blend song and poetry. It can be sung, said, or chanted.

The Gloria is a recitation of God’s great glory. It gives honor to the Father, Son, and Spirit. The Kyrie, on the other hand, is a prayer for God’s mercy.

Trisagion. It’s also a plea for mercy, but it speaks more to God’s greatness. It’s because he is holy, mighty, and immortal that he can have pity upon his creatures.

the Collect of the Day usually refers to the season or the biblical event being celebrated. Each one is designed to collect our prayers and praises, to bind them together, and to place them before the Lord. We’re saying that God is worthy of our praise, we’re asking for his gracious help, and we are gathered to give him glory.

If the psalm is spoken, it’s said by the whole congregation.

The psalms honor God and teach us about Christ. They bridge the gap between the Old and New Testaments. They connect us to our spiritual ancestors. We sing the psalms because the saints sung them, too. Even Jesus Christ himself sang these words, though in a different language. They’re a connection between us and him.

Many centuries ago, the leaders of the worldwide Christian church met together to settle some important theological disputes. Over two such meetings, they wrote a statement of faith, which we call the “Nicene Creed.” It’s “Nicene” because most of it was written in a resort town called Nicaea, which is in modern day Turkey. It’s called a “creed” because, in Latin, the first word of the Creed is credo, which means “I believe.”

Part of the greatness of the creed is that it’s not an individual statement of faith. It’s a statement of the faith of the entire church. When I say it (or sing it, as is done in some of our congregations), I’m saying it not only for myself, but also on behalf of the church. If I’m struggling with part of it today, I’m carried along by all those who are confessing it together. I can lean on the witness of the saints, just as sometimes my brothers and sisters in Christ can lean on me.

It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to resolve a deep-seated conflict in a three-second handshake. That’s not the point. The purpose of the peace is to remind you that reconciliation is your task as far as it depends on you. Sadly, there are broken relationships which probably won’t be mended in this lifetime. But if reconciliation is possible, we should do our part (2 Corinthians 5:18). I’ve seen people look at each other during the peace, step outside of the sanctuary, and work stuff out. I’ve also known people to exchange the peace and have a moment of supernatural healing in their relationship. It’s amazing what the Holy Spirit can do in this simple action.

Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And with your spirit (or, “and also with you”). Celebrant Lift up your hearts. People We lift them to the Lord. Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People It is right to give him thanks and praise. In this conversation, we are set in order. We’re gathered, and the Lord is with us. He commands us to love him with our whole hearts, so we lift them to him as an offering. We give the Lord our thanks and praise because he deserves all the honor, glory, and gratitude of the entire earth. The prayer usually continues with a reminder that it’s always right to worship God, no matter where we are. The multitude of his mercies cannot be numbered, and every good and perfect gift comes from him (James 1:17).

In the midst of the prayer, the celebrant will come to the “Words of Institution.” These are the specific words that Jesus said while holding the bread and wine during the Last Supper. By long tradition in the Western church, unless these words are used, the congregation is not receiving a valid sacrament. Anglican churches tend to use the words given by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25: On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” (Book of Common Prayer, 1979, 362-363) After these words, the prayer reminds us that death was not the end for Jesus. If it had been, there would have been no reason to keep on remembering his sacrifice. Jesus’ defeat was transformed into victory by his bodily resurrection and his following ascension, along with his promise to return. Therefore, the people can proclaim the great mystery of faith: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!” In the modern era, Anglicans have returned to the prayers of the ancient church by in...

The Great Thanksgiving ends where it began, with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. As the prayer ends, the Trinity is always given glory. We’re reminded that this long prayer is made to the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. The prayer reaches its climax with the Great Amen.

“These are the gifts of God for the people of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.” This is a reminder that we’re not here to sacrifice Christ but to represent his sacrifice. We don’t eat his body with our mouths as much we do with our hearts. We’re also reminded that our faith is part of the Eucharist. Some believe that communion is only valid if the person receiving it has faith in Christ. Others believe it is what it is regardless of personal belief. Both ideas are represented in Anglican thought. In either case, we should receive Christ’s body and blood by faith, and we should be deeply thankful.

We might think that God favors us when we do good things for him; however, his favor doesn’t depend on our actions, but on the work of Christ. Like children of a rich family, we didn’t do anything to become heirs. Our inheritance is a gift.

The Processional Cross departs first, followed by the still-burning candles or torches. This shows that our time of gathering is coming to an end. Now we are called to disperse into the world. The presence of Christ led us into worship, and now the presence of Christ leads us into our daily lives. The other ministers follow in the procession: first the lay people, then the deacons, priests, and bishops. The celebrant, the servant of everyone in the room, is last in line.

Do strange people become priests, or does being a priest make a person strange? The answer seems to be “yes.” Many of the priests I know have extreme personalities. If they are quiet, they are very quiet. If they are angry, they are very angry. If they are kind, they are very kind. There isn’t much middle ground. They are opinionated, and often about a wide range of subjects. Many are socially awkward. Some are inscrutable. Yes, I’m oversimplifying and being judgmental. Which goes to my point: we priests are different.

Maybe you think it’s egotistical for me to stand in the place of Christ and be called by the old word. Fair enough. But the thing that should baffle you and bother you is not that I am a priest. The thing that should baffle you and bother you is that you don’t know that you are a priest. I was not made a priest because I’m different. I was made a priest to remind you that you are different. I am a poor example that calls forth this greater reality in you. The blood of Christ was shed for you; this saves you from your sin, certainly, and praise God for that. But that blood does something else, something related to forgiveness; that blood makes you a priest and says that you will reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10).

The first priest wasn’t some pagan witchdoctor dancing around a fire. The first priest was Adam in the Garden.

Where priests failed, the Messiah succeeded. The book of Hebrews tells the story of the Gospel from this perspective: that Jesus has become our great High Priest and has offered the great sacrifice, once and for all, in his body on the cross.