Uh, where did you say you came from?

Theology on Tap

One of the few things most people know about the Anglican Reformation, if they know anything, is that Henry VIII had a large hand in it because of his desire for a divorce (technically and annulment, but let's call it what it was). Now, that is not exactly the kind of spiritual heritage you want to point to. I much prefer to remind people of the theologians that took advantage of Henry's power struggle with the Pope in order to bring Reformation doctrine to the English Church. I much prefer to point to men like "Little" Thomas Bilney who invested themselves in debating the doctrines at stake at the White Horse Inn in Cambridge. Pub debates, that is what the Lord used to win many of the academics and clergy in the Church of England! That is a fact that I prefer to underscore. That's much more respectable than Henry's actions. But joking aside, it is no understatement to say that the Whitehorse Tavern may have been the real epicenter for the English Reformation. While London was where King and Parliament moved the political pieces to actually separate England from the Roman Church, the theology discussed in Cambridge moved the heart and mind of the Church to embrace Reformation teaching.

And since I mention him, a quick word of introduction to Little Bilney. He was, as I mentioned, a Cambridge Scholar. His story of conversion is strong testimony to the sheer power of the Word of God. Bilney, like so many of his contemporaries was born and raised in the Church, attended Cambridge and was ordained a priest. When Erasmus' new translation of the New Testament came out Bilney excitedly snatched up one of the first copies available in England. He would later note that, to his great shame he was drawn to the text because of the beauty of Erasmus' translated prose more than because it was the Word of God. Nevertheless, as he read the words of St. Paul it was as if they came alive to him and he understood the reality of the gospel for the first time. Bilney was transformed from an indifferent scholar to a fiery zealot for the sake of the gospel. He would challenge all comers in debate and use all means necessary to gain a hearing for the words of life. Once, when a particularly staunch Catholic opponent would not listen to his arguments, Bilney made an appointment to go to the man for Confession. This opponent, hopeful that Bilney was coming to confess his waywardness in teaching these new doctrines that were contrary to the teaching of Rome was in for the surprise of his life. Bilney came to the confessional, knelt and began to confess the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how he had once been a hopeless sinner but was now saved by the blood of Jesus! That is Thomas Bilney. That is an example and a heritage to be proud of!

Why do you do that?

What's with the sign of the cross? Isn't that Catholic? What does it mean? These are questions I get frequently. So what better place to start our journey than right there with the sign of the cross.

Many Christians find it meaningful to cross themselves. It is a truly catholic (meaning universal) practice found in Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism and some branches of Lutheranism. This is a silent prayer that has several uses and is rich in meaning.

It is appropriate to cross oneself whenever the blessing occurs or at the mention of the Trinity as a symbol of our being blessed in God’s Holy Name and that this blessing comes to us through the cross. The oldest form for making the sign of the cross is to place the first two fingers and thumb of the right hand together as a sign of the Trinity, while placing the last two fingers together pressed into the palm as a sign of the mystery of the incarnation, that Christ was both fully God and fully man. This form is still used in Eastern Orthodoxy and is re-emerging in the West where the prescribed form had been long forgotten (some Western churches cross with all five fingers, while others only use one or two).

In the West we cross ourselves by touching this living symbol first to our head, then down to our stomach, to the left shoulder then to the right and coming to rest in the center over the heart. This is a silent prayer offering our whole being to God, loving Him with our heart, mind and strength as Scripture says.

At the reading of the gospel some Christians make a small cross with their thumb over their forehead, lips and heart. This is a quick prayer asking God to be in our minds, on our lips and in our hearts as we hear (and for the celebrant as he proclaims) the holy words of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As with many of the catholic (again, universal) traditions of the Church, Anglicanism can be at times ambivalent. While you will find this living symbol actively practiced in some "higher church" settings, traditionally "low church" evangelicals will eschew the practice. Thus in Anglicanism it is one more of those traditions that is available but by no means mandatory. If you find it meaningful and helpful by all means use this gestural prayer. If you stumble over it or have some of those hang ups about "Roman Catholic" things that some of us grew up with, perhaps it is more edifying to leave it for others to pursue.

What is Angliwhaat?!

When someone asks me what church I pastor I am frequently met with some comment thatacknowledges a complete ignorance of what Anglicanism is or where (or even if) it fits within the Christian Church. If you think I am overstating my case, consider this: for the first three years of my ministry my insurance card declared to the world that I was employed by an “angelican” church. I wish that it were so but I readily admit that Anglicans are no more or less angelic than any other denomination within orthodox Christianity.

For those readers who do not know me, I am an Anglican priest and church planter. The majority of men and women who come to our little parish church are not coming from an “Anglican” background. Some are coming from no church background at all. But a good number are coming from other evangelical Protestant church traditions. They come to Anglicanism for the unique blend of worship we offer up on Sundays. Some come to our congregation for the dynamic community. Some even come simply because we are a church plant and they want to be a part of what God is doing through that. In most of these cases though, they come with very little prior experience or knowledge of Anglicanism.

Over the last several years as I have had conversations with those who come and visit and worship with us, I have found myself continually frustrated that I do not have a good, contemporary primer on what the Anglican Church is, and what She believes. I have found nothing written specifically for people who are not interested in plowing through theological and historical tomes. So I began a series at our church entitled “Angli-whaa?!” as a way to educate the parish and also as preparation for confirmation and reception. Recently though I have had a number of conversations with parishioners and interested parties alike that would like to keep the conversation started in "Angli-whaa?!" going. And that is where this blog comes in.

It is my sincere hope that this can be a place where interested lay people can find answers to satisfy their curiosity and their desire to know more about the Anglican Church. I will endeavor to post vignettes from the history of Anglicanism, articles on the central doctrines of the faith and tidbits about the liturgical worship of the Church as Anglicans typically practice it. In addition, I want this blog to be as useful to the reader and as interactive as possible. As such, please feel free to leave comments and ask questions. It is my sincere hope that this will be a place of learning and edification that will keep the Angli-whaa?! conversation moving forward.

Toward that end - if you are reading this blog and have come to it with questions already in mind, please leave your questions in the comments section of this post and I will try to tackle them in due course.

The Lord bless you as you journey along with us on the Canterbury trail.