Anglicanism
The Anglican Communion grew out of the missionary expansion of the Church of England over the past 500 years and now consists of more than 38 self-governing provinces around the world, in over 165 countries, with tens of millions of people.
Book of Common Prayer
At the heart of Anglican Christianity is a desire to be simultaneously rooted and relevant, ancient and modern, traditional and innovative. Nowhere is this more plainly seen than in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP).
Originally written in 1549 by Thomas Cranmer, the BCP revolutionized the life and worship of the Church in England. Cranmer’s BCP was a brilliant innovation that brought new life and meaning to the ancient worship traditions of the church, because, for the first time, they were simplified (made user-friendly) and written in the language of the people rather than in Latin.
The BCP is also thoroughly infused with Scripture references from the beginning to end as Cranmer had a deep conviction in the transforming power of God’s written word.
Via Media – The Middle Way
The Anglican ethos has often been described in the Latin phrase, via media (middle way or middle path). The desire of the early Anglican reformers was to stay true to the ancient traditions of the early church but in a way that was accessible to the people of 16th Century England.
It is from the philosophy of Aristotle. In his Nicomachean Ethics, he found the virtues such as justice and courage to be the middle way between the extremes of either side. “Courage” was thus the via media between foolhardiness and cowardice. The via media came into religious usage when Anglicans began to refer to the Church of England as a middle way between the extremes of Roman Catholicism and Puritanism.
Via media is often misunderstood in a negative way to mean compromise or unwillingness to take a firm position. However, for Aristotle and those Anglicans who have used it, the term refers to the “golden mean” which is recognized as a more adequate expression of truth between the weaknesses of extreme positions.
Liturgy
Liturgy is not the deluxe or heavy-duty version of Christian worship. It is for everyone who is seeking sacred space and rhythm toward awareness and openness to God and God’s purpose for our lives. Responding to the grace of God, we worship by participating in ancient Christian practices as spiritual disciplines, seeking transformative intimacy with Jesus, & becoming his cooperative friends for the sake of the world.
Liturgy is participatory. If you get off track in liturgy, don’t worry. Just breathe and relax in the moment and make yourself peacefully present to the Holy Spirit. Allow yourself to be immersed in the community around you—in rest, song, prayer, and Word.
Repetition gently assists in transformation.
Baptism
Baptism marks the point in a person’s life when they both publicly declare their commitment to Christ and the church declares their commitment to supporting them in their discipleship. There really is no more beautiful example of real community than in that of the sacrament of baptism.
At Luminous, we have the honor of baptizing infants, children and adults. In the case of infants and some children, since they are not yet old enough to make promises to God for themselves, others (i.e. their parents and Godparents/sponsors) make promises on their behalf and commit to raise those baptized to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. It is confirmation that these persons then have a chance to affirm their faith for themselves.
Confirmation
Confirmation marks the point in a person’s faith journey when they affirm the faith into which they were baptized as a child and their intention to live a life of discipleship to Jesus. We intentionally assist older children along this process.
This affirmation is confirmed through prayer and the laying on of hands by our Bishop. The church also asks God to give them power through the Holy Spirit to enable them to live in the way of Jesus.
Holy Orders
Anglicans embrace the threefold order of ordained ministry of women and men that emerged early in the life of the Church.
Bishop: A bishop leads in serving and caring for the people of God and works with them in oversight of the Church. As a chief pastor, a bishop shares with fellow bishops a special responsibility to maintain and further the unity of the Church, to uphold its discipline, and to guard its faith. A bishop promotes the Church’s mission throughout the world.
Priest: A priest is called by God to work with the bishop and with fellow priests, as servant and shepherd among the people of God to proclaim the Word of the Lord. A priest presides at the celebration of Holy Communion. A priest leads God’s people in prayer and worship, intercedes for them, and teaches and encourages by word and example.
Deacon: A deacon serves the Church of God by working with its members in caring for the poor, the needy, the sick, and all who are in trouble. A deacon assists the priest in leading the worship of the people, especially in the administration of the Holy Communion.
