I've Recently Visited An Anglican Church
So, I grew up in a country church. For those familiar with the lingo - you would call this a "low church" style of worship.
That is, the service didn't use a lot of liturgy. We sang a lot of Gospel songs, and we didn't recite a creed.
Even though there was no "official" liturgy - there actually was one. Every Sunday was the same. We would have announcements, sing an opening song, followed by a prayer. There would be an additional song, followed by the offering. We would then sing the doxology. Next would be the choir special and another song. The pastor would then do a pastoral pray, read his sermon text and preach. Lastly would come the invitation to accept Christ during the final song. Then a closing prayer and the choir would sing a closing chorus.
Ok, I guess it was a little bit liturgical.
I've been attending a church recently that is driving me crazy.
While there are bits and pieces of liturgy - there is no consistency.
The pastor has started weekly communion at the beginning of the service - but he has no set way of doing it.
We often don't have any hymns. We have songs that the worship director likes that are very person centered, lacking in theological teaching, and sung at a high-pitch.
There is very little Scripture read - and when it is read, the pastor has problems reading it or will stop and make comments about it as it is read.
The sermon message often does not teach what the passage is teaching.
We sometimes will say the Apostle's Creed - and sometimes not.
This morning, between announcements, talking about pledging to the church, and a testimony, the actual worship service didn't start until 20 minutes into the worship time.
OK, my Anglican Experience
There is a lot of activity in my Anglican church. The bulletin is 20 pages long. We stand, sit, kneel, and go forward. The sermon is fairly short (between 12 and 18 minutes) and different ministers give it. I've attended 6 times, and I've heard from 4 different ministers.
Here's what I like.
The service is almost entirely devoted to worshipping God, reading God's word (the Bible), singing about what God has done and who God is. We recite the Nicaean Creed every service. We kneel as we pray prayers of confession and as we pray for others. Sometimes we sing chants. About one third of the service is dedicated to taking communion with multiple prayers and statements which the congregation recites as well as the ministers.
The service usually (not always) has an opening hymn and closing hymn that I know.
All in all, I leave the church feeling like I truly worshipped God. The songs weren't about me and the liturgy wasn't about me. Virtually everything was about God.
Here's what I don't like.
My list here is going to be smaller.
Until you have attended multiple times, it is very difficult to follow.
If you are unable to read, you will have difficulty with the service - at least until you have memorized the liturgy. (Thankfully, it doesn't change each Sunday - so you can memorize it.)
There is no invitation to become a Christian. I'm not talking about an altar call here. I'm talking about an invitation in the bulletin or something like that which a person can find out more. This could be accomplished with literature available in the church somewhere.
Am I going to become an Anglican?
Short answer - I don't know.
I don't know if they are willing to engage the cultural issues that are destroying our nation. I don't know if they are willing to take the offensive on witnessing for the need for Christ.
There is simply a lot I still don't know.
But two things I do know
They do worship God, and their service is full of God's word.
This is Pastor John and Christ is still king!
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