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Friday, January 1, 2010

Anglican Church

Between 1000-1500 AD, people began to question the integrity of the traditional Catholic church. Indulgences were widely sold, was basically the practice of priests selling repentance for their sins. In addition to this, many priests were very uneducated and violated their vows a lot. Idols were also commonly worshipped. (About the Anglican Church 1) The Anglican Church was actually begun in the early Current Era. The oldest records of the religion are those of St. Alban, who was a pagan who was martyred for his Anglican beliefs. Many people of this time did not like the route that the Catholic Church was taking, and looked for reforms. These were lead by Luther, Zwingili, and Calvin. (About…Church 2) It was in 1549 that a man named Thomas Crammer put together the English Prayer Book. This took the classical Catholic ideas and put them into English, the Language of the People. This Prayer Book did not catch on with the newly formulated Protestant churches, but it did become the main worship book for the Anglican Church. (About…Church 2) When brought into the United States, it was still basically known as the “English Church.” Because of the lack of respect at the time between the Americans and the English, the churches name in America was changed to the Episcopal Church. (About…Church 2) A major part of the modern Anglican Church took place in St. Louis, Missouri in 1977. Reforms attempted here included a return to emphasis on Scripture, allowing morals to be included in the faith, and adopting some ancient Catholic tradition. In addition to these, it was here that the Anglican Catholic Church pronounced itself to be a separate church body from the Episcopal Church. This meeting became later known as the “Affirmation of St. Louis.” (About…Church 2) The basic premise surrounding the Anglican faith is related to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. These are believed to be authentic documents of God’s revelation to his people. The Anglican Faith also centers itself around the trinity, that is, God being three in one as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They believe that because of Jesus’ death and resurrection they are granted access to live with God. As for morals, Anglicans are expected to live by the laws of God and to “keep God in their hearts” at all times. (The Anglicans 2) The Anglican Church does celebrate the Eucharist. However, not all members of the church are granted communion. The clergy of the parish must believe that you have a good conscience and believe in all of the Anglican ideas before you are able to have communion. You also must be Confirmed in order to receive communion. The general rule for accepting communion in the Anglican Church is that for a morning service, you will not eat anything during the morning until you receive communion. For evening services, it is expected that you fast for three hours prior to receiving communion. (The Anglicans 3) Each day, the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer take place. These are prayer services containing Psalm readings, Bible readings, songs, and prayers. These are all provided in the Book of Common Prayer. (The Anglicans 3) Various sacraments are celebrated in the Anglican church. Penance is a sacrament that promises one forgiveness for their sins. The sacrament of Holy Unction is that in which one is anointed with oil in order to heal the body, mind, and spirit. (The Anglicans 4) Baptism requires a bit more attention in the Anglican church than in other Christian churches. In the Anglican church, the selection of Godparents means very much. First off, all Anglican children being baptized have three Godparents selected-two of the same gender as the child, and one of the opposite gender of the child. These Godparents are not just honorary figures, but have a serious spiritual responsibility to keep the faith in their Godchildren. When an adult undergoes the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, a period of instruction must be taken by the adult. This adult is not required to select Godparents, but may select sponsors to assist them. (The Anglicans 4) The Sacrament of Holy Confirmation is administered by a Bishop. The Bishop places his hand on ones head in order to “seal the Baptism” in this sacrament. Before Confirmation, extensive instruction is needed. If an adult is receiving Baptism, they will usually also receive confirmation at the same time and at the same service. (The Anglicans 4) Holy Matrimony, or marriage, is also an important part of the Anglican church. To be wed, at both the bride and the groom must be baptized and at least one of them must be a currently practicing Anglican. A great deal of instruction is required before a man and woman can be wed in an Anglican church. Also, it is absolutely forbidden to suggest changing the structure of the service under any circumstances, or to make substitutions in the service. It is seen as the church’s right to hold the ceremonies in their form and in none other than this (The Anglicans 5) This is not the case for funerals. Clergy of the Anglican Church will provide burial for any baptized Christian. If they are practicing Anglicans, the Book of the Common Prayer will supply the service. However, unlike Holy Matrimony, adaptations may be made to the service for the deceased who are not members of the Anglican faith. In order to symbolize that we are all equal in the afterlife, any casket, no matter what, will be covered with a cloth pall. Also, flowers are not allowed in the church during a funeral. (The Anglicans 5) As much as certain ideas in the Anglican church may differ from those of the Catholic church, their ideas are one in the same. God in the Trinity is at the center of their worship and is what they are praying for at all times. The Anglican church was simply a reform of the Catholic church, as are all of the Protestant religions. I feel, however, that it is important that these reforms took place, as people are now able to search among a greater range of religions to find the faith that has what they want in it.

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