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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Anglican Church
Who are these Anglicans?
Anglicans are
members of a worldwide family of Christian churches, tracing our
descent to the Church of England. Anglicans live in many parts of the world, speak many
languages and have different customs.We share a common pattern of worship. We
use books of prayer as we join together in “common prayer” and these prayer
books form the centre of our common life in the
church. Our life is organized in dioceses, regional groupings of parishes each
headed by a bishop who has responsibility for the oversight of the life of the
church in that area. The bishop is like a CEO of a company.
How do Anglicans worship?
Anglican worship is “common prayer”. We use a set liturgical texts, printed in books.
Each Sunday we say the same prayers, with special prayers for the different
seasons and saints’ days. To newcomers, this set text may seem limiting. To
Anglicans, it provides the freedom to relax into the familiar text and explore
it in depth, and to reflect on the themes of the
gospel in a regular sequence. Worship does not depend on the private skills and
interests of those leading worship. Worship is something that we offer to God
and so it is not a performance for an audience. Anglican worship is both
biblical and sacramental. At each service we read and reflect on God’s word in
many forms. A list of readings that we follow gives us a pattern by which we
cover most of the Bible over a three year period. In the
Eucharist, we give thanks for God’s gift of new life through the life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s worship.
It brings us into communion with God and with each other.
Bays, P. (1995). This Anglican Church of Ours. Winfield, Canada. Wood Lake Books Inc.
Bays, P. (1995). Welcome to the Anglican Church: Meet the family. Winfield, Canada. Wood Lake Books Inc.
Need more information?
For more information, please contact Fr. John Wilton at 416-225-1922.
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