The message of Jesus travelled around the Roman Empire in the decades that followed his resurrection. It eventually reached the Islands we now call England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland around the year 200. Since then there has been a persistent witness to Jesus in those places.
As the Church in Rome grew in strength and influence, around the 6th century the leader of the church in Rome, the Pope, sent a monk named Augustine to convert the English people to Christianity. When Augustine arrived he noted that there was already a Christian presence. But it was a bit different. For instance, they celebrated Easter on a different date than the rest of the Church. Eventually, the English Church conformed to the Roman Catholic Church, while maintaining its Celtic roots.
The message of Jesus spread around Great Britain primarily through the establishment of monasteries, communities of men and women who lived, worked and prayed together. Most of them followed a version of the Rule of St. Benedict that emphasized the importance of prayer, work and study in daily life. From this form of Christian living we have prayer services commemorating the various times of day (morning, evening and late-night prayers) which are still used in the Church to this day.
Over time it seemed to some religious leaders in England that the moral authority of the Pope was questionable. Was the Pope’s decision to not grant King Henry the Eighth an annulment from Catherine of Aragon based on an aversion to divorce or because of military pressure from Catherine’s family? Whatever the reason, and due to the vibrant climate of Biblical scholarship from the Renaissance and the growing nationalization of European countries, the time was right for England to claim legal and religious self-determination.
In November 1534, King Henry the Eighth of England and his Parliament took legal and religious matters into their own hands and the Church of England, distinct now from the Roman Church, was created with the King and all his Successors as its Head.
There is a breadth to Anglican spirituality which highlights the great diversity of God’s Great Family.
Anglicanism, as we know it now, is distinct from Roman Catholicism in that it participated in the reforming movement of the church in the 16th century. Unlike other reform movements of the time, it did not repudiate all catholic tradition but renewed it within a reformation paradigm. Today there are still some Anglicans who identify themselves as Reformed. They have longer sermons and do not wear some of the fancy clothing other Anglicans wear.
John and Charles Wesley initiated a vibrant movement beginning in the Anglican Church in the 18th century. Their call to individual piety and Christian responsibility, as well as their call to preach to those outside of the church, inspired a movement that is still active in the Anglican Church today. Evangelical Anglicanism emphasizes personal commitments to the Christian way and has a missionary impulse. Evangelical, in this sense, is the form of Anglicanism that is practiced at the Parish of St. Mark - Ocean Park.
Anglican spirituality which is considered Liberal is often concerned with the relationship between religion and science and the metaphorical reading of Scripture. They are also concerned with the social impact of the gospel in the world. This form of Anglican Spirituality is active and engaged in the political and social life of the local community. You will see this form of Anglicanism in our outreach programs.
In the 20th century, there was a move by some Anglicans to become more ritualistic in their worship. They turned to the Church of Rome to reemphasize some of the theology and practices that were suppressed in the Reformation. Anglo-Catholic Spirituality affirms the historical practices of Christianity as its foundation.
Many Anglicans were influenced by the charismatic movement of the 1960s and 70s. Some of the spiritual practices that marked Pentecostal churches became more common in some communities: expressive worship, extemporaneous prayer, and personal experiences of the Holy Spirit. Charismatic Anglican Spirituality revels in the relationship between the created and the Creator. At times the music at St. Mark's will dip into this tradition.
Because of the breadth and depth of Anglican Spiritualities, many people have connected to a variety of spiritual practices that span the Anglican spectrum. Some appreciate the inclusion of Mary in our theological discourse, as in Anglo-Catholicism, while at the same time cultivating their personal relationship with God and Jesus, as in Evangelical and Charismatic Anglicanism. Some pray with icons and work to feed the hungry as an expression of their spirituality.
While the global Anglican Church is diverse, there are common threads that knit us together. In the 16th century, Anglican Theologian Richard Hooker outlined three ways Anglicans understand God, themselves and the world. They are likened to the legs of a three-legged stool.
We hold Scripture highly, particularly the stories of Jesus. Each Sunday we listen to four readings from Scripture and stand as the Gospel is read. Even our prayers contain careful weavings of Scriptural passages and themes.
We believe that the faith we have inherited is not our own. It is a gift from a previous generation to us and so we refer to the thoughts and writings of the Followers of Jesus from every age. Our tradition is Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical and Celtic. It is our sacred task to maintain a living tradition we can pass down to our spiritual descendants.
We use our minds and our hearts to ensure that God’s kingdom of Justice, Peace and Joy is translated depending on circumstances and cultures. Very often in the Anglican Church if there is disagreement or debate it is because we want to be faithful to the Scriptures and follow the Tradition in a new pastoral or philosophic context.