Anglican devotions

Anglican devotions are private practices to promote spiritual growth and communion with God. The devotional habits of most Anglicans are intimately bound with the Divine Office and others services in prayer books. Many Anglicans pray the offices of Morning and Evening Prayer, and since the 19th century, compline has played a part in many peoples lives. Simply reading the Bible in a spirit of devotion is probably the most common religious practice of Anglican Christians when they are not at church, and prayer, at mealtimes and other times of the day, extempore or 'by heart' is quite common. Beyond the basics of Bible reading and praying the prayer book offices at home, many other devotional practices are associated with Anglican Spirituality. Devotional practices among some people and parishes who identify as Anglo-Catholic will naturally be different from those Anglicans who are evangelical. Anglo-Catholics are likely to follow devotional customs of early Western or mediaeval European origin; Evangelical Anglicans have strongly been influenced by pietistic or charismatic habits. The prayer life of charismatic Anglicans is similar to that of most other Pentecostals. It is this very richness of choice in Anglican devotional temper that sets off Anglicanism from other denominations.

Contents 1 Book of Common Prayer 2 Veneration of saints and the worship of the Trinity 3 Anglican Prayer Beads 4 Sacramentals 5 See also 6 References

Book of Common Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the foundational prayer book of Anglicanism. The original was one of the instruments of the English Reformation and was later to be adapted and revised in other countries where Anglicanism became established. The BCP replaced the various 'uses' or rites in Latin that had been used in different parts of the country with a single compact volume in the language of the people so that "now from henceforth all the Realm shall have but one use". It contains many private devotions and prayers for use by the faithful. Many Anglicans use contemporary alternatives to the Prayer Book, such as Common Worship (Church of England), the Book of Alternative Services (Anglican Church of Canada), A New Zealand Prayer Book, An Australian Prayer Book, or A Prayer Book for Australia. Many Anglicans throughout the world will begin and end their day with the Divine Office. Most Anglicans are familiar with Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. Compline or one or more of the traditional Psalms associated with Compline (4, 31:1-6, 91 and 134) are often prayed by individuals and families before retiring for bed. Some Anglo-Catholics use forms of the Daily Office such as the Liturgy of the Hours or the Anglican Breviary. The Litany in the Book of Common Prayer, or litanies from other sources are popular devotions among many Anglicans. Quiet Time, a time of prayer and Bible reflexion is quite common among many evangelical Anglicans, while Lectio Divina, a similar practice, is advocated by more Catholically-minded Anglicans.

Veneration of saints and the worship of the Trinity

Main article: Saints in Anglicanism

In Anglo Catholic theology, veneration is a type of honor distinct from the worship due to God alone. High church theologians have long used the terms latria for the sacrificial worship due to God alone, and dulia for the veneration given to saints and icons. This distinction was spelled out in the conclusions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787), which also decreed that iconoclasm (forbidding icons and their veneration) is a heresy that amounts to a denial of the incarnation of Jesus. One example of veneration is the Anglican procession in honour of Our Lady of Walsingham. In the days when the Church of England was in union with Rome, recognition of sainthood was in the form of canonization. Those martyrs and confessors given the title traditionally, prior to the establishment of the canonization process or since the break with Rome, are generally still considered saints worthy of veneration.^[1] The title "Hero" is sometimes used as well, often to refer to those saints who have lived and died since the time of the Reformation.

Anglican Prayer Beads

The use of Anglican prayer beads, also called "the Anglican Rosary," has been increasingly popular since the introduction of this devotional during the 1980s. This bead set is used in a variety of ways. Commonly, the beads are used in tandem with a fixed prayer format, but they are also used merely to keep count of whatever prayers the user has chosen for the occasion. For some, the set is carried as a tangible reminder of the owner's faith, with no prayers being said on the beads at all.

Despite the name, Christians of many different denominations have taken up the use of Anglican prayer beads. It is to be noted that some Anglicans prefer to pray the traditional Dominican Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary instead of in addition to Anglican prayer beads.

Sacramentals

Some Anglo-Catholic Anglicans use sacramentals. Sacramentals are objects dedicated to a religious purpose. Images of saints, crucifixes, prayer beads, and holy water are examples of sacramentals, which remind the user of the reality of God in this world and in the world to come. Depending on a particular Anglican's churchmanship, the sacramentals found in an Anglican home will vary. Some will have no visibile signs of their faith in the public areas of the home. Some will have a prominent Bible, in the sight-line of any who come through the front door. Some will have a holy water font by their front doors, into which the fingers of the right hand are dipped to make the sign of the cross upon entering and exiting the house. Some will have pictures Jesus, Mary and other saints around the house. The style of these pictures and objects will tell a lot about person's churchmanship and taste as well.

See also

• Hagiography
• Iconography
• Pilgrimage
• Guild of All Souls

References