Worship Schedule

Sunday

Church of the Resurrection, 7509 Van Dyke Road Odessa, FL 33556

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, spoken liturgy (Rite One-traditional English)

9:05 a.m. Drive-In Mass

10:00 a.m. Sung Mass


Monday

Parkland Condominium Community Room, 3211 W Swann Ave, Tampa, FL 33609

7:15 p.m. Evening Prayer and Holy Eucharist


Wednesday

Online

7:15 p.m.—add info about Bible study series, Lenten worship, other seasonal midweek services—

What is the Anglican Way of Worship or Liturgy?

Anglicanism is one of the oldest expressions of the Christian faith, alongside the Roman Catholic and, Orthodox, Anglicans are the third largest Christian tradition in the world found in over 165 countries.  Anglicanism is sometimes referred to as the “middle way” between Catholicism and Protestantism, and Anglicans sometimes describe themselves as “Catholic but reformed.”   The Anglican Communion is a “global family of national and regional churches” who share historical ties to the Church of England and continue to be connected by “bonds of affection”.   One of the most important understandings about Anglican worship, practice and belief is the value of  Scripture, Tradition and Reason

Scripture, Tradition and Reason- 3 Key Ingredients

Scripture

Anglicans share a love and respect for Holy Scripture (the Holy Bible inclusive of both the Old and New Testaments).  One of the ways we describe the importance of Scripture is by saying that we believe it “contains all things necessary for salvation.”  Enter any Anglican Church anywhere in the world on any day of the week  and readings from the Bible will be central in the worship service.  

Tradition

Anglican Christians also continue to offer the worship of the Church that has been handed on sine the days following the Apostles. Many and the prayers we use, rituals and statements of the Christian faith are the bedrock of Christianity and remain unchanged to this day. Thus the prayers that we use, the Scriptures we preach the declarations we make  such as the Nicene Creed and the Apostle’s Creed are essential expressions of the Christian faith since he earliest of days. We believe they unite us to Christians who came before us and continue to guide us.  Our liturgy ( the way we worship)  speaks to our understanding of God as Trinitarian – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit  – and of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah who through his life, death and resurrection, continues to give us new life.  Anglicans hold the Sacramental life as an essential to Spiritual Formation where from birth to death the seven Sacraments of the Church mark  and strengthen us for the journey of faith in this life.   Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation are known as the Sacraments of Initiation into the Christian community; through them we share in the death and resurrection of Christ and receive new life in him. On Sundays when you visit you will experience the community gathered for the Holy Eucharist the outward sign of bread and wine reflects the inward grace of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ; in the sharing of the bread and wine in the Eucharist we are united to Christ and one another.  

Reason

Faithfulness to Scripture and tradition doesn’t mean the Anglican church is static!  Rather, God gives us reason–imagination, critical thinking, inventiveness, and compassion–to respond to a changing world:   Tradition is never static. It needs both the ancient texts for grounding, and reason – imagination – to give it life. And so we use the gift of Reason to help us to have spiritual  discipline and guideposts in our freedom to explore how the faith can be lived. But it needs both Word and Tradition to give it a strong and faithful foundation to function.