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Of the three Anglican churches I attend with regularity, although semi-detached I am most involved (including my children's activities) with one that is evangelical and protestant.
Since I am sure that evangelical protestants have a fully valid path to salvation, the question arises why I also (apparently) 'need' to worship at an Anglo-Catholic and an old-fashioned BCP-using Anglican church.
What do I miss in an excellent evangelical Anglican church that these other churches provide?
In no particular order:
1. A full, traditional Anglican liturgy, in 'traditional language' and with formal, composed prayers and collects.
2. Frequent holy communion, and the attitude that this is a sacred rite.
3. Saints, as an ideal for life, mentioned in prayer.
4. Theosis - the idea that different people are by different degrees advanced in holiness - leading up to Saints but including various levels of spiritual advisers.
5. Monasticism and the life of 'a religious' - conceived as the ideal path, potentially the highest path (but with greater spiritual hazards than a lay life): the idea of monks as spiritual leaders.
6. The recognition that we live in a world populated by a multitude of intermediate spirits (angels and demons) between man and God - that things like the sun, moon, stars, major landscape phenomena, nations, human associations, and individuals have their own angelic 'guardians' or intelligences.
7. Veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
8. Prayers for the dead.
9. Making the sign of the cross.
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NOTE - Although not the subject of this post, I suppose I ought to mention what I do get from evangelical Anglicanism! Primarily, sound Biblical teaching and prayer - and this as a consequence of courage and vigour in the faith. Optimism, energy, humour; youth and families - the sense of a proper church demographic. Evangelism (obviously). Tough virtuousness.
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