Dear COA Family,
Just recently, we had our Leaders Retreat, and one topic that I addressed was the happenings in our global Anglican Communion and our response towards them. But amidst the current turmoil, many in the church are asking, “What do they matter to us?”
To answer that, let me share my thoughts by describing:
What is so distinctive or special about Anglicanism?
1. Our liturgy is not personality-based but biblically based.
Let’s face it – every church, even independent and non-denominational ones, has a liturgy. It is simply the way we worship. It not only includes the words we use but also the structure of our gathering. This is essential for human worship together because without that, no one will know and understand what we are doing! People will shun the church. The Anglican Church uses a liturgy that is biblically based, historically rooted and participative in nature, which differs from churches where pastors or speakers lead off the cuff. We believe that our liturgy, practised over a long period of time, serves to disciple us and root us deeply in the Christian faith.
2. Our emphasis on Sacraments compared to others
More than any other Protestant denomination, sacraments play an important role in Anglican worship and life. For example, the Holy Communion service is the principal and most important service for us. Within each service, the prayers, word and singing lead us to meet and encounter the Lord at the Table. That is the high point of our worship.
More importantly, Anglicans maintain a sacramental view towards life. This means that God is involved in every aspect of our lives and blesses us with his protection, grace, wisdom and favour in all that we do. This is why we have services written for the most significant events in our lives: weddings, childbirths, home and workplace blessings, hospital stays, wakes and funerals. Every conceivable action, word and thought is to be done to glorify God and invoke his blessing. This differs significantly from the modern understanding and practice of many Christians of the clear separation of the sacred from the secular.
3. Our deep and intentional involvement in Social Services
The Anglican Church does not believe in practising our faith in a vacuum. We do not cater only to the needs of our church members. Instead, we believe that in sharing the gospel, we are called to witness the love of God and the salvation of Christ to the wider community through our deeds. We put our beliefs into action by engaging in pre-school care, student care in academic institutions, family and social services, medical care and elderly care – all key aspects of our human lives. In this way, we are saying that we are not retreating from society into our protected space but wrestling with the needs of the world.
This is why we in the Church of the Ascension do not simply serve our members. In our ministry structure, we have chaplaincy involvement in preschools, schools, and nursing homes, as well as in overseas missions, as part of the life of the church. These are outside of our church life. We support the pastoral workers who are serving in these ministries with our giving, which is not insubstantial. We actively call for church volunteers to lead and serve in teaching and helping with the needs of the community we serve. I am thankful for many of you who have answered the call. This speaks greatly of our emphasis on life outside the church.
4. Our understanding of the local church as a parish
A parish, in its original understanding, is the church which serves the neighbourhood within which it is situated. It not only serves its own members. This explains why we are so actively involved in outreach to our Potong Pasir and Bidadari communities. They are our immediate neighbourhoods. Long ago, the Church of the Ascension served as a place of refuge for the residents who experienced severe flooding.
Today, we have the St Andrew’s Village Community Projects (SAVCPs), a joint initiative by all three village parishes, which continues to work to reach out to the community. We have annual prayer walks for the community. And our upcoming Christmas outreach (our Christmas Market and Carols By Candlelight) is focused on bringing the community into the church.
5. Our global structure and connection with other Anglicans
Anglicans currently form the third largest Christian community in the world after the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. There are currently about 100 million Anglicans situated in 165 countries. Almost all continents of the world feature the Anglican Church’s presence. This is a testament to God’s blessing upon us to multiply us to serve his people throughout the world.
All of the Anglican churches are connected by our shared heritage, beliefs and practices. For example, we will all adhere to the 39 Articles of Faith, subscribe to an episcopal form of governance (meaning leadership of Bishops, Priests and Deacons) and affirm our connection with one another. Any confirmed member in any Diocese may partake of Holy Communion in another Diocese. This is a precious gift that helps connect us and gives us an identity to witness and serve in a challenging world.
All of these points speak to us that our distinctives of Anglicanism should not be quickly jettisoned for a non-denominational form of Christianity. We do indeed have something special to share with the wider Christian community. We do not insist that we are the only “right” way of following Christ, but we contribute towards the wider church our understanding of the faith and the church. And in the end, God uses all of us “members of his body” to work towards the growth of the entire body (1 Corinthians 12:27).
In view of that, what happens in the world does impact us, and we should stay alert and keep watch with prayer for discernment and God’s leading for our Communion worldwide.
God bless,
Revd Ian