The Anglican Use liturgy is found in the Book of Divine Worship (or BDW for short). The BDW is very much like the Book of Common Prayer (or BCP for short), which in its various forms is familiar to all Anglicans around the world. The BDW is essentially a compilation and revision of elements from both the 1928 BCP and the 1979 BCP in use in the Episcopal Church. The BDW contains traditional and contemporary language services for Morning and Evening Prayer, the Eucharist, Baptism, Matrimony, and Burial, as well as two versions of the Psalter, a traditional version of the Litany, a Calendar, and a Lectionary. It is a complete book of liturgy for Catholics who come from the Anglican tradition.
Considered from the Catholic perspective, the Anglican Use liturgy is an approved variation of the Ordinary Form of the Latin Rite. It is one of many different liturgical traditions that may be found within the Catholic Church. In terms of its tone and character, the Anglican Use liturgy falls in between the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy, that is, in between the English mass and the Latin mass, the Novus Ordo and the Tridentine, respectively. Imagine the Latin mass translated into traditional English (thee, thou, etc.) and simplified somewhat. Fill this picture out with strong preaching and congregational singing, and this is the Anglican Use.
If we extend the vision a little more, we see a parish family alive in Christ, celebrating this beautiful and moving liturgy, offering Christian education for all ages, growing deeper in the Faith and in charity, and drawing many people home to the Catholic Church – this is our vision for Saint Paul’s Anglican Use.
Our motto, “To unite all things in Christ,” is taken from the Letter to the Ephesians. In context we read, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us. For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (1:3-10, RSV).
God the Father’s purpose and plan is to unite all things in Christ, his Son. This is “the mystery of his will,” which he has revealed to us, and which he will accomplish in “the fulness of time.” In fact, this unity in Christ has been our destiny since “before the foundation of the world” and has been “freely bestowed on us” and “lavished upon us” in love. We participate in this unity now through our redemption, through the forgiveness of our sins, which was accomplished through the blood of Jesus. Therefore, we live a new life in Christ, “holy and blameless,” blessed with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
Now, this is a statement of the gospel! By taking this as our motto, we are saying that our mission is the gospel. Our goal is to work according to God’s purpose and plan “to unite all things in Christ.”
In Greek the phrase reads, anakefalaiwsasqai ta panta en tw cristw. This might be literally translated as “to put again under the headship all things in Christ” or better “to reunite all things under the headship of Christ.” Or we might say again, “to reunite all people under the headship of Christ.” And what is the significance of the words, “under the headship of Christ”? It is the fact that all people are called to become members of Christ’s body, the body of which he himself is the head. And what is this body? It is the Church.
More specifically, then, our goal is “to reunite all people in the Church.” And this unity, when it is accomplished, will be a re-union. It will be a reunion of all the children of God from every corner of the earth in the loving embrace of Mother Church.
Our name, Saint Paul’s Anglican Use, is meant to describe who we are even as we continue to grow into who we hope to be. We are Saint Paul’s fellowship now. Before too long we hope to become Saint Paul’s mission and then ultimately Saint Paul’s Catholic Church. But which Saint Paul’s Catholic Church? Saint Paul’s Anglican Use. Our full name will be Saint Paul’s Anglican Use Catholic Church, or maybe Saint Paul’s Catholic Church – Anglican Use. Either way. We are named after Saint Paul because we formed in this year of Saint Paul and because we hope to reach out to our brothers and sisters in the Anglican and other Protestant traditions. We have a missionary character and a sanctifying purpose. Retaining elements of the Anglican tradition within the Catholic Church is not intended as an act of historic preservation (though it is this, too), but as a way for those who have been nurtured in this tradition to grow more deeply in the Faith and closer to Christ. May the Lord use the Anglican Use as a true “bridge,” helping many to come home to the Catholic Church.