Anglican Essentials Class 1 (4 pages)

The Context of Anglican Worship and Doctrine

Creation

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  (Genesis 1:29)

Fall and Redemption

Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all. He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world. (Book of Common Prayer, 1979)                                                                                                                                                          

The Church

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. … Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27)

The End of the Age

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. (Book of Common Prayer)

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