St Jude's In The Mountains
Anglican Church - Tehachapi CA
Anglican Church - Tehachapi CA
2
We have just concluded a three-year journey into the heart of what it is to be Anglican Christians. With the first article in August 2007, we started exploring the history of the Anglican Reformation. Since then we covered over 300 years of history, seeing the hand of God on the English people, taking note of the miraculous people and events that built the Church we are now part of. Through it we have seen our Lord's mercy prevail, opening our eyes to His mercy at work even today.
Though people can group the years of the Anglican Reformation any way they like, I prefer to take note of eight eras, identified with eight significant events and/or people. The first era would be the pre-reformation, noted by the life of John Wycliffe (1334-1384), denounced after his death for the crime of translating the Bible into English. This era saw the Church suffering under Medieval superstition and political intrigue as people found themselves exploited through empty religion. The next era could be called the Henrican era, noted by the reign of Henry VIII and his secession from Rome completed by 1536, establishing the Church of England as a distinct faith community, independent from Rome. Then followed what I call the Cranmerian era, when reformation theology prevailed under the influence of Thomas Cranmer, culminating in the 1549 and 1552 editions of the Book of Common Prayer. After this came the Counter-Reformation in England, noted by the terrible reign of Mary Tudor and the martyrdom of Archbishop Cranmer, William Laud and other important reformers. Then followed the Elizabethan era, noted by the reign of Elizabeth I, and her Elizabethan Settlement established in the 1559 Book of Common Prayer and the 39 Articles of Religion. This era also included the great work of theologian John Hooker, as well as the rise of the Puritan movement. Afterward came the tragic Laudian era, where Archbishop William Laud presided over a church on the verge of revolution in the wake of oppressive rule. Then we saw the tragic age of Cromwellian Revolution, were Oliver Cromwell led Parliament to displace royal authority, executing King Charles I in 1649, leaving the Anglican Church weak for the thirty years that followed. We concluded our journey with what I call the culmination of the Anglican Reformation. This era began with the Glorious Revolution which defeated Franco-Roman efforts to rule England as a Roman Catholic state through James II, and instead William III became King with Queen Mary II, and the English Bill of Rights was passed and signed into law. Thus has been the Church's journey of darkness and light.
Today we face an age where people don't seem to care very much about history. We as a culture seem more interested in ourselves and the latest trend and opinions. We risk losing sight of all that was sacrificed for the sake of the Gospel. We also risk forgetting the precious heritage our church was founded on, that we are blessed to partake of each Sunday. Most importantly, we risk forgetting the tremendous and life-changing power of the Gospel through a faith relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the One who inspired John Wycliffe to offer His Word to the English people. He is the One who guided England out of the clutches of Roman Catholic oppression. He is the One who inspired worship in the tradition of the Early Church for the first time in the English language. He is the One who brought the best minds of the day to understand the things of God in the days of Elizabeth I. He is the One who guided the Church of England through the dark days of the English Civil War. He is the One who preserved liberty for his Church in the age that followed. May we live into His blessings this day and always!
Though people can group the years of the Anglican Reformation any way they like, I prefer to take note of eight eras, identified with eight significant events and/or people. The first era would be the pre-reformation, noted by the life of John Wycliffe (1334-1384), denounced after his death for the crime of translating the Bible into English. This era saw the Church suffering under Medieval superstition and political intrigue as people found themselves exploited through empty religion. The next era could be called the Henrican era, noted by the reign of Henry VIII and his secession from Rome completed by 1536, establishing the Church of England as a distinct faith community, independent from Rome. Then followed what I call the Cranmerian era, when reformation theology prevailed under the influence of Thomas Cranmer, culminating in the 1549 and 1552 editions of the Book of Common Prayer. After this came the Counter-Reformation in England, noted by the terrible reign of Mary Tudor and the martyrdom of Archbishop Cranmer, William Laud and other important reformers. Then followed the Elizabethan era, noted by the reign of Elizabeth I, and her Elizabethan Settlement established in the 1559 Book of Common Prayer and the 39 Articles of Religion. This era also included the great work of theologian John Hooker, as well as the rise of the Puritan movement. Afterward came the tragic Laudian era, where Archbishop William Laud presided over a church on the verge of revolution in the wake of oppressive rule. Then we saw the tragic age of Cromwellian Revolution, were Oliver Cromwell led Parliament to displace royal authority, executing King Charles I in 1649, leaving the Anglican Church weak for the thirty years that followed. We concluded our journey with what I call the culmination of the Anglican Reformation. This era began with the Glorious Revolution which defeated Franco-Roman efforts to rule England as a Roman Catholic state through James II, and instead William III became King with Queen Mary II, and the English Bill of Rights was passed and signed into law. Thus has been the Church's journey of darkness and light.
Today we face an age where people don't seem to care very much about history. We as a culture seem more interested in ourselves and the latest trend and opinions. We risk losing sight of all that was sacrificed for the sake of the Gospel. We also risk forgetting the precious heritage our church was founded on, that we are blessed to partake of each Sunday. Most importantly, we risk forgetting the tremendous and life-changing power of the Gospel through a faith relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the One who inspired John Wycliffe to offer His Word to the English people. He is the One who guided England out of the clutches of Roman Catholic oppression. He is the One who inspired worship in the tradition of the Early Church for the first time in the English language. He is the One who brought the best minds of the day to understand the things of God in the days of Elizabeth I. He is the One who guided the Church of England through the dark days of the English Civil War. He is the One who preserved liberty for his Church in the age that followed. May we live into His blessings this day and always!
