The first time I attended a bible study with what would become the founders of St. Anselm Anglican Church, our priest Fr. Sean asked me, “What is your story?” It was a small group, maybe only 3 or 4 people, gathered in Fr. Sean’s living room in front of a comfortable fire. I don’t really remember what I said - probably some mixture of my growing up in the Evangelical Friends Church, my discovery of the Anglican tradition in college, my work as a paralegal, my recent move to the Cleveland area. But I remember the question.
St. Anselm Anglican is a liturgical church. But what does that mean? It’s not (just) about the words we say, or the Book of Common Prayer, or the hymns we sing, or the incense we sling. The word “liturgy” comes from an ancient Greek word, meaning “work of the people.” This is by no means to say that we believe that you need to work hard enough to be granted God’s grace! Instead, one of the ways we understand it is our communion as the body of Christ. We have been called to be the hands and feet and ears and noses of Christ - to go out to do the work he has given us to do, and to not go alone. Our worship on Sunday mornings is indeed liturgical. It is an offering, in community, of thanksgiving and praise to our Lord, to acknowledge our sins, to be assured of our forgiveness, and to take part in the Blessed Sacrament. But our liturgy, our community, does not end there.
To truly understand the ways God has worked through St. Anselm these past 10 years, it’s important to hear the stories of our people. After all, that’s a good portion of the Bible - the stories of the imperfect people God worked in and through, and His deep abiding love for all humankind. As we approach our anniversary next month, we’ll be sharing some of our experiences over the past decade on our church blog.
Christian psychiatrist Dr. Curt Thompson said, “In a world in which we experience such deep desire and such great grief, we find coursing through all of it our unquenchable longing to be known.” So we invite you to know us - the stories of the imperfect people who have been blessed by God and St. Anselm Anglican Church. And, if you’re willing, we invite you to be known as well - by us, and by a God who already knows each hair on your head, each secret shame, each day of your life, and loves you.
So. What is your story?
About the Author
Holly Shaheen is a Lay Catechist at St. Anselm Anglican Church, and served on the first Mission Council for Lakewood Anglican. She lives in Lakewood with her husband Seth, son Jonah, and cat Roxie.