Anglican practices and rituals are primarily found in the Book of Common Prayer, the prayer book of Anglicanism, which helps define Anglican beliefs and worship practices on every level. The book is almost as important as the Bible itself to Anglicans. The Book of Common Prayer, which defines the “common”
The Baptist denomination is the largest free church denomination in the world with 43 million members. It is one of the largest Protestant Free Church denominations. More than 75 percent of all Baptists – about 33 million – live in America. There are about 216,000 Baptists in Great Britain, 850,000
The Catholic Church, known as the Roman Catholic Church, has well over one billion members, about one-sixth of the world’s population. It’s the world’s largest Christian denomination. It’s also the largest organized body of any world religion. Catholics are led by the Pope, also known as the Bishop of Rome,
Lutheranism is not a single entity. It is organized in autonomous regional or national churches. Globally, there are some 150 such Lutheran church bodies. Lutheranism is one of the largest Protestant denominations. It is also the oldest Protestant denomination. Lutheranism retains much of the tradition of the ancient and medieval
There are Methodist Churches in nearly every country in the world and global membership numbers about 70 million in 138 countries. The World Methodist Council (WMC), an association of churches in the Methodist tradition, comprises more than 40.5 million Methodists. There are at least 19 Wesleyan Methodist denominations in the
My subject for today—the encounter of Saul with the prophet Samuel in 1 Sam 15—is not a stand-alone presentation. It is intended to set up a comparison with David’s encounter with the prophet Nathan in 2 Sam 12, to which I will turn in the next essay. My claim is
What happens when the place you’ve always loved suddenly feels foreign? In this deeply vulnerable episode, Amber Astle shares her first temple experience—and how it left her feeling confused, betrayed, and ashamed instead of uplifted. Together, we explore the tension between expectations and reality, grappling with difficult questions, and what
By Daniella Garber [About the author] I grew up in a small city nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. As a small child, I was fixated on a rock formation on the side of one of those mountains that, to me, looked exactly like Noah’s ark. I was certain that was
When Farris Turner attended the Global Worker Gathering, she didn’t expect to leave with a calling. As one of our Global Workers shared on stage, a question pressed into her heart: What if you were a Global Worker? Why don’t you go? Her first response wasn’t bold confidence. It was
Gallup Poll: Fewer than half of Americans say religion is ‘very important’ in their lives President Trump said he was ‘bringing back religion,’ but the latest Gallup Poll shows no evidence of that. The Real Reason Women Are Walking Away From Church Beth Moore talks about leaving the SBC a
In the first part of this three-part essay, we considered some basic elements of a theology of reparation, a theme that is rooted in scripture, developed by Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas, among many others, and holds a central place in Catholic doctrine as set forth in the Catechism of the
Maurine In the chapters in Genesis that should be about Isaac, he hardly shows up. He plays a surprisingly passive role, which leads you to think how much we’re missing in his story. After all this is the son, who willingly went with Abraham to be sacrificed and therefore was
This post published on June, 12, 2025, and was updated on February 27, 2026. NEWLY UPDATED PREACHING AND HYMN SUGGESTION RESOURCE: To assist worshiping communities using the provisional alternative lectionary texts beginning in year A, a resource with preaching guidance and hymn suggestions is now available. If you accessed this