A Method Amidst the Madness – Inspiration for Living the Inspired Life 

In order to rebuild and restore what is lost, we must provide a firm and steady foundation upon the rock of Christ in a world gone mad. We cannot build new institutions, nor trust old ones, unless the men and women are working from a solid discipline and desire to become saintly and not merely saints-in-name-only. How can Anglican Christians – or Christians of any stripe for that matter – transform themselves, their homes, and their parishes? By pursuing Christ through the prayerbook life. 

The world needs enchantment, but it requires enchanters. Lost and abandoned to its own whims and sin, the world disenchants and detaches itself from reality by either pursuing cookie-cutter industrialism, the AI “slopfest” zeitgeist, or reinventing pagan and wiccan practices in a disjointed attempt to disembody itself, all the while dismembering civilization. People in the pews and nonbelieving neighbors need inspiration to live the inspired life. Without Christ, nothing is inspiring, only vain attempts to seek after the mist and dare to grasp it, only to fail. Until finally, one loses interest in reaching for the mist in vain and gives into the drudgery of meaningless wrapped in earthly distractions. 

We need guidance. A method to combat the madness. Inspiration for living the inspired life. 

Three centuries ago this year, two undergraduates faced the same challenges. They lived in an era where the Church preferred latitude to suit society over loyalty to the loving Lord. The kingdom was Christian in its veneer but vapid in submitting to the Savior. Out of this malaise, the Holy Club at Oxford was slowly growing and gathering a few aspiring Church of England clergy and future Moravian bishops who had one goal in mind: faithfully and zealously living the prayerbook life.  

These faithful young men would be derided for their commitment to living the letter of the prayerbook life. In an age when holy communion was infrequently celebrated and rarely received, these young men sought weekly communion, fasting not only every Friday (per the prayerbook’s rubric) but also on Wednesday (drawing from the early church’s practice), and celebrating the feast days. Is it any wonder these Christian brothers were not only mocked as a “Holy Club” but also as “Sacramentarians”? 

They are better known to us by another derogatory name, “Methodists,” because of their intense focus upon living out the Christian rule of life embodied in the prayerbook. Before you cease further reading and assume I am calling for a little more Methodism in Anglicanism, hear me out. The Holy Club consisted of faithful men who overwhelmingly remained within the Church of England and did not seek to create a denomination, much less a movement. But a movement they did create, much to the chagrin of the Latitudinarian bishops and clergy who opposed them. Their prayerful attempt to live a holy life under the prayerbook’s tutelage would revive the souls of many saints. 

Yet the Holy Club was not perfectly in sync nor always of the same members. It consisted of clergy who would vigorously disagree over English Arminianism and Calvinism, while remaining united under a common method: faithfulness to Christ through living the prayerbook life. Adopting a serious rule, as they did, would revitalize not merely the clergy but the laity as well. Their serious intent upon performing works of mercy benefited not only the recipients of good works but also spread the gospel to those with ears to hear. Is it any wonder that the methodical Anglicans were prominent in drawing in converts in the Americas and reviving the dormancy of nominal Christianity in England? 

Therefore, let’s revisit the methods of these Anglicans and ask ourselves, as we near pre-Lent and Gesimatide, how we can incorporate their rule of prayerbook life into our own personal, family, and parish life? 

The Holy Club members were Methodist-Anglicans, and though admittedly not all remained within the Church of England, most did. Regardless, their rule was committed to the Anglican formularies. The members read Holy Scripture daily. They were advocates of complete adherence and obedience to the Book of Common Prayer and received their understanding of Scripture’s meaning both through the Articles of Religion and the Books of Homilies, which were also regularly read and consulted. In other words, they were “formulary men,” who were rooted in the rubrics of the prayerbook life. 

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The Word of God inspired them to live life in two chief manners: faithfully receiving the means of grace through the sacrament in the Church and living holy lives, providing works of mercy to those with whom they came in contact and beyond. These men would go out and find those in need by educating the youth, visiting the prisoners, encouraging the sick, and loving the impoverished. They raised funds and gave away their own alms for the benefit of those needing aid. 

Their methods included a pure obedience to fasting on Fridays (and adding Wednesdays), denying their physical needs to shape their spiritual needs. While they denied their stomach’s satisfaction of their physical hunger, they shaped their souls to hunger for devouring the Word of God and to draw attention to the need to fill the hungry bellies of their neighbors around them.  

This application of the prayerbook life was viewed as rigorous in their own lifetimes and probably radical in our own age. But friends, should we not endeavor to be devoted to our Lord, our Savior, our Master? These Methodist-Anglicans nobly set their hearts and minds to simple obedience in the prayerbook life, not to glory in their flesh, but to be transformed into the image of their Savior. We could do far worse; I fear, though, we do far too little. 

The Holy Club practiced not only reading and studying Scripture, but also the prayerbook’s catechism, Books of Homilies, other Christian writers, and even classical literature. John Wesley’s examen became a popular instrument by which the individual could orient and judge their intentions daily. These simple 22 questions are fit for today and applicable even in the 21st Century.  

Prayer was of utmost importance, along with daily reading of Scripture. In addition to praying the daily offices, there was a stress upon modeling St. Paul’s admonition to pray without ceasing, and the Methodist-Anglicans were known for praying frequently and interceding on behalf of those in need. This was sadly scandalous to some in the Church and society, with the term “enthusiasm” used derogatorily against them. While we may chuckle internally that this would give cause for scandal, let us pause and consider when the last time we prayed – audibly – for those we encounter, much less for those whom we love? 

I write not to convict, but to encourage, for this small group of dedicated men would go on to change Anglicanism on both sides of the pond, spur a movement, convert souls, and rekindle the once dwindling fire of nominal Christianity in many men and women. And they did so by simply living the prayerbook life. Truly, there’s nothing radical in this recipe beyond intentional living. It can be done again and must be done again to revitalize, rejuvenate, and repopulate an aging church adrift and aping after culture more than conforming to Christ. 

“Be steady. The Christian faith will surely revive in this kingdom; you shall see it, though I shall not.” 

– Samuel Wesley to Charles, while on his deathbed in 1735 

The call is not for Anglicans to become Methodists nor change their theology into Wesleyanism. The call is: the early Methodists, and the ones who remained loyal sons of the Church of England, were on to something. Simply follow the rule of life that is the prayerbook and submit ourselves to Christ through becoming more like Him by following our formularies, which are rooted in the Holy Scriptures and the ancient Church. 

Parishioners, I encourage you to model the prayerbook life by praying it, reading Scripture, fasting, feasting, examining oneself, and doing acts of mercy daily. Conform no more to the world, but instead conform to Christ and pursue Him and Him alone through the Swiss Army knife of the soul, the prayerbook life. Let it order you and reorient you to face east towards Jesus. 

To this end, and in the spirit of Gesimatide and Lent approaching, consider adapting and adopting the 22-question personal examen as a way to begin living the prayerbook life. There are already excellent resources for 2019 ACNA Book of Common Prayer users, such as the Bernard Breviary, which also includes its own examen. Yet it and the Anglican Office Book are out of the average person’s price range and can be quite intimidating to those already intimidated by their 1928 or 2019 prayerbook. Therefore, consider this resource, as a way to equip, encourage, and motivate others to dive into the prayerbook and its rule of life. Print it out and place it in your prayerbook or Bible and wrestle with the self-examination that spurs us to put Christ first. 

Parents, institute the coming together as a family, as the Holy Club once did as brethren, and lead the prayers so your children may lead them on their own lips. Let the reading of Scripture aloud be normative and not merely an individual devotion. Teach your kids to fast from sin so they will know how to feast upon the Lord and share the bounty of their good works with the neighbors who need them. Catechize your children through hymn-singing, the catechism, and family prayer (found within the 1662 International Edition, 2019 ACNA, and 1928 American Books of Common Prayer). Seasonally focus upon a mission, a project, a need that requires the whole family’s participation, and not only the giving of alms but the giving of time, fellowship, care, and love. It may be working with others to raise funds or food or clothing for relief, it might be cooking and serving at a soup kitchen, or being a loving presence to those forgotten in nursing homes. 

Parishes, utilize the Sunday School/small group/cell group as Holy Clubs, equipped to hold each other up, keep each other accountable, and share the joy of living for Christ while dying to the world. Rectors, equip your laity by raising them up to lead where they are planted. Nourish them with opportunities to have access every vigil, fast, and holy day to pray the offices, study the Scriptures, and use the parish building as a base for operations going forth into parishioners’ homes, their families, and the neighborhoods where they dwell. 

For example, Sunday school classes, small groups, and cell groups could do worse than take up and implement the 1738 guidelines the early Methodists provided for their growing gatherings across Britain and the States. These gatherings of like-minded Anglicans would often meet after Sunday service and before Evening Prayer, and came to be known as “bands” or “societies” within the local parish. They are the inspiration for the weekly groups many churches have instituted across denominational divides. However, more oft than not, these weekly groups are thin on Christ and thick on social visits. Not that social fellowship is bad – quite the opposite – we need more community. But at an effort to rediscover the purpose for gathering is Christ and fellowship, we could do worse than draw inspiration from the early guidelines or even the shorter version as they were adapted and updated by the Wesley brothers in 1743. 

Note that the early Methodist-Anglicans were rooted in parish life, not separate nor apart from it (until they were pressed out in many places, but that’s a story for another day). The Wesley brothers, like the Holy Club they inadvertently created over a decade earlier, stressed parish life and prayerbook practice in their General Rule to budding Methodist societies: 

Thirdly, By attending upon all the ordinances of God: Such are 

The public worship of God; 

The Ministry of the Word, either read or expounded; 

The Supper of the Lord; 

Family and private prayer; 

Searching the Scriptures; and 

Fasting or Abstinence. 

– John Wesley and Charles Wesley, The Nature, Design, and General Rules, of the United Societies, in London, Bristol, Kingswood, and Newcastle upon Tyne. Bristol: printed by Felix Farley, 1743 (2nd edition). 

Personal devotion is always strengthened when brothers and sisters in Christ come together as the Church to worship and come together as the Church facing and fighting the world, flesh, and the devil – together. Hence, small groups are able to pray and support one another in personal trials and temptations while also serving as the frontline for the local parish in Gospel proclamation within the local neighborhood and serving their neighbor in need, whether in prison, shut-ins, nursing homes, or the sick. Together, a small group can adopt a nursing home, a jail, or even a prison. May we take up Gesimatide (pre-Lent) as a practice run for the great Lenten marathon to fast from sin and feast upon godly works to proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection! 

Allow me to leave with you, for your consideration, adaptation, and scrutiny, The Prayerbook Life: An Anglican Rule, that is rooted in the methodical practices of the Anglican Oxford Holy Club and drawing some inspiration from later Methodist societies as a manner to assist your personal, family, and parish in the faithful pursuit of Christ Jesus throughout your daily life: 

The_Prayerbook_Life_An_Anglican_Rule_Of_Life

But wait, there’s more! If you would like a printable half-fold version, simply download the version below and feel free to distribute (of course, please check with your rector before handing them out at your parish!): 

The_Prayerbook_Life_An_Anglican_Rule_Of_Life_Half_Fold (1)

Rome was not built in a day, and neither are new personal devotions nor communal life. It was the same for the early Methodist-Anglicans, who started with two souls, and over the decades saw the ebb and flow of some forty individuals. Remember, only a burning ember is needed to start a wildfire. Let us fan the burning flames of God’s Spirit and allow Him to consume us for His purpose. God is inspiring us by His faithfulness and equipping us by His Holy Spirit to be His faithful servants. Let us go in peace to revitalize, revive, and reenchant our homes, our parishes, and the world through the Scripture-saturated prayerbook that pursues Christ in every aspect of our lives. 

“I have the highest reason to bless God that he has given me two sons together at Oxford, to whom he has given grace and courage to turn the war against the world and the devil, which is the best way to conquer them.” 

– Samuel Wesley in a letter to John, 1730