Trinity Episcopal Church-McArthur, Ohio

08/13/2026

Holy Communion, also referred to as the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist, is a central Christian practice rooted in the ministry and teaching of Jesus Christ. The New Testament presents Communion as a memorial of Christ’s death, participation in His covenant, an expression of Christian unity, and an act requiring reverence and self-examination.

The institution of Holy Communion is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. In Matthew 26:26–28, Jesus takes bread and wine and identifies them with His body and blood, connecting the cup with “the blood of the covenant.” Mark 14:22–24 provides a parallel account, while Luke 22:19–20 records Jesus’ command, “Do this in remembrance of me.” These passages establish the foundational connection between Communion, Christ’s sacrificial death, and the new covenant.

Paul provides the earliest extended theological treatment of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 10–11. In 1 Corinthians 10:16–17, participation in the bread and cup is described as participation in Christ’s body and blood. Paul also emphasizes the unity of believers, arguing that because Christians share one bread, they constitute one body. Thus, Communion has both a Christological and communal dimension.

In 1 Corinthians 11:23–26, Paul repeats the tradition concerning Jesus’ institution of the Supper and emphasizes its commemorative and proclamatory character. Believers are instructed to participate in remembrance of Christ, while the celebration itself “proclaims the Lord’s death until he comes.” Communion therefore connects the Christian community with both the historical sacrifice of Christ and the anticipated fulfillment associated with His return.

The same chapter emphasizes the seriousness of participation. 1 Corinthians 11:27–29 instructs believers to examine themselves and warns against receiving the bread and cup in an unworthy manner. In its immediate context, Paul’s concern includes divisions and abuses within the Corinthian congregation. Communion is therefore not merely an individual religious experience but an ecclesial practice requiring appropriate treatment of fellow believers.

The practice of breaking bread also appears prominently in the life of the early Church. Acts 2:42 identifies “the breaking of bread” among the activities to which the first Christians devoted themselves, while Acts 2:46 describes their continued fellowship and breaking of bread. Acts 20:7 likewise associates the gathering of believers on the first day of the week with breaking bread. These passages demonstrate the importance of communal meals and worship practices in early Christianity.

John 6:51–58, which contains Jesus’ teaching concerning eating His flesh and drinking His blood, has also played an important role in Christian theological interpretation of Communion. Although scholars and Christian traditions differ concerning the precise relationship between this passage and the Eucharist, its imagery contributes significantly to the broader biblical theology of Christ as the source of spiritual life.

08/05/2026

The Uniqueness of Anglicanism

Anglicanism is unique because it combines the best of the Catholic and Protestant traditions while remaining firmly rooted in the Bible. It is often called the via media ("middle way") because it values Scripture as the highest authority while also respecting the wisdom of the early Church and the use of reason.

As Richard Ho**er stated, "What Scripture plainly delivers, to that the first place both of credit and obedience is due."

Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, Anglicanism does not recognize the Pope as its supreme authority. At the same time, it preserves the historic ministry of bishops and a rich liturgical tradition through the Book of Common Prayer. This balance of biblical teaching, historic worship, and apostolic continuity makes Anglicanism distinct from other Christian churches.

06/19/2026

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VIA MEDIA: IS ANGLICANISM JUST SITTING ON THE FENCE?

Is Anglicanism unable to make up its mind? Is the famous Anglican idea of Via Media simply a polite way of avoiding hard choices? Is it a compromise between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism?

Many people think so. Some assume that Anglicanism stands somewhere in the middle because it is uncertain of what it believes. Others imagine that Anglicans take a little from one side and a little from another side in order to keep everyone happy.

But that is not what the Anglican Via Media means.

The Latin phrase Via Media simply means "the middle way." Unfortunately, many people hear the word "middle" and immediately think of weakness, indecision, or compromise. They imagine someone standing between two opposing groups because he is afraid to choose a side.

The Anglican understanding is very different.

The Via Media is not the middle point between truth and error. It is not a fifty-fifty mixture of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. It is not an attempt to water down Christian doctrine so that nobody gets offended.

Rather, the Via Media is the search for the fullness of Christian truth as found in Scripture, the witness of the early Church, and the historic faith once delivered to the saints.

When the English Reformation took place in the sixteenth century, Anglican reformers faced a difficult challenge. They believed that some teachings and practices that had developed in medieval Western Christianity needed correction. At the same time, they were not willing to throw away everything that the Church had received through centuries of Christian history.

They wanted reform without destruction. They wanted renewal without revolution.

The result was not a new religion. It was an attempt to recover the faith and practice of the ancient Church while correcting abuses that had emerged over time.

This is why Anglicanism retained bishops, liturgical worship, the historic creeds, and a strong sense of continuity with the Church throughout the ages. At the same time, Anglicanism emphasized the authority of Scripture, worship in the language of the people, and the doctrine of justification by faith.

The goal was not to stand halfway between Rome and Geneva. The goal was to stand firmly upon the foundation of the apostolic Church.

Many Anglican theologians have therefore argued that the Via Media is not a geographical middle point. It is a theological method.

It is a way of seeking balance without sacrificing truth. It is a way of holding together things that Scripture itself holds together.

For example, Anglicans believe in both Scripture and Tradition. Scripture remains supreme because it contains all things necessary to salvation. Yet tradition is respected because the Holy Spirit has guided the Church throughout history.

This is not compromise. It is Christian wisdom.

Anglicans believe in both faith and good works. We are saved by grace through faith, yet genuine faith produces holy living and obedience.

Again, this is not compromise. It is simply accepting the whole witness of Scripture.

Anglicans believe in both personal conversion and sacramental life. We value the individual's relationship with Christ, but we also recognize that God works through the visible life and worship of the Church.

This is not confusion. It is completeness.

The Via Media recognizes that truth is often larger than our favorite theological slogans. Sometimes Christians create false choices where Scripture creates none.

The Bible does not force us to choose between order and freedom. It does not force us to choose between intellect and spirituality. It does not force us to choose between ancient faith and contemporary mission.

The Anglican tradition seeks to hold these things together.

This is one reason Anglicanism has often been described as both Catholic and Reformed. Some misunderstand this language and think it is a contradiction.

It is not.

Anglicans are Catholic because we stand within the universal Church, confess the ancient creeds, maintain the historic episcopate, and celebrate the sacraments. Anglicans are Reformed because we affirm the authority of Scripture and embrace the biblical reforms of the sixteenth century.

These identities are not enemies. They belong together.

The Via Media therefore should not be imagined as a person standing helplessly in the middle of a road. It is better imagined as a bridge connecting treasures that others have unnecessarily separated.

It is not a refusal to choose. It is a deliberate choice to embrace the fullness of Christian truth.

Of course, Anglicanism has not always lived up to this ideal. Throughout history there have been tensions, disagreements, and internal conflicts.

Yet the principle remains important.

The Via Media reminds us that Christianity is often richer and deeper than our partisan camps. It challenges us to think beyond simple labels and to seek the wisdom of the whole Church.

In an age of extremes, where people are constantly pressured to choose one side or another, the Anglican Via Media offers a different path. It calls Christians not to settle for half-truths, but to pursue the fullness of the faith revealed in Jesus Christ.

So the next time someone says Anglicanism is merely "in the middle," remember this: the Via Media is not about indecision. It is about holding together what God has joined together and refusing to abandon one truth in order to defend another.

Let us continue to teach young Anglicans these things so that they know who they are and what we believe. This is why I authored this book: "The 39 Articles of Religion for Young Anglicans."

We have indeed received a deeply rich and scripturally balanced faith in Anglicanism. And we must continue to teach and uphold this beautiful heritage.

05/30/2026

Join us at Trinity Church located at 202 West High St., McArthur, Ohio. Experience meaningful, traditional worship 2nd Sunday of the month at 11AM and the 4th Sunday of the month at 2PM. All are welcome to come together in faith and community.

05/30/2026

Look how gorgeous! An image of Trinity with a little help from Ai.

05/19/2026

“Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it did not matter.”

There aren’t too many church buildings in our area as old as or crafted with the timeless beauty like that of Trinity Church. (1882)

The beauty of churches can be a tool for mission, acting as “theology in stone and wood”.

At Trinity we think the beauty of our building, our vestments, and our liturgy, act as a perpetual “sursum corda”, lifting our hearts from the worries of our daily lives, to the bliss of Heaven, to which we are called, and for which we strive.

May we all try and return beauty to our lives, our churches, and our world, and, in doing so, give glory to God, who is the source and summit of all beauty and truth.

05/07/2026

✝️𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗦… 𝗜𝗧 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘

The Holy Mass is not something you “attend” casually…

It is something you enter.

It is the highest act of worship on earth.

✝️ THE MASS IS A SACRIFICE
• It is the re presentation (making present) of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross
• Not a new sacrifice, but the one eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ
• Offered to God the Father for the salvation of the world

✝️ THE MASS IS A BANQUET
• It is also a sacred meal
• The faithful receive the Eucharist
• Christ feeds His people with His own Body and Blood

✝️ THE MASS IS A MEMORIAL
• Not a memory in the ordinary sense
• A living remembrance that makes Christ’s saving work present
• The Cross is not repeated—it is made present

✝️ THE MASS IS A CELEBRATION
• The Church rejoices in Christ’s victory over sin and death
• It is a celebration of salvation, not entertainment
• Heaven and earth unite in worship

✝️ WHAT THE MASS IS NOT
• Not a time for planning your day
• Not a moment for distractions like food, work, or worries
• Not something passive or casual

It demands presence.

Interior attention.

Reverence.

✝️ 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛
• When Mass begins, you step into sacred mystery
• You are not watching something happen… you are participating in it

Heaven touches earth.

✝️ 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥
• Lord, help me to be fully present at Mass
• Remove distractions from my heart
• And teach me to worship You with faith and love

Amen.

Ignatius Catholicum ✍️✝️

05/04/2026

Be the Church when the music fades and the lights go out.
When there’s no stage, no mic, no spotlight. Only real people with real needs.

Be the Church in quiet conversations, in patient listening, in choosing compassion over convenience.
In the unseen moments where kindness costs you something, but love compels you anyway.

Be the Church in how you forgive, how you serve, how you show up when it’s easier to walk away.
Not just in what you say on Sunday, but in how you live on Monday.

04/11/2026

Please join us tomorrow at 11 a.m. as we continue to celebrate (for the next 7 weeks) the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. See you there!

04/06/2026