It has always been a problem to find affordable, high quality, attractive Anglican rosaries. Most of the ones offered on eBay are usually too gawdy, ugly, and--for men at least--too feminine. Price is also a problem for the more desirable ones. However, I found a website that offers a wonderful selection of Anglican rosaries for a good price. Check it out: https://fullcirclebeads.com/ I'm considering getting either the onyx or fossil stone one with the celtic cross.
I have a couple from there! I enjoy mine . I have the Dragonsblood Jasper and Garnet one, and a Malachite one.
I wrote them to see if I could purchase a Canterbury cross; I would like one for a key fob, and I don't want to spend a lot. The few I have seen online as key fobs or jewelry have been fairly expensive.
The onyx one is awesome. I just got my first ones in today. They are kewl, but I think I may like the onyx a bit better. I may have to make another order. lol Thanks for sharing the link. I've had the same problem as you. Believe it or not, I found mine on Etsey of all places.
Got mine recently. I'm not too fond of the design or feel. If anyone is interested, I will sell my black onyx one with the celtic cross for five bucks less than what is asked for on the site, first-class shipping within the USA. I'll include the pouch and box that comes with it. For now, I'll stick with my much simpler olive wood/white rope rosary.
Just a comment: While I have a collection of rosaries (Catholic, as well as Hindu and Buddhist malas, and Islamic prayer beads), I never could acquire the habit of praying the rosary. I find the sets to be overly complicated. My go to is my Orthodox prayer rope, made of wool, and reciting the simple Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me a Sinner." Here is a pic of it, and the bag it came in.
I would find it difficult in good conscience to appropriate islamic or buddhist beads into Anglican practice. Maybe the Dominican rosary and Orthodox rope, but anything not even remotely Christian would make me very uncomfortable. Why do you choose to have non-Christian prayer beads as part of your practice?
You misunderstood me, BibleHoarder. I have a collection of prayer beads from various religions, but I don't use them. I only use the Prayer rope or, occasionally, a Chaplet of the Five Wounds. I have collected religious art and artifacts for years, and that includes the prayer beads from other religions.
I've had mine for about 9 months. They wear in, so to speak, becoming more flexible, and so on. I wish the Celtic cross was more substantial, but that's minor. I often just keep them in my pocket and recite the Jesus prayer. A tangible reminder for an anxious mind.
Well the rosary with the Pater Noster is repetitious and Jesus had some words to say about such prayers: “And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..” (Matthew 6:7-8, translations ASV, NASB 1977, KJV, Berean Literal Bible) Notice that before Jesus shares the Our Father he speaks against repetitious prayers. Just some things to ponder.
I always took this passage to mean not doing this in public to be seen by others so that it would seem that they were 'special' or more holy because of the many words they spoke. Verse 5 states similar about the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and street corners so that others could see purposefully, so as to seem more holy.
Perhaps that is part of the context and a worthy point you have made. However, I think “vain repetitions” is clear in the latter part of the verse “who think they are heard by their many words,” i.e. heard by God, because it continued with “for the Father alreadys knows what you need.”
I have had the same concerns before taking up the rosary as a practice, coming from an evangelical protestant background. It does bother me the way some requests are repeated as if they will more likely be answered by how many you say. However, I see the rosary, the Anglican one in particular, as being effective in terms of memorizing and thinking about promises already made or given to us in scripture. When you study the written word, you often repeat it in your mind to fully grasp it and all its meaning. The idea of the rosary is the provide structure like a song. The weeks provide the main prayer and the cruciforms offer a brief intermission so as to not be too mind numbing, but all the beads in the cycle have a related theme depending on what you start meditating on. That's the proper way to use it, IMHO.
You make a point. My issue has been more with the RCC rosary and use of Pater Noster (Our Father). The Anglican rosary and practices are novus (new) to me, so I haven’t fully developed a view on them.
That's nice if you use Anglican rosaries. But I love to use olive wood rosary. I don't think so, you need a special rosary for prayer. You can pray with any rosary. Thank you!