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Catechism

“An Outline of The Faith”-BCP 855 the catechism was primarily intended for use by parish priests, deacons,  and lay catechists, to give an outline for instruction. Though not intended to be a complete statement of belief or practice the Catechism provides us with a brief summary of the Church’s teaching. Found between paged 845-862 in the 1979 English book of common prayer the Catechism provides a great starting resource for inquirers or veterans in our faith to learn what we believe.

How can it be used?

The catechism is written in simple question and answer format to allow for easy referencing. Additionally, it can be used to form a simple service by taking a heading appropriate for the service and introducing payers and hymns as necessary.

Resources

You can find the catechism near the back of all book of common prayers, for example, starting on page 845 for the current 1979 BCP. You can also find the full catechism in our MyEpiscopal mobile app on iOS and Android, on mobile an additional feature includes our C.O.W. or catechism of the week where we provide one piece of the catechism a week like a verse of the day to help learn it by memory.

What is a cathedral?

In the simplest form, a Cathedral is a church that contains a cathedra which is Latin for a seat, specifically a bishop’s chair. The cathedral is the principal church in a diocese from which the Bishop is the rector of.  As the principal church in the diocese, it is often where diocesan events and special services are held.

Parish Life

Although not all cathedrals are parishes, the many that are offer services such as worship services, classes, outreach missions, weddings, funerals and more. Characteristic of a cathedral they usually draw more parishioners then surrounding parishes allowing for the funding of parish schools, daycares, and senior homes that can grow into their own organizations.

What Is A Dean

While traditionally the rector of a parish is responsible for the pastor care for congregations as the Bishop has many responsibilities for the diocese as a whole an appointed clergy member is assigned to the pastor care of the cathedral parishioners with the title of Dean in the bishops sted. In many cathedrals, the dean is who many consider being their pastor, however, the bishop is formally the rector. The dean of a cathedral may be assisted by additionally clergy who hold the title of sub-dean and canons depending on the size of the congregation. 

More

Would you like to know more about cathedrals such as the history of specific cathedrals, or their unique architectures please let us know by emailing [email protected]

Baptism: Welcome to the Family

“Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body the Church.” (Book of Common Prayer, Pg 298) A church is like your family, you’ll have people who will feel like extra parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Baptism is your “birth” into a family that no matter where you go, you will be loved by those around you and by God.

In the Episcopal Church baptism is done with water and must be by the full trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Usually, it is an infant being baptized, but older children and adults are as well. People who were baptized young, usually go through the rite of Confirmation when they approach 16 years of age or older. But we’ll talk more about Confirmation another time.

Personally, I think the most powerful moment in a baptism is not when the water or oil is anointed. Rather, I believe it is the part just after that where the whole congregation present welcomes the newly baptized with these words:

“We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.” (Book of Common Prayer, Pg 308).

It is at that point in the service where the powerful voice of the whole family of God acknowledges that we have witnessed the new member’s joining and they instantly receive a whole slew of new parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents and siblings. And, like any family, we won’t always get along and won’t always agree – but we are a family and we got each other’s back and are connected forever in the love of God.

For more information about baptism in the Episcopal tradition please check out these links, and contact your local Episcopal church.

Why Do We Cross Ourselves?

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1st Corinthians 1:18

Interpretation

The sign of the cross is an ancient Christian practice of marking the shape of the cross of Christ upon one’s self or upon another person or object as an expression of our faith. Cyril of Jerusalem couldn’t have said it any better “Let us not be ashamed to profess the Crucified One; let us confidently seal our forehead with our fingers, let us make the sign of the cross on everything, on the bread we eat and over the cup we drink. Let us make this sign as we come and go, before sleeping, when we lie down and when we arise, while traveling and while resting.” In this practice, we are in an act of sanctification meaning “setting us apart” our souls, our bodies, and our lives are sanctified set apart for Christ.

What Do The Gestures Mean?

When interpreting the motions we are asking God to be in our heads when touching our forehead, we are asking God to be in our hearts when touching our hearts, and we are asking God to be in all of who we are when we touch our shoulders.

When Might It Be Used?

Anytime! By remembering that we are in Christ’s and his cross is with us at all times. During daily life, you might sign the cross when first waking up or going to sleep, during the readings of the daily office, or any time of prayer within the day. During the service, we most open sign when hearing the Trinitarian “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”, for prayers of absolution and forgiveness, and before receiving communion.

Rally Day

What Is Rally Day?

During the summertime vacations, events, and activities draw congregation members away from church life especially prevalent on Sunday mornings. Many churches at this time see attendance drop by nearly 50% and combine their services times to mask this effect. As an individual, you start the summer with good intentions of sticking to your bible readings, attending more church functions but as kids go off to summer camp and vacations plans are made you find it hard to stick to your spiritual goals. We all know that it is hard to recharge your spiritual battery alone, but it’s easier to do it in a group!

Just as a general would “rally” their troops right before a battle so do we as Christians set aside a special day at the end of summer to “rally” members for the new church year. During this Rally Day its goal is to seek the Holy Spirit to renew our energy for service, worship, to pray, to study, and to witness the good news! Parishes across the nation celebrate this day in their own unique way but common characteristics include music, games, food, outside speakers, and ministries recruiting for the new year. Whether you stuck to your goals and wish to celebrate in the name of the lord, be spiritually energized, or join a new ministry this year we encourage you to attend your local Rally Day!

Fun Church PSA for a 2018 Rally Day

The Governance of the Church

How The Church Is Structured

How The Church Is Structured How The Church Is Structured You may have heard people talk about General Convention or seen the hashtag on Twitter #GC79. But you may not be sure what it is. You may also wonder about how the rules or, Canons, of the Episcopal Church get passed into law.

Early Episcopalians modeled the governing body of church after the newly minted American government. We have a senate (House of Bishops), and a house of representatives (House of Deputies). We also have a president called the Presiding Bishop. These groups, along with the Executive Council, work to guide the Episcopal Church through our church’s constitution and the canons (laws).

This is where the Executive Council comes in. They meet four times a year (quarterly), and their job is to make sure that what got decided at GC is actually being carried out. The council is made up of four bishops, four priests or deacons, and twelve lay people elected by GC and eighteen members elected by the Episcopal Provinces.

Why so many laity, you may wonder? That’s because lay people come first in the order of ministry in the Episcopal Church, and it’s the job of the laity to go out into the world and do the work of God. Bishops, priest, and deacons have their roles within the Church, but they aren’t the ones who are out working in offices and restaurants and schools and every other non-church place to spread God’s love.

The Episcopal Church is broken up into Provinces (regions) and Diocese. A Diocese is governed by a Bishop, much like a governor of a state. The laity and clergy ultimately report to the Bishop of their diocese. Each church/parish in a diocese should have a priest in charge called a rector, and a governing body made up of lay people called a vestry. The rector and vestry of a parish work together to ensure that their parish is growing and the ministries of its congregation are flourishing. They also work to ensure that the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Church are being upheld, as well as any Diocesan canons or bylaws.

Think of the GC like congress that passes federal laws, and the Diocese like states that have their own laws that only affect their Diocese. The diocese meets every year to discuss the canons and bylaws for that diocese. The diocesan convention is made up of the clergy from each parish, and elected lay delegates. The number of delegate per parish is determined by the average weekly attendance number that gets calculated and reported to the National Episcopal Church via the Parochial Report.

Now this is just an oversimplified explanation of the governance of the Episcopal Church, and I left out a lot of details. But, this should offer a basic understanding of how it works. To get a better understanding, or if you are interested in becoming involved at your parish I recommend talking to your vestry members. They are often listed on your church’s website, or you can call the office and you should be able to get a list of vestry members and how to contact them.

If you don’t like a canon or by-law and want to change it, talk to your parish diocesan convention delegate or work to become elected. Don’t be afraid of getting involved and don’t just expect the church to change without you being involved. Be the change you want to see in the church.

What is Seder?

Seder is the festival meal that takes place during the Jewish celebration of Passover. During the meal the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt is retold using story and song.

Some Christians celebrate Seder as a way to learn about the Jewish foundation of the Christian faith. Others because it is a reflection of The Last Supper that Christ and his disciples took part of, and because it is often used as part of the Holy Week narrative that sets the tone for Easter. In all four Gospel narratives The Last Supper is mentioned as happening at the feast of the Passover. The Exultant, which is chanted at the Easter Vigil service mentions the feast of the Passover as where Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice to take away our sins.

However, many Christians don’t participate in Seder because it is a Jewish tradition and don’t want to participate in cultural appropriation. While that can happen if the Seder is not done properly, or respectfully, a Christian Seder is a powerful addition to one’s Holy Week experience. By reinforcing one’s understanding of the Jewish tradition that Christ came from, a Christian can gain a deeper knowledge of the Passion narrative as well as connect with the story on a new level. But, it is not required to participate in a Seder to understand what Christ went through in the days leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection.

Here are a few articles and resources about Seder and Christian practicing of Seder:

http://www.crivoice.org/seder.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_(Christian_holiday)
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/april-web-only/why-christians-can-celebrate-passover-too.html

What are the Holy Orders of the Church?

There have been three main offices of the Church: Deacon, Priest, and Bishop. We will go through each one as the ministry is different for each one.

Deacons

A deacon is a person that is ordained into the diaconate. The word deacon comes from a Greek word that means servant. In the book of Acts, we read that the Apostles would appoint deacons as a helping hand to the Apostles (Acts 6). We see deacons like Stephen, Lydia, and Phoebe in the Bible as examples of what a deacon is what are they are not. A deacon would help to care for the widows and others that society would look down upon and not even look at in that time. For this reason, a deacon is a servant to the people and is ordained to be in the midst of the people. This is why, today, during mass you see a deacon (if there is one in the parish) bring the Gospel into the middle of the congregation. It symbolizes that a deacon brings the Gospel to the people. A deacon is not only a servant of the people, but of the Bishop. The deacon assists the Bishop in the life of the Church and helps just as the deacons in the New Testament helped the Apostles.

Priests

A priest is a person that is ordained into the priesthood. A priest is a person that has been chosen to be the representative of the Bishop, and therefore Christ. A priest administers the sacraments by blessing the people and consecrating the elements in the Holy Eucharist. A priest hears confessions, celebrates the Eucharist, gives last rites, performs marriages, baptizes and is a pastor to the people. This office is an extension of the office of the Bishop.

Bishops

A Bishop is a person that is consecrated into the episcopacy. A bishop as Paul describes to Timothy is an overseer. Tradition teaches that the Apostles handed their authority down to the Bishops and so Bishops are the heirs of the Apostles. So, Bishops are in Apostolic Succession. Bishops have the same ministry as a priest because a priest’s ministry comes from the office of the Bishop. In fact, all ministry comes from the Bishop. However, a Bishop also ordains Priests and Deacons and confirms members into the Diocese.

What is the Apostle’s Creed

The Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

    maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;

    who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

    born of the Virgin Mary,

    suffered under Pontius Pilate,

    was crucified, dead, and buried.

    He descended into hell.

    The third day he rose again from the dead.

    He ascended into heaven,

    and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.

    From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost,

    the holy catholic Church,

    the communion of saints,

    the forgiveness of sins,

    the resurrection of the body,

    and the life everlasting. Amen.


Where Did It Come From?

First off we aren’t certain Apostle’s creed was not written by the Apostle’s! Say what? In some of it’s earliest versions the Apostle’s Creed can be traced back to the year 140 A.D. as a summary of our Christian faith by church leaders and serves as the basis for the baptismal creed.


Phrasing

In the creed the word “catholic” means relating to the church universal the whole group of people belonging to the Christian religious tradition throughout history not the Roman Catholic Church….sorry Pope Francis. 


Finally…. Where is it used?

Well having something that is a summary of our entire christian faith it gets used in many faith offerings. Most notably it is used in The Daily Offices, it may be used  for celebrating and blessing marriage, at the burial of the dead, the consecration of a church, and most prominently during Baptisms.