About Episcopalians
Many Episcopal websites provide volumes of information about how the Episcopal Church came into being, our governance structure, the Anglican Communion, the traditions of colors for the church season and more. While that’s all interesting, for our visitors we’ll keep the details brief and highlight those areas that might be similar to, or different from, other Christian denominations. For visitors who would like more details, we’ve provided links to the source materials. We hope this will give you an easy to digest overview of our faith and community.
Following are some of the major points from “I Am An Episcopalian[1]”.
Following are some of the major points from “I Am An Episcopalian[1]”.
|
|
- We uphold the Bible and worship with the Book of Common Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) outlines the Episcopal liturgy, and provides devotional and teaching resources. “We, who are many and diverse, come together in Christ through our worship, our common prayer.[2]” The prayers in the BCP are drawn from the Bible and centuries of tradition of prayer in the Christian church.
- We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opinion.
- All are welcome to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church.
Some Questions
Episcopalians like questions, even when we don’t have the answers. We’re comfortable with paradoxes. We don’t need life’s issues painted in black and white – grey is fine. (Actually, we prefer red, but that’s another conversation.) Following are some of the questions we can answer.
1. Is the Episcopal Church old fashioned?
The Episcopal church is anchored by a traditional liturgy[3]. At most Sunday services, you can count on the Confession of Sin, the Collect for Sundays, the Prayers of the People, the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed and readings from the Old Testament, the Epistles (letters of the Apostles), the Gospel and Psalms. We don’t use “thees” and “thous”, except on very special occasions.
Please don’t confuse our traditional liturgy for rigidity. As Ben Irwin states in “11 things I love about the Episcopal Church[4]”, “Our is a faith handed down from the apostles, but not one so fragile that it cannot cope with science, with new findings about the origins of the universe, ourselves, or whatever else we might discover.”
|
2. I heard that the Episcopal Church doesn’t follow the bible. Is this true?
Nothing could be further from the truth. It is our foundation, understood through tradition and reason, containing all things necessary for salvation. Our worship is filled with Scripture from beginning to end. Approximately 70% of the Book of Common Prayer comes directly from the Bible, and Episcopalians read more Holy Scripture in Sunday worship than almost any other denomination in Christianity.[5] However, we do not apply an inerrant philosophy toward the Bible. We are part of a scriptural tradition, but we have never held a doctrine that no other source of knowledge has value, or that everything in the Bible is literally true, or that God wrote each and every word. |
3. What is the position of the Episcopal Church on LGBT membership?
When Episcopalians say “All Are Welcome”, we apply no qualifiers. All means everyone! God loves you. We love you. Let’s have some coffee.
4. My religious beliefs are rather vague right now. Am I going to get a lecture about what I should believe?
Wherever you are in your faith journey, you are welcome at God's table. You won’t get any lectures about what you should believe. You are welcome just as you are.
5. Does the Episcopal Church recognize saints?
The Episcopal Church recognizes the same saints as the Roman Catholic Church and honors those people important to the Christian faith such as C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, Absalom Jones, and Thomas Cranmer. The Episcopal Church publishes Lesser Feasts and Fasts, which contains feast days for the various men and women the Church wishes to honor. This book is updated every three years and notable persons are added to the liturgical calendar.[6] Please click here for the current church calendar. For an excellent sermon by Father Bruce McNab regarding saints, please click here.
When Episcopalians say “All Are Welcome”, we apply no qualifiers. All means everyone! God loves you. We love you. Let’s have some coffee.
4. My religious beliefs are rather vague right now. Am I going to get a lecture about what I should believe?
Wherever you are in your faith journey, you are welcome at God's table. You won’t get any lectures about what you should believe. You are welcome just as you are.
5. Does the Episcopal Church recognize saints?
The Episcopal Church recognizes the same saints as the Roman Catholic Church and honors those people important to the Christian faith such as C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, Absalom Jones, and Thomas Cranmer. The Episcopal Church publishes Lesser Feasts and Fasts, which contains feast days for the various men and women the Church wishes to honor. This book is updated every three years and notable persons are added to the liturgical calendar.[6] Please click here for the current church calendar. For an excellent sermon by Father Bruce McNab regarding saints, please click here.
6. Does the Episcopal Church believe that our pets go to heaven?
Yes, Fido goes too.
Do you have more questions? Please send us a note via our Contact Us page, call or stop by next Sunday. We may not have all the answers but let’s enjoy the discussion.
Top 10 Reasons to be an Episcopalian
Thank you Robin Williams!
10. No snake handling.
9. You can believe in dinosaurs.
8. Male and female God created them; male and female we ordain them.
7. You don't have to check your brains at the door.
6. Pew aerobics.
5. Church year is color-coded.
4. Free wine on Sunday.
3. All of the pageantry - none of the guilt.
2. You don't have to know how to swim to get baptized.
And the Number One reason to be an Episcopalian:
1. No matter what you believe, there's bound to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you.
Yes, Fido goes too.
Do you have more questions? Please send us a note via our Contact Us page, call or stop by next Sunday. We may not have all the answers but let’s enjoy the discussion.
Top 10 Reasons to be an Episcopalian
Thank you Robin Williams!
10. No snake handling.
9. You can believe in dinosaurs.
8. Male and female God created them; male and female we ordain them.
7. You don't have to check your brains at the door.
6. Pew aerobics.
5. Church year is color-coded.
4. Free wine on Sunday.
3. All of the pageantry - none of the guilt.
2. You don't have to know how to swim to get baptized.
And the Number One reason to be an Episcopalian:
1. No matter what you believe, there's bound to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you.
[1] http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/i-am-episcopalian
[2] www.episcopalchurch.org/page/book-common-prayer
[3] What is liturgy? “It has come to mean an established formula for public worship, a proscribed ritual which many churches use in their services and in their ceremonial rites. In a Catholic Church, it can include all forms and services in any language in any part of the world for the celebration of Mass, for example. The liturgy can refer to the daily activity of the Muslim slat or attendance at a Quaker meeting.” http://www.allaboutreligion.org/what-is-liturgy-faq.htm
[4] http://benirwin.me/2015/01/22/11-things-about-the-episcopal-church/
[5] http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/episcopal-church-core-beliefs-and-doctrines
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_of_saints_%28Episcopal_Church%29
Another important aspect of the Episcopal Church is “The Five Marks of Mission” - http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/five-marks-mission
[2] www.episcopalchurch.org/page/book-common-prayer
[3] What is liturgy? “It has come to mean an established formula for public worship, a proscribed ritual which many churches use in their services and in their ceremonial rites. In a Catholic Church, it can include all forms and services in any language in any part of the world for the celebration of Mass, for example. The liturgy can refer to the daily activity of the Muslim slat or attendance at a Quaker meeting.” http://www.allaboutreligion.org/what-is-liturgy-faq.htm
[4] http://benirwin.me/2015/01/22/11-things-about-the-episcopal-church/
[5] http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/episcopal-church-core-beliefs-and-doctrines
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_of_saints_%28Episcopal_Church%29
Another important aspect of the Episcopal Church is “The Five Marks of Mission” - http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/five-marks-mission
