A People Born of Longing
We are a people on the road, bound for a new home. Set free from nature’s instinctual constraints and experiencing the divisions wrought by our own destructive potential, we long to be healed and brought together into a new unity. Caught between earth and heaven, beast and angel, we struggle to give birth to a new humanity from the dust of old. We long for community.
Springing from the heart of God, born of Christ’s voluntary self-giving, that longed-for community grows. It includes ever-widening circles of diverse people. The church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, seeks to be loving community for the sake of the reunion of all people, the transformation of humanity and the healing of creation.
Finding A Middle Way
People often describe the Episcopal Church as “The Middle Way” — bearing characteristics of both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. We still consider ourselves catholic because our faith embraces all Christians and is not closed to the work of God among those who do not believe as we do. We are protestants in our belief that no doctrine or practice, no one person or institution, should claim precedence over our allegiance to the Lord alone.
Praying Shapes Believing
The Book of Common Prayer is our guide to rites and worship forms for individual and communal use. Common practice shapes our faith. The intent of the Book is to provide a spiritual pattern for our lives. Many wonderful prayers for personal devotion and corporate worship are included. You'll find prayers for a variety of occasions beginning on page 814. There are also rites for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and other forms; simple daily devotions begin on page 136.
Informed by Scripture, Tradition and Reasoning
The story of God’s relationship with his people is found in the Holy Bible. Because it is a human story of God’s revelation, we use the Bible with reverence and care, bringing to our study of the scriptures our experience, the living history of the Church and our intellect. We trust that in our study the Holy Spirit will bring us to greater understanding.
Seeking God In Our Neighbor and Creation
The context of our relationship to God is our life in community. We enter Christian community through baptism, a rebirth of the spirit and a reorientation of our purpose and life mission. In baptism, we vow to put our whole trust in Christ’s grace and love. Our faith, therefore, rests not in creeds or commonly held opinions, but in our trust in the transforming power of Christ who makes all things new ... And who lives among us in community.