Journey of Faith: September 2011

The Episcopal Church is a member of the Anglican Communion, a world-wide communion of churches with more then 60 million members in more then 160 countries.

Episcopalians share a common belief that Holy Scripture contains the heart of our Christian faith. These Scriptures are a living document providing insights through the teachings of Christ and his apostles that allow us to live God’s call to each of us through a shared life in community. Every Episcopal church is a center of worship and faith formation drawing each of us together in community. In these communities of the faithful, we share our story with others, seek God’s love through study and prayer, and give of our means and gifts in fulfilling our Baptismal covenant.

In worship, we are united, acknowledging the holiness of God, to hear God's Word, to offer prayer and to celebrate God's presence among us. Everyone is welcome to participate in our worship because it is in worship that we live out our life as a Christian family together. Scripture is the foundation of our worship. The service follows an order found in the Book of Common Prayer, two-thirds of which is scriptural, and is the tie that binds us as Episcopalians. Every worship service includes the reading of Holy Scripture from the Old and New Testaments. Many of our prayers and hymns are filled with Scripture. The Book of Common Prayer includes a variety of ancient and modern prayers and worship occasions for times when the whole community gathers, and for individual use. The Book of Common Prayer allows everyone to participate, reminding us that each person is an important part of the worship experience, whether the service is a celebration or a solemn occasion. It is our model for daily Christian living. Music, both traditional and contemporary, is an integral part of uniting our prayers and scripture.

In our worship service, we celebrate God with us through water, bread and wine. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us through Baptism we are united with God. The Episcopal Church believes through baptism – in any Christian denomination unlike many of our contemporaries – we become brothers and sisters in God's family. Jesus shared bread and wine with his first followers and is with us today in this family meal we call Holy Communion. Through it we receive the forgiveness of our sins and a strengthening of our union with God and one another as we remember Christ's life, death and resurrection. Any baptized person is welcome and encouraged to share in this meal.

We believe there is One God who creates all things, redeems us from sin and death, and renews us as the Children of God. As Episcopalians we promise to follow Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We believe the mission of our church is restoration of all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. We are enriched by all those with whom we worship.

The Book of Common Prayer is our guide to worship and devotion used in our daily relationship with God. Our current Book of Common Prayer, revised in 1979, was originally compiled by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, in 1549.

Scripture is the foundation of our worship. Two-thirds of the Book of Common Prayer comes directly from the Old and New Testaments. The primary service is the presentation of our Lord's last supper with his disciples, a service we call the Holy Eucharist. The Book of Common Prayer also has services for weddings, baptisms or at funerals in the Episcopal Church. Other personal devotions, prayers for certain time of the day, special prayers of praise or thanksgiving, requests for others and for special occasions are also in the Book of Common Prayer. All 150 Psalms, or poems from the Old Testament, are contained in the Book of Common Prayer. A calendar for reading through the entire Bible every two years, as well as an outline of the Episcopal faith and Church history is also included.

The Book of Common Prayer is meant to compliment daily individual prayers, not to replace them. Every service in the book includes time for personal prayer requests, either silent or aloud. The Book of Common Prayer to be a source of comfort, joy and inspiration, and a unique treasure in Christian worship for more than 400 years.

In the Episcopal Church we take part in certain regular acts of worship. These are called sacraments or reenactments of Christ's ministries on earth. The two primary sacraments are Baptism and Holy Communion. We believe that God is actively present in the world and in us. In the sacraments we realize his presence and his favor towards us. Through the sacraments, which are freely given to us by God, our sins are forgiven, our minds are enlightened, our hearts stirred and our wills strengthened. These sacraments are contained in the worship services found in the Book of Common Prayer

Baptism is the means by which we become members of the community of believers, defined in the New Testament as the Body of Christ. Just as Jesus was baptized with water by John the Baptist, we include people in the community of faith by baptizing them with water. Following a series of questions, responses and prayers, the priest pours water on the candidate. The sign of the cross may be made on their forehead with blessed oil. In the Episcopal Church, a person is baptized only once.

Holy Communion is a reenactment of the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples before his death on the cross. Unlike many other denominations, any baptized person is welcome to share in this meal of bread and wine.

Confirmation is when a baptized person, who has been instructed in the Christian faith, makes a mature commitment to God within a worship setting and receives a special blessing and prayer from a bishop.

Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which two adults enter into a life-long union and make their promises before God in a worship service.

While private confession of sins is not a requirement, anyone may request the reconciliation of a penitent from a priest and receive assurance of God's forgiveness. The confession is always made in private and kept in strict confidence.

Unction is a special blessing for those who are sick or desire special prayers. A sign of the cross is made on their forehead with blessed oil.

Ordination is the sacrament where God empowers trained persons for special ministry as deacons, priests or bishops. The service always includes the laying on of hands by bishops.

The word "Creed" comes from the Latin word "credo" which means "I believe." The Creeds are the statements that contain a summary of our basic beliefs. In the Episcopal Church we say both the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed in our worship. The Apostles Creed dates from the early years of the Christian Church and was used as a statement of faith at Baptism. The Apostles Creed is included in the services of daily Morning and daily Evening Prayer that may be used both at church and in private devotions. The Nicene Creed was written in the year 325 by early bishops meeting in Nicaea in modern-day Turkey. It is a statement that summarizes the Christian faith and is said in unison during services of Holy Eucharist. We say the Creeds because we are a community of faith, and we openly declare our beliefs in this way to unite ourselves to Christians in the past, present and future.

In the Episcopal church, we are called to live out our faith on a daily basis, whether we are at home, school, work or recreation. The cornerstones of our faith are Scripture, tradition and reason.

Scripture is the word of God contained in the Old and New testaments of the Bible. The 39 books of the Old Testament contain the story of God's love from creation to the birth of his son, Jesus Christ. They contain God's laws as He gave them to the Hebrew people. The 27 books of the New Testament contain Christ's teachings, the accounts of his life as told by his followers, and the beginning of his church. Within an Episcopal worship service, Scripture is read in the lessons, the Gospel reading, the recited Psalms and other prayers.

We are not Christians in isolation but are part of a living community of faith that spans 2000 years. Tradition is the embodiment of our experience as Christians throughout the centuries. The heart of our tradition is expressed through the Bible, the Creeds, the Sacraments, and the ordained ministry passed on by Christ to his Church. Our tradition is expressed with many voices, among which are a variety of worship styles, languages, cultures, architecture and music. Our tradition encourages this diversity. We seek to value the life and story each person can bring to the community of faith.

Each one of us, with God's help, makes a decision about how we use tradition and Scripture in our lives. A personal relationship with God allows us to realize and celebrate our lives to the fullest. The gift of reason, as a complement to Scripture and tradition, leads us to seek answers to our own questions and to grow spiritually. Being active in a community of faith strengthens us to carry our faith into the world. Weaving scripture, tradition and reason together, we strengthen our faith and grow as children of God.

I have discerned from my Foundations experience that Christianity is a continuation of an ancient covenant between God and humankind. From the time of Noah to the Resurrection of Christ, God has offered his love to humankind. This covenant offers grace to humankind, unmerited due to our imperfect love of God and one another, beginning with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and finally through Jesus Christ.

The cycle of sin and redemption is repeated throughout history by humankind. Sin, judgment, repentance and redemption define our imperfection as humankind in our relationship with God. Even in that imperfection, God loves us beyond our understanding. It is and continues to be a very one-sided covenant where God gives to us far more than we discipline ourselves to give to him due in part to our free will as his creations.

Our faith is a sacramental one of proclamation, belief, commitment and understanding. While Jesus Christ sanctified two actions – Baptism and Eucharist – by his own earthly ministry, our tradition of faith has found great meaning in other actions that have likewise become sacraments: Confirmation, Marriage, Reconciliation, and Unction. Each of these sacraments proclaim our belief in God and our understanding of Christian faith while demonstrating our commitment to one another. The sacraments collectively make real what is True.

So many of our instructors and the information shared made clear that our relationship with God is expressed both personally and corporately. That is, we have individual relationships with God and with one another through God. Our personal relationships with God are a matter of prayer, study and reflection. Our relationship with one another through God is a matter of worship, service and shared belief. As Christians, we are formed in our faith by participation and practice. We are educated in our faith through critical reflection and communal life. We are instructed in our faith through deliberate, thoughtful inquiry. For a Christian, faith is learned and lived according to the Baptismal covenant.

James Fowler and John Westerhoff both offer a description of the stages whereby faith is formed in an individual. Both agree that faith formation is a life-long process whereby a personal relationship continues to evolve with God. This concept of a continuum of faith formation is very important as we seek to best minister to others in ways that are most meaningful and beneficial.

As I reflect on my experience in Foundations through the lens of the Catechism, I find myself very mindful of the meaning of ministry and the fact that all the baptized are called to ministry as their individual gifts allow. That is, ministry has for me become more broadly defined. It is no longer the narrow set of activities in which I engage in support of Christian education at my home parish, but rather my being as I interact with others at all times. More clear and perhaps more poignant in my understanding is that the sacrament of Baptism – one of two ordained by Jesus Christ through direct action – is more than a confession of faith believed. Baptism is recognition of personal responsibility to and as a part of a broad, diverse Christian family. With the Eucharist, these two acts form the core of our sacramental understanding from which all others arise. These two acts are a witness to my faith and my celebration of both acknowledges and proclaims my belief in God the Father, Christ the Redeemer and Holy Spirit the Sustainer. My individual gifts are not for my own being, but rather for service to others in faith. In other words, my Baptism is an ordination to ministry as a member of the Body of Christ.

A number of practices were offered that are useful for faith formation apart from classroom education. These perhaps are most helpful to my continuing ministry with young adults as they are prone to avoid a classroom environment.

Young adults ask most about prayer as a formative practice they wish to explore. In response to those conversations, I have shared the kinds of prayer – adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession and petition – that form a good practice. This often leads to a conversation about the methods of prayer. Prayer takes many forms including silence, mediation, chanting, Rosary, centering, and others.

The method of Lectio Divina seems a good formative method of prayer for young adults, and once shared appears to be very helpful. In fact, this method of prayer – reading Scripture, meditation upon what is read, prayerfully considering the text and contemplating what comes to mind – is my preferred method. It is a method I have come to through Foundations and now as a lay Cistercian with the Monastery of the Holy Spirit.

Young adults also seek structure in their personal faith. I share the concept of a rule of life with them. Foundations introduced this concept to me, and it has been an instrumental part of my own continuing faith formation. We talk about the basic construct of a rule: spiritual direction, study of sacred texts, regular worship, personal prayer and service in community. Each individual has natural temperaments that affect their views, perceptions, learning and sense of self. The joy of a rule is that it can be made very personal, and there are many examples of various approaches to creating and keeping a rule. This too is a method I have come to through Foundations and having experienced a Cursillo weekend followed by my fourth day.

Foundations impart so much information over my experience that I will be referring to that information for my own faith formation and to use in my ministry to others for the days I have remaining in my life. The rich tapestry of the Episcopal tradition become real to me, and I have come to appreciate that each of us are in a journey of faith individually, but we are all united in community. And that brings me to my concluding thought about Foundations. The greatest gift of Foundations for me was coming to know each of my fellow students and those who made Foundations possible. This community of ours, each one of us like believers drawn to ministry and a stronger relationship with God, are the Body of Christ. The gracious gift of love each one of us have given freely and without judgment to one another has reaffirmed for me that Jesus Christ is truly alive today and within each of us.

Peace be with you.

Journey of Faith

Monday, September 26, 2011

Interested in learning more about Benedictine spirituality?

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Reflection on completing The Foundations for Christian Education course