WHO ARE EPISCOPALIANS?

Our Christian Heritage

The Episcopal Church is the American expression of the Church of England which was formed during the  reformations of the Roman Catholic Church in the sixteenth century  just prior to the English colonization of America.  It takes its name from the Greek word episcopos (overseer), which reflects the political structure of the Episcopal Church which continues in the historic succession of bishops from apostolic times.  The story of its formation is stormy, as is that of all Protestant churches, and is longer and more convoluted than space here permits.

In short, by the mid-15th century, the Church in England had separated itself from the control of the Pope in Rome and also from the control of the Holy Roman Emperor.  What had not changed was the notion that one nation should have one church, a long European tradition.  Thus, if you were born English, you were born into the Church of England.  Small Protestant sects were discouraged and at best tolerated.  Elizabeth I, addressing a diversity of worship styles, established the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) for use throughout England whenever people met for public worship.  How the people worshipped in private was not her concern.  The BCP was a revision and redaction of several books used in worship by the historic church in Rome.  The BCP  provided forms for public worship and incorporated several theological ideas brought to it by the reformations in Europe.

As England began to colonize the New World, the Church of England went with it establishing congregations in colonized areas, including the English colonies in what is now the USA.  When the American Revolution began, the membership of the  Church of England in the American colonies had divided loyalties.  Some favored the revolutionaries and some favored continued English rule.  At the end of the revolution, congregations of the Church of England found themselves without financial support from England and without the spiritual leadership and authority of a bishop.  (see What it means to be Episcopal.)  The Rev. Samuel Seabury was elected to be the first American bishop and was sent to Scotland where he was consecrated bishop into the historic apostolic succession of bishops.  Upon return to the newly formed United States of America, he set about revising the Book of Common Prayer to reflect a church which was one of many Protestant churches in the new land.  Yet, the Episcopal Church, as it was called, maintained its spiritual relationship with The Church of England led by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Episcopal Church today continues its relationship with the Church of England and all churches throughout the world who trace their heritage to the Church of England.  This global spiritual community is known as the Anglican Communion, most of which is now neither English nor European.  The largest numbers of Anglicans are now found in Africa, the result of English colonization.

Our Worship

All services of public worship use forms found in the Book of Common Prayer.  These forms are based on the ancient tradition of the early church.  Worship in the Episcopal Church is called liturgy  (Gk.: litergeio - work), because worship is the work of the people praising and thanking God.  For this reason, the congregation is not a passive observer in worship; rather the congregation has a part to play in the worship service—liturgy—responding to God’s word, singing, praying, and receiving the holy sacraments at the communion rail.

Our Sunday worship is divided into two general parts:  The Word of God and The Holy Communion.  During the first part of the service, we read, listen, and respond to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Psalms, the Christian scriptures, and the Gospel.  The sermon relates what we have just heard and read to our daily lives.  Following the sermon we pray to God for the Church and the world, confess our sins against God and our neighbor, and exchange a sign of God’s peace.

The Holy Eucharist follows.  The congregation presents its offering of money or other fruits  of our labors together with the Eucharistic elements, wine and bread.  The celebrant (priest) receives the offerings and then begins the Eucharistic prayer.  During this prayer, we remember the mighty works of God in the past, especially God’s gift of his son, Jesus Christ.  The priest presents the offerings to God and asks that God bless these our gifts of praise and thanksgiving and to make the bread and wine our holy spiritual food for we who, in faith, receive them—outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace received in communion with God.  The congregation then receives the bread and wine.  The bread is received in the palm of the right hand extended out over the left palm. The wine is received either by drinking from the common cup or by intincting (dipping) the bread into the common cup.

The service concludes with a post-communion prayer, a blessing by the priest, and a dismissal.  The dismissal sends the congregation back into the world to “love and serve the Lord” in the acts of love, justice, and mercy in our everyday encounters with others.

What is Means to be an Episcopalian

All baptized and confirmed Episcopalians have publicly renounced evil, accepted Jesus Christ as their savior promising to follow him and putting their whole trust in his grace and love.  In addition, each year we renew our baptismal vows to “continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.”  As Episcopalians we promise to persevere in resisting evil, proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ, seek and serve Christ in all persons, strive for justice and peace among all people, and preserve the dignity of every human being.  (BCP 304 ff)

The Episcopal Church welcomes all people.  It is the mission of the Episcopal church “to restore all people to God and each other in Christ.”  (BCP 855)  How that mission plays out in each congregation has great diversity.  Most Episcopal Churches are smallwith one hundred or fewer attending on Sunday mornings.  There are some urban congregations numbering in the thousands, but they are not the norm.

Membership in the Episcopal Church comes through the sacrament of Baptism, a rite of initiation in which the baptized take life vows (BCP 302-305). Children of members are baptized as infants because they are part of the Christian family.  Sponsors of these children promise to raise the children in the faith of the church in accordance with the baptismal vows.  Later in life, the baptized child may elect to confirm these vows in a public service during which the bishop prays for their continued growth in the faith.

Episcopalians are expected to live their baptismal vows in their daily life, attend church regularly, and maintain a stated pledge of support to the local congregation.  For those so called, there is opportunity to be part of the worship services as a lay reader, an acolyte, or member of the altar guild.

Church Doctrine

What doctrine there is in the Episcopal Church is found in our Book of Common Prayer, explicitly in the Outline of the Faith (Catechism) found on pages 844 - 862.  The Episcopal Church and Anglican belief in general is founded on Holy Scripture, the Traditions of the historic church, and our human Reason.  These three—scripture, tradition, reason—are always in tension.  Our tradition is to find the middle way (via media).  Some individuals emphasize one component over the others; hence, we are a church of continuing debate, always seeking to understand scripture and tradition both in their historic and contemporary contexts and, through reason, find our way in life in accordance with the Gospel, increasingly deepening the expression of our faith in our lives.  Sadly, some debate has led to schisms.  Regardless of our individual doctrinal stances, we are united as the one Body of Christ.

Ecumenical Relationships

The Episcopal Church recognizes all Christian baptism as valid.  We have not yet resolved our differences with the Roman Catholic Church.  These differences lie in polity and not in essential doctrine.  We are in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Old Roman Church found in parts of Europe.  We seek on-going dialogue with all Christians.

Episcopal Language

Because of our historic heritage, Episcopalians tend to use a specialized vocabulary and are conditioned by habit to some actions during worship.  The following is a short list.

Book of Common Prayer (BCP):  This book, located in the pew rack, is central to the worship and discipline of the Episcopal Church.  All worship services follow its forms.  The Sunday bulletin handout lists the form of worship for the day and references page numbers.

Standing and kneeling:  This practice varies from parish to parish..  We stand to sing, sit to listen, stand to hear the Gospel, stand or kneel to pray (your choice), kneel for the confession of sin.  It is a tradition that one kneel (or stand) for a moment of prayer upon entering the church.  When in doubt do what everyone else is doing.  Fear not.  Worship postures are not dictated by God but are given to us by tradition as means whereby we access holy space.

The Sign of the Cross: This practice of tracing the outline of the cross on the upper body is a means of bringing us into holy space.

The Nave: The place where the congregation sits.

The Choir: The place where the choir sits.

The Chancel: The place where the altar is located.

The Parish Hall:  At St. Andrew’s, this is the main room in the building located behind the church.

The Rector:  The chief priest of the parish.

The Parish: The local congregation.

The Vestry:  The governing board.

Eucharist:  The service of Holy Communion—from the Greek word for thanksgiving.

Morning and Evening Prayer:  The standard forms  of daily corporate or individual prayer found in the BCP.

Rite I or Rite II:  Forms for Eucharistic celebration.

Eucharistic Elements:  The bread and wine used at communion.

Vestments:  Special clothing worn by the visible participants during public worship services—uniforms.  Vestments identify roles and reduce any distraction of private dress in public worship.

Last Edited
01/15/2007 13:55 -0500