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    Welcome to a Life of Faith in the Episcopal Church
    Welcome to a Life of Faith in the Episcopal Church
    Welcome to a Life of Faith in the Episcopal Church
    Ebook81 pages1 hour

    Welcome to a Life of Faith in the Episcopal Church

    By Megan Castellan

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    About this ebook

    Perfect for newcomers and confirmation classes

    The Episcopal Church has a language and a practice all its own. For a newcomer, these can seem intimidating at first glance. This book takes readers through a Sunday worship experience, and explains the what, the why, and the how of what they might encounter.

    Worship is explained, with a quick survey of the Book of Common Prayer, along with frequently encountered vocabulary. How we read the Bible and what we believe about core points of theology are also discussed, especially as these points may differ from what many people assume to be Christian norms. How faith is practiced and its connection to our social and moral lives is discussed. What is the Jesus Movement and how can the Way of Love be lived every day? Finally, a short overview of Episcopal history is included, for the visitor who wonders how we came to be here. The book concludes with a few of the most frequently asked questions by adults who join the Episcopal Church.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChurch Publishing
    Release dateNov 17, 2019
    ISBN9781640651371
    Welcome to a Life of Faith in the Episcopal Church
    Author

    Megan Castellan

    MEGAN CASTELLAN is an ordained Episcopal priest, working extensively across generations within the church. She has marked how the younger generations approach the institution and its ancient traditions with a mix of awe and concern. Part of her ministry, though writing, years as a successful college chaplain, work as a diocesan youth worker, and as a preacher, has been to translate the ancient language of the Church into language that is approachable and inviting for the seekers of today. She lives in Ithaca, New York.

    Read more from Megan Castellan

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      Book preview

      Welcome to a Life of Faith in the Episcopal Church - Megan Castellan

      Introduction

      Perhaps it was an internet search. Perhaps it was a friend’s wedding. Perhaps it was the way the building looked in the sunlight—all bright and shiny. Perhaps it was the children’s programs they offered, or the food pantry that opens in the evenings, or the welcome preaching, or the promise of a safe space to land and rest.

      Whatever the reason, you have found your way into an Episcopal church—welcome!

      In some ways, the Episcopal Church is a well-kept secret. The name is a tongue twister; a Greek word that is rarely heard and frequently confounding. Episcopal churches rarely splash across the headlines for their enormity or their wealth. Episcopalians have never been the majority denomination in the United States, and we are hardly likely to start now.

      But in other ways, Episcopalians have always been woven into the fabric of this nation. Though they may not advertise it, Episcopal churches sit on corners throughout the United States and around the world. The prayers we say each day and the faith we proclaim have shaped the lives of countless people throughout history. In subtle ways, Episcopalians have been walking unseen in the footsteps of Jesus for a long time.

      If you were curious enough to pick up this book in an attempt to find out more, let me encourage you to reach out to your local parish. You don’t have to say anything smart or clever; you don’t have to have fully formed questions or know the lingo. But as you’ll find in these pages, the journey of faith is never taken alone. And I trust and pray that the God who has led you this far has made a place for you where that journey may continue.

      May every blessing rise to meet you on your path, and may the Spirit guide you into all truth.

      The Faith

      We Proclaim:

      The Bible

      One of the bits of kitchen-table wisdom Episcopalians toss around is that we enjoy the Bible because it reminds us so much of the Book of Common Prayer.

      That’s a well-worn joke, yet the fact remains that the prayer book borrows almost 75 percent of its language from the Bible. The Bible contributed its phrases, its laments, and its words of triumph to the prayers and praises of our liturgy, and we come to know the scriptures in part as we absorb the words of our common prayer.

      Liturgy is a Greek word that literally means the work done on behalf of the people. We will unpack what exactly that means a bit later, but for now, know that a church liturgy is a set series of prayers, scripture readings, and actions.

      That fact alone indicates how important the Bible has been to Anglicans through the centuries. Miles Coverdale, one of the first English translators of the Bible, was so respected by Thomas Cranmer, that the Coverdale translation of the Psalms was included in the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, and his basic translation has remained at the heart of our prayer book psalms ever since. (That’s why they sound different than the psalms in your Bible on the shelf.) Cranmer saw the Book of Common Prayer as a way to facilitate and guide the reading of the Bible by the masses in England, once the Bible was readily available in English—which was also why he included tools like a daily lectionary, and a three-year eucharistic lectionary. The prayer book and Bible were always intended to work together.

      A lectionary is a prescribed schedule of readings from the Bible over a given period of time.

      WHY IS THE BIBLE SO IMPORTANT FOR CHRISTIANS?

      As Christians, we read the Bible constantly. The Bible is read at all public and private liturgies. The words of scripture inform every action that we take.

      Simply put, we believe the Bible contains profound truth about humanity’s ongoing relationship with God. For this reason, we try to incorporate the Bible into much of our daily life and practice.

      Invoking the claim of truth regarding the Bible is a tricky thing. For some, it may conjure up images of doomsday preachers trying to parse out the lottery numbers by reading their Bible the right way, or arguing against evolution. However, I mean something very different; when I assert the Bible is true, I am claiming the same sort of truth that one would recognize in a great work of art; truth that bypasses the literal meaning and resonates in the soul.

      The catechism, in the back of the prayer book, says it this way: We believe the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and contain all things necessary to salvation.¹ That’s a uniquely Anglican turn of phrase and deserves some unpacking.

      Word of God

      When Episcopalians say this, we are indicating that the Bible conveys vital information about God and God’s nature to us in a particular way. We regard the Bible as different from all other books because we believe that the Holy Spirit speaks to us through its words, and that over time, it continues to reveal to us the nature of God’s will for God’s people.

      In other words,

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