Church
of the Advent is a parish of the Episcopal Church USA, presently
part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Perhaps you wonder
what sets the Episcopal Church apart from all the other churches. Perhaps
you’re wondering whether this Episcopal Church community would
be a “good fit” for you.
We’re glad you asked.
The
Episcopal Church has its roots in the Church of England, coming to
these shores with some of the earliest colonists. The Episcopal Church
USA is the modern, independent offspring of the Anglican church,
with its own elected bishops. There are about 2 million Episcopalians
in the United States today. Although not one of the largest denominations,
it is a vibrant, active church whose leaders and members strive to
live the gospel message in a world that cries out for it. Here
are some of the hallmarks of our faith and church.
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Protestant,
yet Catholic. Anglicanism stands squarely in the Reformed
tradition, but considers itself as directly descended from the
Early Church as the Roman Catholic or Orthodox churches. Episcopalians
celebrate the
Mass, much like Catholics, yet do not recognize a single authority.
The American church is, in fact, quite democratic in style.
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Anglicans
use the Book of Common Prayer, so that people can read liturgy
and scripture in their own language. The prayers and rites
that unite us are translated into native languages all over the
world. The present prayer book was published in 1979. It
serves as the main guideline for our Episcopal life, explaining
Christianity and the main beliefs of the church. Episcopal
tradition includes many other prayers to enrich our worship,
and a compelling body of ancient and modern music.
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The
Anglican approach to reading and interpreting the Bible was first
articulated by Richard Hooker in the 16th century. Episcopalians
look to the Bible as the word of God, and believe that it must
always speak to us in our own time and place. Episcopalians believe
that every Christian must build an understanding and relationship
with God’s word in the Bible. To enable that, God
has given us intelligence and our own experience, which we refer
to as “Reason”. When we study the Bible, and
the thought and experience of Christians through the ages, we
are called to develop our own understanding of it in our own
lives. The Episcopal Church supports us with a long tradition
of theological scholarship and active engagement with the world.
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