The word creed comes from the Latin word credo, which simply means, “I believe” or, very literally, “I give my heart (to these things).”
From earliest times, Christians have tried to express the core tenets of the faith as simply as possible, while aiming for lapidary precision. For example, in 1 Timothy 3:16, we read “He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” This mini-creed, which is mirrored elsewhere in the New Testament (I Cor. 8:6, 12:3, 15:3-7; 2 Cor. 12:14), is closely related to confessions of faith that were incorporated into the earliest rites of baptism. Our Apostles’ Creed, which was first used by the ancient church in Rome, looks a lot like these early baptismal creeds.
During the first centuries of Christianity, creedal statements developed along with Church’s understanding of its faith. Often these statements were colored by regional differences between Christians. From time to time, serious disagreements brought representatives – usually the bishops – of these regions together in church councils to reach a common mind about the essentials of the Christian faith. Their purpose was to protect the unity of the Church and uphold the integrity of its teaching.
In the years 325 and 381, bishops from around the Christian world met in Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) to resolve questions about the divine nature of Christ and the Holy Spirit. What we commonly call the Nicene Creed was given its final form at the council in Constantinople. The Nicene (or Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) is also called the Ecumenical Creed because it was gradually accepted as the creed of the universal Church, of which this Church is a part through apostolic succession.
When we recite the creeds, we are showing how seriously we take our share in the communion of the saints and the “faith once received” by the apostles – the faith that the martyrs died confessing. But the most important way we express the Christian faith is through living the Christian life, in worship, fellowship, prayer and good works. That’s how we really “give our hearts” to the God whose nature and mighty works the creeds declare and glorify.
Learn the Creeds by heart. Love them with all your mind. Live them with all your strength.
It is our practice at St. James’, as in the great majority of Episcopal churches, to reserve the consecrated elements from the Mass in the chancel at all times. After Holy Communion has ended, any remaining Bread and sometimes a small flagon of Wine are placed reverently in the Tabernacle for our use.
We do this for two reasons. First, reserving the Blessed Sacrament allows the sick or homebound to receive Communion from the same elements consecrated at the principal Sunday Mass. This is one way that we express our belief that “we who are many are one Body, because we all partake of the one Bread.”
The second reason that we reserve the Blessed Sacrament is so that the faithful can pray and meditate in the presence of the Eucharistic Christ. Episcopalians believe that after the prayer of consecration at Mass, the Bread and the Wine become unique and privileged instruments of the Lord’s Real Presence. Anyone who spends regular time in worship before the Tabernacle can tell you how very real that Presence truly is!
Our Tabernacle at St. James’ is to the left of the altar. It is a small cylindrical, domed safe made of bronze. It is covered with a colored veil called a canopeum. An image of a pelican is on the door – a medieval symbol of self-sacrifice reminding us that Christ feeds us with the substance of his own Body.
Next time you are in church, take a moment to seek the presence of Jesus before the Tabernacle. You may find that it becomes a necessary part of your week.
When I first joined the Episcopal Church as a teenager, I was curious about the custom many worshipers had of bending one knee to the ground when leaving their pew to receive Holy Communion. A friend of mine told me, solemnly, that it was a special posture called a “ginger flake.”
My friend was close. That posture definitely added spice to our worship! But what he meant to say was genuflect. And it’s special way of showing reverence for Jesus’ Real Presence in the consecrated bread and wine.
Genuflecting is just one of the many ways that we Episcopalians use our whole body in worship. But especially for newcomers, it can occasionally feel awkward not being sure “when to do what.”
A good rule of thumb to start out with is “sit to listen, kneel to pray and stand to sing.” That’ll get you a long way. But there are some variants and other postures that you’ll want to be familiar with:
- Simple bow (with the head): at the Name of Jesus or when we invoke the Holy Trinity;
- Solemn bow (from the waist): when crossing in front of the altar, or entering or leaving your pew; and when the incense bearer (or Thurifer) censes the congregation;
- Profound bow (deeply from the waist): immediately after the Great Amen, at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer.
- Stand: to attend to the reading of the Gospel; you may also stand during the Eucharistic Prayer;
- Kneel: to express penitence and sorrow, e.g. at the Confession of Sin or the Great Litany.
If you make an effort to get into the spirit of these gestures, you’ll discover that they’re a powerful way to involve your entire self in worship, and by extension, to practice offering your whole self to God in the rest of your life.
Only the most beautiful, soul-stirring, ancient, and important liturgy (worship service) of the Christian Faith! Like the Resurrection of Christ, which it celebrates, the Easter Vigil begins in the darkness of the night of Holy Saturday. A new fire is kindled outside and from it the great Paschal Candle and then our own candles are lit. We await our Master’s return with our lamps full and burning (Luke 12:35ff). The great hymn The Exsultet is sung, the sweeping story of salvation history is recounted, the Resurrection of Jesus is proclaimed (loudly!) with the ringing of bells. Then follows the year’s principal rites of Baptism and Eucharist. Not to be missed!
At St. James’, we almost always use a worship booklet published for each season of the church year. So you might not realize that all of our major services come from The Book of Common Prayer (aka BCP), the official guide to worship in the Episcopal Church. The current American BCP was authorized in 1979, but its roots go all the way back to 1549, when the first Prayer Book was published for the newly reformed Church of England. Our Book of Common Prayer might hold surprises for you: special prayers for every need, the sacrament of reconciliation (yes, we do confession!), guidelines for daily devotions, a cycle for reading the bible, theological documents, the catechism, and a whole lot more. The Bible contains everything we need for salvation and a happy, holy life with God. But the Prayer Book shows us how to read, understand and experience the Bible in a complete way. That’s why the BCP means so much to us Anglicans. It’s not just a book for Sundays. It’s a book for every day of your life. So, next time you’re in church, spend some time with our wonderful BCP – you can find one in every pew. You might even decide that you need a copy of your own!
The word creed comes from the Latin word credo, which simply means, “I believe” or, very literally, “I give my heart (to these things).”
