Worship
At St. Michael and All Angels, we want everyone to feel comfortable and welcome to worship with us. Below is some basic information about the theology, practices, and traditions of our church.
As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, and so we worship and do acts in Christ's name. (This is also called our mission.) Through Jesus, God expressed love to all of human creation, and we celebrate this weekly. Through Baptism into the faith, we share in Jesus' victory over sin and death.
The Bible is our foundation, but it is understood through tradition and reason. Our worship is filled with Scripture from beginning to end. During worship, we generally read a scripture from the Old Testament, a Psalm, an Epistle from the New Testament, and a Gospel excerpt. The rest of the service also uses Scripture as its basis.
What we believe - our foundational faith - is expressed in the Apostles' Creed (which is used during baptism and renewal of baptismal vows) and the Nicene Creed (which is generally used on Sundays). We join with Christians throughout the world and throughout time in affirming the faith we believe: that one God created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us. Creation is a continuing act, not a one-time event.
Through Baptism, we are lovingly adopted by God into the large family of God, which we call the Church. We are given God's life to share and are reminded that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ.
We celebrate two Sacraments (outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace): Baptism and the Eucharist (communion). We also recognize other spiritual markers, or sacramental rites, in our journey of faith, including Confirmation, Reconciliation, Matrimony, Ordination, and Unction.
Our primary symbol of unity is the Book of Common Prayer. It is full of devotional and teaching resources for individuals and congregations. We, who are diverse and many, come together in Christ through our worship, our common prayer.
We are constantly reminded through our worship that Jesus ministered to the outcast and marginalized. We encourage you to come to worship as you are and to approach Jesus where you want Jesus to be. When you attend, you will see that some people wear shorts, others wear jeans, and some wear suits and ties. We have members who have been ensnared by the trials of addiction. We have members who are single, who are married, and who don't like to fit into a pre-defined box. Whether you are straight, gay, or still figuring it out, you are welcome.