If you’re new to the Episcopal Church—or to sacramental churches in general—you might think we’ve invented a whole new language. Well, actually, we’ve inherited this language and a way of approaching faith that may seem different if you haven’t spent much time in church or have been involved in other churches. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers:

Are you Catholic or Protestant?

Both. We are a “daughter” of the Church of England and trace our history back to the Protestant Reformation. Like Roman Catholics, our worship is centered on the Eucharist (Communion), we use wine (not grape juice), our worship leaders wear vestments/robes, and our worship is rooted in centuries of tradition. We ordain bishops, priests, and deacons, but unlike Roman Catholics, our clergy are allowed to marry, and we ordain both women and men and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Like protestant denominations, we are independent of the Pope and rely heavily on Scripture (along with reason and tradition) to guide our faith.

What is a sacrament?

A sacrament is “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 857). We practice two primary sacraments as those instituted by Christ (Eucharist and Baptism) and five sacramental rites (Ordination, Confirmation, Matrimony, Unction, and Penance).

What is Eucharist?

Eucharist is another word for Communion. There are many theologies of Eucharist—of what exactly we are doing when we bless and share bread and wine. As a sacrament, the bread and wine are the “outward and visible sign” of Christ’s presence among us.

What is Baptism?

In the sacrament of baptism, water is the outward and visible sign, and “union with Christ in his death and resurrection, birth into God’s family, the Church; forgiveness of sins and new life in the Holy Spirit” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 858) are the inward and spiritual grace. In simple terms, baptism is primarily a rite of initiation into the Church (that’s the worldwide community of Christians, not the Episcopal Church). Adults being baptized take vows in the form of the baptismal covenant. Parents may make these same promises on behalf of infants or children.

Do I have to be re-baptized to become an Episcopalian? You don’t have to be re-baptized if you were baptized with water in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. That’s the case in most Christian churches. If you aren’t sure if you’ve been baptized or not, a priest may perform a “conditional” baptism that acknowledges that you might have been previously baptized.

What is confirmation?

Confirmation is the opportunity for those who are baptized as infants, children, or adults to make a public confession of their faith and to renew their baptismal vows. Traditionally, a bishop lays hands on the confirmed in a public ceremony as a symbol of support for their spiritual journeys. Those who have already been confirmed in certain denominations—such as Roman Catholic and Lutheran—may request “reception” by the Bishop instead of confirmation to affirm their choice to belong to the Episcopal Church.

What is a priest?

A priest is someone ordained for the ministry of shepherding. As a pastor and teacher, a priest is called “to preach, to declare God’s forgiveness to penitent sinners, to pronounce God’s blessing,” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 531) to administer Holy Baptism and preside at Holy Eucharist. Holy Trinity is served by three priests: the Rev. Canon Paul Lebens-Englund, the Rev. Canon Kristi Philip, and the Rev. Jane Nelson-Low. All three of our priests volunteer their time. A priest may be addressed as “Father” or “Mother” [So-and-So]. Our priests all prefer to be addressed by their first names.

What is a deacon?

A deacon is someone who has been ordained to a ministry of servanthood with a special call to serve “the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 543). There are two flavors of deacons. Vocational or permanent deacons will remain deacons for their whole lives. Transitional deacons will serve as deacons for a minimum of 6 months—more often, a year or more—before being ordained as a priest. Our deacon, The Rev. Kris Christensen, is a transitional deacon. She is Holy Trinity’s only paid staff and serves as our half-time urban missioner. While deacons are often addressed as Deacon [So-and-So], Kris prefers to be addressed by her first name.

Do I have to believe everything in the Bible?

Simply put—“no.” While some faith traditions believe that the Bible should be understood literally, most Episcopalians believe that God intends us to use reason and tradition to interpret the Scriptures. We understand Scripture as a collection of books that includes poetry, history, letters, laws, and stories that were written and edited over generations. This doesn’t make the Bible any less holy. We believe that God uses Scripture to inform our lives of faith individually and as His Church. We delight in Scripture as it sheds light on our own experiences of God and one another. On a similar note, many Episcopalians would say that they believe in Jesus, rather than believing a laundry-list of statements about Jesus. We also hold that doubt is a normal part of faith, for our doubts allow us to grow in love and understanding of God and of one another.

Why do you change the colors and move the furniture around in the church?

Like some other denominations, we follow a “church year” that helps us understand our Christian story and focus on different aspects of our faith journeys. Each season is marked by a change in the colors around the church and in clergy stoles and vestments. And at Holy Trinity, we further emphasize these seasonal changes by moving the pews around and changing our liturgy. The six liturgical seasons are:

Advent – The four weeks before Christmas focus on preparation for the Savior and are acknowledged with the color blue (a color which hints at the purple of Lent (self-examination) but makes distinct Advent’s theme of expectant waiting).

Christmas – This season celebrates the birth of the Savior—the coming of Emmanuel, God-With-Us—and is marked with the color white (for purity and joy).

Epiphany – The season of light begins with the recognition by the three wise men that Jesus is the Savior and celebrates him as the light in the darkness. Ephiphany is marked by the color white.

Lent – This season of self-examination and repentance covers the 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter and is marked by the color purple (for royalty—Jesus as King).

Easter – The season of new life celebrates Jesus’ resurrection and is marked with the color white.

Pentecost – The Day of Pentecost celebrates the arrival of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Pentecost Sunday is marked by the color red (for the fire of the Holy Spirit). The Sundays afterward are marked by the color green (suggesting hope and growth). At Holy Trinity, we emphasized Pentecost and all the Sundays that follow as a season of mission. Some churches call these Sundays “ordinary time.”

 

Throughout the year, we also observe “high holy days” and “feast days” as well as other traditional celebrations. All this means it’s never a dull moment at Holy Trinity.

What is liturgy?

Liturgy is the form (or formula) by which public worship is conducted. All churches have a “liturgy”—an order in which they do things. As an Episcopal Church, we follow the forms outlined in our Book of Common Prayer—that’s the blue book with the cross on it that you’ll see in the pews. You can also read it online here. Our worship leaflets use material from the Book of Common Prayer, as well as from the prayer books of other countries who are “cousins” of the Episcopal Church, and other materials approved by our Bishop. Having an “outline” for worship doesn’t stifle our creativity. In fact, we think it enhances it. Look for the ways we vary our worship, while maintaining the same basic order, from season to season.

Why aren’t there more Bibles around Holy Trinity?

There are two reasons. 1) Holy Trinity, like other Episcopal churches and many other denominations, follows the Revised Common Lectionary—a prescribed set of Scripture readings for each Sunday of the year. The lectionary readings repeat every three years with each year (A, B & C) focusing on a different Gospel (not counting John which is reserved for special occasions). The readings are designed to highlight the particular themes of the church seasons. If all that seems way too complicated, consider for a moment the unity created when so many Christians in different churches around the world read the same Scripture at the same time. Kinda cool, right? That big book up in the pulpit is chock-full of Scripture—all arranged according to the lectionary. And 2) we often keep Bibles around Holy Trinity, but we usually end up giving them away to our neighbors who don’t have Bibles at home.

How do I become a member?

It’s easy to become a member of Holy Trinity. You just show up. More difficult is becoming a disciple of Jesus, for that takes commitment, consistency, and courage. We invite you to become a disciple by attending worship regularly, forming relationships with others at Holy Trinity, and learning and serving with us.

Want to learn more?

Make an appointment for a coffee shop chat with our deacon and urban missioner, Kris Christensen. Call 509.326.6471 or email kris@trinityspokane.org.