150th Anniversary

Who are we? What do we

believe?

150th Anniversary
As you know, I usually preach on the Bible readings of the day, but today, on the 150 th anniversary of this
church, I want to take a few minutes to reflect on who we are and what we believe in.
St. James is a Christian church and welcomes all Christians to worship God with us. St. James is a place of
spiritual healing. Many people had negative experiences with other churches, and so they stay away from
church. If you have been hurt in other churches, you are welcome here, and you will be safe here.
Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox. Churches define themselves as Protestant, or Orthodox or Catholic.
St. James is an Episcopal church: we are Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic. Anglicanism was born of the
Protestant reformation. Orthodox means true faith and yes, we believe that we have the true faith. The
word catholic means universal, we are Catholic, but not Roman Catholic. Our Church is catholic for two
reasons: 1. Because it is present all over the world, and 2. Because to be catholic also means to be open
to all those who seek God. Jesus welcomed everyone: the sick, the lepers, the sinners, the publicans, all
those who were rejected by the Pharisees. The Episcopal Church is open to everyone, welcomes people of
every race and nationality, and treats all equally: men and women, single and married, straight and gays.
In our Church we celebrate Sacraments and Sacramental Rights and we receive Gods Grace through them:
1.Baptism. In Baptism we become adopted children of God and members of the Church. We baptize both
children and adults. There are churches that refuse to baptize the children of parents who are divorced
and remarried, or living together, or of single parents. We are not one of those churches: we baptize all
children regardless of their parents marital situation. . If your children are not yet baptized, we will be
happy to baptize them.
2.Confirmation. When children grow up and become young adults, and are old enough to understand
what it means to be Christian, our Church presents them to the Bishop so that they can proclaim their faith
and receive Confirmation.
3.Eucharist. In the Eucharist we receive the body and blood of Christ. There are churches that believe that
communion should be given only to those who are free of sin, and thus require private confession before
communion. We are not one of those churches. We believe that the Eucharist is the spiritual food and the
medicine Christians need to avoid sin, and become better followers of Christ. If you take food and
medicine away from sick people, they will never get better. Everyone here is a sinner, so we all need to
receive the Eucharist to feed and strengthen us, and bring us Gods grace.

150th Anniversary
4.Reconciliation of a Penitent. Jesus told his apostles, If you forgive sins, they will be forgiven, and said
that repentance is required for forgiveness. But Jesus never said that personal confession is required for
forgiveness. Some churches require confession before communion. In our church, sins are forgiven to those
who repent. Although confession is always available on request, it is not necessary for communion. Baptized
persons, who repent and ask in their heart Gods forgiveness for their sins, are forgiven, reconciled to God,
and welcome to receive communion with us.
5.Marriage. Human beings are created to live in relationships. When two adults love each other, and are
ready to commit to live together as a family, we bless their marriage. There are churches that only bless the
marriage of a man with a woman, and thus refuse to marry gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people.
There are churches that reject people who are divorced and remarried. We are not one of those churches. We
believe that all people are children of the same God. God created us as we are, and causes us to fall in love
with another person. God does not make mistakes, and if He created us this way, He wants us to live this way.
Unfortunately, some marriages end in divorce. The Episcopal Church believes in second chances, and our
Bishops, having verified that a marriage has ended, will give consent to divorced people to marry in church
again.
6.Holy Orders. In the New Testament we read that Deacons, Priests and Bishops were ordained to lead the
church in works of charity and in worship. Some churches ordain only men. But that creates a class system
within the church: men are first-class and women are second-class. No one is baptized to be a second class
Christian. Our church believes that Baptism qualifies all Christians to receive all Sacraments, including
Ordination. Thus the Episcopal Church treats women the same as men, and ordains women and men as
Deacons, Priests and Bishops.
7.Anointing. When people get sick, and their health fades, the Episcopal Church anoints them and give them
the grace of God to support their spirit as they struggle to regain their strength, or, if it be the will of God, to
ease their journey into the next life.
. What we believe: We believe that God loves us, not because we are good and deserve his love, but because
God is good. Jesus asks us to respond to Gods love by loving everyone else. At St. James, we listen to the
word of God revealed through the Bible, and welcome everyone to pray with us. We respect differences, and
strongly believe that each person has something to offer, and that our church is enriched by the unique gifts
and experiences of each one of its members. So, today, on the 150 th anniversary of St. James, let us celebrate
ourselves, the little stone church with a warm heart, and welcome every person with open arms.