William Sydnor
Alexandria, Va.
August 5, 1980
PART ONE
When we look at theEpiscopal Church we arefirst impressed withthose things that meetthe eye—the building,outside and in…thedecorations…symbols…vestments…services,regular and thoseoccasionally observed…the behavior of thepeople. Let's considersomething of the meaningof these….
…FIRST APPEARANCES.
Chapter 1
How the Church Looks to Outsiders
That church on the corner is no ordinary building. It is a “special place” to those who worship there on Sunday and participate in other activities there during the week. Inside, its furniture, its walls, its windows are decorated with symbols and pictures, carvings and needlework, all of which have meaning for those who belong. The people who worship there take part in services from which they gain inspiration and guidance, a sense of forgiveness, comfort and inner peace. “Take part” is an accurate description because the participants sing and recite and read. They do not just sit and listen—sometimes they stand, sometimes kneel. Those who conduct their services wear peculiar uniforms that are also decorated with symbols and have special meaning. In addition, the church has other kinds of services, services related to life's special times—a new baby in the family, a marriage, the death of a loved one. And to some extent those who take part in the ongoing life of the Church carry over its influence and its message into their everyday pursuits.
What is the meaning of all of this? Why is the Christian Church the way it is in looks and in worship, in belief and witness?
Episcopalians, as well as other Christian bodies, think of themselves as the Family of God. How do you get acquainted with a family, any family? Perhaps you are invited into the family's home, or you may just wander in because you are lost and have no home of your own. That home is decorated in their special way—there are pictures treasured by the family and little things here and there which have particular meaning for family members. You see that its members have different roles in the life of the family. Their jobs are different as are their responsibilities. You notice that family members have customs and practices peculiarly their own—they hold hands to say grace at meals, or the kids always whistle when they come home from school and enter the house. You find out that there are certain days and occasions which have family importance. When you begin to inquire about family practices they are likely to begin to tell you some family history. “Grandpa was this kind of man and we try to live up to our past.” Now you have begun to discover what the members of that family really believe, what it important to them—deep down. If you are an orphan and have no family, perhaps you are attracted to this family you have discovered and would like to be a part of it.
In the following pages we are going to try to tell you those same things about that part of the Family of God known as the Episcopal Church or to use its historical and legal name, The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. We shall look at its building, its worship, its ministry, its history, and its beliefs. Then we shall describe how a person becomes a member, and what difference that can make in his or her life.
Chapter 2
The House of God
The name “church” has a long history. In time, it came to mean “the house of the Lord” or God's house. And another word came to be associated with the people who worshiped in God's house—the Greek word ecclesia, from which we get ecclesiastic. Ecclesia, means, literally, “the called out assemble of people,” and “those who are called to assemble” (as by the town crier) in the Lord's Name. So “church” has come to mean both God's house and God's people.
Usually, the architecture of the building adds to our awareness that it is a place of Christian worship. There is a cross on the building and some sort of spire which raises our eyes toward heaven. It may have gothic arches which also point upward, and a tower that tells of God's protection of his people.
Even the position of the building on the lot has Christian significance. From ancient time, churches have been built with the altar at the east end so that the worshipers would be facing the rising sun, symbolic of the Lord's resurrection from the dead. This continues to be a practice even today; the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., is an example of an eastward orientation. Also, the east is thought of as the direction from which Jesus shall come on the last day. “For as the lightening comes out of the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27). For this reason, it was once a custom in Christian burial grounds to lay the dead to rest with faces toward the east.
The church building as God's home has been especially set apart for worship. This “setting apart” is called consecrating or dedicating, and takes place in a service performed by the bishop. A consecrated church building is used as a place to worship God and for no other purpose. In the consecration service, the building is given a Christian name. It may be named for our Lord or one of the apostles or saints—Christ Church…St. Matthew's Church…or St. Patrick's Church—or it may be named for a great doctrine of the Christian faith—the Church of the Incarnation…Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
There is a variety of kinds of churches. Within the Episcopal Church, the principal church of the diocese where the bishop has his official seat or throne (a symbol of his authority) is called a cathedral. (The Greek word cathedra means seat or throne.) Most churches where the people of the community worship are called parish churches. In earlier times the parish was a geographic area within which the people lived who worshiped at the local church. This is less true today because people have greater mobility. Also, there are smaller churches called “missions” which have been started by a parish or the diocese, but which are not yet self-supporting.
In addition to the Episcopal churches of the community there are a number of other churches where Christian people worship—Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Greek Orthodox to name only a few. There are also non-Christian places of worship—Jewish synagogues, Islamic mosques.
Now let's open the door and step inside that church on the corner.
Chapter 3
The House Within
The interior of the building is divided into several parts. First there is the porch or vestibule or narthex. Then there is the main body of the church called the nave. This is occupied by those who assemble to worship God. The name nave comes from the Latin word navis, meaning ship. The church is the ship of salvation which bears us safely over the stormy seas of life.
Some churches are cruciform, that is, built in the form of a cross, with two transepts, one extending north, the other south, at the head of the aisle.
The front part of the church beyond the transepts is raised a few steps above the nave and is called the chancel. Sometimes it is separated from the nave by an open screen (Latin cancelli, hence the name chancel) which, nowadays, is called the rood screen because it is surmounted