 | |
The Sacrament of Baptism:
If you are searching for a place to discover and/or strengthen your connection to God and to God’s community, we welcome you! Often the journey to spiritually belong is triggered by the birth of a child or another important meaningful event in life. It really doesn’t matter to us what caused you to begin your search to belong to a community of faith. What is important is that you are acting on the nudge from God to begin your search.
At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church we welcome all people to be baptized. Baptism is an outward sign of your desire to be a member of the Christian faith. It is called a sacrament of initiation because it is through the Rite of Baptism that you become a member of the community.
Baptisms are by nature, communal events and are celebrated on the four Baptism Sundays in our spiritual calendar. The first opportunity for baptisms is on the Sunday after the Feast of the Epiphany (normally round the second Sunday in January) which is when we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord; the next baptism Sunday is on Easter (sometime in the Spring), the third opportunity is on Pentecost (five weeks after Easter) and the final baptism Sunday is on All Saints Day (the first Sunday in November). These dates fluctuate so it is important to call or email the church office (925-934-2324; info@stpaulswc.org) to find out the exact calendar dates for any given year.
Baptism carries with it some promises and some expectations so it is important to make an appointment with one of the members of the clergy staff. God’s grace is free and is freely given, but experiencing that grace requires our participation in learning about that grace. We feel a great responsibility to provide an effective framework for your walk with Christ. We hope you’ll give us the opportunity to engage you in your journey to find the best spiritual home for you and/or your family.
Funerals:
The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds all its meaning in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we, too, shall be raised. The liturgy, therefore, is characterized by joy, in the certainty that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
This joy, however, does not make human grief unchristian. The very love we have for each other in Christ brings deep sorrow when we are parted by death. Jesus himself wept at the grave of his friend. So, while we rejoice that one we love has entered into the nearer presence of our Lord, we sorrow in sympathy with those who mourn. [The Book of Common Prayer, p. 507]
In the event of a death, please contact the church office immediately, and a member of the clergy will be contacted to assist you.
| |
 |
