Greetings in the Lord’s name!
I am glad that you are reading this, and that I have an opportunity to share with you some thoughts about Christ the King (CTK) and Holy Nativity (HN) and the Episcopal Church in general.
The Episcopal Church has a long history; you can find basic information by Googling it on the web.
A high priority for the members of CTK/HN is to be an inviting and welcoming church. This means that everyone is welcome who walks through our doors, regardless of marital status, social status, sexual orientation, or ethnic background. I like to say, “All people are invited to experience God’s unconditional love in Jesus Christ—no exceptions!” So, whoever you are, please know that you are welcome!
The church universal today is very diverse in worship. You can find worship with a “praise band” or a “Roman Mass in Latin” or anything in between.
The Episcopal Church is a “liturgical” church. This means that we follow a format for our worship that includes singing, confession of sins and forgiveness, reading and preaching of the Word. Some people refer to us as being “high church,” but following a liturgical format does not mean “stuffy and boring.” We find the worship setting with the symbols of the crucifix, candles, seasonal colors, and music to be very meaningful.
Our entire worship service is printed in a bulletin so that the worshipers do not get lost going from one book to another for various parts of the service.
Because we want children to feel included in worship as well, we have a “children’s message” at each service. This is a time to share an object and a simplified lesson relevant to the gospel of the day, and have a prayer. The children love it, and so do the adults.
The high point of our worship is the Eucharist (also known as the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion). We believe that Christ is truly present in the bread and wine, and that all worshipers are invited to receive that presence. We serve the bread first; then the worshiper can choose to dip the bread in the chalice of wine (called “intinction”) or eat the bread immediately and then drink from the second chalice (using “the common cup”). The decision is up to the personal preference of the worshiper.
We also take seriously our responsibility to serve the community and those in need. We are involved in several service-oriented programs in the community. It is a part of who we are.
I hope this gives you a little “flavor” of who we are and what you can expect when you come to worship with us.
You are most welcome!
I look forward to seeing you soon.
Father Olin