Читать книгу Looking at the Episcopal Church - William Sydnor - Страница 9

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.