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Someone once said that no one could understand a sacrament
unless he has a “divine sense of humor.” To be able to laugh at a pun, one must
see in it a two fold meaning: the thing described by the words, but also to see
through them to another, deeper meaning. Sacraments have been described as an
outward and visible sign of an invisible and unseen grace given to us by God.
The outward symbols – bread and wine, water and oil, spoken words of promise and
forgiveness – all point to the goodness of God’s unmerited favor and his help in
daily living. This grace is God’s provision for us as we go through life needing
to be spiritually born, nurtured, healed from sin and its effects, and to give
of ourselves for the life of the world.
This section of our web site is designed to answer some of the questions you may
have about the sacraments.
B A P T I S M
Baptism symbolizes burial and resurrection, and is a mark of a believer’s
identification with Jesus Christ. In the service of baptism we renounce sin and
evil and pledge to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, putting our whole
trust in Him. We also promise to continue in the apostle’s teaching, in the
Christian fellowship, and in the prayers. In short, baptism is our being reborn
into the life of Christ and into his family, the Church. Generally speaking,
baptism follows this profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
Following in the Jewish tradition of circumcision, in which parents brought
their children into this covenantal relationship with God, Christian parents may
follow ancient practice by bringing them to Christ and his church for Holy
Baptism. Parents who have their infants baptized promise before God that they
will be raised in the Christian faith and life until such time as they can make
their own profession of faith.
At St. Luke’s, we expect that at least one parent be an active member of St.
Luke’s in order to have their child baptized here. If one has grown up here, but
presently attends elsewhere, we will encourage you to have your child baptized
in the community of which you are a part. If you still call St. Luke’s home, we
will baptize your child upon consent of the minister where you are attending.
If you would like to be baptized, or have your child baptized, please contact
Mother Diana to make the necessary arrangements.
H O L Y C O M M U N I O N
Through Holy Communion we remember what Christ as done for us through his life,
death and resurrection, we remember what he is doing now, and we look forward to
the promised future he has laid out for us for all eternity. Any baptized
Christian may participate in Holy Communion, including children of any age.
Children seven years old or older are encouraged to attend one of our Holy
Communion classes to find out about this sacrament of the Church. (For adults,
this information is included in Confirmation classes and New Member Class.)
C O N F I R M A T I O N or R E C E P T I O N
Confirmation is a service of public commitment to the promises that were made on
your behalf if you were baptized as an infant or at an earlier stage in your
adult. At your confirmation, you will renew your baptismal covenant and the
bishop will lay hands on you, praying for you to receive the gifts you will need
for ministry.
Those confirmed in another tradition may be RECEIVED into the Episcopal Church
by the Bishop.
If you are ready to make such a commitment, please contact Mother Diana to
arrange for classes that you will prepare you for this important step in your
Christian journey.
H O L Y M A T R I M O N Y
The faithful commitment of husband and wife to each other signifies the union
between Christ and the Church. During the ceremony, the man and woman pledge to
be faithful to one another for life, and ask God’s blessing through the ups and
downs of their life together. The Church looks on as a witness to their vows,
and pledges that they would uphold them in this venture.
In order to be married at St. Luke’s, one of the parties needs to be an active
member. Consideration is also given to those who were once active but have moved
away for school or work, or to those whose parents or grandparents are current,
active members. If a couple wants to consider marriage at St. Luke’s, and they
are not currently members, they may go through the pre-marital and membership
processes concurrently and should plan their wedding date to be set about 6
months after initial enquiry. The membership process is as follows:
1. Complete a basic course in the Christian faith.
2. Complete a St. Luke’s Membership orientation to find out about our values and
vision.
3. Participate in pre-nuptial counseling.
There is no fee for the use of the church or the parish hall (for a reception)
for members of St. Luke’s. The fee for non-members to use the church is $500 and
$150 for the Parish Hall.
R E C O N C I L I A T I O N O F A P E N I T E N T
Though not required, reconciliation, or confession as it is commonly called, is
available for any who wish to avail themselves of it. Who should participate? An
answer commonly given is: All may. Some should. None must. In sacramental
confession persons can and do receive the forgiveness of God, not as a general
truth or a vague promise, but personally, immediately, and in actual experience.
For this reason, many who participate originally because of stubborn sins or
nagging feelings of guilt (which are good reasons) often make it a regular part
of their spiritual discipline.
H E A L I N G
We at St. Luke’s believe that God heals today. Many of our parish Glory Stories
(available on this site) are about God’s healing touch to restore the
physically, emotionally, and spiritually broken. It is not an uncommon thing at
St. Luke’s to find a group of people surrounding a member after church in our
side chapel, praying for them. If you would like to be prayed for, ask one of
our members who will be happy to pray with you. Mother Diana and Deacon Henry
are also available to anoint you with oil set especially set aside for the
healing of the sick.
Alternately, and especially if your request is of a sensitive or confidential
nature, please contact Mother Diana or Deacon Henry. They will pray with you or
refer you to parish members who have training in the prayer and healing
ministry.
Our priest or deacon should also be contacted if you (or a loved one) are facing
surgery or experiencing a significant illness. They or a member of our prayer
team will pray with you and ensure that your name is included on our Parish
Prayer List and/or Prayer Chain should you desire it. The Prayer Chain is
specifically set aside for “emergency” prayer requests.
Anyone can make use of our Parish Prayer List or Prayer Chain by calling
943-4180.
B U R I A L
Please contact Mother Diana regarding a Christian funeral and burial. Please
know that our hearts go out to you at this difficult time.
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