Spirituality
Prayer
Prayer What is prayer? How long have you got?!? Volumes have been written on prayer. At the end of the day, though, it comes down to the different ways in which we build our relationship with God – our ‘quality time’ with God, so to speak. In this section, you will find guidance on how you can develop a personal life of prayer on your own or in small groups. Here we concentrate on the private, rather than the public, community forms of prayer, which we look at in the ‘Worship’ section. How to Pray "Prayer is more than an order of words, the conscious occupation of the praying mind, or the sound of the voice praying." T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets For many, prayer is a daily, moment by moment, experience of talking to, listening to, and being with God. Talking to God, because our natural impulse is to share, to express the joys and sorrows we all know; listening, by opening our hearts to God’s voice and guidance in Scripture, Liturgy, quiet and through other people. Simply being with God, in a relationship where words aren’t always needed and sitting in God’s presence is enough. This experience of God in prayer not only renews our lives and the life of the Church. It also makes us fellow travelers with people of faith of many different traditions and gives us a language of spirituality we can share when “religion” can so often seem to divide. In our Old Catholic tradition there are many pathways into living with God through the Holy Spirit of Jesus who lives and prays in us and for us. When prayer can seem difficult or boring or God can seem silent, there are ways to help us listen afresh and encounter God in new ways. If you would like help exploring what prayer means for you, ways of praying, we offer some resources for you to explore. -Sacred Space: Your Daily Prayer -Daily Mass Readings |
Worship
Liturgy As a Church we welcome all to worship with us on Sundays and throughout the week. We are friendly and inclusive – children are always welcome. Often called the Eucharist or Mass, the Liturgy, literally the work of the people, is the source and summit of our life as Church. We warmly invite you to join us with us for the celebration of the sacred Liturgy at a community near you. Sacraments The Sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ to the Church. In our Communion we recognize the following Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Marriage, Holy Orders, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. Sacraments are not restricted to any individual or group, by gender, sexual orientation, marital state or other conditions. Other Worship Experiences
Flowing from the Sunday Liturgy, we encourage many additional forms of worship such as: Scripture study, focused prayer groups, healing services, ongoing Christian education series, etc. Celebrating the Year As our lives are made of many days and nights, of seasons and years, so too the liturgical calendar for the Old Catholic Diocese of the Southeast serves us, to grace our homes, our communities and our lives. May it remind us of the Lord's Day, holy days and seasons, and other gifted days that we share together as the Church. |
Vocation and Ministry
Called to be an Icon
The life of the Christian takes on real experience in the community of faith, the parish – faith is made “flesh and blood” through worship, education and the life of service. Every Christian is an image or “icon” of Christ to the world and to other Christians. So too, the bishop, priest and deacon are icons of Christ to the Church – each in a different way – just as spouses are icons of Christ to each other and parents are icons of Christ to their children. The reality is that the Church is filled with living symbols of Christ. Baptism is the great Sacrament that transforms each Christian into this iconic presence. Ordained women and men are changed by the Sacrament of Holy Orders into a new role for the Church – to stand as an image of Christ for the assembly of faith. This sacramental role is meant to gather and lead. It is especially recognized in the great sacrament of the Eucharist, in which both the laity and the ordained exercise their proper roles and ministries. In our household of faith, we understand the ministry of deacon to be particularly of service to the Church and the wider community. We understand the ministry of the priest to be particularly one of building up the Body of Christ in the world through the ministry of Word and Sacrament, pastoral care and teaching. The Body of Christ gathered around the Table to be nourished by the Body of Christ upon the Table. If you would like to initiate a conversation about being a community of faith or ministering as a deacon or priest within the Old Catholic Diocese of the Southeast, please, contact Bishop Steve. |