Primacy
of the Eucharist
Everything in the
life of
St. Paul's
community comes out of the Eucharist.
There is a
strong
sense that week by week and day by day in the Liturgy of the Word we
renew
our identity as the Body of Christ here on earth today.
Secular
Religious Community
Conventional parish
life revolves
around programs which are run by staff members. In a
religious
community, members may participate more actively as ministers in the
mission
and ministry of the Church, and the leadership helps the parishioners
themselves develop and run the programs which they need and want.
The individuals
who
make up St.
Paul’s community:
Value
authenticity
in all persons and
things
Want
structured
community life
Are
intentionally
Catholic and Anglican
Want
worship with
a
transcendent sense
Have
traditional
values
Are
theologically
orthodox
Value
growth in
persons and their lives
Value
loyalty
Are
intentional
about
Christian faith
and life with a strong valuing of commitment
Have a
commitment
to
Christian stewardship
and the tithe of time, talent, and treasure
Spiritual
Development
We affirm the
Church’s
teaching that God has given each person unique talents and gifts and
that
in Baptism each person receives the vocation to Christian
ministry.
We try to
enable our members to fully develop those gifts and that ministry
so they in turn can go out into the world to assist others in
the
development of their own God-given gifts and the fulfillment of their
own
God-given vocations.
Early
Christian Model
St. Paul’s endorses
the
call of
both world-wide Anglicanism and the 1979 Book of Common Prayer
for
a restoration of church life to Early Christian patterns.
Theological
education and spiritual formation are seen as indispensible
parts of adult life and ministry.
Historic
Catholicism
St. Paul’s is an
integral
part
of the historic sacramental Universal Church. Our Anglicanism
affirms
the full faith of the undivided Catholic Church, neither added to nor
subtracted
from. The faith of the historic undivided Catholic Church
is universal also in the sense that it is for all people.
Anglican
Vision
St. Paul’s
community takes seriously and works to
live
out fully the Anglican vision of the Christian life as expressed in the
Church’s historic theology, canons, liturgy, and the Baptismal
Covenant.
Among Christian
churches Anglicanism
in particular has historically placed a strong emphasis on full,
committed
participation in the life of the local church community (parish,
seminary,
monastery) because in Anglicanism it is community life which provides
Christian
formation (rather than education programs, which in the Anglican
tradition
are academically objective, not indoctrination).
You can read
more
about Anglicanism
at Wondering
about Anglicans?
Benedictine Vision
Benedictine monks
were early missionaries
to England, and the
English clergy was steeped in Benedictinism and this was reflected in
the Book
of Common Prayer of 1662, which is the basis for Book
of Common Prayer of 1979, and indeed of all Anglicanism.
Modern Anglicans
sometimes feel
that Benedictinism is a new movement being layered onto their church,
but
Anglicans have always Benedictines and still are. Traits
such
as balance, hospitality, and an emphasis on
practice
rather than abstract theory, are all Benedictine in origin. Being
Benedictine does not mean you become a monk.
While
St. Paul's acknowledges our Benedictine
heritage somewhat more than many Episcopal/Anglican parishes, it is in
no way a requirement for membership or attendance. Is is simply
an opportunity that is open to those who wish to pursue it. See Benedictine
Formation for more information.
Christian
Growth
St. Paul’s affirms
the
Church’s
teaching that the Christian life is a life-long process of dynamic
growth,
not a static state of being.
At St. Paul’s
there is
no expectation
or demand as to where a person begins this journey nor even where the
person
may be at any given time. What is considered important is the
commitment
to and participation in a continuing process of growth in the Christian
life and the person’s God-given vocation.
Parish
Membership
A person becomes a
part
of St.
Paul’s parish community simply by becoming regular in attendance and
active
in its worship and life.
There is no
further
requirement
or obligation, and everyone may participate fully in the work and
ministry
of the parish, except for those positions for which canon law
specifically
requires persons to be Confirmed Communicants in Good Standing of the
Episcopal
Church and canonically resident in the parish. These positions
include
Eucharistic Ministers, Licensed Lay Homilists, delegates to Diocesan
Convention,
etc.)
Rector
Father Thomas
Fraser has
been our
Rector since 1974. His specialty is liturgy. Expect a
Eucharist
that is reverent, intentional, and focused on the presence of the Lord,
without distraction.
Brief biography
of Father
Fraser.
Learn about St.
Paul, our patron. He was not as shy as we are.
