Sacramental ministry is traditionally understood to be an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace. "Grace" is one of those church-y words that is sometimes difficult to understand.
A helpful image for understanding God's grace can be found in the many Gospel passages where Jesus depicts God as our heavenly parent. Like a worldly parent, God loves us dearly and has sacrificed for each and every one of us long before we even begin to be aware of it. God has fed us, and clothed us, and given us care and comfort as children. And God desires all of us to live in God's house, as a part of God's family, in relationship with the other members of this family.
In the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), when the younger son leaves the father's house and chooses to live life according to his own will, turning away from the father, that relationship with the father and his family is broken. But it is in returning to the father's house that the son is welcomed back into renewed relationship. The father in the parable tells his first son who never left: "[We must] celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Grace is the excitement of God's heart in welcoming us home.
We at St Stephens are excited that you are considering sacramental ministry, and are reading this to find out more about it. Perhaps you are like the first son in the parable who has remained in the Father's house and stayed in close relationship with the family, each step of the way. Or perhaps you are more like the second son, who has spent time away from the family, seeking your own will. Either way, God's arms are open wide to you. Welcome home!
Eucharist
Part of celebrating our life together is the blessing of sacraments. Sacraments are the household rituals and rites of passage we share as God's family in God's house, and they are a means of God's grace.
The Eucharist is the sacrament practiced most frequently in the life of God's family. It is a family meal that in large urban parishes is offered daily in order for more people to join regularly. However, due to the small size of St Stephens, we usually offer the sacrament of the Eucharist twice weekly, at 8:30am and 10:30am on Sunday mornings. Gathering regularly for a meal together is important for building up relationships with our biological families, and it is equally important for building up our relationship with God and God's family. This regular "family time" needs to be prioritized over the many other things vying for our attention in order for these family relationships to thrive.
Baptism
Baptism is the rite of entrance into God's family. Parents and sponsors who themselves are active members of God's family, together with the priest and the whole congregation of God's family, commit, in the case of infant baptism, to raising the child in the household of faith and teaching them to follow the way of Christ. Teens and adults seeking baptism make this choice to follow the way of Christ for themselves, and the community commits to walking together with them on the way. When we "go under" the water in baptism we are symbolizing dying to ourselves and our own wills. Then we "come up" from under the waters, proclaiming our new resurrected life in Christ, and receiving Him as our Saviour and Lord. From this point forward, we are a part of God's family and live in God's house with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Confirmation
Confirmation is the sacramental rite of passage into an adult faith, which is appropriate when a person was baptised as a child but has yet to choose to live in God's household of faith for themselves. It is also appropriate alongside the rite of adult baptism. This is a significant personal decision that the individual needs to consider deeply and make for themselves.
Our diocese recommends that the process of intentional confirmation preparation last two years, consisting of regular church attendance and a formal curriculum of faith formation during that two-year period. In the spirit of this recognized need for a two-year preparation period for confirmation, St Stephens usually requires parents seeking baptism for their infant children to have been active worshipping members of our parish or another Christian church for the previous two years. There is also a formal curriculum of baptismal preparation, adapted to the level of education of the parents and godparents. Those who have already been through a two-year process of confirmation preparation themselves are deemed adequately prepared to commit to leading their children and godchildren in the way of Christ, as they have already chosen for themselves this "way."
Reconciliation
The sacrament of reconciliation (traditionally referred to as "confession") is a gift of God to help people be restored to right relationship with God. Like the Prodigal Son, returning to right relationship means real repentance from seeking our own will and a coming home to the household of faith. While reconciliation with God is by faith through Christ and accessible directly and privately through prayer, some might find it especially profound to make their confession to God audibly and to hear the words of loving acceptance spoken aloud by a priest. Traditionally it is said with regards to this sacrament of reconciliation: "All may, some should, none must." Reconciliation with a priest is very appropriate when we are turning back to the household of faith after a lengthy period of walking away from God and our Christian family.
Marriage
Marriage is another sacrament, but one that is unique in that the parties to the marriage are those who perform the rite. It is through the commitment that they make to one another that God's grace is bestowed, apart from the involvement of a priest. This is why all marriages conducted under Canadian civil law are recognized as valid in the Anglican Church of Canada.* However, a Christian marriage is one in which God and God's family are invited to be a part of this new sacramental relationship, on the day of the wedding and going forward. Those desiring a Christian wedding at St Stephens meet with Rev. Chris three times for preparatory study and are expected to attend a marriage preparation weekend well before the anticipated wedding date.
*The national church has recently acknowledged that any marriage allowed by civil law can be conducted and blessed in an Anglican church; in the case of same-sex marriage, this can occur with the approval of the local bishop. Our bishop, Rob Hardwick, will be giving direction on same-sex marriage following our diocesan Synod (a churchy name for our area leadership meeting) called to consider this matter in the fall of 2021. We at St Stephens will look forward to Bishop Rob's direction at that time.
Holy Orders
Another sacrament is that of Holy Orders. All Christians are called to proclaim by word and example the Good News of Jesus Christ, but some have a unique gifting for this purpose in the life of the church, so they are set apart through the rite of ordination as deacons, priests and bishops. Deacons reach out with the Gospel to those on the margins of the community, priests build up the life of the local parish, and bishops offer teaching and pastoral oversight to multiple parishes.
Anointing the Sick
The final sacrament of the church is that of anointing the sick. Jesus not only proclaimed the Good News of salvation, he embodied it by miraculously healing the sick and raising the dead (including Himself!). He passed on these spiritual powers to His Apostles through the laying on of hands and prayer, and to those the Apostles and their successors, the bishops, set apart for the same purpose. This ministry of care and healing is today passed onto certain lay and ordained ministers duly authorized by our bishop. When someone is going through physical or mental health struggles, it is a privilege to be invited into this moment of vulnerability and embody God's care and concern. The minister hears the person's struggles, prays for them, and anoints them with holy oil. We are privileged in Swift Current to have a health authority that values spiritual care, and so when folks are admitted to the hospital they can indicate "St Stephens Anglican" on the intake form and the hospital chaplain then informs the members of our pastoral care team. A member of our team then makes contact with the person to offer their support. If you would like pastoral care when in the hospital, please make sure to indicate "St Stephens Anglican" on the intake form so that our pastoral care team is notified of your hospital stay.
Questions?
Please contact Rev. Chris if you have any questions about the sacramental ministries of the church.
