The year is running away with us already and before we know where we are we will be at Advent Sunday. Beginning of Advent Sunday, which will be November 30th this year, I will begin a series I call Episcopal 101 at 11:30 on Sunday Mornings. This is a program covering the essentials of the Christian faith in the Episcopal Church. 

It's easy to slip into membership in the Episcopal Church and have been a member for some time before you realize you don't know much about what it means to be an Episcopalian other-than that our approach feels comfortable for you. We all learn early in life that after a while it's embarrassing to ask questions that reveal that we don't know what we imagine we are expected to know.

Episcopal 101 appeals to people with different needs. Let me present four questions:

1.   Are you a teenager, or do you have teenagers who are wondering what to                             believe about God or even to believe in God, at all?

2.   Are you new to the Episcopal Church and wondering why it feels right for you?           3.   Have you been a member of St. Martin's for some time, and would like to take                     the next step of becoming confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church?

4.   Are you a long-time Episcopalian, maybe deeply committed to service, yet feel                     you need something more now as you move into the next phase of your life?

Confirmation is a personal affirmation of the baptismal promises made for us by our God Parents at our baptism. That's why it normally takes place during the teenage years. But it can happen at any point of life. Reception instead of confirmation simply means that if you have been confirmed in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox or Lutheran Churches, we simply recognize that through being receiving by an Episcopal bishop, rather than being confirmed into relationship with him or her.

In EP-101 we will have four sessions in Advent covering the topics

            o   Who/what is God?
            o   Who is Jesus?
            o   What is the Church?

The focus of my approach is to define the nature of relationship and belonging, not believing, as in believing the so-called right things.

In the New Year we will reconvene with further sessions on:

            o   Understanding the Bible?

            o   Understanding the importance of worship?
            o   Practicing spiritual life?
            o   The place of Gratitude in living the Christian life?

My policy is that anyone who wants to be confirmed or received can be, because coming into relationship (communion) with our bishop is not conditional upon knowing the right things. Coming into communion is a right for anyone who is already baptized. Therefore, EP-101 is not a precondition for confirmation or reception, but it might be a help.

This Sunday we celebrate the great Festival of All Saints and All Souls, and I will be talking about the difference between saints and souls. We will also have the privilege of baptizing Benjamin Liam McCloskey into membership in the Christian community. So a day of great celebration! We also celebrate Dinner Church from 5-7 in the evening. I look forward to seeing you - in church - this Sunday!

Mark+