Our Faith and Worship

Our Faith

When you enter the door of St. James Church, you will see the Bible that is pictured at the right. We give the Word this place of prominence because we recognize that the historic Christian faith begins with the inerrant Word of God. Through the Bible, God reveals Himself – His character, His joys, and His purposes – so that we may know Him and His perfect will.

We are also blessed to have a record of the Church's historic statements of faith, which are all firmly grounded in Holy Scripture. Provided below are links to some of the resources that help us live up to our commitment to believe God's Word and to embrace the historic Christian faith.

Our Worship

The liturgy of our church remains consistent with the worship of the ancient church and the English Reformation.

The Book of Common Prayer used in traditional Anglican churches is composed almost entirely of selections from Scripture that are woven together in such a way as to move the participants in a logical and orderly manner in their expression of Almighty God's worthiness.

Most importantly, God's revelation in the Bible remains central, giving us confidence that our worship is acceptable to God, for we speak to Him in the very words He has given us.

Through the faithful administration of the Eucharist, the hearts of the participants are strengthened. They are reminded of their union with Christ, their absolute reliance upon God, and their unique position of being the Children of God. By worshiping in this manner, the Reformed Episcopal Church maintains a connection with the Church of Jesus Christ through the Ages.

In becoming familiar with the Reformed Episcopal worship service, it helps to know that the congregation says the prayers and responses that appear in italics in the Prayer Book and bulletin and that, in general,

we stand to sing the hymns, read the Psalms, and hear the Gospel lesson,
we sit to hear the Word read or preached, and
we kneel to pray.

Although it is sometimes difficult at first to move between the bulletin, the hymn book, and the prayer book, most people become accustomed to the pattern of the service after a few weeks and find it a beautiful way to express the adoration that we owe our Lord.