|
The Church The Churchyard
|
 |
|
|
|
 What is "The Church"? The church isn't just the Beautiful building that you look at, or just one group of people, "The Church" is a way of describing all Christian people who follow the example set by Jesus Christ two millennia ago. In the Bible there are a number of references to the future of the church, Jesus refers to Peter as the "rock" upon which the church will be built - clearly not a building only then! What do we believe? This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer! You are likely to get a different answer from every Christian that you ask. You may find it helpful to look at the pages on the main Church of England website. It might also be useful to consider the words of the Creed, a statement of faith made every Sunday in Stevington for many years; We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Nicene Creed is the most widely accepted and used brief statements of the Christian Faith. In liturgical churches, it is said every Sunday as part of the Liturgy. It is Common Ground to Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists, and many other Christian groups. Many groups that do not have a tradition of using it in their services nevertheless are committed to the doctrines it teaches. The Fathers of The Church Holding the Nicene Creed at it's formulation during the Council of Nicaea, in 381AD (From A Greek Orthadox Icon) You may ask, "What about the Apostles' Creed?" Traditionally, in the West, the Apostles' Creed is used at Baptisms, and the Nicene Creed at the Eucharist. The Eastern Church uses only the Nicene Creed.) What do I have to believe to come to St Mary's? You don't have to believe anything to come to one of our services! in fact, part of the history of the church has been made up of different people bringing their experiences of what Christ means to them. The Bible and the teachings of Christ have affected people in many different ways throughout the centuries and you should not feel any different, it is often best to simply meet other Christians and talk with them. If you want to ask some questions before you come to St Mary's, you may wish to use the Christian Enquiry Agency - a non denominational service on the net to answer your questions. You can find it at www.christianity.org.uk. What next? Why not come along to one of our services and see what is going on for yourself, service times can be found here. You'll be assured of a warm welcome and we provide coffee afterwards!
|
|
