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Baptism
Holy
Baptism is full
initiation by water and
the Spirit into Christ’s
body the Church. The
bond which God
establishes in baptism
is indissoluble. Baptism
in the name of God the
Holy Trinity is
recognised across the
various branches of the
one, holy, catholic and
apostolic Church. The
Church baptises adults
and children, and
welcomes all the
baptised to the Lord’s
table. Eucharist is food
for the baptised, the
mystery by which we
become what we receive.
The body of Christ is
both on the altar and
around the altar. At
Grace Church Joondalup,
the sacrament of baptism
is celebrated at the
great feasts of Easter,
Epiphany, and All
Saints, and on
designated Sundays
throughout the year.
Traditionally, apart
from emergencies, there
are no baptisms in
Advent and Lent.
Baptism Sundays
As a Christian
community, we celebrate
the Sacrament of Baptism
in 2009 on 4 January, 22
February, 19 April, 31
May, 5 July, 23 August,
27 September, 1
November, 22 November. There may also be
baptisms on Easter Day. Baptisms never occur in
Advent or Lent.
Download the Baptism Form:
Word.doc version |
Adobe.pdf version
Confirmation
In the course
of their Christian development, those
baptised at an early age are expected to
make an adult affirmation of their faith
and commitment to their baptismal
responsibilities. This is confirmation
in two senses. The candidates confirm
what was done for them at the Font, and
the bishop by the laying on of hands
recognises and confirms their adult
profession of the catholic faith. All
adults baptised in other branches of the
Church are expected to be confirmed by
the bishop. Those already confirmed by a
bishop in another Church may be received
into full membership of the Anglican
Church.
Eucharist
Eucharist is the
summit and source of the Church’s life.
Sometimes known as Liturgy, Lord’s
Supper, the Holy Communion, or Mass,
this form of worship is distinctively
Christian. In the gospels there are as
many meals as miracles. Jesus of
Nazareth welcomed all people and ate
with them, and continues to do so
wherever Eucharist is celebrated. This
liturgy, the work of all God’s people,
begins around the table of the word and
moves to the table of the Eucharist. In
the words of scripture, Christ the
living Word speaks to us. In the bread
and wine of the sacrament, Christ the
living Word enters our bodies to
transform us from within. We believe in
the “real presence” of Jesus the Lord in
the action of the liturgy – in the
gathering of the assembly, in the
greeting of bishop or priest and people
whereby individual believers constitute
the body of Christ, in the breaking open
and proclamation of the bible, in the
broken bread and outpoured wine which
become Christ’s body and blood.
Anglicans subscribe to no particular
theory of the real presence; we simply
trust Christ when he says, “This is my
body; this is my blood…”
To explore further, we recommend:
www.stjohnadulted.org/eucharist.htm
Reconciliation
The ministry
of reconciliation committed by Christ to
his Church is exercised through the care
each Christian has for others, through
the common prayer of those assembled in
public worship, and through the
priesthood of the Church and its
authorised ministers declaring God’s
forgiveness. Anglicans have always
continued the practice of the ancient
Church in providing individual
confession and absolution for all who
desire it. This ministry is often
associated with illness and death, but
it is not restricted to times of
sickness. Confessions may be heard
anytime and anywhere. Unlike some
churches where reconciliation is
mandatory or churches where this
sacrament is ignored, Anglicans say “all
may, none must, some should”. At Grace
Church, confessions are heard at set
times before the great festivals, and by
appointment at other times. If you would
like to make a first confession, please
talk with Fr David.
To explore further, we recommend:
Confession & Absolution
Marriage
Christian marriage is
a solemn and public covenant between a
man and a woman in the presence of God.
In the Anglican Church of Australia it
is required that one, at least, of the
parties be a baptised Christian; that
the ceremony be attested by at least two
witnesses; and that the marriage conform
to the laws of the land and the laws of
the church. Couples marry each other by
making “life vows” to each other, in
exactly the same sense that a priest or
religious makes life vows. The intention
is always that death alone releases the
parties from such vows, but we do
recognise that some marriages die. Under
certain circumstances it is possible,
with the bishop’s permission, for a
divorced person to be married in church.
Anointing of the Sick
Ministry
to the sick takes place in many
different circumstances, and is by no
means confined to what are sometimes
called the “last rites”. The
laying-on-of-hands and anointing with
blessed oil is appropriate in any
situation where healing is desired. We
all need soothing and comforting, gentle
reassurance that we are loved and cared
for, and we long to experience God’s
tenderness. If we are struggling with
depression, we need to know we are not
alone. If we are facing surgery, we
naturally want to commit ourselves and
the entire healing process to Christ the
wounded healer. When we are close to
death, we need the prayer and touch of
the Christian community, and “viaticum”
or food for the journey.
Ordination
The holy scriptures
and the ancient Christian writers make
it clear that from the apostles’ time
there have been different ministries in
the Church. In particular, three
distinct orders have been
characteristic. First, the order of
bishops carries on the apostolic work of
leading, supervising and uniting the
church. Secondly, associated with the
bishops, are the presbyters or priests,
who represent the bishop in local
churches. Together with the bishop,
priests share in the governance of the
church, its missionary and pastoral
work, preaching the word of God and
celebrating the sacraments. Thirdly,
there are deacons who assist bishops and
priests in all their work. It is also
the special responsibility of deacons to
minister in Christ’s name to the poor,
the sick, the suffering and the
helpless. Persons chosen and recognised
by the church as called by God to
ordained ministry and admitted to these
sacred orders by solemn prayer and the
laying-on-of-hands by the bishop. It has
been, and is, the intention of the
church to maintain and continue these
three orders from one generation to
another. What is known as “apostolic
succession” is for the good order of the
Christian community and authentic
transmission of the catholic faith.
Bishops, priests and deacons from other
Episcopal churches may be received into
equivalent orders in the Anglican
Church. Clergy coming from non-Episcopal
churches, if they are accepted for
ministry in the Anglican Church, are
ordained by the bishop.
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