|
The Church was established in England shortly following our Lord's Ascension into heaven. The Council of Arles (317 A.D.) records the presence of three English Bishops and their entourage. When Pope Gregory I sent St. Augustine in 597 A.D. to evangelize the British Isles, he reported back that the Church was already functioning there in its fulness. At the time of the Great Schism in AD 1054, the Church in the British Isles remained Orthodox, which led to the papal sanctioned Norman invasion in 1066 to bring the "erring" (read Orthodox) English Church under Roman authority. All but one of the English bishops were imprisioned and replaced by the Norman usurpers and the Church had an uneasy and often stormy relationship with Rome lasting nearly five centuries. The English Reformation which began in AD 1534 was led by bishops to restore the Faith and Order of the Undivided Church. It is evident that the Church must "continue stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42) Therefore we stand today in the glorious Tradition of the English (Anglican) Church, believing what the Church has always believed at all times and in every place (Catholic). You will find nothing new here!
EPIPHANYTIDE
The Epiphany commemorates the several manifestations of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first manifestation is to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi who were led by a star to worship Him who is the new-born King. Their gift of incense owned a deity nigh. The gift of gold proclaimed His Kingship. The gift of myrrh foretold His death. At His Baptism by Saint John Baptist Jesus was manifested as Prophet, Priest and King. At the Wedding at Cana of Galilee Jesus manifested His Godhead in His first miracle of turning water into wine as the Lord of Creation. His many miracles during the time of His public ministry confirm He is the One who should come as foretold by the Prophets: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. There remains the coming Great Epiphany when the crucified, risen and ascended Lord returns in great glory to judge both the quick and the dead.
The English Church was acknowledged by several Papal Councils to be the oldest Gentile Church. The Lord's promise to Abraham is fulfilled that in His Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ, all the nations of the earth are blest. Both Jew and Gentile are made One in Him.
You are called to be epiphanies of the Lord by letting your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. In this sin-darkened world the Light has shine and you are to be reflections of that light to men who walk in darkness. The Lord has manifested forth His glory, O come let us adore Him!
______________________________________________________________________________________
Pray with the Church
Who is the Church of the Incarnation?
The Church of the Incarnation is a faith community dedicated to lifting up Jesus Christ and to being Christ to our world. "Incarnation" means "in the flesh" and comes from the opening Chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, "And the Word (the Second Person of the Holy Trinity) became flesh and dwelt among us." We lift up Jesus by being His hands and feet, heart and voice to our neighbors. In this way, we are Jesus "in the flesh" to our world. We are a neighborhood church and if you live close to us, we are praying for you and your family. Our bells ring daily at noon as the reminder that Jesus is God who has come to us in the flesh. His Name is Emmuel - God with us.
Perhaps you have no church to call your home. Or you have given up on church because you have been burnt by church people. Do you have a vision or dream of how God can use a little neighborhood church? We invite you to dream with us and join us in walking with and following Jesus.
We are a family size congregation who come from a wide variety of backgrounds -- Moravians, Baptists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Episcopalians. Our Pastor is The Most Rev'd Thomas J. Kleppinger, OHI.
The Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, affectionately remembered as the Black Book, acknowledged in its Preface that it drew from The Book of Common Prayer, 1549. The affinity is both denominations used the term "Common" in the description of their respective liturgical practice which has many similarities reflecting their common source.
We are part of the glorious Anglican Tradition within the Christian Church, a Church deeply rooted in the lands now known as the United Kingdom and of Ireland and other remote islands. Emerging from the British or Celtic Church, known best for St. Patrick of Ireland, the Anglican Tradition became well-organized by missionaries from Rome. At the time of the Vikings, the land of the Anglo-Saxons (known as Angle-land or England) then became the staging ground for key missionaries to Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Ours is a tradition that is well-known to you, even if you have never heard of it. It is the tradition that raised William Shakespeare and Jane Austen and produced the King James Bible. Its pastors and preachers wrote hymns like “Amazing Grace” and “Onward Christian Soldiers.” Statesmen like George Washington and 31 signers of the Declaration of Independence knew God as their Sovereign due to its teachings. Theologians like John Wesley, C.S. Lewis and J.I. Packer have become household names in Bible-believing homes and are great Christians associated with the Anglican tradition. Its heart for outreach and compassion has recently been dramatized in “Call the Midwife”. We are glad to know Jesus our Savior and would be glad to know you too!
We invite you to our Divine Services!
The Traditional English Liturgy
Sundays: Divine Liturgy 10:30 a.m.
Prayers for Healing and Anointing are available upon request.
LiveStreaming: https://zoom.us/j/89735400971 Passcode: Jesus
Holy Days as Announced
 
|
