Episcopals Believe in a God Who Loves Us Unconditionally

The Episcopal Church puts the message of Christ at the center of its faith: there are no outcasts and all are welcome. Episcopals are self-described as walking a middle way between Roman Catholicism and Protestant traditions. The faith teaches the Bible, Ten Commandments, and the sacraments.

Like Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and some "high" Protestant churches, Episcopalians mark the church year by various seasons that reenact the story of our salvation. Bible readings, music and sermons reflect the themes of the time of the year, and the church decorations and clothing (vestments) worn by the servers reflect the color of the season or theme:

• Purple is used in penitential seasons
• White is used in celebratory seasons
• Red is used to mark seasons and sacraments related to the Holy Spirit or to martyrdom
• Green is used for "ordinary time" which is the majority of the church year

The Church year is a drama. It begins in Advent, a penitential (purple) season in which we prepare ourselves for the coming of the infant Christ but also for his Second Coming in glory. Advent is a time of special prayer, fasting and other spiritual disciplines. Next comes Christmas (white), which lasts for 12 days, from the traditional midnight mass to the feast of Epiphany (sometimes called 12th Night). Epiphany celebrates the "manifestation of Christ to the gentiles," symbolized by the coming of the wise men; it is also the season in which we mark Christ's baptism by St. John the Baptist. Music is chosen based on the time in the church year, for instance, carols within the Christmas season represent a distinct part of the season:

• Advent - "O come, O come, Emmanuel"
• Christmas - "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,"
• Epiphany - "We Three Kings of Orient Are"

Epiphany is followed by a stretch of "ordinary time" (green) that lasts until Ash Wednesday, that great day of penitence that marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time of fasting, prayer and penitence that culminates in Holy Week and that greatest of all festivals, the Feast of the Resurrection, commonly called Easter. Then follow the Great 50 Days, that culminate in Pentecost Sunday (red), celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. This is followed by Trinity Sunday and then a long stretch of ordinary time (green) leading to the next Advent.

For devout Episcopalians, the rhythm of the Church year becomes a part of their lives, informing their spirituality at every step.

The online Episcopal Visitor's Center gives great background on what Episcopal's believe, the role of Jesus in the faith, and what to expect when you visit an Episcopal church. In addition, an outline of the faith (commonly called the Catechism) is presented in an easy-to-read question-and-answer format with the following categories of information:

Human Nature	The New Covenant	Prayer and Worship
God the Father	The Creeds	The Sacraments
The Old Covenant	The Holy Spirit	Holy Baptism
The Ten Commandments	The Holy Scriptures	The Holy Eucharist
Sin and Redemption	The Church	Other Sacramental Rites
God the Son	The Ministry	The Christian Hope

If you're thinking about the Episcopal faith and need a good, short introductory text, Dennis R. Maynard's book Those Episkopols is an excellent, to-the-point (and humorous!) resource.