All are welcome!

This is the first in an occasional series of articles about Episcopal Church beliefs and practices.

 "There's a place for you at God's table:  all are welcome" is the mission statement of the Church of the Good Shepherd.  Episcopal Church worship centers around worship—lots of readings from Scripture, usually a sermon that tries to apply the message of Scripture to everyday life, and Eucharist.  Eucharist, Greek for “thanksgiving,” is also known as communion or the Lord’s Supper—one of the central images is of a “foretaste of the heavenly banquet.” 

All are welcome.  The Episcopal Church believes that everyone is “saved”, that everyone is going to heaven, because God deeply loves everyone and everything that God has made.  Everyone.  No exceptions.  No qualifications, no need to earn God’s grace. No need to accept Christ—more about Episcopal views on pluralism and our respect for other tradtions in another article. Show up, eat, and be nourished by God’s love known in sacraments well and more often than not in congregational life (or so we hope!). 

 Why be good, then, if God loves and accepts and welcomes everyone at the heavenly banquet, regardless of their behavior?  First, because there’s joy in aligning yourself with God’s will, becoming the person God intends each of us to be, and working to help all of creation, or even just our little piece of the planet, live in justice and peace and find healing and grace.  Second, because we’re grateful for the gift and want to share the fruits of the gift of God’s love with others.  Third, because we’re all sinners who manage to betray God and hurt each other and ourselves, and recognizing this and turning back to God, giving and receiving forgiveness again and again develops compassion, another peaceful way to live. 

Here are words to a hymn written by Marty Haugen, a composer for Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions, that expresses the ideal of a welcoming community.

Let us build a house where love can dwell, and all can safely live,                        A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.

 Built of hopes and dreams and visions,rock of faith and vault of grace;              Here the love of Christ shall end divisions;  all are welcome, all are welcome,         all are welcome in this place.

 Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true, Where all God's children dare to seek to dream God's reign anew.

 Here the cross shall stand as witness and a symbol of God's grace;                Here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:

 Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat:                    a banquet hall on holy ground where peace and justice meet.

 Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time and space;                  As we share in Christ the feast that frees us:     All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

If you're looking for a place in the Christian tradition to be welcomed and know God's love more deeply--come worship with us!

 Source of lyrics:  http://www.gugalyrics.com/lyrics-433488/marty-haugen-all-are-welcome.html