3. Honest Self-Examination and Commitment to Seeking Forgiveness

Question:       Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent

and return to the Lord?

Response:       I will, with God’s help.

Our theology in the Episcopal Church emphasizes that humanity was created in the likeness and image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). However, we humans also have free will to choose how we will act. And sometimes those choices, or our choices not to act, hurt our relationships with God and with each other and all creation.

So right here, in the midst of our commitments in our Baptismal Covenant, we get reminded that for all our resolve, we all also fall short of full commitment to our love of God and love of each other. We are made for relationship—and sometimes we fall short in our relationships. Sin is about damaged relationships. Evil is about refusing to acknowledge relationships at all.

Sin is seeking our own will rather than God’s. God’s will, revealed to us in scripture, in history, and in our prayer life, asks us to open to healthy, loving relationship with God and with all of creation. Sin is when we act in ways that separate ourselves from loving God, loving each other, and loving creation.

Evil is something deeper, and in some ways de-personalized. Evil is, at its most basic, the absence of good. Evil is depraved and disordered, a system where cruelty is the point. And often, evil works by convincing others to go along with courses of action that lead to these things.

That’s why we are asked to stop and take engage in perspective and self-awareness. When we feel the temptation to sin, or worse to give way to or engage in evil, we are called to acknowledge that, to stop and turn around, and make amends for any harm we have caused. That’s what repentance is. “Repent” literally means “turn around.” And for as often as we fall short, we have the option to turn around and return to “walking in the way of God.” With God’s help.

Going Deeper:

Sometimes, we neglect our relationship with God or each other accidentally, when we are tired, or ill. Sometimes, we can even sin against ourselves by not remembering that we are beloved children of God, no matter how imperfect. Perhaps we ourselves have been harmed by others, and made to feel alone and worthless. None of us are perfect. But we are responsible for our actions and their consequences, whether for good or for bad.

It is often said that “Hurt people hurt people.” But if we realize that the injuries we ourselves have suffered are causing us to hurt others, we need to seek help to break the cycle so that we do not perpetuate the pain visited upon us onto those around us.

But other times, our actions are the result of choices—choices to act, and choices not to act.  In other words, we sometimes choose to do what we shouldn’t, and sometimes we don’t act when we should.  Sometimes we stay silent when we see something wrong going on around us. Sometimes we don’t consider the consequences of our actions on others (and in this case others can include creation itself). Actions or inactions we take that harm our relationships with God and others are called sins. Actions that harm our relationships are called “sins of commission.” Failures to act or speak out in the face of harm to others or the world around us are called “sins of omission.”

Nearly all opportunities for worship, or liturgies, in the Episcopal Church include a shared confession, especially before Holy Communion. There are several varieties but a common one is this, which helpfully lists seven broad sources of common sinfulness

Most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your Name. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 360)

Evil is broader, and more devious. Evil acts without conscience. Evil delights in destruction, havoc, warfare, envy, exploitation, cruelty, and hatred. Evil inflames grievance and grudge, and refuses to forgive any slight, no matter how minor. Evil literally disorients us, usually systematically. It seeks to numb us against caring for others, and then moves to actively encouraging us to delight in pain and suffering. Evil convinces us that we are unaccountable for anything but our own benefit, comfort, and pleasure.

The good news is, as long as we are sincere in our desire to no longer damage our relationships with God, each other, and creation, God forgives. And as we know we ourselves have been forgiven numerous times, so we too are called to seek reconciliation and forgive when someone acknowledges that they have hurt us and they actively work to stop that cycle.

2. Christian Life as Life in Community

Question:       Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of

bread, and in the prayers?

Response:       I will, with God’s help.

A common misperception is that once you simply say you believe in God and in Jesus, everything else doesn’t matter. But being a follower or Jesus continues us on a beautiful journey of growth. The good news is, we aren’t expected to go it alone.

This fourth question asks each of us to commit to finding, supporting and getting involved in a community of people who support each other in this journey.  Here you affirm to continue seeking to learn about our faith, to share communion, and to pray together as a regular and dependable part of your life.

This question and the one following, in particular

And for the first of five times, your answer is not just “I will,” but “I will, with God’s help.”

Going Deeper

In the ancient church, people were not baptized until they had completed a three year course of study that culminated in their baptism and invitation to join in Holy Communion. We don’t require such a long instructional period any longer, but we know that the faithful life requires practice, prayer, and study.

Continuing in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship means remembering that Jesus called people into a new family, gathering around him a new community, seeking to unite rather than to divide. It means giving yourself the gift of always learning. It also means learning and praying together and supporting one another throughout our lives—that’s what Christian fellowship is all about.

The “breaking of bread” refers to one of the two most important sacraments we Episcopalians observe: the Holy Eucharist, or Holy Communion. Along with baptism, these two rituals are especially central to being faithful followers of Jesus because Jesus himself established or participated in them.

 Since 1979, the expectation is that, as long as there is a priest or bishop available, the people will gather together each week at their main worship service and share in Holy Communion.  It is a ritual based on remembering how God has acted to save us throughout history, and how Jesus instituted a fellowship meal among his disciples meant to remind us of our actual, full, and real unity with Jesus. All come together, regardless of differences, and share in this sacrament of “communion,” which literally means “union with” God and each other.

The backbone of the Episcopal spiritual life is prayer—prayer throughout the day, and prayer together each week and on holy days, as we are able. That’s why so much of our Anglican spirituality revolves around our Book of Common Prayer. Although not every worship service is included in its pages, all are available to anyone who wishes to read or study them.

If you look at the arrangement of prayers and liturgies in the Book of Common Prayer, you see instruction for brief services of prayer that can be done throughout a single day and led by anyone, ordained or not. You don’t have to do them all, but it IS good to get into some sort of regular prayer habit, and so our Book of Common prayer starts with all of those options.

1. Ancient Beliefs: The Apostles’ Creed

The Episcopal Church is both Catholic, and Reformed. As such, we affirm tradition as a living foundation to ground our spiritual life in both gratitude and mystery.

Our Baptismal Covenant therefore begins with one of the oldest statements of an individual belief in God, known as the Apostles’ Creed. The candidate for baptism is asked three questions, and answers from this creed.

Question:       Do you believe in God the Father?

Response:       I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Question:       Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

Response:       I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Question:       Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

Response:       I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.

This creed, which probably originated in the 4th or 5th century, is a very basic statement of belief in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Unlike the much more detailed Nicene Creed, its three basic sections begin with “I” rather than “we.” This is one of the reasons why it is well-suited to begin affirming the relationship each of us as individuals seeks to have with God.

After affirming the mysteries of the Creed, we continue, in the Baptismal Covenant, from beliefs to how our relationship with God calls us to growth, behavior, and action—to living a life of integrity with the principles we receive from God through scripture and ongoing revelation.

Notice that the Creed doesn’t say anything about what we DO based on these beliefs. The next five questions of the Baptismal Covenant addresses what a life of faith entails, and how we live out our beliefs in practice.

The questions now shift from asking about belief to willingness to continue to grow and to live in relationship. The questions shift from “Do you believe?” to “Will you…?”

The verbs used in this section of five questions are very significant:“Will you continue…?”

“Will you persevere…?”

“Will you proclaim…?”

“Will you seek and serve…?”

“Will you strive…?”

It might seem daunting. But not to worry. In all things, we also affirm that we are helped by God in our life of faith. These next five questions and the commitments they represent help us focus on how to build our relationship with God and each other.

Going Deeper:

The Creed addresses the mystery of God as one God, and as Holy Trinity. Each of the three questions addresses one of these three persons:

God the Creator, traditionally called God the Father, who gives life and sustains life to all things. Notice that the statement about God the Father is the shortest of all the statements. This can invite us into a broad understanding that God is greater than our imagining, and yet whose presence is revealed in a myriad of ways.

Jesus, the Son of God, who although born among us as a human person was also the Eternal Son of God and Our Savior. He came to show us how to live a God-directed life as a human person. After his execution at the hands of Imperial Rome, we believe that Jesus was resurrected and returned to existence with God, but still remaining a source and guide for our lives now. Jesus modelled God’s dream for human flourishing through reconciliation, healing, teaching, and challenging us to see God’s presence in our lives in new ways.

The Holy Spirit, who inspires us and continues to reveal God’s truth to us. It is through the Holy Spirit that the Church was born at Pentecost, that the eternal fellowship of the saints of God is sustained, that sins are forgiven, that our human flesh and souls share in God’s eternity.

We believe that these three persons are nonetheless one God. God in Trinity means a God whose very essence is a community bound in mutual love and sharing.

The great mystery of faith expressed in the Creed is meant to expand our imaginations and challenge our assumptions. This mystery reminds us that what we know of God is nonetheless a small part of who God is. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Now we see through a mirror dimly, then (when we are with God) we shall see face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12).