Sacramental and Sacred: A Catechetical Introduction with Respect to the Relevance of a Sacramental Church in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

This project grew from my desire to explore the relevance of being a sacramental church in the twenty-first century and how that forms us as sacramental people in the world in which we live. Because baptism, confirmation, and eucharist are the three sacraments that most people will encounter in our traditions, they will be the focus of this doctoral project. My intention is that it will serve as a resource for any who are interested in understanding why and how the sacramental nature of the Episcopal Church enlightens our personal faith, as it also empowers us to do the mission of the church. This study is a program model that delves into the origins, evolutions, and current practices of these three sacraments to determine how they work together. Much attention is paid as to how Scripture is intertwined in the practices of a sacramental church. The person using this model may be new to our church or a longtime member in search of answers to questions previously not explored or understood. In either case, a fuller knowledge of the “inward and spiritual grace” that they convey to make us “outward and visible signs” of that grace in our sacramental lives is the objective of this work.