Holy Baptism
Here in the Pacific Northwest, water surrounds us—the thundering surf of the Pacific Ocean, the lakes we cross on our daily commute, the salmon stream that flows through the heart of Issaquah, and the abundant rain for which we’re so well-known. Without water, there can be no life.In Holy Baptism, the “living water” becomes a sacred symbol through which we share in the death and new life of Christ. Baptism initiates us into Christ’s Body, the Church, and fills us with grace and power to live a life of love and service in Christ’s name. Our foreheads are anointed with Chrism (holy oil) as we are sealed with God’s Holy Spirit. The newly baptized person receives a lighted candle, and is welcomed with these words:
We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.
The relationship that God establishes with us in Baptism lasts forever. If you are new to the Episcopal Church and have been baptized in another Christian tradition, you do not need to be baptized again. If you are interested in seeking Baptism for yourself or for a child, we encourage you to contact our parish priest, The Rev. Katherine Sedwick.
Holy Eucharist
From the earliest beginnings of human history, the sharing of food and drink has been accompanied by ritual, binding us together and giving us joy. For many of us today, gatherings of family and friends around a table filled with good food and wine are happily anticipated and lovingly remembered. On the night before Jesus died, He blessed and shared bread and wine with His closest friends and told them to “Do this in memory of me.” In our celebration of Holy Eucharist, we bless bread and wine as we remember Jesus’ death, proclaim His resurrection, and look forward with joy to His return. As we eat and drink together around the altar, we are drawn deeply into communion with God and one another.
Episcopal Christians generally believe that the blessed bread and wine we share truly become for us the Real Presence of Christ, but there is no doctrinal formula or theological explanation about this that we uniformly uphold. Instead, we seek to share Communion in a spirit of love, thankfulness, and reverence for the Holy Gifts that nourish and sustain divine life in us.
All who seek God and a more profound life in Christ are welcome to receive Holy Communion at St. Michael’s. If you visit us and prefer not to receive Communion at this time, you are welcome to approach the altar and cross your arms over your chest to receive a blessing from the priest.