What We Believe at St. Francis
Our Faith rests on the three-legged stool of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason.
The Holy Scriptures represent the Judeo-Christian heritage that God gave us long ago and, yet, they are as fresh and new as today's dawning and more reliable by far. The version that we prefer is the Revised Standard Edition of the Holy Bible. We accept most of the translations that are available, although we chafe a little at inclusive-language translations that impose a social agenda on the Word of God.
The Tradition of the Church includes the Creeds that came from early councils, such as the Apostles' Creed. It also includes those beliefs that have been generally held throughout the Church. We do not assume that modern views are automatically wiser or more valid than the ancient ones. We view the schism in the Church that has separated us into denominations as unfortunate and undesirable. We pray for the reconciliation of these differences and lament any actions that cause the divisions among Christians to increase. Our particular tradition passes down through the Church of England and we use a form of Early-Modern, or Elizabethan, English (that Shakespeare made popular) in our worship. The Church calls this "Rite I" language, as opposed to "Rite II" or modern English.
The Apostles' Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty,maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. |
We recognize that God gave us Reason to understand our surroundings and to make sense of our world. He made us in His image, gave us free will to make choices, and He wants us to love Him by choice and not because we are forced to do so. We insist that our beliefs must be reasonable, albeit with the knowledge that God sometimes performs miracles that are beyond our understanding. Ironically, it is His refusal to coerce us that leads Him to conceal Himself from us. He wants us to be innocent as babes and love Him without proof.