Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church
516 West Third Street
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074
405-372-3357

The
Sacraments

The Sacraments, according to the Book of Common Prayers, are the outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace.

The two great sacraments of the Gospel given by Christ to his Church are

Holy Baptism
and the
Holy Eucharist

Other Sacramental Rites evolved in the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
These Sacramental Rites include:

Confirmation,
Ordination,
Holy Matrimony,
Reconciliation of a Penitent, and
Unction

God does not limit himself to these rites;
they are patterns of countless ways by which God uses material things to reach out to us.

Sacraments sustain our present hope and anticipate its future fulfillment.

Holy Baptism

Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of
Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.

The outward and visible sign in Baptism is water, in which the person is baptized
in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The inward and spiritual grace in Baptism is union with Christ in his death and resurrection,
birth into God's family the Church, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit.

It is required that we
renounce Satan, repent of our sins, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Infants are baptized so that they can share
citizenship in the Covenant, membership in Christ, and redemption by God.

Promises are made for them by their parents and sponsors,
who guarantee that the infants will be brought up within the Church,
to know Christ and be able to follow him.

Holy Eucharist

The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament commanded by Christ for the continual remembrance of
his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming again.

Because the Eucharist, the Church's sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,
is the way by which the sacrifice of Christ is made present, and in which he unites us to his one offering of himself.

The Holy Eucharist is called the Lord's Supper, and Holy Communion;
it is also known as the Divine Liturgy, the Mass, and the Great Offering.

The outward and visible sign in the Eucharist is bread and wine,
given and received according to Christ's command.

The inward and spiritual grace in the Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of Christ
given to his people, and received by faith.

The benefits we receive are the forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our union with Christ and one another,
and the foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life.

It is required that we should examine our lives, repent of our sins, and be in love and charity with all people.

Confirmation

Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ,
and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through Prayer and the laying of the hands by a bishop.

It is required of those to be confirmed that they have been baptized, are sufficiently instructed in the Christian Faith, are penitent for their sins, and are ready to affirm their confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Ordination

Ordination is the rite in which God gives authority and the grace of the Holy Spirit to those being made
bishops, priests, and deacons, through prayer and the laying of hands by the bishop.

Holy Matrimony

Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which the woman and man enter into a life-long union,
make their vows before God and the Church,
and receive the grace and blessings of God to help them fulfill their vows.

Reconciliation of a Penitent

Reconciliation of a Penitent, or Penance, is the rite in which those who repent of their sins may confess them to God
in the presence of a priest, and receive the assurance of pardon and the grace of absolution.

Unction

Unction is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of hands,
by which God's grace is given for the healing of spirit, mind, and body.

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Copyright © 2009 Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church
Last modified: 02/11/10