The Book of Common Prayer is our worship book. It expresses our core beliefs and values. As we regularly participate in worship and hearing Holy Scripture—we are formed and shaped by those experiences. As the ancient saying goes, “As we worship, so we believe.” Nearly 80 percent of the contents of the Prayer Book are directly taken from the Bible.

A summary of beliefs is in “An Outline of the Faith: commonly called the Catechism,” which is printed in The Book of Common Prayer. Although these are the “beliefs” of the Church, we make a distinction between “belief” and “faith,” which are often confused. Belief is commonly understood as affirming the truth of certain statements. Faith is better understood as “trust”. So when, for example, we say in our creed that “We believe in God”, the ancient and proper understanding is “We trust in God.” It’s the difference between saying that “We affirm the truth of these statements about God” and saying instead that “We believe that God is trustworthy.” All of this is to encourage people to refrain from getting caught up in the minutia, and to look at the larger picture about God’s faithfulness to us and to God’s creation.

The Bible is a collection of 66 books divided into two sections, what we commonly call the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament. Another 14 books are included in the Apocrypha that is in some editions. The books of the Bible were written and edited by hundreds of people over a period of at least a thousand years, and in some cases, reflect oral traditions and stories that reach back long before they were written down.

The Bible contains a variety of literature including myths, folk tales, poetry, hymns, histories, prophecies, wisdom sayings and others. It was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic and to this day, scholars still debate the meaning of some words and phrases. Most of us read Bibles that have been translated into English. Translation always and necessarily changes meanings. Add to that the fact that the earliest Hebrew and Greek manuscripts had no chapters and verses nor periods or commas. All this is to say that there is no such thing as a “literal interpretation” of the Bible. But that does not negate the importance of the Bible in Christian tradition, understanding, and faith. We read the Bible whole, meaning that while there may be parts of it that are not clearly understood or interpreted, when read in its entirety we can grasp its meanings and hear the voice of God.

We read the Bible to know how faithful people wrestled with God and discovered God in their lives and times. We read the Bible to discern how God is present in our own time and how God calls us to faithful service. We read the Bible to comprehend God’s vision for the Kin-dom of God “on earth as in heaven.”

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the central figure of Christianity. Jesus is the way of life. Jesus’ teachings on love, forgiveness, humility, justice and repentance are at the core of our beliefs. We are called to follow Jesus, to live lives of holiness, and to share the good news of the gospel. As we learn to love and serve others, we are reminded of Jesus’ example of love and sacrifice.

We believe that God is the Creator, but the two different Creation stories contained in the Book of Genesis are not science. They are ancient folk myths that attempt to explain how various things came into being. If God chose to create the universe with a Big Bang and evolution, then we are OK with that. These are the best scientific theories of our time and none of them negate the Creator.

If you wish to have a good time and spend a lot of money visiting the Creation museum in Kentucky that claims that the earth is only 6000 years old and that humans co-existed with the dinosaurs, then be our guest. But please don’t confuse that with any reality that our God-given intelligence has led us to understand.

Our Church teaches that women have a right to decide for themselves whether to continue with a pregnancy that is either unwanted or not viable for either them or their embryo or fetus. After consultation with her physician(s) and trusted spiritual advisor(s) a woman should be free to make her own decision. We believe that we become fully human when we are able to take our first breath and breathe in the breath of God.

Gender identity and gender expression are part of the great variety and complexity of our humanity. We accept all people regardless of their gender identity and sexual orientation. We have marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples, and we ordain LGBTQIA folk as deacons, priests and bishops.

We believe in the values of Jesus like loving one’s neighbor, welcoming the stranger, and seeking justice for all. Empathy is the hallmark of the Beloved Community. Although we are, indeed, grateful to be living in these United States, we recognize that Jesus came for all people, all nationalities and all ethnicities. So we are skeptical of any contrary teaching that denies the wideness of God’s love and mercy.