Whoever you are and wherever you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome here. Jesus ate with the rich and the poor, the Pharisees and the zealots, the sanctimonious and the sinners, the wise and the foolish. When we say we will bring the radical welcome and love of Jesus Christ to all people, we mean we want to be as inclusive as Jesus was, and we work at it.
My personal journey to this place began in my Roman Catholic childhood. Although devout, I eventually left the Catholic Church in 2003. I tried nondenominational churches, but the rock concert feel and the separate room for kids just didn’t work for me.
In the Episcopal Church, I found the liturgical richness and ancient creeds of the Church—and women priests! I also loved Episcopalians’ emphasis on social justice and concern for the marginalized. More than anything, I love the Episcopal Church’s “big tent”—its intention to include many viewpoints and cultures. We don’t have a lot of black-and-white positions. The Episcopal Church makes me work out what I believe and put it into practice every day.
I have also found deep community in the Episcopal Church, both with God and with my church members. At Good Samaritan, our Community Life dinners, Bible studies, youth group, mission trips, food drives, retreats, and just plain old Sunday worship help us develop deep friendships among both longtime members and new people.
I invite you to stop by some Sunday and check us out. Then tell us what you think over a cup of coffee or tea. I’m at janines@goodsamchurch.org.
