Kindred
Spirits on the journey....
When
you open your life to the working of divinity through
angels, you cannot see the world through the same old
lenses any longer. And so it has been that our spiritual
journey has taken us outside the traditional expression
of Christianity.
Over the years, we have heard
the stories of many for whom the Church is no longer a
place of comfort. We know from our own experience that
often faith communities are not places where an
individual's spiritual growth can
flourish.
We know that there are many
who find organized religion challenging. There are those
who are feeling like outsiders in their own communities
--
- those who are feeling their spirits at odds with the
established teachings;
- people whose spirituality has expanded past the "box"
of their parish;
- those who have questions about some of the "rules";
- women who would like to take a greater role within
their faith community,
- gays and lesbians who are not welcomed as equal members
of the Body of Christ.
We have met those who have
been sifting through the myriad systems and spiritual
teachings, trying to find a "fit," yet feeling that
something is still missing. They miss the richness of
tradition; the comfort of familiar ritual; the identity
of being Catholic, Anglican etc. and connecting with a
like-minded group of people.
If this has been your
experience, then this community may be a place for
you.
Who
We Are
Holy
Angels Parish is under the authority of the Community
Catholic Church of Canada. Its roots lie in the Old
Catholic Church, a religious group with valid orders and
apostolic succession, born in the 1800s when a group of
clergy in the Netherlands protested the declaration that
the Pope was infallible. The Community Catholic Church
has roots in the Roman Church but does not follow Papal
authority. (You can get the detailed story on the CCCC
website.)
Because the Community
Catholic Church is not under papal dictates, it has
evolved into an inclusive and welcoming community that
offers a home to every seeker. We do not take the Bible
literally, but revere it as a spiritual guidebook.
We do not find our marching
orders in the writings of the Old Testament or in the
writings of Paul, although they can serve to give us
windows into the lives of women and men, their faithwalks
and their understanding of Divinity. Instead, we focus on
the life and teaching of Jesus who is both the
inspiration and foundation of our ministry and our life.
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What
Do We Believe?
For the CCCC, it all boils
down to the Two Great Commandments: " 'Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind.'" 'This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang
on these two commandments.' " (Matthew 22:34-40) For us,
faith is all about love -- and that means respecting and
recognizing the divinity in each other and every created
thing.
It means being a community
that seeks
- to reach out and
embrace;
- to encourage and support each other;
- to speak up against injustice;
- to live lives that are filled with joy;
and
- recognize the gifts and blessings that shower upon
us because we are beloved children of the Creator.
What
Do YOU Believe?
Are you are
struggling with the person of Jesus, and the questions
around whether or not he was married to Mary
Magdalene?
We recognize that the Bible was put together by committee
and has been subject to massive editing and changing over
the centuries. We believe that the message of Jesus is
more important than the details or the questions that
have filtered down through the ages.
Do you view Christ through
a metaphysical
window?
We also accept
that there are those who are more comfortable with the
"cosmic" Christ, seeing Jesus as the bearer of the Christ
Consciousness. This doesn't change his teachings or his
message. In many ways, it can enhance the connection we
have with All that Is/Creator.
Are you questioning some
long-held
beliefs?
Some Old Catholics take a more traditional view of the
Godhead. The CCC --and especially Holy Angels parish-- is
open to the unfolding of your own spiritual path. We want
to build a community of seekers who can listen without
judgment or rejection and honour one another in our
unique journeys.
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