Core Values
The Military & First Responders
The Military & First Responders
The Military & First Responders
WE SUPPORT OUR U.S. MILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDERS!
WE HONOR THOSE WHO SERVE AND THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED!
WE REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE DIED SERVING OUR COUNTRY AND THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM!
WE PROUDLY SERVE THOSE WHO SERVE AND WHO HAVE SERVED AND THEIR FAMILIES!
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!
Special Note: Once we begin Sunday Worship, a special collection will be taken every Sunday in support of The Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
“Almighty God, we commend to thy gracious care and keeping all the men and women in our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with thy heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of thine abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (The Book of Common Prayer, 2019).
The Sanctity of Human Life
The Military & First Responders
The Military & First Responders
We promote the sanctity of all human life from conception in the womb to natural death according to the holy Scriptures and the ancient Christian Faith.
“You shall not murder a child by abortion nor shall you kill what is begotten”
Didache 2:2 A.D. 50
Early Christian Writing
My Friends: The Biblical - Christian Faith acknowledges that every human life, from conception to natural death, has an intrinsic/innate value. Regardless of how sinful and/or broken a person may be (and no matter how vile their thoughts, words, and deeds may be as result), they maintain an integrity that is integral/innate to them as a person created by God in His image (although now fallen) and who is called to repentance and ever more fully into His likeness; i.e., into eternal godliness (in Greek, Theosis or θέωσις). Example: No matter how much you crumble a $20 bill, it is still worth $20! Many of the horrors we face today as a society and as a world are the direct result that we have cheapened human life. We have called into question the innate/intrinsic value of every human being. HUMAN LIFE IS SACRED!!! We have all been created by God the Father out of love, called to salvation in His Son Jesus Christ (who has confronted sin and death Himself in the flesh on the Cross and has been raised in eternal victory over the powers of sin, death, and the Dominion of darkness), and are invited to receive the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit - that is, new life! God knows our value, worth, and integrity - no matter what we have done or have failed to do - as His children. The enemy desires us to see ourselves as victims, and children of sin and death. The way of Christ Jesus is: LIFE, FORGIVENESS, AND PEACE! - Fr. Michael J. McKinnon
On Holy Matrimony & Faithfulness
Holy Matrimony
We acknowledge that God has revealed, in His holy Word and through the continual witness of His Church in every age, Holy Matrimony to be a sacred union between one man and one woman (see Ephesians 5:25-27, 31). This sacred union is intended by God to be life-long. Those entering Holy Matrimony are required to sign the following declaration: “We, N.N. and N.N., desiring to receive the blessing of Holy Matrimony in the Church, do solemnly declare that we hold marriage to be a lifelong union of husband and wife as it is set forth in the Book of Common Prayer. We believe it is established by God for the procreation of children, and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord; for mutual joy, and for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; to maintain purity, so that husbands and wives, with all the household of God, might serve as holy and undefiled members of the Body of Christ; and for the upbuilding of Christ’s kingdom in family, church, and society, to the praise of his holy Name. We do engage ourselves, so far as in us lies, to make our utmost effort to establish this relationship and to seek God’s help thereto” (The Book of Common Prayer 2019, p. 200). A couple must continually seek the grace of God for their marriage through prayer and corporate worship and their relationship must be grounded in their commitment together to God and one another, and not emotions or feelings, such as happiness, per se. The Catechism of our Church states: "Christian marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, uniting them in self-giving love, joy, and faithfulness...Husband and wife enter into this covenant by exchanging vows before God and in the presence of witnesses. (Genesis 2:18–25; Song of Solomon 4:7–10; Matthew 19:3–9; John 2:1–11; Romans 7:2–3; Hebrews 13:4)...The union of husband and wife in one flesh signifies the communion between Christ, the heavenly bridegroom, and the Church...(Song of Solomon 8:6–7; Isaiah 54:4– 8; 1 Corinthians 7:6–11; Ephesians 5:22–33; Revelation 19:6–10; 21:1–4)...In Christian marriage, God unites husband and wife and blesses their common life, that they may grow together in love, wisdom, and godliness, patterned on the sacrificial love of Christ. A Christian marriage embodies this grace in the world, especially through hospitality and care for those who are lonely or in need. (Genesis 2:18–25; Psalm 128; Proverbs 18:22; Matthew 1:18–25; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13...Book of Common Prayer 2019, pp. 61-62).
Faithfulness in Marriage
A husband and wife are called to faithfulness in thought, word, and deed. Thought: By the grace and help of God, one must avoid entertaining adulterous thoughts and fantasies, including the contemplation, viewing, or reading of pornographic material. Word: By the grace and help of God, one must avoid all inappropriate conversations (verbal or written) with others, including flirting or leading oneself or another into temptation. Deed: By the grace and help of God, one must avoid any inappropriate contact with another. This includes having a friendship with another that causes scandal within the Church, raises reasonable suspicion, or threatens the security of one's spouse within the marriage; e.g., having an emotional affair. Adultery applies to all three; thought, word, and deed. PLEASE NOTE: Prayer and fasting (the latter when possible and as applicable) is an essential aspect of remaining faithful within the covenant of Holy Matrimony. It is the husband's responsibility, as the spiritual head of the family/household, to pray for himself and his vocation as a husband, for his wife and her vocation, for their covenant in Christ Jesus, and for their children (when applicable). The husband should often be first to say, "I love you," the first to say, "I'm sorry," the first to say, "I forgive you," and the one who calls the family to live a life committed to our Lord Jesus Christ and His holy Word. The husband should provide leadership by word and example, especially regarding the importance of worship and prayer by attending Holy Communion on the Lord's Day and on principle Feasts and Fasts of the Church and establishing a reasonable prayer discipline within the family. It is also essential that a wife prayerfully and otherwise support her husband in his role when he is serving God, his wife, and their family faithfully. Holy Matrimony is a sacred gift. It is a wondrous gift of God entrusted to His people. Most of all, it is a living icon of the eternal relationship between Christ Jesus as Divine Groom and His Church as Bride. Holy Matrimony is a proclamation of the Kingdom of God and also an icon of The Celebration of the Holy Eucharist, where Jesus Christ, in the person of the priest, calls to Himself, His Bride, the Church, and together they celebrate and participate in the eternal Marriage Banquet and heavenly Feast. "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" (Revelation 19:9).
Divorce and Remarriage
We believe that God has revealed, in His holy Word and through the witness of His Church, that divorce is, with few exceptions, contrary to God's will for His people. Holy Matrimony is not something to be entered into, "unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was ordained by God." (2019 BCP, p. 202). The sacred union of one man and one woman is an icon to this fleeting world of the eternal relationship between our Lord Jesus Christ and Divine Groom and His holy Church as Bride. There are only two occasions where God permits divorce and remarriage in His holy Word: 1) Adultery without repentance (see Matthew 5:32; 19:9; this frees the innocent spouse from their vows and allows them, in most circumstances, to remarry) and 2) Abandonment of a believing spouse by an unbelieving spouse (see 1 Corithians 7:15). Additionally, should a spouse die, the living spouse may remarry (See Romans 7:2). Lastly, the Bishop, as a successor to the Apostles, has the authority to release a person from their former marriage and vows, allowing them to remarry, assuming they are genuinely repentant and have matured in their relationship with Christ Jesus over an extended period of time (see John 20:23). The latter also applies to such things as: abuse, identification fraud, mental illness prohibiting one from truly entering into such a sacred union, and more. These latter pastoral provisions have been allowed at least since the 5th Century A.D.
Help Save Western NC Livestock!
A friend of The Church of the Advent is using his a semi truck and flatbed trailer to transport hay to save starving livestock in Western NC, due to hurricane Helene. The hay is being donated by local NC farms, but the fuel and related costs of transportation are expensive. The Church of the Advent Parish Council has approved a $750 donation and is issuing this appeal to the larger community. If we can raise an additional $1,850 we can cover the cost of transporting two tractor trailer loads of hay to these desperate farmers.
UPDATE: We are within $50 of reaching our goal!