What We Believe
Sunday Worship ♱ 8:00 a.m. ♱ 10:30 a.m.
2310 Airline Drive ♱ Brenham, TX 77833 ♱ (979) 836-7248
We Believe in God - Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
St. Peter's Episcopal Church is committed to the historic Christian faith as found in the Holy Scriptures, the ancient creeds of the church, the wise councils of the church fathers, the magisterial Reformation, and our historic Anglican tradition. Our theological heritage finds its richest expression in the liturgies and prayers found in The Book of Common Prayer. We are deeply committed to the preaching, teaching, and embodying of the historic Christian faith to our local parish of Brenham, Texas.
It is through the renewal of our minds, the transformation our hearts, and the formation within our community that lays the foundation for us to go out into the world to love and serve our neighbors in the name of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Scriptures
The Holy Scriptures are the foundation of the Christian faith. The faith "which was once delivered unto the saints" is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone". The Holy Scriptures, commonly called the Bible, are the books of the Old and New Testaments. The Holy Scriptures are God's word for God's people.
The Creeds of the Church
The Three Creeds: the Nicene Creed, Athanasius's Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed ought thoroughly to be received and believed: for they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture.
Article 8 - The 39 Articles of Religion (1571)
The Apostles Creed
The Apostles’ Creed is the ancient creed of Baptism; it is used in the Church’s daily worship to recall our Baptismal Covenant.
The Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed of the universal Church and is used at the Eucharist.
The Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed is an ancient document proclaiming the nature of the Incarnation and of God as Trinity.
The Book of Common Prayer
A Brief History
Anglican churches throughout the world have been united by their worship and liturgy ever since the first Book of Common Prayer was published in middle of the 16th century. Following the break with Rome during the English Reformation, the Archbishop of Canterbury - Thomas Cranmer - set out to have a prayer book in English ( previously Latin ). Drawing upon the Holy Scriptures, the liturgies of the late medieval English Church, the church fathers, and Cranmer's own poetic work, the first Book of Common Prayer was published in 1549.
There have been many revisions of the prayer book throughout the history of the Anglican communion. In the Episcopal Church, the current edition is the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.
In the Life of the Church
The 1979 edition of The Book of Common Prayer is the heartbeat of the Episcopal Church. It contains Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, the Litany, and Holy Communion. It has services for Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, and Funerals. In addition to the liturgies, it contains a beautiful Psalter, the Revised Common Lectionary, and prayers for various occasions.
The theology of the Anglican tradition is most richly expressed through the prayers and liturgies contained in the The Book of Common Prayer. As Episcopalians, we believe that prayer is one of the most formative acts of the Christian life ( lex orandi, lex credendi ) . We become like what we worship. The Book of Common Prayer roots us in the Holy Scriptures, the Gospel, and the prayers of catholic faith. It is through this formation that we are "conformed to the image of his Son", Jesus Christ.
The 39 Articles of Religion
The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion are a statement of the doctrinal beliefs of the Church of England. They were originally written in 1563 and have been revised several times since, but they still serve as the standard for Anglican doctrine. The Articles were written at a time when the Church of England was trying to establish itself as a separate entity from the Roman Catholic Church, and they reflect the Church's desire to maintain a middle ground between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The Articles cover a wide range of topics, including the nature of God, the nature of the Church, and the role of the Bible. They are an important part of the history of the Church of England and continue to be a defining document for Anglicans worldwide today.
History of the book of common prayer
1549 Edition
The original English prayer book, this edition is notable for its use of the English language and its shift towards protestantism following the English Reformation. This work of Thomas Cranmer will be the foundation of every subsequent prayer book.
1662 Edition
By far the most widely published version of the prayer book in history, this edition incorporated the text from the 1611 Authorized King James Bible. It also included the Coverdale psalter as part of the book itself. This edition is still the authorized prayer book for the Church of England.
1928 Edition
The 1928 American prayer book was the most significant revision until the subsequent 1979 edition. Many of the services were consolidated, and the Revised Version of the bible was used. This version is still in use in among a small number of church's in the Episcopal church.
1552 edition
A short lived edition of the prayer book, this version was an attempt to establish a markedly protestant character upon England's religion. Upon the ascension of Mary I in 1553, England restored union with Rome and the prayer book was discarded.
1789 edition
After the American revolution, the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America officially separated itself from the Church of England in 1789. This American prayer book is heavily based on the 1662 edition, with influence from the Scottish liturgies of the time.
1979 Edition
In the Episcopal Church, the 1979 Book of Common Prayer is the official prayer book of the church. This edition contains both the formal language liturgies of the historic Anglican prayer books as well as modern language versions for contemporary audiences.