Marriage is a gift of God our creator. It is a symbol of God’s unending love for his people, and of the union between Christ and his Church . . . No one should enter it lightly or selfishly, but responsibly and joyfully, with mutual respect and the promise to be faithful.
(A Prayer Book for Australia)
Marriage is a most important decision for a couple and the Anglican marriage service seeks to express both the solemnity and the joy of this decision. In the marriage service, God joins two people in a physical and spiritual union that reflects the union between Christ and his Church. The Anglican tradition emphasises that marriage is a life-long commitment.
Baptism is the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ. When he had risen from the dead, he commanded his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
(A Prayer Book for Australia)
Baptism is the initiation of a new believer and a community event of welcome. It always involves water, either poured on the head or by immersion of the believer, symbolising the washing away of sin and the past, and the taking on of a new life. The words invoking the Holy Trinity are used in fulfilment of our Lord’s command.
Baptism shows that it is by the death and resurrection of Jesus that a person receives new life in God.
Anglicans welcome infant baptism where the promises about the faith are made by sponsors, usually parents and god-parents.
Human beings have sensed the mystery of death, and the pain of grief, since time immemorial . . . the funeral service is the rite by which we lay a person’s body to rest. The funeral service may help the process of grieving by enabling us to acknowledge our loss, give thanks for the life of the person who has died, make our last farewell, and begin to take up life once more.
(A Prayer Book for Australia)
The Anglican funeral service proclaims the Christian hope in the face of death. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, whose resurrection is the promise of our own. The service commences with people gathering in the presence of God to remember the person who has died. The death and resurrection of Christ is proclaimed, thanks are given for the life now ended, and prayer is made for those who grieve. The dead person is then committed to God’s care.
(Adapted from https://anglicancg.org.au/churches/weddings-baptisms-and-funerals/)
If you wish to learn more or to discuss a wedding, baptism or funeral, please feel welcome to contact the Rector.