The Sacraments

A Sacrament is "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace" (Book of Common Prayer, p. 292). In sacraments, God uses visible and tangible created things to communicate invisible and intangible grace. Grace is God's undeserved favor that renews and transforms us into the image of Christ.

"We receive grace from God in the sacraments whether we feel it or not."

The definition of a sacrament is rooted in the biblical teaching about creation. The glory of God is reflected in the physical world he has made. St. Paul says in Romans, "Ever since the creation of the world, God's invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made (1:20). The creation is an outward and visible sign of the glory of the Creator.

The sacraments are objective manifestations of God’s grace. We receive grace from God in the sacraments whether we feel it or not, although the objective grace of the sacraments will frequently produce a positive subjective response in us. This will be more the case as we mature in the faith and develop the spiritual vision to perceive God’s grace in the sacraments. This is particularly true in the Eucharist, where God’s grace is always present in the presence of His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

"In the world to come there will not be sacraments because the whole creation will, once again, be a sacrament."

We live in an age that puts great stress on subjective feelings. This is why many who are accustomed to forms of worship, which focus on our emotional response, do not understand sacramental worship, which focuses on the objective presence of God and His grace. The presence of grace in the sacraments and Christ’s presence in the Eucharist does not depend upon whether we experience a sense of excitement. It does not depend upon the charisma of the minister. It is an objective fact dependent upon the promises of Jesus Christ, who promised to never leave us nor forsake us.

It is wrong to think of sacraments as things that are entirely different from or other than the rest of creation. Sacraments are the fulfillment of the creation. In the world to come there will not be sacraments because the whole creation will, once again, be a sacrament.