St. Mary of Bethany

Saint Mary of Bethany was often found at the feet of Christ—in contented stillness (Luke 10:38-42), in grief and rage at her brother’s death (John 11:31-35), and in daring worship (John 12:1-7). Our community is greatly inspired by her open-heartedness in these three stories, and our shared life is shaped by our desire to follow her lead.

The Town of Bethany

We also find abiding significance in the town of Bethany, which is located just under two miles from Jerusalem, sitting between the city and the wilderness. The name Bethany has been interpreted to mean “house of the poor,” “house of suffering,” and “house of affliction.” Bethany was known for its care of lepers and those with other diseases, as well as orphans, widows, and the dying. We are captivated by the story of Mary anointing Jesus as king and messiah in the home of a leper in a community known for its poor and afflicted (John 12:1-7).

With all these elements in mind, St. Mary of Bethany Parish longs to be a family committed to a posture that is restful, thoughtful, beautiful, hopeful, and playful.

RESTFUL

St. Mary’s is not a busy church. Our worship is contemplative and quiet.

THOUGHTFUL

We are deeply committed to orthodox Christianity and humbly open to seeing those truths through ancient and current lenses. We are a conversational church where people are encouraged to discuss their points of view in a safe environment.

BEAUTIFUL

Visual, musical, and literary works of art are commonly used and cherished in our worship together.

HOPEFUL

We are rooted in the conviction that history is moving to a place where heaven and earth will be made one and every wrong will be made right.

PLAYFUL

Even as we sow with tears, we believe that we will reap with songs of joy (Psalm 126). We are fond of the surprise and delight to be found in the promises of God, and we find that we are familiar with joy and sorrow alike.

What we believe

We are a credal church, holding to the Apostles Creed, and weekly reciting the 1968 Creed from the United Church of Canada, which says:

We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.

We trust in God.        
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.

Folks at St. Mary’s are not expected to believe or agree with every point of these creeds to participate in our life together. We welcome people from many backgrounds and beliefs, including those in different stages of faith, deconstruction, and reconstruction. We believe that a range of perspectives strengthens our community and helps us grow in understanding.

Video resources

Click here to see a list of our video resources on YouTube. For Godly Play videos, which Flo Oakes, our Director of Children’s Spiritual Formation, has made as a means of connecting with our children, click here.