Myths About Proper Behavior at the Eucharist

  1. If you drop the host, the devil gets inside it.
    Truth: the devil wouldn’t survive a second inside a consecrated host.
  2. If you take communion more than once a day, that’s a problem.
    Truth: Jesus never skimped on food.
  3. If you chew the wafer, you are hurting Jesus.
    Truth: nobody can hurt Jesus anymore. Bread doesn’t have nerve endings anyway.

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Parish History

Virtual tour of the Church of the Incarnation

Mr. J. P. Clark donated four building lots on Fourth Street and Washington Street for the building of a church. These were sold and lots on Mendocino Avenue were purchased as a better location. Construction began in the Spring of 1872, and building was completed in 1873. It is said that the church was constructed from the wood of two redwood trees. The Church was declared debt free in 1876 and consecrated in November, 1877.

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Numina Center for Spirituality & the Arts

Numina Center for Spirituality and the Arts is dedicated to the celebration of the artistic expression of spirit. Numina offers quality theatre, musical and artistic performances, as well as experiences in the expressive arts and spiritual practice.

Numina was founded and is centered at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, Santa Rosa. The spirit of God may be found wherever the full dimensions of life are being explored.  We are dedicated to that exploration through the arts. In keeping with the long tradition of church patronage of the arts we offer a downtown venue for music, theatre, and the arts.

Read More at NuminaCenter.org

What do Episcopalians believe?

As Episcopalians, we see with the eyes of faith, but we are not blind. By faith we find a reason to live beyond ourselves. We enjoy people who are different from us; we seek to serve the world’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens and to build a more just society. It breaks our heart when fellow Christians act as agents of oppression.

As an expression of our faith, my parish founded a day shelter for homeless and at-risk women and children called The Living Room. We devote enormous energy to ministries of compassion, fueled by an ancient Christian belief in a universe created and ordered by love. We believe that love and compassion draws us into the heart of the human-divine nexus. This is known as the way of the cross. For us it is the way of truth – but we tend to avoid telling others what their truth must be. This is known as respect, and is another reason why we don’t get much time on TV. We are boring in this way.

Excerpt from Sex, Religion, and the Culture Wars: An Open Letter to the Community
by the Rev. Matthew Lawrence, Rector - Read the full text here. . .