The Anglican tradition, of which the Episcopal Church is a part of, is sacramental in nature. We believe that through our worship God has promised us access to divine grace. The basic definition of a sacrament that we use is "An outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace." (BCP, 857)
Through our prayerful use of the physical materials of this world: water, bread, wine, oil, God gifts us with forgiveness of our sins, an enlightening of our minds, a stirring of our hearts, and a strengthening of our wills. By participating in the sacraments, we trust that God's grace and blessing will descend upon us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that two sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ and are essential in every Christians life. They are:
Baptism
Holy Eucharist, also known as Communion, the Lord's Supper, the Divine Liturgy, or the Mass
We believe that there are five other sacramental rites that prayerfully developed in the Church for the benefit of the Christian life: