Sunshine Cathedral 101
As you explore this website consider taking a class at Sunshine Cathedral’s “Samaritan Institute.” Click on the links to “Spirit & Truth, our publication of daily devotionals, prayers, and bible reflections. Watch our streaming video sermons. You can even make a prayer request.
Moment by moment we are being drawn towards higher truths, deeper journeys, more joy, and lived action.
Our Spiritual Practice is: Progressive, Positive, & Practical
Our Affirmation is: Sunshine Cathedral is a different kind of church where the past is past and the future has infinite possibilities
Our Desire is: To rescue religion from irrelevance, practice positive thinking, be justice workers, build community, value diversity, and help people experience peace, hope, and joy in their lives
Sunshine Cathedral is affiliated with the International Council of Community Churches (ICCC, or “ITripleC”), the Divine Science Federation International (DSFI), and Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC).
The ICCC (ITripleC) is an association of autonomous congregations and independent movements. The ITripleC includes progressive, evangelical, and liturgical parishes and is a member of the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches and is historically committed to racial diversity and social justice. The ICCC was formed in 1950 as the result of a merger of two organizations in the community church movement.
Divine Science is the oldest, organized New Thought school of thought (dating back to the 1800s) and DSFI has been promoting Divine Science philosophy since the 1950s. Divine Science affirms the innate goodness of human-beings, the omnipresence of a God of pure love, and the power of positive prayer.
MCC was founded in 1968 by Troy D. Perry, a minister from the Pentecostal tradition who felt called to start a church that would welcome and affirm the LGBT children of God.
Sunshine Cathedral Sacraments: Holy Communion & Baptism
Holy Communion is a ritual feast symbolizing our unity with all life and with the Source of all life (open to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, church membership, or personal belief; Holy Communion is celebrated at most worship services).
Baptism is being immersed into the life of the spiritual community and can be celebrated with a water ritual.
Sunshine Cathedral Sacramental Rites:
Rite of Anointing (for praying for the sick or acts of consecration),
Rite of Blessing (any ceremony intended to confer a blessing on a person, home, object, pet, or endeavor),
Celebration of Life (funeral or memorial service),
Collection of Offerings (sometimes called “the Sacrament of Sharing” or “building a culture of generosity”),
Rite of Confirmation (attaining membership),
Rite of Matrimony (wedding), and
Rite of Ordination
Sunshine Cathedral Beliefs:
We have no formal creed but as Christians, Jesus is our primary faith symbol/example and we seek to understand the message and mission of Jesus by careful and open-minded study of the scriptures. Our worshiping community is open to those who do as well as those who do not primarily identify as Christian, and still, our roots are in the progressive Christian movements; and, the message and ritual of our church are inspired by the progressive Christian witness.
~ We teach the omnipresence of divine Life (“God”) and the sacred value of all people.
~ We affirm that peace and social justice are spiritual goals.
~ We have found that optimism, gratitude, and generosity are spiritual tools that enrich and empower one’s life.
~ We encourage prayer, positive thinking, and faithful worship.
~ We present a social gospel, that is, we find in the teachings of Jesus a call to affirm the dignity of all people, to be mindful of those who have been marginalized in society, to model inclusivity, and to care for the most vulnerable among us – this gospel call to justice for all includes an intentional affirmation and celebration of the LGBT community.
Our presentation of the Christian message is compatible with the 8 Points of Progressive Christianity (ProgressiveChristianity.org):
[Progressive Christians] (1) Believe that following the path and teachings of Jesus can lead to an awareness and experience of the Sacred;
(2) Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness and Oneness of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom in our spiritual journey;
(3) Seek community that is inclusive of all people, including but not limited to conventional Christians and questioning skeptics, believers and agnostics, women and men, those of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and those of all classes and abilities;
(4) Know that the way we behave towards one another is the fullest expression of what we believe;
(5) Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning than in absolutes;
(6) Strive for peace and justice among all people;
(7) Strive to protect and restore the integrity of our Earth;
(8) Commit to a path of life-long learning.
Sunshine Cathedral is a different kind of church where the past is past and the future has infinite possibilities.
Sunday Worship: 9 am & 10:30 am
www.sunshinecathedral.org
ICCC, MCC, DSFI
Our Spiritual Identity
We Are:
Universalist…not part of the Unitarian Universalist Association, but confident that divine Love never rejects anyone for any reason and all people are forever in God’s loving Presence.
Progressive…non-creedal and non-dogmatic, we encourage each person to seek and find truth within a supportive, loving community of fellow seekers.
New Thought…not New Age, but trusting in the omnipresence and infinite goodness of God, the innate goodness of all life, and the power of positive thinking.
Evangelical…neither fundamentalist nor proselytizing, but zealous to offer people an encouraging message, an affirmation of the sacred value of all people, and a bold insistence that God’s love is unconditional, all-inclusive, and everlasting.
Charismatic…not Pentecostal, but we recognize that God’s spirit indwells each of us and gives us gifts (charisms) to share with the broader community.
Catholic…not Roman, but fully part of the “universal” (catholic) Church that seeks to follow Jesus’ teachings and example.
Anglican…not affiliated with the Episcopal Church or the See of Canterbury, but we are sacramental, we use a form of “common prayer” for worship, and we recognize Scripture, Tradition, and Reason as valuable tools for faith formation and spiritual living.
