In-person Worship 2

All Are Welcome

The Presbyterian Church in Orland Park believes all people are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:28) and we welcome people of all races, cultures, sexual orientations, and political parties, as neighbors and members, without any exceptions (Luke 10). We believe that marriage extends beyond boundaries of race, class, or sexual orientation. Because God is love, we celebrate the love between two people as a gift from God. We are a community of saints and sinners, who invite people seeking community and spiritual journeys that follow in the ways of Jesus.

Following Jesus

We believe that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. He ministered to all people, especially the oppressed and those on the margins of society—tax collectors, sex workers, the poor, lepers, and people outside of his immediate background, to create a beloved community. He preached the liberating love and mercy of God to all people.

Scripture

We believe that Scripture is an inspired guide, which points us to fuller life and relationship with God and neighbor while speaking to our times and the ways in which God continues to be active in the world.

As part of the Reformed tradition, PCOP recognizes two Sacraments or signs of the real presence and power of Christ in the Church given to us by Christ in Scripture. Sacraments use ordinary elements —water, bread, and wine (or juice) — as symbols that

make visible grace, forgiveness, and the presence of God in Christ. As Barbara Brown Taylor writes, “Sacraments are our road maps home. God may not need them, but we do, and while they cannot make something happen, at least they make sure that we are in the right place if it should…Sacraments lead us directly into the precinct of heaven, which the language of the earth has always found tricky to describe.”

Through Baptism, we welcome children and adults into a community and celebrate their presence. We believe God welcomes and renews the baptized’s identity as the people of God, heals and reconciles, and marks people for service. We believe that through baptism, a person is joined with the universal church, the body of Christ. In baptism, God works in us the power of forgiveness, the renewal of the spirit, and the knowledge of the call to be God’s people always. The Presbyterian Church recognizes the validity of all baptisms and celebrates baptism in the presence of the community gathered for worship.

We believe that Communion is open to all, regardless of denominational affiliation or lack thereof. We believe that Communion signifies continuous growth, nourishment, thanksgiving, and new life through the spiritual presence of Christ. Communion is a commemoration of the night when Jesus was betrayed, in which he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, saying, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor. 11:23-25, NSRV). We celebrate Communion on the first Sunday of each month as well as during Easter and Christmas Eve.