Welcome to Our Church in Dripping Springs, Texas
What is the Orthodox Church?
The Church is one. The Lord has not established many churches, but one. And this one Church is identified with the one Body of the one Christ. Still, since this one Church actualizes, manifests and iconically portrays herself in the Eucharistic community then in the nature of things, she appears as many Churches, because it is inconceivable that there should exist a single Eucharistic community for the whole world.
Thus, where the faithful gather "at one place" around their Bishop to actualize the Eucharistic assembly, there is the whole Body of Christ as well, that is, there the mystery of the Divine Economy is headed and the Kingdom of God is wholly portrayed. Therefore we speak of one Church, which comprises many local Churches. Along with this, since every local Church in which the Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion) is performed represents the whole Body of Christ, each such local Church is, ought to be and can be called an all-embracing, whole Church.
In other words, just as the Holy Eucharist actualizes the whole Christ, not only a certain part of Him, so each local Church represents the whole Body of Christ, not only a certain part of It. Thus, according to Orthodox ecclesiology, each local Church, lead by it’s bishop, represents the entire One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, filled with all the graceful theanthropic gifts of God necessary for salvation of people, that is, represents the whole Body of Christ, because the understanding of the Church is based on the Holy Eucharist.
What is St. Sophia?
St. Sophia Orthodox Christian Church in Dripping Springs Texas is, therefore, part of the worldwide Orthodox Church and the local incarnation of Jesus Christ’s Holy Church here, in the Central Texas hill country. We function under the Apostolic authority of our bishop, His Grace, BASIL, Bishop of Wichita and the Diocese of Mid-America and the leadership of our Pastor, the Reverend Father Peter Smith. We are a loving Christian community seeking to live according to the Word of the Holy Gospel. We invite you to visit or join our community as we seek to help each other in our lives as disciples of Christ on our journey to the Kingdom of God.
Would you like more information? If so, please feel free to visit us, email our Pastor, Fr. Peter Smith at pcmsmith@hotmail.com or call him at (512) 638-0721. Please visit soon. May God be with you!
