Church of the Holy Cross
Murfreesboro TN
37128
Who we are
You are invited and welcomed...
Whatever your reason for coming to Holy Cross, you are invited and welcomed to explore what God is calling you to do in your life and work. Come pray and give thanks with us. Come serve with us. Come hang out with us. Come learn with us. But above all, we hope that you come love the world alongside us. Loving God and loving this world is the fundamental call God makes to us all.
Mission
Welcoming all who seek Grace and Peace in conversation and communion with Jesus Christ
What is worship like at Holy Cross?
Episcopal worship engages all the senses so that we can offer God our thanks and praise with all our hearts, minds and bodies. The service is distinguished into two parts. First we hear and learn from scripture. Each Sunday we hear four readings. The first reading is from the Old Testament, which contains stories and history of our Jewish ancestors. Next we read together a Psalms, or song. The Psalms are songs and prayers that span the spectrum of human emotion. Third, we hear an Epistle or letter to the early churches. These letters give us insight not only into our early Christian forebears, but consult us on how we ought to behave toward one another as the Body of Christ. Finally, the priest reads from the Gospels, which are stories from eye witnesses who walked with Jesus and saw his work and love first hand. The priest also delivers a sermon that offers insight into these sometimes difficult to understand readings. She puts them into both historical and modern contexts in order to highlight the “truth stories” and lessons the scriptures offer to Christ-believers.
The second half of the service is all about offering the gifts of our labor and giving our thanks for all we have been given. Episcopalians are incarnational people of faith. We believe that Christ walked among us, lived with us, ate, drank, slept and felt what we feel. As such, the Eucharist, or Communion, or even still The Lord’s Supper, is celebrated every Sunday because we want to offer ourselves, our souls and bodies to God’s dream of drawing all peoples and creation to Godself. In the Eucharist we retell salvation history. That history tells the story of how God came to us through prophets and apostles to tell us how to live as God first intended. When we didn’t listen, God sent Jesus to live among us be among and teach us how to love and live together, and mostly, how to give God the thanks and appreciation for all creation. The bread that we eat and the wine that we drink becomes filled with the real presence of Christ such that it is like we are right there at that table in the upper room on Passover, eating and drinking with Jesus and listening to him talk about his coming Kingdom of Love. Eating this special food and drink in this celebratory way draws us closer to this Kingdom and makes us stronger as Christ’s body in the world today.
In addition to hearing, tasting and smelling the Kingdom of Love, we sing our hearts out and we exchange the Peace of Christ with a handshake and often a hug. Above all, worship at Holy Cross is welcoming and relaxed. We want everyone to be on the same page and so we give a lot of effort to helping newcomers to the Episcopal Church find their way through the service. We use the Book of Common Prayer, which is a prayer book written in 16th century England with the intent to unite disparate Christian believers. While we use the American Prayer Book, the notion of common prayer remains.
At your first visit, you may notice that there are quite a few little pieces to the regular Sunday service. Some of it we lovingly call Episcopal aerobics: we stand to sing, sit to listen, kneel or stand to pray. There are a lot of moving parts to the service too and a lot to look at. The purpose behind all of this is to express something. Episcopal worship allows room for our bodies to say what our hearts are feeling, yet our minds are not able to express. There is silence and room to just be in God’s loving presence and in the loving company of others. Such symbol and ritual is built for the simplicity of prayer.
Whatever your reason for coming to Holy Cross, you are invited and welcomed to explore what God is calling you to do in your life and work. Come pray and give thanks with us. Come serve with us. Come hang out with us. Come learn with us. But above all, we hope that you come love the world alongside us. Loving God and loving this world is the fundamental call God makes to us all.
Mission
Welcoming all who seek Grace and Peace in conversation and communion with Jesus Christ
What is worship like at Holy Cross?
Episcopal worship engages all the senses so that we can offer God our thanks and praise with all our hearts, minds and bodies. The service is distinguished into two parts. First we hear and learn from scripture. Each Sunday we hear four readings. The first reading is from the Old Testament, which contains stories and history of our Jewish ancestors. Next we read together a Psalms, or song. The Psalms are songs and prayers that span the spectrum of human emotion. Third, we hear an Epistle or letter to the early churches. These letters give us insight not only into our early Christian forebears, but consult us on how we ought to behave toward one another as the Body of Christ. Finally, the priest reads from the Gospels, which are stories from eye witnesses who walked with Jesus and saw his work and love first hand. The priest also delivers a sermon that offers insight into these sometimes difficult to understand readings. She puts them into both historical and modern contexts in order to highlight the “truth stories” and lessons the scriptures offer to Christ-believers.
At your first visit, you may notice that there are quite a few little pieces to the regular Sunday service. Some of it we lovingly call Episcopal aerobics: we stand to sing, sit to listen, kneel or stand to pray. There are a lot of moving parts to the service too and a lot to look at. The purpose behind all of this is to express something. Episcopal worship allows room for our bodies to say what our hearts are feeling, yet our minds are not able to express. There is silence and room to just be in God’s loving presence and in the loving company of others. Such symbol and ritual is built for the simplicity of prayer.
Church Website
Church of the Holy Cross on Social Media
Leadership
Leader Name:
Rev. James C Teets
Leader Position:
Vicar
Phone:
Fax:
(615) 867-7131
Leader Email:
Click here to contact Rev. James C Teets
Leader Bio:
Father Jim Teets was ordained to the sacred Order of Priests on June 3, 2017 at Trinity cathedral in Miami, Fl. He recently graduated with a Master’s of Divinity from the School of Theology at the University of the South, Sewanee and is excited to be able to stay in the middle Tennessee area. A cradle Episcopalian, Father Jim is a Florida native and grew up in the western Palm Beach County agricultural area of south Florida. Prior to entering seminary, he spent 10 years as a teacher/Head of School of a private school and taught Physics, Chemistry, and Environmental Science as well as ACT/SAT Prep classes. Most recently, he created his own business and provided concierge accounting services to businesses and individuals in south Florida. This business provided an excellent avenue for the use of the accounting and management skills that he developed at Stetson University, where he earned a B.B.A. in 1984.
Father Jim has been a life-long servant of the Church and, with support and encouragement from many clergy friends and members of his sending parish, he formally entered the discernment process in 2012 and was accepted at SOT in 2014. While at the School of Theology, Jim served as the Treasurer of both the St. Luke’s Community and the St. Luke’s Missions Committee. He also used his accounting and bookkeeping background to create “Faithful Finances”, a financial education program for seminary students and spouses that focused on saving, budgeting, and debt reduction. Jim had an outstanding Field Education experience at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Murfreesboro, TN and served as the Deacon there until his ordination to the priesthood. He has been happily married to his wife, Sharon, for 24 years and they have two grown sons, Casey and Crawford.
Church of the Holy Cross is an Episcopal mission church planted in 2000. Holy Cross’s sanctuary and campus at 1140 Cason Lane was constructed in 2004. In 2008, as part of the missional growth process, the people of Holy Cross created a new mission statement and, indeed, began a new mission of “Welcoming all who seek grace and peace in conversation and communion with Jesus Christ.” Those attending Holy Cross are just as likely to worship with lifelong Episcopalians as they are to worship with former roman Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Church of Christ and the unchurched. Regardless of denomination, all are invited to come to Holy Cross, a place of warm welcome where they can encounter God, share in the mysteries of Christ’s presence and go into the world to do God’s healing work, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Father Jim has been a life-long servant of the Church and, with support and encouragement from many clergy friends and members of his sending parish, he formally entered the discernment process in 2012 and was accepted at SOT in 2014. While at the School of Theology, Jim served as the Treasurer of both the St. Luke’s Community and the St. Luke’s Missions Committee. He also used his accounting and bookkeeping background to create “Faithful Finances”, a financial education program for seminary students and spouses that focused on saving, budgeting, and debt reduction. Jim had an outstanding Field Education experience at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Murfreesboro, TN and served as the Deacon there until his ordination to the priesthood. He has been happily married to his wife, Sharon, for 24 years and they have two grown sons, Casey and Crawford.
Church of the Holy Cross is an Episcopal mission church planted in 2000. Holy Cross’s sanctuary and campus at 1140 Cason Lane was constructed in 2004. In 2008, as part of the missional growth process, the people of Holy Cross created a new mission statement and, indeed, began a new mission of “Welcoming all who seek grace and peace in conversation and communion with Jesus Christ.” Those attending Holy Cross are just as likely to worship with lifelong Episcopalians as they are to worship with former roman Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Church of Christ and the unchurched. Regardless of denomination, all are invited to come to Holy Cross, a place of warm welcome where they can encounter God, share in the mysteries of Christ’s presence and go into the world to do God’s healing work, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Church of the Holy Cross Service Times
Services
Sunday 10:30AM - Principal Eucharist
Wednesday Noon - Healing with Eucharist
Formation
Adult Christian Ed: Sunday 9:00AM
Children Christian Ed: Sunday 10:30AM
It's been more than 5 years since the last service times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm service times.
Please contact the church to confirm Service Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
Sunday 10:30AM - Principal Eucharist
Wednesday Noon - Healing with Eucharist
Formation
Adult Christian Ed: Sunday 9:00AM
Children Christian Ed: Sunday 10:30AM
It's been more than 5 years since the last service times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm service times.
Please contact the church to confirm Service Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
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Church of the Holy Cross History
Holy Cross History
Holy Cross is a mission church planted in 2000, and our church building was constructed on Cason Lane in 2004. In 2008, after the then priest left with all but seven of the congregation to form a church outside the Episcopal Church, USA, the remnant of Holy Cross created a new mission statement, and indeed, set its mission trajectory on a course that “welcomes all who seek grace and peace in conversation and communion with Jesus Christ.” Today, Holy Cross is a place of warm welcome to all God’s beloved people—all of them—so that we may encounter God, share in the mysteries of Christ’s presence and go into the world to do God’s healing work, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Holy Cross is a mission church planted in 2000, and our church building was constructed on Cason Lane in 2004. In 2008, after the then priest left with all but seven of the congregation to form a church outside the Episcopal Church, USA, the remnant of Holy Cross created a new mission statement, and indeed, set its mission trajectory on a course that “welcomes all who seek grace and peace in conversation and communion with Jesus Christ.” Today, Holy Cross is a place of warm welcome to all God’s beloved people—all of them—so that we may encounter God, share in the mysteries of Christ’s presence and go into the world to do God’s healing work, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Abide in my heart
Come, Lord Jesus, and abide in my heart. How grateful I am to realize that the answer to my prayer does not depend on me at all. As I quietly abide in You and let Your life flow into me, what freedom it is to know that the Father does not see my threadbare patience or insufficient trust, rather only Your patience, Lord, and Your confidence that the Father has everything in hand. In Your faith I thank You right now for a more glorious answer to my prayer than I can imagine. Amen.
Church of the Holy Cross listing was last updated on the 30th of May, 2018
