The Ecclesia Sophiana celebrates the traditional seven sacraments familiar from other Christian denominations. First and foremost, at the heart of our liturgical life, is the Eucharist - which we refer to, using a Syriac term, as the Holy Qurbana. What distinguishes our approach is that we place a particular emphasis on including the Divine Feminine in our liturgical texts. We celebrate the Lord's Supper as a wedding feast of divine love for all reality - a feast in which we are guests and servants, not masters; as such, we practice open communion. We believe that the consecrated Bread and Wine, bringing divine presence to us under these most human of signs, are a medicine and nourishment for all who desire it.
Likewise, the Healing Unction is not just for the gravely ill and the dying, but for everyone who struggles with health. Thus we want it to be accessible to those who desire to receive this blessing, including members of other Christian communities and people of other spiritual paths.
In keeping with our progressive values, we ordain women to the Priesthood and we consider the sacrament of Marriage open to same-sex couples.
We also have liturgical rites derived from esoteric sources (and fully available to be performed by lay members of the E∴S∴), by means of which we seek to revive forgotten ancient Christian spiritual practices. These include an esoteric prayer rule in the form of the Daily Office, a restoration of the Valentinian rite of the Bridal Chamber, a collection of Late Antique prayers of healing, and others. Some of our liturgical texts have been made publicly available on our FB group and here, others are available on request while we prepare newer editions.
Administratively, we maintain a very simple structure. We are a “small flock” and in our day to day life, we largely practice our spirituality in a private, solitary way of the “inner room” - an approach which would be recognisable to remnuoths and sarabaites, to eremitic Protestants, to the heirs of Charles de Foucauld, to the pioneers of New Monasticism, and to all Christian esotericists throughout history. So far, there has been no need for setting up complicated organisational arrangements, nor do we desire to portray ourselves as an institution more extensive or more like exoteric Churches than we are. In this spirit of simplicity, we are led by a consecrated bishop who serves as the Catholicos of our jurisdiction, which role is currently held by Mart Bibek; and in the newly-forming Mission in Poland, the current superintendent is Mar Gabriel.
Somewhat unusually, we accept multiple religious belongings - that is, we are fully accepting of our members pursuing other religious paths simultaneously with the E∴S∴ “system.” In all things, freedom and friendship are our guiding lights. In order to foster both of these, deliberate and egregious breaches of our principles will unfortunately result in bar or removal from membership.
For all our distinctiveness, we don't have any sort of separatist impulse or any exclusionary attitude. All Christians are our brethren in the Mashiakh; all humans are our family in the Father of Truth and the Mother of Wisdom. We contemplate the same Scriptures as our brethren in mainstream Churches, we honour many saints whom we have in common, we celebrate many shared festivals, and we gather at the same Table of the Lord's Supper. We fully encourage participation in all works of goodness, truth, and beauty conducted by other religious communities.