Holy Sophia is the Wisdom of God as found in many traditions. Artists and Mystics have envisioned her in many ways and as many ideals. 

Rule of the Church of Holy Sophia in Practice

(AKA:  Church Bylaws—revised 6/02/16)

The Call of Holy Sophia

In the first chapter of the Proverbs, it is written, “Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice. At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: ‘how long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? …Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.”

We who practice in our church to follow after Sophia, the Greek name for wisdom, recognize our simplicity, and desire to be made wise. Therefore we heed her call in our lives, seeking after her both privately and in community, seeking to grow in wisdom ourselves and making wisdom available to others.

Holy Sophia is the personification of the saving knowledge and wisdom of God. According to the Abrahamaic scriptures, she was a divine emanation, an aspect of divinity who toiled beside God in the creation of the world: “When he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world, and delighting in the human race” (Prov. 8). 

Israel received the Torah through the persona of Holy Sophia: “Love of her is the keeping of her laws, and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality, and immortality brings one near to God; so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom” (Prov. 6).

Therefore, like those in the early Christian church, we worship Holy Sophia as the enlightening and illuminating face of Divinity, who teaches us a way to live that is pleasing to God, who visited us in the form of Jesus, teaching us even more plainly how to live into wholeness and harmony with both Creator and Creation, and who continues to call us, even in the midst of our busy lives, to continual conversion of life and greater awareness and compassion for all beings.

The Call to Healing

According to the twelfth chapter of First Corinthians, we are given gifts from the Holy Spirit (Sophia) to enable us to give service to God.  “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of Wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge by the same Spirit. To another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the one Spirit.”  In Sufi teachings there is a whole book, Volume Four of the Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, devoted to healing.

We who are members of the Church of Holy Sophia in Practice are therefore often called into the practice of the healing arts in many ways. Some may practice energy healing, some may practice spiritual direction, some will lead spiritual groups of various types, and still others may work in the healing communities in many ways. In addition we will lead spiritual retreats. We recognize healing in all the ways we as members may practice it; is a strong and holy calling within the Church of Holy Sophia in Practice.

The Call to Just Speech

We recognize that language is a powerful tool with the ability to either harm or heal, and we seek to use it wisely so as to foster compassion and understanding both within the Church and in the world we serve. This requires a nuanced vocabulary, drawn from our Catholic tradition, but envisioned according to the call of Sophia as discerned in our midst.

Therefore the Church of Holy Sophia in Practice honors both the feminine and masculine qualities of Divinity and the equality of genders in religious life.

We understand the terms “celibacy,” “chastity,” and “virginity” not in sexual terms but as referring to power. Church members are chaste in not exercising power over one another, except that we do follow the traditional hierarchy of bishop, priest, deacon, church member and non-member with the roles those positions require, but also honoring the equal power relationships with others. We honor the virginity of all creatures as referring to the right of all beings to own their own power, not handing it over to another, and certainly not being required by any church member to do so.

However, recognizing that sometimes a decision-maker is needed, the final decision for ordination rests with the bishop of the church, upon consultation with the other clergy.

The Call to Equality

In journeying together in the Church of Holy Sophia in Practice, we seek to maintain fidelity to the apostolic faith, interpreting the creeds and tenets of historic Christianity and Sufism in a way that is respectful of the past and faithful to the contemporary world in which we live. We respect and maintain fidelity to an Interfaith Tradition by respecting and holding sacred the true meaning of the word “catholic” and the traditions and beliefs of the Sufi lineage as brought forth by Hazrat Inayat Khan. He initiated, trained, and ordained women in a time and culture that traditionally only ordained men.

We seek to create and maintain for ourselves a community in which we may be authentically Catholic (in the succession of the historic See of Utrecht), faithful Sufis (in the succession of the Sufi Orders) and flexible and responsive to the culture in which we live and minister. As Old Catholics, we honor and follow the Catholic Sacraments, the unbroken apostolic succession, the threefold-ordained ministry of deacons, priests, and bishops, worship centered in the real presence of the Christ in the Eucharist, and the committed life of prayer. As Sufis we honor the heritage of the Sufi teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan, whose Sufi lineage traces back through the Chistia Order of India.

As Catholics and  Sufis, we seek to live into the promise of the true meaning of being “catholic,” a word that means “inclusive” and “universal.”  Our Sufi heritage allows us to honor the universal and inclusive meaning of catholic through the practice of the Sufi Universal Worship service. We honor the dignity and equality of all peoples, regardless of race, belief, gender, and sexual orientation. We also honor the goodness of all creation and the dignity and rights of all creatures. We welcome all creatures to the Eucharist, giving bread and wine to the wise and the foolish alike.

We likewise recognize the equality of all those associated with the church. Neither gender nor sexual orientation will be a bar to membership or ordination or leadership at any level.

Those called to seek Wisdom within a religious order that has a completely egalitarian structure are welcomed as brothers and sisters of the Holy Order of Wisdom, an order embraced by the church.

The Call to Commitment

The religious life is one of commitment to God, to the process of personal spiritual growth, and to the world. As church members we commit to all of these, and whatever else the Spirit of Holy Sophia may call us to do.

All people are welcomed as members of our church with no requirement other than a calling to worship with us. 

For those called to a personal life with deeper commitments and vows, the church offers an Order of Renunciates.

The Call to Discipline

We Members focus on our personal spiritual lives. Some members may commit to seeing a spiritual director in order to give due attention to their spiritual formation. For clergy and clergy in-formation, this is a requirement. On a weekly basis we may participate in communal worship with a faith community. On a daily basis we will pray in the way that our hearts direct us.

Our church recognizes certain officers who give their time to help in the running of the church:

1. Bishop.  (Chief Executive Officer) Leads the community. Makes final decisions in matters of church policies.  Ordains clergy.

2. Secretary. Keeps files of all notes and documents pertinent to the church, as well as serving as church historian during his or her tenure. 

3. Treasurer. (Chief Financial Officer) Handles financial affairs of the church, responsible for all bank/checking accounts, and for making financial statements available when requested to do so.

Finally, church members may commit themselves to a life of service to those in the wider world. Some members offer Healing in one or more forms to the wider community. Other members might engage in service in one or more of the following ways: Teaching, preaching, visiting the sick, elderly, or those in prison, healing, corporal works of mercy, activism on behalf of the earth, people or other creatures, random acts of kindness, spiritual guidance, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, or some other form of holy listening, chaplaincy, spiritual scholarship, holding of sacred space for others, conflict mediation, facilitating discernment, sacred clowning, or any other activity to which the Divine may call us in order to advance Holy Sophia in the world around us.

The Call to Holy Orders 

Many of us have discerned a call to an increased level of responsibility and commitment in our ministries, and have sought Holy Orders in order to be faithful to this call. Not all religious people are called to ordination, but many are, and the Church of Holy Sophia has discerned a process by which a candidate may respond to that call.

In the church, the role of deacon is a role of service, meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people in many contexts. Many ministries are strictly diaconal ministries, and the permanent diaconate has a long and respected history.

Some, however, are called to be priests, which contains the diaconate (priests remain deacons all their lives, but add to it another level of ordination) to which is added the responsibility to teach. A person must serve as a transitional deacon for a minimum of six months before advancing to priesthood. 

In time the community members may discern a level of trust in the wisdom of an individual such that they call her or him to be a bishop. A bishop is always both a deacon and a priest, with the continuing responsibility to serve and teach, but to which a further responsibility is added, that of offering counsel and leadership.  The role of a bishop is to provide pastoral care, to be, literally, “the pastor to the pastors.” The bishop’s leadership is by the gentle voice of trusted experience and hard-earned wisdom.   The bishop is the leader of the church and holds the rights and responsibilities inherent in that role.

With increased commitment comes increased responsibility. Holy Orders are not to be taken lightly, but are holy commitments made to God and the church community that cannot be revoked. 

Some may discern a call into the Sufi Orders and that may be handled outside the church, through training given by local Sufi leaders for Cherag and for Healing Conductor. 

All training for religious orders, whether Old Catholic or Sufi, involve lengthy periods of time and education.  The training required for individual members will be at the discretion of the bishop and is outlined below. 

A church member who discerns a call to ordination may make application to the Bishop, declaring his or her call and expressing a desire to enter the process. The Bishop will interview the candidate and then will meet with other clergy in the church. Together they will make one of three decisions: for ordination, against ordination, or for ordination pending specified further study.

*Some may discern a call to join holy orders.  The Church of Holy Sophia in Practice shelters within her embrace two Holy Orders that are open to members called to additional commitment.  Those orders are described below. Each order also has its own Rule, beyond the Rule of the church.          

1. The Order of Holy Wisdom is an egalitarian order of sisters and brothers answering the call of Holy Wisdom.

            2.  Holy Sophia Order of Renunciates is an order of individuals seeking, through renunciation, to open up to God.

Each of these orders is also registered with the state as a religious entity.

The Call to Educational Formation 

Candidates for ordination must demonstrate competency in the following areas, according to order of ministry and the responsibilities pertinent to each order. Candidates may pursue studies in a variety of ways. If formal classes are taken at a seminary, a passing grade in those classes will suffice to satisfy the requirement. If a person is doing private study, he or she will work with the church clergy.

Candidates for the Diaconate must demonstrate competency in Old Testament studies, New Testament studies, Homiletics, Ethics, Theology, and performance of the following Sacraments: Baptism, Marriage, Unction, including an understanding of Ordination. The candidate may receive this training through a Theology degree or from the Bishop or one of the priests qualified to teach these subjects. 

Candidates for the Priesthood must demonstrate competency in Church History, Old Catholic/Independent Catholic History, Pastoral Care or Clinical Pastoral Education, Theology: Christology, Soteriology, Theodicy, Eschatology, Theology and performance of the following Sacraments: Eucharist, Confession, Confirmation, and Liturgics. The candidate may receive this training through a Theology degree or from the Bishop or one of the priests qualified to teach these subjects. 

Candidates for Cherag must be trained by a Murshid (teacher) who has permission to teach Cherags from a Sufi Order in the lineage of Hazrat Inayat Khan. The Murshid may be a member of the church or not. This training is typically one to two years long.

Candidates for Healing Conductor must be trained by a Murshid (teacher) who has permission to teach Healing Conductors from a Sufi Healing Order in the lineage of Hazrat Inayat Khan. This may be a member of the church or not.  This training is typically one to two years long.

The Call to a Sacramental Life 

Catholic Christianity and Sufism are sacramental traditions, and different orders of ministry have the responsibility and privilege to perform various sacraments.

The seven sacraments honored by the Catholic tradition are: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Marriage, Ordination, Confession, and Unction (Anointing of the Sick). In the Catholic tradition, Deacons may baptize in liturgical context, perform weddings and holy unions, and anoint for healing. Priests may baptize, marry, hear confession, anoint for healing and perform the Eucharist. Bishops may perform all the functions of a priest, to which is added the ability to Confirm and Ordain.

The Sufi tradition gives responsibility and privilege to Cherags to perform these sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, Marriage, Ordination, Unction, and the Universal Worship Service.  Healing Conductors may conduct the healing service. 

Both traditions also may perform funerals and memorials.

The Call to Community

The church encourages its members to be involved in spiritual community, and is itself a spiritual community. As a church we offer services at least once a month.  These services may be in the form of one or more of Catholic or Sufi services. Catholic Services: Celtic Mass, Old Catholic or Gnostic Feast of Holy Sophia, and Roman Catholic Mass. Sufi Services: Sufi Universal Worship and Sufi Healing Services.  The church also supports and embraces two religious orders: The Order of Holy Wisdom and Holy Sophia Order of Renunciates (descriptions found on the website http://sophiainpractice.com).

Members are free to attend any other services of any faith community they are drawn to in addition to ours.

In addition, the church sponsors group activities related to spiritual development such as group spiritual direction, group centering prayer, dream groups, and guided spiritual retreats, as well as individual spiritual direction and healing sessions.

The Call to Reformation

The Church of Holy Sophia in Practice is committed to both fidelity to the past and to the ongoing reformation and re-visioning of tradition as we discern the guidance of Holy Sophia in our personal and communal lives. Therefore we agree that any matter of concern to any church member may be brought to any priest or the bishop at any time for discernment and possible amendment. Members may voice concerns, but it will be up to the discernment of the ordained members and ultimately of the bishop whether to proceed with an amendment.

The Order of Holy Wisdom

Holy Sophia Order of Renunciates