Worship

Worship is a central part of our life as a Christian community. Through praise, prayer, scripture, music, and the Eucharist, we give thanks for all that God has given us – then we go forth into the world strengthened and renewed in our commitment.

The Book of Common Prayer is the foundation for worship in the Episcopal Church. At any Episcopal congregation in the United States, you’ll find the common elements of gathering, listening and responding to scripture, and the fellowship of the Eucharistic Table. These elements together are referred to as the liturgy.

Our worship follows a certain order that is common to all Episcopal worship. Within this structure there are boundless opportunities for variety and style.Our worship also changes with each season of the church year: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. In each of these seasons, we celebrate the mystery of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from a different perspective, reflected in the scripture, music, and responses.

The Episcopal Church follows a three-year lectionary cycle (the Revised Common Lectionary), which provides scripture readings for each Sunday and feast day. We complete each yearly cycle on the last day of the church year, The Feast of Christ the King. The new church year began with the first Sunday in Advent (November 29, 2009). These three-year cycles are designated A, B, and C; we are currently in year C.

These selections include an Old Testament reading, a Psalm, an reading from an Epistle such as Romans, and a Gospel reading. Themes from these readings are woven throughout the service, for example, in the hymns chosen and the art used on our service bulletin. The goal is to connect all parts of the service into a unified experience.