Worship at St. Paul's
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Advent and Christmas
at St. Paul's 
Through the Wilderness: Healing for a Weary World Bible Study & Discussion Sunday Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14, Dec. 21 9:30 a.m. Ugly Sweater Sunday Sunday, Dec. 14 10:30 a.m. Hanging of the Greens Sunday, Dec. 21 Christmas Eve Worship: Lessons & Carols + Holy Eucharist Wednesday, Dec. 24 4 p.m. Christmas Day Worship Holy Eucharist Thursday, Dec. 25 10:30 a.m. Sundays at St. Paul's
9:30 a.m. – Adult Formation 10:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist All are WelcomeEveryone, from all faiths and backgrounds are welcome to participate in the liturgy at St. Paul's. All baptized Christians, no matter age or denomination, are welcome to receive Holy Communion. Episcopalians invite all baptized people to receive, not because we take the Eucharist lightly, but because we take our baptism so seriously. For those unbaptized persons, a special individual blessing is offered by the presider. |
Worship in the Episcopal Church
Sunday, and special Holy Days or Christian holidays, is when the congregation of St. Paul's Episcopal Church gather for worship, commonly known as the Holy Eucharist, or also known as the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, or Mass. In most Episcopal churches, worship is referred to as the liturgy, meaning that the congregation follows service rites and prays from texts that don’t change greatly from week to week. This sameness in liturgy from week to week gives worship a rhythm that becomes comforting and familiar. For the first-time visitor, liturgy may be exhilarating or confusing. Services may involve standing, sitting, kneeling, sung or spoken responses, and other participatory elements that may provide a challenge. However, liturgical worship can be compared with a dance: once you learn the steps, you come to appreciate the rhythm, and it becomes satisfying to dance, again and again, even as the music changes. In spite of the diversity of worship styles in the Episcopal Church, Holy Eucharist always has the same components and the same shape. The service follows two distinct sacred components - The liturgy of the Word, and the liturgy of the table. The Liturgy of the Word We begin each service by praising God through song and prayer and then we listen to as many as four readings from the Bible. Usually one from the Old Testament, a Psalm, something from the Epistles, and always a reading from the Gospels. The psalm is usually sung or recited by the congregation. Next, a sermon interpreting the readings appointed for the day is preached by a priest, deacon, or licensed preacher. The congregation then recites the Nicene Creed, written in the Fourth Century and the Church’s statement of what we believe. The congregation then prays together for the Church, the World, and those in need. We pray for the sick, thank God for all the good things in our lives, and finally, we pray for the dead. The presider (e.g. priest, bishop, lay minister) concludes with a prayer that gathers the petitions into a communal offering of intercession. In certain seasons of the Church year, the congregation formally confesses their sins before God and one another. This is a corporate statement of what we have done and what we have left undone, followed by a pronouncement of absolution by the priest or bishop. In pronouncing absolution, the presider assures the congregation that God is always ready to forgive our sins. The congregation then greets one another with a sign of peace and hospitality. The Liturgy of the Table Next, the priest stands at the table, or altar, which has been set with a chalice of wine and a plate of bread or wafers, raises his or her hands, and greets the congregation again, saying The Lord be With You. Now begins the Eucharistic Prayer, in which the presider tells the story of our faith, from the beginning of Creation, through the choosing of Israel to be God’s people, through our continual turning away from God, and God’s calling us to return. Finally, the presider tells the story of the coming of Jesus Christ, and about the night before his death, on which he instituted the Eucharistic meal (communion) as a continual remembrance of him. The presider blesses or consecrates the bread and wine, transforming these common elements into the sacred body and blood of Christ. The congregation recites in unison the Lord’s Prayer. Finally, the presider breaks the bread and offers it to the congregation, as the gifts of God for the People of God. The congregation will then come forward and receive the consecrated bread and the wine. We conclude with prayers of thanksgiving and a final blessing and a sending forth is offered by the presider. |