![]() |
![]() Home > Visitors and Seekers > How we worship |
|
| How we worship at St. Peter's | ||
|
|
What to expect when you worship here Something for everyone As both Episcopalian and Anglican Christians our worship on Sunday mornings represents the best of both the Catholic and Protestant traditions of the church. Colorful, orderly, ancient catholic liturgy and tradition, combined with gospel centered preaching, uplifting and diverse music, and freedom to express your worship of God in a variety of ways and forms. We participate in the worship Every Sunday service at St. Peter’s is the liturgy of the Holy Eucharist, which is called the Mass or Holy Communion. Our Sunday morning worship is based around this sacred service of Word and Table because we believe this is the principle act of Christian worship through which we hear and respond to God’s Holy Word and both physically and spiritually receive the precious Body and Blood of Our Saviour Jesus Christ. The Outline of our typical Sunday Eucharist is as follows:Opening procession, in which the vested (robed) clergy, choir, acolytes, and other leaders of worship enter the sanctuary. Opening prayers and songs to set the tone of the day. Scripture readings to hear and remember the story of our Salvation through the Hebrew scriptures, in the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels, and the founding of his body the Church, in the New Testament. The sermon, which is always based upon the scripture readings of the day. The Creed, which is our response to the opening of scripture and is our reaffirmation of our belief and faith Prayers of the People are a response to our belief and are offered to share our concern for others and to pray for the world, the church, those in need, and our sinful selves. Offertory, in which we present back to God a portion or tithe of the many blessings that God has poured out on us in our lives. Holy Communion, where we bless the bread and wine that has been offered using the words Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us and distribute His Body and Blood to give us sustenance for our Christian journey, to assure us of forgiveness of our sins, and to unite us with Christ. Every Sunday the Faithful are called to the altar to physically and spiritually receive Jesus and take Him into our hearts and into our lives. Dismissal sends us forth into the world, empowered by God, to live our Christian lives through serving the poor and needy and striving to build the Kingdom of God “on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Additional Notes:Lord’s Prayer — Like all other Christians we pray the Lord’s Prayer, also called the “Our Father.” It is so important to Anglicans and Episcopalians that every worship service we do in public includes the Lord’s Prayer. Music is very important to our worship, and we have a great variety:
Our worship is Christ-centered, biblically based, and immersed in 2,000 years of Catholic and Anglican tradition and history. Our prayers are offered in the name of Jesus and the Trinity and are often direct quotes from scripture turned into prayer, while some come from the numerous ancient liturgies of both Eastern and Western Christianity. Worship is at the center of our life at St. Peter’s, and our rule of prayer guides and shapes our rule of belief as Episcopal and Anglican Christians.
|
|