Episcopalians worship in many different styles, ranging from very formal, ancient, and multi-sensory rites with lots of singing, music, incense, and fancy clothes (called vestments) for the priest and other ministers, to informal services with contemporary music and no special clothing. Yet all worship in the Episcopal Church is based in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), which gives worship a familiar feel, no matter where you go. At St. John's, we probably are somewhere in the middle. We don't use a lot of incense, but we do use the traditional Episcopal hymns. You'll see that our priest and others who assist in the service typically wear special clothes. We follow the BCP pretty closely. You can expect the service to take about an hour.
Our church is small. It can seat about 100, but feels full with 65-70 people. About 40 people attend a typical service. There are no assigned seats. Some people tend to sit in the same place every week, while others move around. Our church is also 188 years old. It's been well taken care of and it's beautiful, but it does have more traditional features like pews for seating, windows we open (rather than air conditioning), and lots of stained glass.
People wear a variety of clothes to church. On any given Sunday, you'll see everything from jeans, a T-shirt, and sandals, to a dress and high heels. Wear whatever is most comfortable to you. If you want to come in your pajamas, you won't be the first!
Liturgy and Ritual
Worship in the Episcopal Church is said to be “liturgical,” meaning that the congregation follows service forms and prays from texts that don’t change greatly from week to week during a season of the year. This sameness from week to week gives worship a rhythm that becomes comforting and familiar for many people.
The first time you come, the liturgy may be exhilarating or confusing - or both! Services involve standing, sitting, kneeling, sung or spoken responses, and other participatory elements that may seem strange. 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, as the music changes.
At St. John's, we have a bulletin that tells you what page of the BCP each part of the service is on, as well as the hymn numbers and which hymnal to use. We know it's confusing. You are very welcome to just sit, watch, and listen the first several times you come. If you want to participate more fully, you'll always find people who are happy to help you find the right page in the book or the hymnal. Most of us came from other denominations or no church at all, too, so we know how strange it seems at first. But almost all of us stayed in part because of the liturgy. We hope you'll feel the same way.
The Holy Eucharist
In spite of the diversity of worship styles in the Episcopal Church, the Holy Eucharist always has the same components and the same shape:
Part 1: The Liturgy of the Word
We begin by praising God through song and prayer, and then listen to as many as four readings from the Bible: usually one from the Hebrew Scriptures, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and always a reading from the Gospels. The Psalm is usually recited by a lay leader and the congregation, taking turns after each verse or half-verse. The Hebrew Scripture and Epistle readings are read by people from the congregation. The priest reads the Gospel. Before and after each reading, certain phrases are said, which are listed in the BCP. Next, a homily interpreting the readings appointed for the day is preached, usually by the priest. Sermons at St. John's are short - usually 10-15 minutes - and focused on applying the Bible's teaching to daily life.
We then recite the Nicene Creed, written in the Fourth Century as the Church’s statement of what we believe. Episcopalians and Anglicans all around the world recite the same creed, in many languages.
Next, we pray 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 priest concludes with a prayer that gathers the petitions into a communal offering of intercession.
Typically , we formally confess our sins before God and one another at this point. This is a statement of what we have done and what we have left undone, followed by a pronouncement of absolution by the priest. In pronouncing absolution, the priest assures us that God is always ready to forgive our sins.
We then greet one another with a sign of “peace.” What this means at St. John's is that everyone gets up and walks around to shake hands with and greet everyone else, saying "Peace be with you." This is usually when the Sunday School kids rejoin us, so they can participate in the peace and in the Liturgy of the Table. (On the third Sunday of each month, there's a children's homily, so the kids come back at that time.)
Part 2: The Liturgy of the Table
Next, a hymn is sung while offerings are collected. Offerings are given by members to help support the church. If you're visiting, please do not feel that you need to contribute! After the offerings have been collected, the ushers take them to the priest, who blesses them while the congregation sings a short hymn of praise and thanksgiving.
Then, the priest stands at the table, which has been set with a cup of wine and a plate of bread or wafers, raises her hands, and greets the congregation again, saying “The Lord be with you.” Now begins the Eucharistic Prayer, in which the priest 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 priest 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. Don't worry - it doesn't take as long as it might sound! This part of the service is only about 5 minutes long.
The priest blesses the bread and wine, and we recite the Lord’s Prayer. Finally, the priest breaks the bread and offers it to the congregation, as "the gifts of God for the People of God.”
We then share the consecrated bread and the wine. The people come forward to the rail at the front and kneel if they are able. The priest and a lay minister distribute the bread and wine, saying short prayers as they do so. The priest and lay minister then bring the bread and wine to those who are not able to come forward to receive them. Ever since the Covid restrictions were lifted, we have been taking communion by intinction, which means that the bread (wafer) is dipped into the wine by the priest and then handed to the parishioners. Most people say "amen" after receiving the bread and wine. We do use real wine, but grape juice is also available.
After everyone has received the bread and wine, we sing a hymn and say a short prayer.
At the end of the Eucharist, we pray once more in thanksgiving, and then we are dismissed to continue the life of service to God and to the World. We sing a closing hymn as the priest and lay minister walk out in procession.
All Are Welcome
All baptized Christians—no matter age or denomination—are welcome to eat the bread and drink the wine of Communion. Episcopalians invite all baptized people to receive, not because we take the Eucharist lightly, but because we take our baptism so seriously.
Visitors who are not baptized Christians are welcome to come forward during the Communion to receive a blessing from the priest.
(Adapted from The Episcopal Church website.)
Our church is small. It can seat about 100, but feels full with 65-70 people. About 40 people attend a typical service. There are no assigned seats. Some people tend to sit in the same place every week, while others move around. Our church is also 188 years old. It's been well taken care of and it's beautiful, but it does have more traditional features like pews for seating, windows we open (rather than air conditioning), and lots of stained glass.
People wear a variety of clothes to church. On any given Sunday, you'll see everything from jeans, a T-shirt, and sandals, to a dress and high heels. Wear whatever is most comfortable to you. If you want to come in your pajamas, you won't be the first!
Liturgy and Ritual
Worship in the Episcopal Church is said to be “liturgical,” meaning that the congregation follows service forms and prays from texts that don’t change greatly from week to week during a season of the year. This sameness from week to week gives worship a rhythm that becomes comforting and familiar for many people.
The first time you come, the liturgy may be exhilarating or confusing - or both! Services involve standing, sitting, kneeling, sung or spoken responses, and other participatory elements that may seem strange. 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, as the music changes.
At St. John's, we have a bulletin that tells you what page of the BCP each part of the service is on, as well as the hymn numbers and which hymnal to use. We know it's confusing. You are very welcome to just sit, watch, and listen the first several times you come. If you want to participate more fully, you'll always find people who are happy to help you find the right page in the book or the hymnal. Most of us came from other denominations or no church at all, too, so we know how strange it seems at first. But almost all of us stayed in part because of the liturgy. We hope you'll feel the same way.
The Holy Eucharist
In spite of the diversity of worship styles in the Episcopal Church, the Holy Eucharist always has the same components and the same shape:
Part 1: The Liturgy of the Word
We begin by praising God through song and prayer, and then listen to as many as four readings from the Bible: usually one from the Hebrew Scriptures, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and always a reading from the Gospels. The Psalm is usually recited by a lay leader and the congregation, taking turns after each verse or half-verse. The Hebrew Scripture and Epistle readings are read by people from the congregation. The priest reads the Gospel. Before and after each reading, certain phrases are said, which are listed in the BCP. Next, a homily interpreting the readings appointed for the day is preached, usually by the priest. Sermons at St. John's are short - usually 10-15 minutes - and focused on applying the Bible's teaching to daily life.
We then recite the Nicene Creed, written in the Fourth Century as the Church’s statement of what we believe. Episcopalians and Anglicans all around the world recite the same creed, in many languages.
Next, we pray 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 priest concludes with a prayer that gathers the petitions into a communal offering of intercession.
Typically , we formally confess our sins before God and one another at this point. This is a statement of what we have done and what we have left undone, followed by a pronouncement of absolution by the priest. In pronouncing absolution, the priest assures us that God is always ready to forgive our sins.
We then greet one another with a sign of “peace.” What this means at St. John's is that everyone gets up and walks around to shake hands with and greet everyone else, saying "Peace be with you." This is usually when the Sunday School kids rejoin us, so they can participate in the peace and in the Liturgy of the Table. (On the third Sunday of each month, there's a children's homily, so the kids come back at that time.)
Part 2: The Liturgy of the Table
Next, a hymn is sung while offerings are collected. Offerings are given by members to help support the church. If you're visiting, please do not feel that you need to contribute! After the offerings have been collected, the ushers take them to the priest, who blesses them while the congregation sings a short hymn of praise and thanksgiving.
Then, the priest stands at the table, which has been set with a cup of wine and a plate of bread or wafers, raises her hands, and greets the congregation again, saying “The Lord be with you.” Now begins the Eucharistic Prayer, in which the priest 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 priest 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. Don't worry - it doesn't take as long as it might sound! This part of the service is only about 5 minutes long.
The priest blesses the bread and wine, and we recite the Lord’s Prayer. Finally, the priest breaks the bread and offers it to the congregation, as "the gifts of God for the People of God.”
We then share the consecrated bread and the wine. The people come forward to the rail at the front and kneel if they are able. The priest and a lay minister distribute the bread and wine, saying short prayers as they do so. The priest and lay minister then bring the bread and wine to those who are not able to come forward to receive them. Ever since the Covid restrictions were lifted, we have been taking communion by intinction, which means that the bread (wafer) is dipped into the wine by the priest and then handed to the parishioners. Most people say "amen" after receiving the bread and wine. We do use real wine, but grape juice is also available.
After everyone has received the bread and wine, we sing a hymn and say a short prayer.
At the end of the Eucharist, we pray once more in thanksgiving, and then we are dismissed to continue the life of service to God and to the World. We sing a closing hymn as the priest and lay minister walk out in procession.
All Are Welcome
All baptized Christians—no matter age or denomination—are welcome to eat the bread and drink the wine of Communion. Episcopalians invite all baptized people to receive, not because we take the Eucharist lightly, but because we take our baptism so seriously.
Visitors who are not baptized Christians are welcome to come forward during the Communion to receive a blessing from the priest.
(Adapted from The Episcopal Church website.)