What is church like?

We usually celebrate the Holy Eucharist, though a few Sundays a year are Morning Prayer.  Please check the calendar to be sure. 

Whoever you are and wherever you are on your journey, you are a beloved child of God and you are welcome here. That's really all you need to know to get started, but if you'd like to know more before you come, keep reading on this page. 

Another great way to find out what worship is like is to watch on Facebook!

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) and a few other approved resources, which gives worship a familiar feel, no matter where you go.  At St. Stephen's, we tend to keep it simple.  You can expect the service to take about an hour.  People wear a variety of clothes to church.  On any given Sunday, you'll see everything from jeans and a dress or dress pants and a sport coat.  Wear whatever is most comfortable to you.

Liturgy and Ritual

Worship in the Episcopal Church is “liturgical,” meaning that the service follows forms and prayers 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 may involve standing, sitting, kneeling, sung or spoken responses, and other participatory elements that may seem strange. We have a worship booklet that provides all the words and suggested postures, which makes it easier to participate even when you're new. But you are very welcome to just sit, watch, and listen until you're ready to do more.  

If you want help, you'll always find people who are happy to pitch in.  Many 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

While there is diversity of worship styles in the Episcopal Church, the Holy Eucharist always has the same components and the same basic shape of Gathering, Hearing and Responding to God's Word, Receiving Holy Communion, and Being Sent Into The World:

Gathering

We begin by gathering to praise God through song and prayer. We sing an opening hymn, and the people in the service walk in together in a procession. One of the prayers at this time is the collect of the day. This prayer is designed to collect our thoughts and help us focus on what is to come in worship.

Hearing and Responding to God's Word

Then we listen to as many as four readings from the Bible: usually one from the Hebrew Scriptures, a Psalm, a reading from the Letters, 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 Letter 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 worship booklet. 

To help us respond to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us through the lessons, a sermon comes next. Sermons are designed to help break open the Word in ways that are meaningful today.  Usually, the priest preaches, but we do invite other voices and perspectives, from the congregation and beyond.  Sermons at St. Stephen'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 who Jesus is and how we follow him.  Episcopalians and Anglicans all around the world recite the same creed, in many languages and culturally appropriate forms.

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 next formally confess our sins before God and one another at this point. This is a communal statement asking for forgiveness for 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 when we turn from them toward God's love. (At certain times of the year, we may omit the confession or have it in a different place.)

Finally, we greet one another with a sign of peace.  What this used to mean at St. Stephen's is that everyone got up and walked around to shake hands with and greet everyone else, saying "Peace be with you." These days, during the pandemic, we usually just wave and nod at each other as we exchange God's peace.

Holy Communion

A hymn is sung while we reflect on how we come to Communion by offering all that we are and all that we have to God, just as Christ gave himself for us. Financial offerings are given by the congregation to support the work of the church. If you're visiting, please do not feel that you need to contribute financially! Your presence is your offering, and we are glad to have you as our guest.  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. (Note that, during the pandemic, we are not bringing the offerings forward.)

Then, we make the Eucharist, which in the Episcopal Church is always a festive community event. The priest stands at the altar 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.”  Next comes the Eucharistic Prayer, in which the priest tells the story of our faith, from the beginning of Creation, through the sometimes stormy relationship between God and God's people, through our continual turning away from God, to 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 (Holy Communion) as a continual remembrance of him.  

The priest blesses the bread and wine, and we recite the Lord’s Prayer. Finally, the priest breaks the bread and offers it and the wine to the congregation, saying, "The gifts of God for the People of God.”

We then receive the consecrated bread and the wine. The people come forward.  The priest and lay ministers 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.   The bread is given first.  To receive it, put your right hand over your left in a cup shape and lift up your hands to the priest. We do have gluten free bread; please ask if you need it.  Most people say "amen" after receiving the bread.  The wine comes next.  Some people chose to drink from the cup, and others prefer to have the person carrying the chalice dip their bread into the cup.   If you prefer to drink from the cup, you should eat the bread before taking a drink of the wine. Most people say "amen" after receiving the wine.  We do use real wine. After everyone has received the bread and wine, we say a short prayer of thanksgiving. (Please note that, during the pandemic, we are only receiving the bread. This conveys the full presence of Jesus and all spiritual benefits of Communion.)

After receiving Communion, we say a prayer together. During the pandemic, we have also been offering a prayer for Spiritual Communion on behalf of those who can't receive physically. We have announcements, then the priest blesses us.

Sending Forth

At the end of the Eucharist, we are sent into the world to continue the life of service to God and to the World. We sing a closing hymn as the priest and lay ministers walk out in procession. At the very end, the priest tells people to go in peace to love and serve the Lord (or a similar phrase.) The people respond, "Thanks be to God!"