Worship or liturgy in the Episcopal Church is guided by The Book of Common Prayer. Our central service is the Eucharist or Holy Communion, also called the mass, which we celebrate every Sunday. We are a liturgical church, which means that the structure of our service remains the same from week to week, the Scripture readings are assigned according to a lectionary cycle, and hymns are chosen each week to compliment and reinforce the message of the Scriptures.
For major feasts, our main service is likely to include incense and a chanted Eucharistic Prayer. On ordinary Sundays, servers and the choir vest and process and all are invited to join in singing the hymns. During the summer, services are very casual.
Liturgy, which comes from the Greek word leitourgia, is the work of the people. It is both the public prayer and worship of the people gathered in community and the texts and rites that enable public worship to take place. There are many ways for people to engage in this work – active participation in the service, singing in the choir, serving at the altar… As you explore this site, you will find descriptions of the various roles one may fulfill during a service as well as a brief overview describing what to expect when you attend a service at Christ Episcopal Church.
