What to Expect: Our Sunday Morning Anglican Service
If you weren’t raised in a liturgical tradition, the first time you visit an Anglican worship service can be confusing. Why do we stand when we do? Why do we kneel when we do? What are all these signs we’re making with our hands? Why are people wearing robes? Here are some brief answers to your questions about our Sunday morning services!
(Some of these particulars apply a bit more to our morning services which are in English—our afternoon international services look a little bit different in some ways, and at the same time are beautiful expressions of worship before God! Stay tuned for more information on these services!)
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ANGLICAN CHURCH?
As an Anglican church, we are connected with the Anglican Communion worldwide, the third largest Christian communion in the world with 85 million members worldwide in 165 countries. We take our service structure (or "liturgy") from the Book of Common Prayer, a compilation of prayers and services derived from Scripture and early Christian witness. Like other Christian traditions and denominations, we are deeply rooted and united in the Christian faith of the One Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our common worship draws us fully into God’s presence through Word, Sacrament, and the Holy Spirit.
WHY ARE THE PASTORS WEARING ROBES?
The liturgical vestments worn by priests and deacons have evolved since the earliest days of the Church. Even though priests of the Old Testament wore vestments in their liturgical rites, the “Christian” vestments are not really adaptations of them; rather, the vestments of the Christians developed from the dress of the Greco-Roman world.
The alb (meaning “white") is a white robe. The spiritual purpose reminds the clergy and congregation of their baptism, when they were clothed in white to signify their freedom from sin, purity of new life, and Christian dignity.
The stole is a long cloth that is worn around the neck like a scarf. Deacons wear the stole over one shoulder and Priests wear the stole over both. The stole, draped like a towel, is a reminder that the clergy are servants of Christ and the Church.
WHY ARE PEOPLE CROSSING THEMSELVES?
Anglicans often "cross" themselves during certain moments throughout the service. “The Sign of the Cross” is an ancient Christian gesture in which one touches his/her forehead, heart, left shoulder, and right shoulder. When we teach children what the gesture means, we tell them that we’re asking God to be “in our heads, in our hearts, and in all of me." It is a prayer and Trinitarian declaration of belief in God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
CAN I RECEIVE COMMUNION?
We welcome all baptized Christians who are walking in repentance and faith with God and their neighbor to receive communion with us. By taking communion, you are confessing Jesus as your Savior and the Church as your spiritual family. If you are not yet baptized and following Jesus or cannot take communion for any other reason, we welcome you to come forward with your arms crossed in front of your chest to receive a blessing instead of communion.
WHAT IS SUNDAY LIKE FOR KIDS?
All ages are welcome to participate in the whole service as they are able. In the entry area there is a quiet room (The Nest) for parents & infants. There is also an invitation to be cared for in the nursery (ages 0 - 3 yrs.) or to join Children’s Liturgy (ages 4 yrs.-5th gr.). This is a kid-friendly worship time mirroring what happens in the sanctuary (Scripture-reading, sermon, prayer, etc). All kids return to the sanctuary to participate in communion.
WHAT DO THE DIFFERENT COLORS MEAN?
We order our time around the story of the life of Jesus. Following the ancient Christian calendar, we celebrate different seasons throughout the year and the colors at the front of the church change to mark the current season.
Advent: Purple/blue (a color of royalty: to welcome the coming King)
Christmas: White/Gold (a color of holiness and majesty)
Epiphany: Green (a color of renewal and promise of new life)
Lent: Purple (a color symbolizing pain and suffering)
Easter: White/Gold (a color of holiness and majesty)
Ordinary Time: Green (a color of renewal and promise of new life)
On Pentecost Sunday, red is used to symbolize fire and God's presence. Red is also worn during confirmations and other special services. Pink is also used for certain occasions.
WHAT IS THE ORDER OF SERVICE?
This is the general order we follow from the Book of Common Prayer, but some elements (just like the colors above) may be different depending on the season we're in.
Procession: We follow the cross through the congregation to the altar. This reminds us that we are entering into presence of a Holy God, and we can only do so through Jesus Christ.
Music: We worship through song by singing a variety of hymns and modern music. We then dismiss our children to their classes.
Scripture Readings: Each week we read from the Psalms, the Old and New Testaments, and the Gospels. After each reading, the reader says, “The Word of the Lord,” and the congregation responds, “Thanks be to God.” This serves as a reminder of the sacredness of Scripture.
Before the Gospel is read, a deacon carries the Bible from the altar to the middle of the congregation. We stand as the deacon reads aloud from there, a visual reminder that Christ, the Living Word, became a man and dwelt among us. The Deacon begins by saying, “The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to (whichever Gospel is being read).”
The readings for Sunday services are determined by the Common Lectionary, which you’ll find in the back of the red Book of Common Prayer. Over the course of three years, virtually every passage of the Bible is read in Anglican worship.
Sermon: Following the reading of the Scriptures, a sermon is preached by one of our pastors or members of our preaching team.
Creed: We recite the Nicene Creed, an ancient creed of the global Church. Early Christians labored prayerfully to write this creed which clearly states the faith that was “once for all delivered to the saints." We joyfully join with them to declare what we believe.
Prayers of the People: Corporate prayer is an essential part of the worship and work of God’s people. During this time, we use the forms of Prayers of the People from the Book of Common prayer as we pray out loud or silently for specific needs, mindful to ask God’s powerful and merciful help for the Church, the world, and for one another.
Confession: At this time, we kneel to signify our sorrow for our sins and as a sign of respect before God as we pray a prayer of confession to him.
Passing of the Peace: We then “pass the peace.” Having heard the Word of God proclaimed, stated our basic beliefs, and confessed our sins to God, we are at peace with God and each other. The passing of the peace takes its origin from the "kiss of peace" so often mentioned by the Apostle Paul (cf. Romans 16:16). The peace of Christ is not just a pleasant sentiment: it is a declaration of the reality that through Christ, the barriers have been brought down. Thus, we are forgiven, fully restored, and at peace with God. We can be genuinely reconciled to Him and one another.
Announcements: Following the passing of the peace, parents can pick up their children to return to the service for communion. During this time we also have a few announcements about events going on in the life of the church.
Offering: Giving is a concrete act of worship, an expression of gratitude to God for all He has given to us. Furthermore, we worship God by spreading the Gospel, building up the church, and serving the needy--and our giving supports this mission. “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” -Hebrews 13:15-16 (Guests are not expected to give.)
The Holy Communion: Communion is also called the Lord’s Supper, or the Holy Eucharist. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek word for “giving thanks.” For Anglicans, the Holy Eucharist is a sacrament: an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. Along with Holy Baptism, Holy Eucharist is one of the two great sacraments given by Christ to his Church. Anglicans acknowledge that in the Eucharist, Jesus is truly present with us in a mysterious way. The meal truly is a meal with the Lord, and it is one of our greatest privileges to be invited to eat with our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the universe.
Recessional and Dismissal: At the end of our service, the cross is brought through the doors of the church and outside. This represents our God sending us out on mission and accompanying us as we go out to "love and serve the Lord!" After our service, everyone is invited to spend time in fellowship with one another during our hospitality hour!
