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Worship at Epiphany
| The
Book of Common Prayer (BCP) shapes the Church's worship, which
in turn, defines the church. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we
respond to scripture, we offer intercessory prayer, and we share
a meal. Every time the Eucharistic community gathers, we act out
the church's ministry to care for all God's children, so that we
can be restored to unity with God and one another in Christ.
Celebrating
baptism in the context of the Sunday Eucharistic gathering further
underscores the meaning of membership in the church. When we make
the baptismal promises in the midst of the rite, we recall our responsibility
to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the
dignity of every human being.
Worship
in the Episcopal Church is a dynamic and animated experience that
invites us to bring all we are as earthly beings into God's presence.
As we engage all our senses and sensibilities in the act of worship,
we are formed in God's image and drawn into a life of abundance
among God's children.
…from the Episcopal
Church USA website, Worship, 2004. |
Kindling
the fire for lighting the Pascal candle during the Great Vigil of
Easter service. |
| Episcopal
worship consists of Holy Eucharist, Daily
Office (Morning, Evening, and Noonday Prayers and Compline)
and Personal Devotions.
Sunday
Eucharist
This is
a service of both Word and Sacrament, and is intended to be a comprehensive
service of Sunday worship. The Holy Eucharist, the Prayer
Book says, "is the sacrament commanded by Christ for the continual
remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming
again." It is also the service in which we hear the word of
God proclaimed in the Gospel, in the other readings from Scripture,
and in the sermon. We read from the Old Testament, the Epistles,
and the Gospels. We recite or sing a psalm, and listen to
a sermon. Then we pray for the Church and the world, and ask
God's forgiveness for our sins.
Finally,
we greet one another in the peace of Christ and move to the sacramental
service of the Holy Communion. The climax of worship is not the
sermon, but the Eucharist, when we respond to Christ's call once
again to share in his life and death as his followers and find amazing
grace when we meet Jesus in the bread and wine at the Lord's Table.
Daily
Office
The Daily
Office is a worship service that can be used by one or more persons
on a daily basis. The readings are appointed so that all those throughout
the world who use this Office, are saying the same prayers and reading
the same verses each day. The BCP contains prayer services for morning,
noon, evening and night, set in Rite One (traditional/historical,
more penitential style) or Rite Two (more modern wording and tone).
We have a service of Holy Eucharist with a healing service at 10
am every Thursday morning in addition to the Sunday Services.
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Services
at Epiphany
Sunday
- 8:00 am Holy Eucharist (said)
- 10:00 am with music and church school
- 5:00 pm Rite at Nite (New Service)
Thursday
- 10:00 am Holy Eucharist II or Morning
Prayer
- 10:00 am Healing Service first Thursday
of month
- Bible
Study following 10:00 am
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Personal Devotions
As Christians,
we have been taught the need to pray by Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.
The New Testament writers repeatedly tell us of occasions and events where
prayer was practiced and taught by Jesus: in the midst of breaking bread,
healing persons, as a request of the disciples, with acts of forgiveness.
We pray not only because we were taught but because it is our active communication
with the One who is our source of life, vision, calling, and strength.
Some of the resources
that are available in our parish for personal devotion are the Forward
Day by Day booklets in the tract rack as well as a selection of books
and bibles in the Auxiliary Room. You might also try the Pray Online
link in the Resources box above. It will take you to a site that has the
Daily Office readings, lessons and psalms all set up for you. Or speak
to any of our clergy for help and suggestions.
Church Calendar
Year
The Church Year
consists of two cycles of feasts and holy days: one is dependent upon
the movable date of Easter; the other upon the fixed date of Christmas.
Easter Day is always the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on
or after March 21st. It cannot occur before March 22 or after April 25th.
The Easter cycle governs worship that reminds us of our Lord's death and
resurrection and the life of his church (Lent, Easter, Ascension, Pentacost);
the Christmas cycle, his coming, birth and life (Advent, Christmas and
Epiphany).
The sequence of
all Sundays of the Church Year depends upon the date of Easter Day. There
is a table in the Book of Common Prayer (page 882) that indicates
Easter Sunday for the years between 1900 and 2089.
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The church calendar begins with the first
Sunday of Advent, which in 2004 falls on November 28th, beginning
the four-week season of Advent. The next season, Christmas,
begins on December 25th and lasts until January 6th, the Feast of
the Epiphany. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 40 days before
Easter Sunday and 40 days after Easter is the feast of the Ascension
(always a Thursday); The Day of Pentacost is ten days later or 50
days after Easter. The Easter season concludes with Pentacost. The
Sunday after Pentacost is called Trinity Sunday. The season after
Pentacost, the longest season, extends until the first Sunday of Advent
and a new year begins. |
All this is directly
related to the Lectionary which is the cycle of prayer and scripture
that include the Lessons (Old and New Testament readings) and
Psalms that are assigned to be read as part of the Eucharist
and Daily Office. The lectionary for the Daily Office covers the entire
bible over the course of two years. The Psalms and Lessons appointed for
Sundays and other major Holy Days are arranged in a three-year cycle (Years
A, B, and C); the new year, starting on the first Sunday of Advent 2004,
will use year A.
Principal
Feasts
There are seven
major feasts in the year in addition to Sundays (all Sundays are considered
feasts of our Lord). They are Easter Day, Ascension Day, The Day of Pentecost,
Trinity Sunday, All Saints' Day (November 1st), Christmas Day (December
25th) and The Epiphany (January 6th). Other feasts that will be observed
in their own right even if they fall on a Sunday are The Holy Name (January
1st), The Presentation (February 2nd) and The Transfiguration (August
6th). Each of these feast days have their own special lessons and Psalms
appointed for them and are observed with more pomp and ceremony than a
non-festival Sunday. There are other Holy Days regularly observed. For
more information, see the BCP, p. 15-18.
Liturgical
Colors
The colors of
the vestments and altar cloths represent the liturgical seasons:
- Red is
symbolic of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the blood and passion
of the martyrs. It is used at Pentecost, ordinations, Holy Week and
on feast days commemorating Christian martyrs.
- White
symbolizes Christ and his purity and resurrection. It is used on Holy
Days and seasons commemorating the life of Jesus such as Easter and
Epiphany but also at funerals to remind us of resurrection and that
death is not the final word.
- Violet
and blue symbolize somber
preparation and penance. It is used during the seasons of Lent and Advent.
Blue is also a color of Mary.
- Green
is the color used during "ordinary time" or any time there
are not special days, seasons, or occasions.
- Black is used on All Soul's Day when
we remember all the faithful departed, and can also be used on Good
Friday to commemorate Jesus' death.
Special
Services
(See the Weekly
Announcements for details)
Ash Wednesday:
Distribution of Ashes at 7:00 am, Noon and 7:00 pm
Holy Week:
Special services are scheduled during the entire week, including evening
services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday (Great Vigil of
Easter).
Thanksgiving:
Wednesday before Thanksgiving 7:00 pm.
Service
of Lessons and Carols: Scriptural lessons interspersed with Advent
hymns and music to guide us on the journey of the coming of the Christ
child.
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