Worship

Sunday Services

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Holy Eucharist? Rite I? Rite II?

The principle Sunday service in the Episcopal Church is called Holy Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper. Yes, that means we normally have Communion every Sunday.

Episcopalians are "liturgical," meaning our worship services follow a structure or pattern from our Book of Common Prayer. Coming together for worship is what binds us together as Episcopalians. It is from this worshiping together, or in common, that our Book of Common Prayer draws its name.

During the first part of the service (known as the Word of God), we listen to the Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel lessons for the day, learn through the sermon, pray for our own needs and those of others, and greet one another in the Peace of the Lord. During the second part of the service (known as the Holy Communion or the Great Thanksgiving), we partake of the bread and wine in remembrance of Christ's life and sacrifice for us.

Our 8:00 service is Holy Eucharist, Rite I. It is a quiet, contemplative service without music. The language in the Rite I service is a bit more formal, using thee and thy in many of the prayers. The 8:00 congregation tends to be mainly older adults, but folks of all ages are welcome. The service usually lasts about 45 minutes.

The 10:00 service is Holy Eucharist, Rite II. It is less formal and the service is written in everyday English. This service includes music, usually traditional hymns, but occasionally we use new music and several times a year, modern Taizé chants. People of all ages attend this service and it usually lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes.