What to Expect on Sunday
You’ll be welcome!
Where do I sit?
A: When you enter you will see seats in the middle and on either side. Sit anywhere you like. The Scriptures will be proclaimed up front on the right, and the beautiful table in the center will be where we tell the story of Jesus and break the bread.
How will I figure out what’s happening?
A: Everything you need is in the worship aid you will be handed when you arrive. It will direct you to the hymnals when we sing, and show you what will happen next.
What is the Eucharist?
A: The Eucharist is our thanksgiving.
The central act of worship in the Church is the weekly celebration of the Eucharist or, “great thanksgiving.” In word and song we remember God’s faithful love from the creation to our own time. In this ancient prayer we remember, especially, the saving work of Jesus Christ. Sent by God to live among us, to be one of us, Jesus showed us how to love, how to live and how to die in faith.
“What is the Episcopal Church?”
The following is excerpted from a publication of the Office of Communications, the Episcopal Church Center.
A: The Episcopal Church came into existence as an independent denomination after the American Revolution. Today it has between two and three million members in the United States, Mexico, and Central America, all of which are under the guidance of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
Although it subscribes to historic Creeds, considers the Bible to be divinely inspired, and holds the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper to be the central act of Christian worship, the Episcopal Church grants great latitude in the interpretation of doctrine. It tends to stress less the confession of particular beliefs than the use of the Book of Common Prayer in public worship. This book, first published in the sixteenth century, even in its revisions, stands today as a major source of unity for Anglicans around the world.
“Being a Christian is not essentially about joining a church or being a nice person, but about following in the footsteps of Jesus, taking his teachings seriously, letting his Spirit take the lead in our lives, and in so doing helping to change the world from our nightmare into God’s dream.”
―Michael Curry, Crazy Christians: A Call to Follow Jesus
“This is the Jesus Movement, and we are The Episcopal Church, the Episcopal branch of Jesus’ movement in this world.”
Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry