Music
"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3.14-17
On any Sunday, you may find the ten o'clock congregation singing great hymns of the faith from the Hymnal 1982, gospel songs from Lift Every Voice and Sing II, simple refrains from Taize , South African freedom songs, and unaccompanied plainsong. Harmony for us means blending our traditions, honoring each others' preferences, and sharing the abundant diversity of Anglican worship and song in a spirit of unity and gratitude to God our Father.
Our Parish Choir is inter-generational! Like the congregation, the Parish Choir's repertoire is diverse, including classical Anglican anthems, contemporary Catholic music, Gregorian chant, and folk music from around the world. The Parish Choir not only provides musical leadership and fulfills its particular role in the Liturgy (in term time, from mid-September through mid-June), but is also a spiritual discipline for its members, who strive to "let the word of Christ dwell in them richly."
Worship
"Man is a hungry being. But he is hungry for God. Behind all the hunger of our life is God. All desire is finally a desire for Him. To be sure, man is not the only hungry being. All that exists lives by "eating." The whole creation depends on food. But the unique position of man in the universe is that he alone is to bless God for the food and the life he receives from Him. He alone is to respond to God's blessing with his blessing."
Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World, p.14
Human beings are Eucharistic beings; we feel joy in creation and gratitude to the Creator, and feel the urge to express our gratitude. "Eucharist" is simply a Greek word meaning "thanksgiving," and it applies not only to our central act of worship as the Church, but to our experience of life in Christ. We have the "urge" to express our gratitude, not only in words but in actions. In the Eucharist we find that our outreach to those in need and our fellowship with one another are offered up,
The Episcopal Church, in common with other Anglican churches and with Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Lutheran churches, uses a "liturgy;" that means we follow a basic, set pattern in our services. This basic pattern would be recognizable to Christians from at least the second century onward, giving us a vivid, weekly reminder that we live in the "communion of saints." Indeed, we believe that in the Eucharist we "join our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven" in singing the glory of God's name.
Follow this link for more on "Eucharist."
Follow this link for more on the Book of Common Prayer, our primary worship resource.
Weekly Services
Sunday:
8:00 a.m.— Holy Eucharist, Rite II A quiet and contemplative service.
10:00 a.m.—Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Intergenerational worship with choir and music group. Children's church available for children through 5th grade.
Tuesday:
7:00 p.m. -- "Taizé on Tuesday," every Tuesday evening throughout the year, followed by the Guild of Sts. Peter and Paul education/evangelism groups for youth and adults.
Wednesday:
10:30 a.m.—Healing Service with Holy Communion