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Visitors
What is a Church service like at St.
James?
All Are Welcome
We invite all baptized Christians to receive communion,
including children. This means to eat the bread and drink the
wine with the congregation during the service. Episcopalians
invite all baptized people to receive communion because we
believe that once baptized, you are marked as God's own and
therefore part of our Christian family.
Visitors who are not baptized Christians are still welcome to
come forward during the Communion to receive a blessing by the
priest. You may do so by kneeling with your arms crossed and
held to the chest.
Worship Styles
There are many different styles of Episcopal worship. Very
formal services with choral music, hymns, traditional vestments
(the religious clothing worn during the service), and incense,
contrast with very informal spoken services with contemporary
music. Worship in the Episcopal Church is based in the Book of
Common Prayer, which is used universally throughout the
Episcopal Church.
St. James by-the-Sea has a particularly beautiful traditional
liturgy called Rite II. Our principal worship service is the
Holy Eucharist. It may also be called "The Lord's Supper," "Holy
Communion," or "The Mass." Our worship is accompanied by the
singing of hymns and beautiful choral selections, along with
biblical readings and prayers. It culminates with communion.
Liturgy and Ritual
Worship in the Episcopal Church is "liturgical," which means
that the congregation follows the same service and prays from
texts that vary slightly from week to week which gives the
service a rhythm that becomes comforting and familiar to the
worshipers.
The Liturgy may be confusing to follow for the first-time
visitor. It often involves switching between the service
pamphlet and a hymn book. There is standing, sitting, kneeling,
and sung or spoken responses. But don't despair! Once you become
familiar with the service, you may learn to appreciate its
rhythm and it can become a deeply spiritual and satisfying form
of worship.
The Liturgy of the Word
We begin with the praise of God through singing and prayers, and
then listen to two readings from the Bible. One may be an Old
Testament reading, a psalm, or one from the Epistles, but there
is always a reading from one of the Gospels. That is followed by
a sermon given by one of our priests. The congregation recites
the Nicene Creed, which was written in the Fourth Century and
has been the Church's statement of what we believe ever since.
Next, the congregation prays for the Church, for the World, and
for those in need. We pray for the sick, we thank God for all
the good things of our lives. We also pray for forgiveness. This
is a corporate statement of what we have done and what we have
left undone, and the priest "pronounces absolution." In so
doing, the priest assures the congregation that God is always
ready to forgive our sins. Then the congregation greets one
another and wishes each other "peace."
The Liturgy of the Table
At this time, the priest stands at the altar, which is set with
wine and bread. The priest raises the hands and greets the
congregation with: "The Lord be With You." The Eucharistic
Prayer tells the story of Christianity from the beginning of
Creation to the coming of Jesus. It speaks powerfully about the
night before his death, when he began the Eucharistic meal
(communion) as a continual remembrance of him.
The priest blesses the bread and wine and the congregation
recites the Lord's Prayer. The priest breaks the bread and
offers it to the congregation, as the "gifts of God for the
People of God." The ushers will then guide those who wish to
come forward to receive communion. At the end of the Eucharist,
the congregation prays and is dismissed to continue the life of
service to God and to the World.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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