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About our Worship
If you've previously attended a liturgical
church, you may recognize many of the elements
of our worship service. St. Francis uses
The Book of Common Prayer, 1928 Edition, as the
basis for all of our worship. The Prayer Book
is a document which may be described as an
orthodox expression of the Christian faith,
using the liturgies which have been a part of
catholic worship for centuries. There is no
modern "innovation" in the
Prayer Book; it calls upon us to conform
ourselves to God's Word, rather than trying
to change the church's teachings to fit the
earthly "desires" of mankind.
The order for all of our worship services
is found in the Book of Common Prayer.
Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, sometimes
referred to as the "Daily Offices",
allow for being used as public worship, or
as a private devotion. There are Prayers and
Thanksgivings for many purposes, helping us
to express our concerns and praise to God in
the events of daily life. Extensive use is
made of the Psalms, which are an integral part
of the Prayer Book. And there are services
for those occasions which arise in our lives
when we turn to God in faith, or seek some
extra help: Baptism, by which we become
members of the Body of Christ; Confirmation,
which bestows the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
Holy Matrimony, the joining of a man and
woman as husband and wife; Anointing of the
Sick, wherein our ailing bodies and spirits
are strengthened; Burial of the Dead, through
which we commend the souls of the faithful
departed to God's mercy; and Ordination,
which sets apart ministers for service in
the Church.
Of all the services contained in the
Book of Common Prayer, Holy Communion, or
the Lord's Supper, is the most important
part of our worship. Through Holy Communion,
we offer God our prayers and praise for his
gift of salvation brought to us by Jesus
Christ, and at the same time we receive
God's grace as we partake of the Body and
Blood of Christ. Some parishes follow the
Order for Holy Communion exactly as it is
written in the Prayer Book; others supplement
the service with materials from the Missal,
which includes many traditional prayers and
liturgical practices. In either case, Holy
Communion includes all the elements in the
Prayer Book, which is the standard used to
guard our worship against modern innovation
and false doctrines.
New to a Liturgical Church?
If you've not previously worshiped in a
liturgical church, you may find it somewhat
different from other denominations. While
all churches follow some order of worship,
liturgical churches use a formal structure
and common prayers for much of the service.
Generally the liturgy contains the following
parts in one order or another:
Confession of sins Pronouncement of Absolution Acknowledgment of God's authority The reading of God's Word A hymn of praise Sermon Offering Prayers of the church Holy Communion
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer used by
St. Francis follows a very long history of
development. In fact, one could say that
when the disciples came to Jesus asking Him
to teach them to pray, He gave them not
twelve different prayers (as doubtless
John's needs were different from Peter's,
and so on) but a common prayer: "When
ye pray say 'Our Father. . .'". This
was the beginning of common prayer, and over
the centuries a tradition of common prayer
has been developed. The language and depth
of these common prayers are so rich that
they continually unfold new meaning for our
spiritual lives.
Typically, copies of The Book of Common
Prayer are found in racks attached to the
pews. Regrettably, St. Francis has not had
pews since 2013 (we hope to acquire some in
the future), but at a Sunday worship service
you will be offered a service bulletin in
which is printed the entire liturgy for that
service. In addition, many copies of the
Book of Common Prayer may be found on shelves
at the rear of the Nave (located to your
right as you enter), and you are welcome to
use one of those if you wish. If you are
attending a weekday service, please pick up
a Prayer Book and a Hymnal from the shelf,
as there is usually no printed bulletin.
Do not be concerned if you "goof up".
God does not grade your liturgical performance,
nor will your fellow worshipers.
Communion is celebrated every Sunday at
St. Francis. You do not need to be baptized
in the Episcopal/Anglican Church to receive
Communion. As the Nicene Creed declares,
"We acknowledge one baptism for the
remission of sins". Baptized Christians
who are repentant and who believe in the
real presence of Jesus Christ in the
Eucharist may receive Communion.
The method of administering the Sacrament at
St. Francis is traditional. At Communion time,
please proceed forward to the altar rail, as
directed by an usher, if present. Kneel before
the rail and hold out your hands, open but
cupped together, and the priest will place a
Communion Wafer (the Body of Christ) in your
hands. A short time later, a priest will pass
by carrying the Chalice; after consuming the
Bread, you may drink directly from the Chalice.
This is the usual way of receiving Communion.
Alternatively, you may offer your Wafer back
to the priest, who will dip it in the Chalice
and then place it on your tongue. It is also
permitted to receive the Sacrament in one kind
only. In this case, after receiving the Wafer,
consume it, and then cross your arms across
your chest to signal the priest not to offer
you the Chalice. If you choose not to receive
Communion, you are still welcome at the rail.
Simply cross your arms over your chest, and
the priest will give you a blessing.
We hope that this addresses any questions
or concerns you may have. It's not meant to
be comprehensive, but sometimes attending a
new church can be daunting, especially if the
form of worship is new to you. Please be
assured that you will find the atmosphere
warm and the presence of God palpable.
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