What To Expect in Worship
The Episcopal Church and Anglicanism occupy the middle way between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestantism. We are like the Roman Church in that we celebrate the sacramental life and ascribe to the creeds of the ancient church. We are like the Protestant Churches that came out of the Reformation in that we believe in ongoing reform based on reasonable interpretation and appreciation of Scripture.
The Episcopal Church is a sacramental church. Our worship centers on the two principle sacraments of Holy Baptism and The Holy Eucharist. Both are grounded in the life and ministry of Jesus as revealed in Scripture.
The principle behind sacraments is a principle of life itself. We live an embodied life which is, in a real sense, sacramental by nature. A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inner and spiritual grace. Our life is meant to be an outward sign of God’s love. As we receive the sacrament of Christ’s Body, we understand that we are, in turn, to be God’s Body – blessed, broken, and given – to this world.
The Episcopal Church is a liturgical church, meaning we follow a set form of worship. Our worship is outlined in The Book of Common Prayer. Episcopalians are a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. All around the world, Anglicans use a version of The Book of Common Prayer in their native language. Its roots go back to the Church of England and the first edition in 1549.
In the U.S.A., the current Book of Common Prayer was published in 1979. At St. Markl’s, this book is the red book in your pew rack. The blue book in the rack is the 1982 Hymnal. Because we use two books in worship, following the service can be difficult for a newcomer. A service bulletin is provided which outlines the service and the priest will announce pages at critical moments in the service.
If this is your first experience of Episcopal worship, you will quickly notice our worship is participatory. It is our custom to emphasize the intent of our worship by the posture of our body. In general, we stand to praise, sit to listen, and kneel to pray.
The service may seem confusing at first, but we hope that once you’ve been through it a few times, it will all come together. The people around you will be happy to help you learn the way.
