'Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness' (Ps 96:9)
Holy Eucharist Rite II 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:00-10:30 a.m.
Anglican Worship
Anglican worship is governed by the Book of Common Prayer. As its name implies, the Book of Common Prayer orders the prayer of God's people so that they may pray together. Prayer is ordered through the use of Scripture. It is not an overstatement to say that the Anglican prays Scripture. On almost every page of the Prayer Book, Scripture is ordered to the worship of God. Psalms or Scriptural lessons are read or chanted. Canticles of Scripture like the Magnificat (the Song of Mary from Luke 1:46-55), or the Nunc dimittis (the Song of Simeon from Luke 2:29-32), or the Bededictus Dominus Deus (the Song of Zecharaiah from Luke 1:68-79) are read and chanted. Verses of Scripture are recited or sung as responses such as 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts' (Isa 6:3), or 'Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us' (1 Cor 5:7), or 'O Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). This scriptural ordering of worship in the Book of Common Prayer is a distinctive feature of Anglican worship.
There are two principle forms of worship found in the Book of Common Prayer. The first is called the Daily Office. The Daily Office consists of two separate service called Morning and Evening Prayer. This form of common prayer is said by both priests and laity as part of their daily devotions to God. It has a set two-year cycle of readings that covers large portions of Scripture. Each day Psalms are read or chanted in choir, an Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lesson is read from Scripture, the Apostles Creed and Lord's Prayer are recited, private prayers are offered, and collects or public prayers are offered.
The second principle form of worship in the Book of Common Prayer is Holy Communion, also called the Eucharist (meaning 'Thanksgiving') or the Mass. In most Episcopal and Anglican churches, Holy Communion is celebrated weekly. During Holy Communion in the Episcopal Church, a person listens to scriptural lessons (an Old Testament lesson, a Psalm, a New Testament lesson, and the Gospel lesson), hears a sermon, confesses their faith in the Nicene Creed, offers corporate and individual prayers to God, confesses their sins and receives absolution, and then partakes of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, before being sent out to be Christ's presence in the world. All baptized Christians are invited to partake of the Eucharist in the Episcopal Church.