Worship in the Anglican tradition is shaped by the legacy of the reformation in England which in turn was shaped by patterns of worship in the early church and the rich traditions of worship in Scripture. At the center of our worship, therefore, is the unity of Word and Sacrament through which we engage in conversation and fellowship with God as we hear and respond to what God says through the Scriptures and preaching and are fed at the table of our Lord Jesus Christ as we come in faith and open ourselves to his presence.
Much about our liturgy is quite ancient and has stood the test of time, and so we relish the words, symbols, and actions that teach us timeless truths about the God we worship. And yet within the these forms deeply rooted in the worship of Christians throughout the ages, we have room for new expressions of prayer, praise, and devotion that connect our ancient faith to our daily lives and the new work God is doing in the world today.
Anglican worship is also very interactive and leads us to experience the Holy Spirit with all of our senses and to offer our whole selves in the worship of our creator, savior, and sustainer. And so our worship engages body and mind, moving our hearts, healing our spirits, and shaping our wills.
Gathering
We gather to worship the Lord at his invitation, and so we are reminded of who he is as our hearts and minds are centered on Jesus Christ rather than ourselves.
Call to worship, greeting, and prayer for purity
At Holy Trinity, we use a Psalm to call us to worship and to remind us of who calls us together as his people. With the greeting, the call to worship centers our attention on the Lord and his presence among us, and our prayer for purity helps us remember who we are as God’s creatures and open our lives to the sanctifying presence of his Holy Spirit.
Worshiping through song
Our responses of praise through song are an expression of thanksgiving to God who has called us by his grace and prepares our hearts and minds for all that God will say and do in our midst.
Prayer of the day
This short prayer prepares us to hear God’s Word.
The Word
The readings from the Scriptures
The Word of God in the Scriptures is our source of knowledge about God and the foundation of wisdom for the way we live our lives, and so we hear from both the Old and New Testaments, always including something from one of the gospels. We respond with reverence and respect, for God’s Word forms us and leads us into his heart and will.
Sermon
God’s Word is opened further through faithful preaching, to encourage, challenge, strengthen, and shape us. We look to those who preach proclaim God’s Word, not just opinions or soft-peddled thoughts, and so we expect the Spirit to speak through the sermon and to work in our hearts.
Response in song and creed
We respond to God’s Word with worship in song and confession of our common faith through the Nicene or Apostle’s creed, allowing the Word to sink deep into our hearts.
Prayers of the people
Having come into God’s presence and having heard his word to us, we lift our prayers of thanksgiving and petition to him with the expectation that he hears and answers us. We are directed in our prayers that we may voice them together and not become too self-centered, and yet we have room to voice our individual petitions that we may pray together for one another.
Confession
We are humbled to be in the presence of our gracious Lord who speaks to us, accepts our praise, and hears our prayers, and so we confess our sin and weakness to Christ who has died for us and we are assured of the mercy and forgiveness of God offered through his Word and of the new life given through the living Christ and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Peace
Having reconciled ourselves with God, we bless one another with his peace, recognizing our unity as the body of Christ and preparing to enter the fellowship of his table.
The Sacrament
The people's offerings
We offer our tithes in recognition that all we are and all we have is the Lord’s. We offer offerings above our tithes as sacrifices to God and symbols of our trust in and dependence upon him rather than upon the things of this world. The money given is used for ministry and the work of his kingdom.
The Lord’s Supper
We are led by the pastor in offering praise and thanksgiving (eucharist) to God the Father for the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ, for his sacrifice for us, and for his resurrection through which we have new life as his people. In our prayer, the pastor calls upon the Holy Spirit to bless the bread and wine. We remember Christ’s death, resurrection, and the promise of his return, celebrating this deepest mystery of our faith with gratitude and humility, and we share in the Lord’s Prayer, joining with Christians through the ages in praising God, seeking his nourishment, his grace, and his forgiveness.
All who believe in Jesus Christ and come by his grace in faith to his table are welcome to join us in communion with him. Come to fellowship with him, to be nourished by his gifts, and to taste of the pomise of his kingdom to come.
Closing prayer
Together we offer thanksgiving to God for his Word and the fellowship of his table and ask for his grace that we will receive these gifts in fullness and will respond in obedience.
The blessing
The pastor blesses the people of God throough the name and power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Closing song and dissmissal
We respond to all the Lord has done with praise and thanksgiving as we prepare ourselves to go, transformed by our worship and empowered by the Holy Spirit, to live as Christ’s servants and emissaries of his kingdom.
