Of the Holy Eucharist

The Principle Worship Service of the Anglican tradition since the reforms of the Oxford Movement in the late 1800's has been the Eucharist.  Being inheritors of this tradition, the Principal Worship of the Episcopal Church is also found in the Eucharistic Service. For more detail in video form, click here.

Derived from the Greek word meaning "Thanksgiving." Eucharist is the name we use for the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood, also known as Mass, Communion, or the Lord's Supper. 

The service begins with a gathering of people, both lay and ordained. Hymns are sung, and call and response prayers are said. But, fear not, the whole rite is contained in the Book of Common Prayer, copies of which are available in the pew racks. The bulletin and your neighbor will happily help you find where we are, or you can sit back and let our prayers carry your prayer!

We pray first for God to guide our hearts into a right intention, and then we proceed to worship God. The gathering concludes with a prayer that brings us together for the focus of the week's appointed Scripture.

The Revised Common Lectionary provides us with our scripture for the week, which we share in common with several other Christian denominations. After the readings, a sermon is preached. Having heard God's word read, it is time for us to respond. We declare our faith in the words of The Nicene Creed. We pray together for The Church, for The Nation, for The World, for those in our community, for those who suffer, and for those who have died. We confess our sins (in a general form, though the Church does offer specific confession in the rite of Reconciliation), and receive Absolution. We then share in the Peace of Christ.

Now bread and wine are offered, prayed over, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and offered to those present. 

All Baptized Christians are welcome to receive the bread and the wine; regardless of the tradition in which they were baptized. All of our siblings in Christ are welcome at the table.

Afterwards, the priest cleans up the vessels, and pronounces a blessing. We sing one last hymn, and are sent out into the world to share the blessings we have received from God and the Church.