How We Worship
As a Parish in the Episcopal Church, as well as the wider Anglican Communion, we worship according to Book of Common Prayer.
Our service is normally accompanied by our Organ and congregational hymn singing and has two parts: the service of the Word (often called the Lessons) and the Holy Communion (the Mass).
The Lessons…
Make up the body of the Service of the Word, there are four readings from the four main parts of the Bible: the Old Testament, the Psalter, the Gospels, and the New Testament (Epistles).
These four readings come from the Revised Common Lectionary used by many Christian Churches and are paired with a number of prayers called Collects. Which are unique to the seasons of the church year as well as the various Feasts and Fasts of the Saints.
Holy Communion…
Also called the Mass; is the principal part of the service wherein the people present offerings which become the Body and Blood of Christ. As prescribed in the Scriptures we celebrate the memorial of our Redemption in the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
We invite all Baptized Christians to partake in both the Host and Chalice every Sunday. If you are not Baptized nor are a member of a church and are seeking a deeper connection with your faith we invite you to speak with our clergy.
No matter If…
This is the church you grew up in, or one you are visiting, or you just walked in off the street; we hope that you will feel comfortable with the rhythm of worship here at Good Shepherd. If it seems like a lot or more “structured” than what you may have experienced before feel free to ask for assistance from a member of the congregation or one of our Ushers. Our Bulletins also have friendly instructions throughout and our space and worship materials have been made accessible for those with physical, hearing, or visual impairments.