Worship at St. Jude's is a celebration.

The principal weekly worship service at St. Jude's is the Holy Eucharist, also known as the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, or Mass. Holy Eucharist always has the same components and the same shape. The first part of the service is called the Liturgy of the Word because it consists of readings from the Hebrew Bible and gospel readings from the New Testament. The Liturgy of the Word usually includes a sermon delivered by the priest of other member of the clergy. The second part of the Eucharist consists of the Liturgy of the Table.

The LITURGY OF THE WORD begins by praising God through song and prayer, and then listening to readings from the Bible. These readings usually include one from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, an Epistle (a letter from an apostle), and a reading from the Gospels. The psalm may be recited by the congregation or sung. Then, the priest or deacon preaches a sermon that interprets the readings appointed for the day. After the sermon, the congregation recites the Nicene Creed, an ancient statement of faith written in the Fourth Century.

Next, during the Prayers of the People, the congregation prays together—for the Church, the World, and those in need. We thank God for all the good things in our lives, and pray for the sick and for the dead. The presider, usually a Priest of Deacon, concludes with a prayer that gathers the petitions into a communal offering of intercession.

In certain seasons of the Church year, the congregation formally confesses their sins before God and one another by reciting a corporate statement of what we have done and what we have left undone. This is followed by a pronouncement of absolution by the presider who assures the congregation that God is always ready to forgive our sins. The congregation then greets one another with a handshake and the words “Peace be with you.”

The LITURGY OF THE TABLE begins with the Eucharistic Prayer said by the priest while standing at the altar which has been set with a cup of wine and a plate of bread or wafers. During the Eucharistic Prayer, the presider retells the story of our faith, from the beginning of Creation, through the choosing of Israel to be God's people, through our continual turning away from God, and God's calling us to return. The presider also tells the story of the coming of Jesus Christ, and about the night before his death, on which he instituted the Lord’s Supper as a continual remembrance of him.

The presider then blesses the bread and wine, and the congregation recites the Lord's Prayer. Finally, the presider breaks the bread and offers it to the congregation, as the “gifts of God for the People of God.”

The congregation shares the consecrated bread and the wine.
All present, regardless of age or denomination, are welcome to receive communion. At the end of the Eucharist, the congregation prays once more in thanksgiving, and then is dismissed by the deacon to continue a life of service to God and to the World.

 

 

 
Worship Styles

Episcopalians worship in many different styles, ranging from very formal, and ancient, rites with lots of singing, music, fancy clothes (called vestments), and incense, to informal services with contemporary music. Yet all worship in the Episcopal Church is based in the Book of Common Prayer, which gives worship a familiar feel, no matter where you go.
Liturgy and Ritual

Worship in the Episcopal Church is said to be “liturgical,” meaning that the congregation follows service forms and prays from texts that don't change greatly from week to week during a season of the year. This sameness from week to week gives worship a rhythm that becomes comforting and familiar to the worshipers.
The Act of Worship

Episcopal church services are congregational and in the pews you will find the Book of Common Prayer, which contains everything you will need to participate in the service with the exception of the hymns.This enables the congregation to share fully in every service. In the Book of Common Prayer, the large print is the actual service. The smaller print gives directions to ministers and people for conduct of the service.

Standing and Kneeling

You may wonder when to stand or kneel. Practices vary, even among individual Episcopalians. The general rule is to stand to sing hymns and other songs called canticles or chants and printed as part of the service. We also stand to say our affirmation of faith, the Creed; and for the reading of the Gospell. Psalms may be sung or said sitting or standing. We sit during readings from the OHebrew Bible, New Testament Letters (called epistles), the sermon, and the choir anthems. We stand or kneel for prayer to show our gratefulness to God for accepting us as children or as an act of humility before God.

What Clergy Wear

To add to the beauty and festivity of the services, and to signify their special ministries, the clergy and other ministers customarily wear vestments. Choir vestments usually consist of an undergown called a cassock (usually black) and a white, gathered overgown called a surplice. The clergy may also wear cassock and surplice.

Another familiar vestment is the alb, a white tunic with sleeves that covers the body from neck to ankles. Over it (or over the surplice) ordained ministers wear a stole, a narrow band of coloured fabric. Deacons wear the stole over one shoulder, priests and bishops over both shoulders.

At the Holy Eucharist a bishop or priest frequently wears a chasuble (a circular garment that envelopes the body) over the alb and stole.

Vestments such as stoles, chasubles, and dalmatics, as well as altar coverings, are usually made of rich fabrics. Their colors change with the seasons and holy days of the Church Year. The most frequently used colours are white, red, violet, and green.