Eucharist is the primary form of worship in the Episcopal Church. It is also commonly known as Holy Communion or The Lord’s Supper. At St. Mary's, we have Eucharist every Sunday. The service has four distinct elements: Gathering, Listening and Responding to the Word of God, Sharing the Meal of Christ, and the Sending. This is the pattern of worship of the ancient Christian Church, reflecting the pattern found in Jesus’ feeding of the thousands and in the Last Supper as recorded in the Gospels.

Jesus said to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. In other words, with our whole selves. Traditionally then, Episcopal worship has sought to engage the whole body and all five senses in the act of worship. You will find that in Episcopal worship, there is a lot of movement: standing, sitting, kneeling and coming forward to receive communion. Though many people find these patterns of worship comforting, no one is required to participate in such a way as to make them uncomfortable. The Episcopal Church welcomes all baptized persons, of any age and from any Christian tradition at communion.

St. Mary's has one Sunday morning service

Our worship service starts at 10 am. You are welcome to join us in-person at the church, or we also stream the service via Facebook.

Finding a Seat
St. Mary's doesn’t have traditional pews but uses individual chairs. Please come in and take a seat anywhere you look; there are no reserved seats. Sitting up front gives you the best view of what’s happening.

Children
Children are very welcome at our services, and baptized children of any age are invited to take communion with their parents. We know children come in all degrees of squirminess; don’t worry about that! God made them that way and they are welcome here.

Following Along with the Service
Each service follows a pattern of worship we call “the Liturgy.” Specifically, we use the orders of service found in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). If you visit the church in-person, there will be a copy of the BCP for you to use. If you tune into our livestream, there is a link on this website to a PDF copy of the BCP (click the "bulletins" button on the homepage). If you’re concerned about not knowing when to sit or stand, don’t worry; when in doubt just follow your neighbors. What matters most is that you’re here – you can’t do worship “wrong.”

If you'd like to have the words/music to follow along with the hymns, the hymns we use for services are usually found in The Hymnal 1982 (blue) or Gather (paperback red book), which can be found in each row along with the copies of the BCP.

The sermons will focus on the Scripture readings for the day.  We usually include four Scripture readings:

• Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament- the stories of God’s people, Israel)
• Psalm (one of 150 ancient poems expressing the human experience of God)
• Epistle (one of a series of letters written by Jesus’ disciples to early Christian churches)
• The Gospels (stories about Jesus’ life)

The Peace is a time to pass the “peace of the Lord” along to your neighbors by greeting them with a handshake, hug, or a socially distanced gesture of peace as you feel comfortable.

Passing the Collection Plate
The collection is the time when many people give their financial offerings for the ministry of the church. Financial support of the church is a spiritual discipline and a sign of commitment to living out your faith in this particular community. We understand that, as a visitor, you might feel unready to give yet; that’s okay.

Communion
All baptized persons, of any age, are welcome and encouraged to receive Holy Communion. As you come forward, place your right hand in your left and hold them in front of you to receive the bread. You may dip the bread in the wine and consume them together, or you may eat the bread and drink from the chalice (cup). Please help guide the chalice to your lips and take a small drink. We do use wheat in our communion bread, and our wine does contain alcohol.

All persons are invited forward to receive a blessing in lieu of communion. Please cross your arms across your chest to indicate your desire to receive a blessing from the priest.

Fellowship after the Service
Following the service, please join us for refreshments. We gather in the Fireside Room, down the short hall at the back of the Sanctuary. This is a great opportunity to connect with community members and our priest.

What to Wear
In order to continue keeping everyone safe and healthy, masks are required if you are unvaccinated, optional if you are fully vaccinated (including boosters). Otherwise, there is no dress code for church! You are welcome no matter what you are wearing!