As Episcopalians, our worship reflects what we believe. The language of our prayer book is the language of relationship with God. It contains the guide for our public liturgy, and the structure for our private prayers and the content of our theology. What we pray expresses what we believe and when we expand our prayer life, we expand our relationship with God. For this reason we are careful about how we do liturgy and we also encourage as many as are willing to take an active role in leading worship at Christ Church.

Each movement, each prayer, each verse of a hymn, means something for it teaches us about God and about one another. For example, “We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.” (BCP, 360) We kneel for confession. Though the individual sins are kept private, (fortunately) we speak aloud our sense of sin and separation from God, and together ask for the forgiveness we know to be available. Individually we may doubt, but collectively we are assured, which is why we then look to the Celebrant to move into the center aisle and proclaim absolution. The Celebrant humbly accepts this work because we have also agreed that ordained persons can proclaim God’s forgiveness. Following this absolution we rise to face one another taking each hand, looking into each face, and saying “the peace of the Lord be always with you.” We say this to one another as one forgiven being to another forgiven being. We wish one another peace, and then we are ready to approach God’s table together for the feast prepared for us.

“Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace.” (BCP, 363) We pray and act out what we believe. Like most things that truly matter, you must practice it to learn it, and learn it to understand it. Participating in the liturgy in regular and meaningful ways helps you to take the understanding from "out there" to "in here", from the head "down" to a body memory and into your heart.

We invite you, therefore, to participate in the liturgy in many and varied ways. Come on Sunday morning or Wednesday afternoon or Thursday night. Sing in the choir. Read a lesson. Carry a torch. Serve a chalice. Be an usher. Prepare the altar. Arrange the flowers. All of these are practices to explore. We encourage people to take an active role in helping to lead public worship because it is such a meaningful way to enrich your prayers and to help all of Christ’s body in this place to enrich theirs.

                                                                                        Tom, Anne, and Winston