A Worshipping Community

We would be very pleased to have you worship with us. This page was written as a guide for the non-Episcopalian. It is our way of introducing ourselves as a worshipping community, and as a road map to help you follow our sometimes complicated service.

The Book of Common Prayer, which was first published  in English in 1549 is the basis of worship for Episcopalians. Unlike the prayer books of some other Christian denominations, the Book of Common Prayer contains all the services; everything from baptism to the consecration of a bishop plus the entire book of Psalms. That being the case, the Book of Common Prayer is thicker than other prayer books, and a separate hymnal is also used during the service. There is a fair amount of switching back and forth as the service proceeds.

In order to follow the service, it is most helpful to take a look at the Church Bulletin before the service begins.  Bulletins can be found on the stand near the doorway before you walk into the sanctuary. The portion of the service is noted on the left side of the bulletin and the corresponding details on the right side.

Before the beginning of the service and during the prelude, it is customary to either sit or kneel and prepare for worship by silent prayer and meditation.

Following the prelude, announcements are made by Mother Kathleen or Mother Pam. The service begins with the opening hymn. The hymn number is noted in the bulletin and also on the hymn board on the wall at the front of the sanctuary on the right.

The service used at St. Barnabas is the service of Holy Eucharist: Rite Two (the “Rite Two” means that contemporary language is used) and begins on Page 355 of the Book of Common Prayer. This is where things get tricky. Because there is so much beautiful music available for worship, we use a variety of sources.

In the beginning of the hymnal, there is music with a number preceded by an “S”. This means service music and it will be printed in the bulletin as such (for instance S-141). The regular hymns are found in the hymnal following the service music and are numbered from 1-720. There is another source of music used periodically. It is called Music for the Mass of Creation and is printed on a separate folder found in the book rack along with the hymnal and Book of Common Prayer.  Confused?  It really does get easier with practice!

In the bulletin, you will find the Lessons and Gospel for the day (which are read aloud by lectors and the priest), and the psalm. The psalm is said or sung by the congregation, but there is no music printed when we chant it, so you just have to listen a bit to pick up the simple melody.

The Book of Common Prayer contains instructions written in italics (called rubrics) which give directions for the service such as when to sit, stand, or kneel. The easiest way to figure it out is to watch what everyone else is doing and follow their lead. A word of explanation is necessary here. We Episcopalians worship with our bodies as well as with our voices. During the service, you will see people bow when the cross passes, make the sign of the cross, et cetera. It is NOT necessary to “follow the crowd” when it comes to these actions. If you are not comfortable with a certain practice, simply don’t do it.

During the Eucharist, all are welcome at the Lord’s Table. The ushers guide the congregation to the communion rail. If you do not wish to receive communion, you are invited to come up anyway for a blessing. You indicate this by crossing your arms across your chest. If you want to receive communion, put your hands out to receive the host. Upon receiving the elements, you respond with an “Amen!” We use a common cup for the wine. If you are not comfortable with the common cup, hold on to your host until the chalice bearer reaches you and dip the host in the wine. This is called intinction.

This is a lot of information to absorb on a Sunday morning, and it can very confusing. However, we are a friendly bunch, and we all had to figure it out at one time or another, so we understand. If you get stuck, feel free to turn to your neighbor and ask to be pointed in the right direction!

We hope this information is helpful as an introduction, and that you will worship with us soon.

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