Gathering
Corporate worship is the focus of our Gathering Ministry. The words liturgy and worship are very closely related. The word liturgy comes from a Greek word meaning the work of the people. All Christians are called to worship the One who is both their Creator and Redeemer. We can and should worship God in many ways and different settings. For example, caring for the poor and marginalized is surely one way that we worship God. But our Sunday corporate worship is the primary work of the people of God. It is meant to feed us and sustain us as we carry out every other ministry. In an important sense you could say that for Anglican (Episcopalian) Christians, our worship, rather than doctrine, both binds us together and defines who we are. Our various liturgies are statements of what we believe. The Prayer Book tells us that the “Holy Eucharist is the principal act of Christian worship on the Lord’s Day.” (The Book of Common Prayer, page 13) and has been so from the very beginning of the church’s existence. The Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion is God’s gift to us. In the Eucharist we praise God in word and song, listen to God’s word spoken to us in Holy Scripture, followed by an interpretation of the Word through the sermon, pray for each other, the church and the world, are fed with the very presence of Jesus himself and then sent into the world in service. It is in and through the gift of this most blessed sacrament that we deepen our relationship with God and become sacraments to each other.
More about our Gathering ministries:
A Gathering Ministry team, composed of the leaders of our liturgical ministries and other members of the congregations, works with the Rector and the music staff to increase the level of participation in our worship, generate new ideas and provide general oversight for the Gathering Ministry. Persons interested in being a part of this team should contact Linda Page or Bob Poli, the current co-leaders.