Liturgy that Brings life

“The awareness of a spiritual tradition that reaches through the centuries

gives one a certain feeling of security in the face of all transitory difficulties.” 

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer


Ultimately, what we need is an encounter with the living God. 

Knowledge and information are important for our discipleship, but only an encounter with the living Christ brings the kind of soul-transformation we long for. Are you hungering for that kind of space? That's what our liturgy is about - cultivating the kind of space where our attention can be drawn to the Christ who is always present with us.


What we do each Sunday when we gather forms us as disciples. In worship, our imaginations are transformed to see Christ’s presence in our daily lives and in all the world.


Our prayers and songs for worship are drawn from the Church's rich 2,000+ year old history, but are re-expressed for today. We have found much joy in praying the ancient prayers and creeds that have been spoken for ages to a living God.  These creeds and prayers connect us to something much bigger than ourselves. But we also have artists among us who are always composing new songs and prayers for today as they listen to the Spirit. 


We worship in the same basic pattern that most Christians have for centuries: singing praises, hearing God's Word, responding in prayer and confession, celebrating the Eucharist, then being sent out with a blessing to join what God is doing in the world. All these practices help us tell the story of who God is and what God is up to in this world, then invite us to join the story ourselves. 


You can discover more of our rhythms for worship below.

Rhythms of worship

GATHERING

We greet and welcome one another in the foyer informally, perhaps grabbing a cup of coffee/tea and introducing ourselves to someone we haven’t met before.  Some may quietly enter the sanctuary to pray or walk along the walls and reflect on the artwork.  
    

PASSING THE PEACE

Proclaiming that Christ’s death and resurrection have reconciled us to God and one another, we greet each other with, “The peace of Christ be with you.”  “And also with you.”  
  
SILENCE

Integral to worship throughout the ages, silence makes room for God and enables us to hear from the Lord. As the lyrics of a song go, "Come away from rush and hurry to the stillness of God's peace." We spend a period in silence, making space for our souls to become still, becoming aware of God's presence in this place.
  
PRAYER OF INVOCATION

We ask the Spirit to guide our time together and light candles on the altar as a symbol of God’s special presence among those who gather in Jesus’ name.
  
SCRIPTURE READINGS

Each week four passages from Scripture are read, one each from the Old Testament, Psalm, Epistle, and Gospel, spanning the great story of our God.  Listen for any common threads.  We stand for the Gospel reading, then give thanks by proclaiming, "The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.”
  
ART MEDITATION

In a culture of images that typically amuse, lie, or seduce, we invite God to renew our imaginations with art that affirms his goodness or confronts our sin.
  
PRAYER LITANY

In unison, as one body, we confess sin, pray in submission, or affirm a truth through a shared prayer.
  
SERMON

The sermon is a place where good news is proclaimed over the trouble in our lives and in our world.  In hearing the good news, we may encounter Christ.  Because preaching is a communal affair, all of us depend upon the Spirit for the speaking, testing, and obeying of God’s word.  So the preacher prays, “The Lord be with you” and the congregation responds, “And also with you.”


PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

A short prayer sentence is displayed on the screen to help guide our prayer and response to the Word of God we have just heard. As people voluntarily respond out loud, each person ends their prayer with ‘Lord, in your mercy,' and to express agreement with the one praying, we all say, ‘Amen.’  
   
EUCHARIST

We encounter the mysterious and glorious presence of the Triune God at the meal Jesus gave to his disciples.  The Table is open to all who are faithful followers of Christ and have no enmity with anyone in this body.  Children and others awaiting baptism may come forward with arms crossed to receive a blessing.
  
PRAISE

Singing comes at the end as a response of worship and adoration to God’s truth and beauty.
  
PRAYER OF BENEDICTION

We are sent out in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit out into God’s mission in the world with God’s blessing and presence with us.