Liturgy

Our liturgy, derived from the Greek words for people and work, is the public worship of God, the life of Christ, and the living out of Christ's mission in the world with the help of the Holy Spirit. Our liturgy expresses our identity and mission, including inviting all others into our midst and striving to meet the needs of our community, our neighbors, our nation, and the world. By its very nature, our liturgy and worship are corporate, engaging, and serving all. We have texts and rites that typically order our services. A typical service includes actions, words, symbols, rituals, scriptures, liturgical texts, gestures, vestments, prayers that are spoken or sung, and hymns and other musical offerings.

Our worship encompasses two components—Liturgy of the Word (scriptures, Psalms, statement of faith called creeds, sermon, prayers, confession) and the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist). It is hoped that our liturgy engages our lives and faith, and our thoughts, feelings, hopes, and needs. Our liturgy is shaped by the seasons, feasts, and fasts of the calendar of the church year and the lectionaries for the Holy Eucharist and the Daily Office.

Our Sunday lectionary calendar rotates on the First Sunday of Advent every year. We started Year A on November 27, 2022. Our Liturgical Calendar runs from the first Sunday of Advent to the first Sunday of Advent the following year.

The 1979 BCP Daily Office Lectionary is a two-year cycle of readings, Year One (preceding odd-numbered years) and Year Two (preceding even-numbered years) are also based on the liturgical year. Although the Daily Office sometimes works its way through books of the Bible sequentially, it also thematically follows the church calendar.