How we worship

 

Sunday is traditionally when Episcopalians gather for worship. Each week we offer the Holy Eucharist, also known as: the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion or Mass. Like most Episcopal churches, worship is accompanied by the singing of hymns.

Worship Style

We offer many different styles, ranging from very formal, ancient and multi-sensory rites with lots of singing, music and fancy clothes (called vestments), to informal and relaxed services with contemporary music. Yet all our worship is based in the Book of Common Prayer, which gives worship a familiar feel, no matter which service you attend.

Liturgy and Ritual

Here at Trinity, we are a “liturgical” church; we follow service forms and pray from texts that do not change greatly from week to week during a season of the year. This continuity gives worship a rhythm that becomes comforting and familiar to the worshipers.

For the first-time visitor, liturgy may be exhilarating…or even confusing. Our services involve standing, sitting, kneeling, spoken responses and other participatory elements that may provide a challenge for the first-time visitor. However, liturgical worship can be compared with a dance: once you learn the steps, you come to appreciate the rhythm, and it becomes satisfying to dance, again and again, as the music changes.

The Holy Eucharist

Although we offer three very different services, Holy Eucharist always has the same components and the same shape.

  • Open with prayer
  • Read from the Bible
  • Preach a Sermon (interpret the readings appointed for the day)
  • Affirm our faith in the Nicene Creed
  • Pray for the Church, the World and those in need, for the sick, thank God for all the good things in our lives and for all who have died
  • Greet one another with a sign of “peace”
  • Make Eucharist by taking, blessing, breaking and sharing the Gifts of God
  • Dismiss into the world to serve Christ

What do Episcopalian believe about the Eucharist?

The Eucharist (also called the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, the Divine Liturgy, the Mass and the Great Offertory) is offered at least one service every Sunday.

At the Last Supper he shared the bread and cup of wine at a sacred meal with his disciples. He identified the bread with his body and the wine with his blood of the new covenant. Jesus commanded his disciples to "do this" in remembrance of him (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Mark 14:22-25; Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:14-20).

In the Episcopal Church, we recognize that Christ’s body and blood are really present in the sacrament of the Eucharist and received by faith. We also do not define how Christ is present and accept it as a mystery of our faith. We also recognize that Christ is known in the gathered eucharistic community.

Can I receive Communion?

At Trinity, we remember that it is Christ who extends the invitation to his meal. Therefore, ALL are welcome to receive Eucharist here, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

If you wish to formalize your entry into the church with the sacrament of Baptism or Confirmation in the Episcopal Church, please contact the Parish Office.

Morning Prayer


At the 11:00 am service, usually on two Sundays per month, we celebrate Morning Prayer. While in many Episcopal churches the Eucharist is the only service celebrated, here at Trinity, we have chosen to maintain the tradition of Morning Prayer. Our choirs help us to continue this beautiful Anglican tradition. Morning Prayer is a good service for those who are visiting Trinity for the first time.

 

Evensong


Since the late middle ages, "evensong" has been the popular name for vespers (from the Latin vesperis, "evening"), the Evening Office of the western church. This service is generally more meditative and contemplative in nature. Evensong is sung occasionally throughout the academic year.