At the heart of all Episcopal worship is the Book of Common Prayer, and within it, the principal weekly service is the

Holy Eucharist—also known as Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper or Mass.

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For each Christian season, the Book of Common Prayer lays out the form of the service  and provides the text for many of the prayers.

A calendar Scripture readings, called the “Lectionary,” indicates biblical passages to be read each day. These are the same throughout the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, so any given day, someone around the clock and around the globe will be reading the same Scripture. Typical services include scripture readings, prayers, hymns and a sermon. The congregation participates in worship—singing hymns and saying the prayers, the Creed (a statement of our beliefs), responding and reading or singing the Psalms (sacred poems).

 

Whether to kneel, sit, or stand, say "Amen," sing or respond can be a bit of a puzzle for newcomers (and often for Episcopalians visiting a different church). But because the essential form of the service remains the same from one Sunday to the next, you soon will begin to experience what Episcopalians find so satisfying: the mental space that the familiar rhythm opens up in which each person can commune more profoundly with God.

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We hope you join us soon!

(Modified from The Episcopal Diocese of Texas)