Before Worship

Corporate Preparation - Sermon preparation and music preparation goes on during the week before worship. Sometimes preparation is going on for weeks before a service. Sometimes sermons are a part of a series that has been thought out to cover several weeks or an entire season. Major pieces of music can be worked on by the choir for several months before a particular service. The Flower and Altar guild work on Saturday morning as well as between services on Sunday to prepare for worship.

Individual Preparation - Our preparation for worship begins even before we arrive at church. Some people would say that worship begins the night before with the plan to go to church in the morning.

Before entering the pew many people will bow slightly to the cross. This is called reverencing the cross and is a ritual acknowledgment and greeting of Christ symbolized in the cross. In the pew we kneel to say our own prayers, to clear our minds and to offer ourselves to God. If you arrive very early for worship the reading of hymns or of psalms whiling waiting for the worship can be a wonderful quiet time.

The worship begins:

Organ Prelude - Acolytes light the candles and prepare for the procession.

Opening prayer: This prayer was traditionally said with the choir and was called the choir prayer. Now when said with the whole congregation it is a call to worship.

Hymn

THE WORD OF GOD

OPENING ACCLAMATION

THE COLLECT FOR PURITY

A CANTICLE OF PRAISE

THE COLLECT OF THE DAY

THE LESSONS

The readings for each Sunday are set forth in a three year cycle. These plans for readings are called a lectionary. We use what is called the common lectionary which is shared with some variations with the Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Lutheran churches. The names for Sundays are based on the seasons and major feasts of the church calendar. The church year begins with the First Sunday of Advent in December.

THE FIRST LESSON - Old Testament

THE PSALM

We read the psalm one of Three ways

1. In Unison
   
2. Responsively by half verses
   
3. Responsively by Whole verses

We may stand or sit when reading the psalm. If we read the psalm standing we conclude with the Gloria Patri.

"Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

THE CHILDREN'S MESSAGE

THE GOSPEL HYMN

THE READING OF THE GOSPEL

THE SERMON

 

We meditate on God's Word

The children are invited to come to the front of the church at the 8:30 and 11 o'clock services every Sunday for a message that often has as much to say to the adults as it does to children.

The sermon has as its goal the drawing of connections. In preaching we try to connect the stories from the Old and New Testaments with the experiences of our daily lives. The sermons at Trinity Church are ussually delivered without notes. They are powerful often mnoving people to laugh sometimes to cry and regularly to think.

THE NICENE CREED

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE - If you would like someone's name included in the parish prayer list that is printed on the back of the bulletin and that is read as part of the prayers please call the church office or leave a note on the Secretary's desk. If you would like someone prayed for on Sunday please speak to the celebrant and they will include the name.

THE CONFESSION

THE ABSOLUTION

[THE COMFORTABLE WORDS]

THE PEACE

Announcements

The Holy Communion

The Offering

 

As the offerings of the people are brought forward the people sing the Doxology. (Sometimes it is sung with alleluias)

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise God, all creatures here below;
praise God above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Presentation of the Elements - After receiving the offering the priest will usually raise the bread and wine as a sign of offering. At some services the priest will say

Priest: All things come of Thee, O Lord;
Priest and People: And of thin own have we given Thee.

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

THE SURSUM CORDA Lift up your hearts.

THE SANCTUS
Holy Holy Holy

The Prayer of Consecration

The Lord's Prayer

The Breaking of the Bread

The Fraction Chant
The Presentation of the Gifts

The Communion of the People - In small services people just come up to the altar rail. In main services people leave their pew as directed by the usher.

Communion is offered in both the bread and the wine. For various reasons some people only receive the bread and that is a fully valid communion. Communion is open to all baptized people. Baptized children are welcome to receive communion as their parents believe them to be ready. Communion classes are usually offered once a year for kindergarten and first graders.

There are several ways to receive communion.

The priest places the host (bread) in the uplifted palm of the person receiving communion. St. Cyril who wrote in the fourth century says "make your left hand as it were a throne for your right, which is on the eve of receiving the King; and having hollowed your palm receive the Body of Christ, saying after It 'Amen." St. John of Damascus sees in the same gesture the form of the cross saying, "Placing our palms in the form of a cross, let us receive the Body of the Crucified."

The wine is received by taking the bottom of the chalice and helping to guide it. Or the wine can be received by intinction. Intinction is to hold the bread in your palm until the chalice arrives and then to dip the bread in the wine or to let the chalice bearer dip the bread in the chalice and then to place it on your tongue.

THE POST-COMMUNION PRAYER

THE BLESSING

The Recessional Hymn

THE COMMISSIONING The people respond "Thanks be to God."

We leave in Thankfulness

A prayer of Thanksgiving

We have renamed the Dismissal as the Commissioning because we believe we are sending people forth into the world to live out their faith experience.