‘Liturgy’ from the Greek leitourgos Definition: the work of the people
What Are You Doing? Episcopalians are always being accused of doing their exercises while praying -- that's because we believe that worship involves the whole person: body, soul, and mind. Consequently you will note that there is a full personal involvement in our community at prayer. And confusingly, you will note that not everyone does the same thing the same way all the time. Let us explain what it's all about.
Standing: Everyone stands to sing, to offer prayer or praise, and to hear the Gospel proclaimed; it was the posture of prayer for Jews in Jesus' day as it is today, Standing during the Eucharistic prayer is a sign of our having been "raised with Christ" and "being made worthy to stand before God" (from Eucharistic Prayer B), Ancient councils of the Church said that standing during the Eucharistic prayer in the Easter season was mandatory.
Kneeling: We sometime kneel during the Confession when we reflect the Scriptural admonition to "bend the knee of the heart." Some feel comfortable kneeling during the Eucharistic prayer as a sign of reverence for the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross on our behalf; others feel more comfortable kneeling when praying rather than standing.
Sitting: We sit to hear the scriptures read, to recite or sing the Psalm, and to hear the Word interpreted in the sermon.
Singing: We sing in response to the admonition of the Psalmist who directs us to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord." We expect everyone to join in -- not only in singing the hymns, but also the service music. We try to keep a balance between congregational singing and choir singing. Consequently, you will find both kinds used within our Sunday worship experience and there will be variations from week to week.
Silence: There are times, as the Psalmist reminds us, that we must "be still and know that Thou art God." Consequently there are times in the service when a silence may be kept; this is especially true during the season of Lent.
Gestures: Since we believe that the Incarnation (God becoming human) is more than just a doctrine, we encourage people to participate physically in the service by standing, sitting and kneeling. In addition to these actions there are others (indicated by +) that are left to your personal comfort and preference.
Sign of the Cross: This sign reminds us of our unity with Christ in whose Name we are baptized. The sign made by touching the forehead, middle of the chest, left shoulder, and right shoulder. Two places during the service most appropriate for making this sign are during the Opening Acclamation ("Blessed be God..."), during the Eucharistic prayer when the Celebrant asks God to "...bless and sanctify these gifts..." Another time the sign of the Cross is appropriate is at the announcement of the Gospel for the day. In this case a small cross is made with the thumb on the forehead, lips, and heart while saying: "May the Gospel of Christ be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart."
Bowing/Genuflecting: Bowing is a simple sign of reverence; genuflection is a more profound sign. Bow when entering your pew for the first time and when exiting at the end of the service. Acolytes and other members of the sanctuary party bow when entering and leaving the sanctuary. Many people bow to the cross as it passes by in procession, and at the name of Jesus. Some folks bow during the Incarnatus ("and He became flesh and tabernacled amongst us") during the Creed.
Passing the Peace: The Peace is not intended to be the intermission 'between the acts' (liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Table) as it were. Rather, it is a time to acknowledge with your fellow worshipers that we are in relationship through Christ. Consequently, the greeting should be: "The peace of the Lord be with you" and the response: "And also with you."
Vestments and Colors Vestments are worn by various leaders of worship and all have a historical usage and meaning attached to them. Vestments help differentiate between the ‘ordinary' work we do regularly and the ‘extraordinary' work we do in worship. The focus of our worship experience should be of God and not a fashion show amongst those who lead that worship. Colors of the vestments, altar hangings, and other embellishments are used to emphasize the seasons of the Church year.
Blue: Used in Advent to signify the preparation of heart and mind as concerns our humanity. Blue is used for Advent to signify our preparation for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas.
White: Used at Christmas, Epiphany, and in the Easter season to signify the coming of the Light into the world. At Christmas the additional decorative features are usually red to indicate our Lord's humanity; at Easter the decoration features are usually gold or yellow to indicate our Lord's kingship and divinity. White is also used at weddings (for joy) and funerals (for resurrection).
Red: Used on Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Pentecost, and for the feasts if the martyred saints. For our Lord it represents His passion; for the martyred saints the shedding of their blood in witness to the Gospel.
Green: Used on most Sundays in Epiphany and Pentecost green signifies hope, growth, and life.
Processions A procession is the way we get the sanctuary party to the altar area. On special feasts this may be more elaborate than on ˜ordinary' Sundays, depending on the occasion.
Presence Light A candle burns in the Sanctuary next to the Reserved Sacrament to indicate the presence of Our Lord in the bread and wine stored in this cabinet. This reserved sacrament is used for pastoral visitations as needed.
Conclusion Episcopalians are unabashedly liturgical. We involve all our senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. These senses remind us that God has entered into our human condition to redeem it and make us all presentable before the throne of Grace. We also believe this work must be done with a sense of joy and respect for God, our neighbors, and ourselves. We expect that our worship of God will be reflected back to each of us as signs of God's love towards us. In addition, complete involvement in the worship helps us to be more attentive to God's presence in ourselves and in each other.
Saint Paul's Episcopal Church 1917 Logan Avenue South ♦ Minneapolis, MN 55403 612.377.1273 ♦ 612.377.5114-F At the northeast corner of Lake of the Isles in the historic Lowry HIll neighborhood of Minneapolis