The service of Holy Eucharist (also called Holy Communion, The Lord's Supper, or simply Mass) is considered by the Episcopal Church to be the principal act of Christian worship, as we unite ourselves with Christ in the sacrament of his body and blood. The word "Eucharist" comes from the Greek word for "thanksgiving."
The service is divided into two parts. The first part, called the Liturgy of the Word, includes readings from Scripture, a sermon, prayers, the reaffirmation of our faith by the words of the Nicene Creed, as well as confession, absolution, and the sharing of peace as we prepare our hearts and minds for the sacrament. The second part is centered on Holy Communion, during which the bread and wine are consecrated and shared with all believers. The Episcopal Church believes in "real presence"--that is, Christ is truly present in the bread and wine by a mystery of faith that is unknown to us.
All baptized Christians are welcome to receive communion. If you have not been baptized, we invite you to come forward to receive a blessing. If you are interested in being baptized, please speak with any member of the worship team or let us know using the "Contact Us" form. We would love to help guide you in the next steps of your journey to Jesus Christ.
If you do not wish to receive the wine for any reason, simply cross your arms across your chest when the chalice-bearer reaches you and they will offer you the blessing instead. We believe that the sacrament in one kind ("bread only") is valid to receive all the blessings of the sacrament as a whole. If you require gluten-free bread, please mention this to the greeter when you arrive and it will be provided.
This service is led by a priest using the order of service found in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and uses the Rite II version of Holy Eucharist. Rite II follows a similar structure to Rite I, but uses more accessible, contemporary language.
For more information about the Book of Common Prayer and how it is used in our worship, please see the "About" page.