Worship

Our entire life and community at Saint Andrew’s revolves around the Eucharist, or Mass. This is our point of reference and our motivation for all that we are, all that we do and all that God calls us to be. We are a worshiping community, and opportunities for worship exist at a variety of times and on a variety of days each week. We believe encountering Jesus in the Eucharist calls us to go forth from this place and to find him in His children who suffer and struggle. Our Eucharistic encounter with Jesus is at the heart of our many outreach ministries and opportunities.

We are committed to a variety of liturgical styles and to using the full range of Prayer Book services. Diversity is one of the greatest gifts of the Prayer Book. But with that diversity comes the responsibility to accomplish great things through our worship. Our liturgies seek to be transformative and powerful, and we believe this begins with many people worshiping well together.

We are proud of the vast diversity that makes up our parish family: old and young, rich and poor, families, teenagers and children, single women and men, university people and those of different educational backgrounds joining together to become one in worship. We have a come-as-you-are policy. Our faith challenges us to see beyond labels and to embrace anybody and everybody as our equal before God and as vital and functioning members of our community.

Our 8 a.m. Sunday service is a spoken, Rite I Eucharist with a short homily. This service treasures the more traditional language of the church and the beauty of Elizabethan English and is welcoming to all, including families with small children. The liturgy is followed by a well-supported continental breakfast, which provides a wonderful fellowship opportunity and always involves lots of laughing and fun.

The high point of our week is the 10:00 a.m. Sunday service, where we gather before the altar to seek Christ and then to go and make Him known. It is a Rite II service in which the liturgy balances around three key principles: dignity, spontaneity and joy. We place a great priority on the inclusion and incorporation of our many children and young people into our worship, which is led and uplifted by our strong music program. On high days and holy days incense is sometimes used. There are many opportunities for people of all ages, shapes and sizes to participate in our worship.

On Sunday evenings at 5 p.m. a group of people gather to experience a more informal style of Eucharistic worship. A dedicated group of parish musicians lead worship that revolves around liturgies that have been approved for trial use.

Our Wednesday 12:15 p.m. worship provides an opportunity for the laying on of hands with prayers for healing, as we bring to the altar the many things that trouble our hearts as we seek God’s healing and wholeness. Other opportunities for the Ministry of Healing exist on Sundays and other weekdays.

Evening Prayer  takes place on Wednesdays at 5:15 in the chapel and draws on Rites I & II.  It is designed to offer working people and others the opportunity to engage in communal worship in the middle of the week.