Worship

Music – Our parish loves to sing, and has a long list of favorite hymns. We have a traditional pipe organ that can make the rafters shake or gently accompany moments of reflective prayer. Enjoy the sweet sounds of our growing choir as they sing anthems to deepen our connection with the Sacred during worship. Our music director grew up in the choirs of Salisbury Cathedral, England, and brings his vast knowledge of our Anglican traditions home to Emmanuel. Music at Emmanuel is made up of traditional anthems, hymns and spirituals, Anglican chant and plainsong. The music we sing together comes from our hymnals and their supplements.

Sermons – Our priest delivers engaging, down-to-earth sermons every Sunday that move the heart and stimulate the mind. Above all, they connect the Holy Scripture to today’s world.

Liturgy – Episcopalians do things the “old way,” meaning our worship is both ancient and new. We gather, sing a song of praise or penitence, hear the Word of God, hear a sermon, pray for the Church and world, share in the Holy Eucharist, and go forth to bring God’s blessing to the world. The tone of our worship changes throughout the church year. We are introspective during Advent, merry during the 12 Days of Christmas, penitent during Lent, and joyful throughout the 50 Days of Easter. These seasons are marked by shifting sights, sounds, smells, and actions to fully engage bodies and minds in the worship of God.

Sundays and Wednesdays

8:00 AM, Holy Eucharist (Rite I) – Spoken in the Elizabethan language of our heritage, this service of Holy Eucharist is an intimate, gentle way to start your week.

10:00 AM, Holy Eucharist (Rite II) – This is our principal Sunday service. Organ and piano accompany worship, along with the choir during our program year (Holy Cross Day through Ascension).

Morning Prayer – This is a casual service that takes place seated in the couches and chairs of the Lawrence Room, and takes about thirty minutes.

Evening Prayer – About once per month, we celebrate our Major Feasts with a special candlelight service of Evening Prayer. These services are contemplative and feature the beautiful music of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, hymns from the Gospel according to St. Luke. The feasts we celebrate include St. Mary the Virgin, Sts. Peter and Paul, the Transfiguration, St. Michael and All Angels, and more. These services culminate with a pot luck supper in the Parish Hall.

Choral Evensong – For certain Major Feasts (Candlemas, the Annunciation, the Ascension, and All Souls Day) we go all out with a candlelight service of Choral Evensong, filled with all due pomp and circumstance. The Emmanuel Choir sings special settings of the service with solos and anthems suited to the day. We then celebrate the feast with a pot luck supper in the Parish Hall.