Our Tradition
Gathering, Word, Meal, and Sending for almost 2000 years!
The liturgy of Holy Communion is a centuries-old way of celebrating Christ. At Christ Church, our worship celebrates the sacred story of God's mighty acts through history. This culminates in our salvation through the gift and sacrifice of Christ Jesus.
We Gather
Christians continue to gather regularly to remember and to do that which Jesus Himself said and did, on a very special night in an upper room in Jerusalem. The Liturgy provides special ways for us to gather and remember how we are bound both to God and to each other. We share prayers and passages that remind us of the Baptism that began our new life in Christ. These help us to confess our sins and to receive God's forgiveness, as we approach the living Word of God.
The Word
Once gathered, we proclaim the Word of God. We use a guide called The Lectionary that guides us to Bible passages especially chosen for every week of the year. Our Pastor also shares a special message with us, to help us better understand what these readings say to us today.
The Liturgy also helps us to confess our shared faith, and to share our prayers and needs with our God. We are diverse people, yet our faith is a common bond that we share with each other, with people throughout the world, and with our ancestors throughout the ages. We learn together, and we pray together, because our faith binds us together. As we joy and sorrow, we joy and sorrow together.
The Meal
We share the sacred meal of our Communion. The Liturgy gives us prayers and rituals that help us to prepare for our holy meal, and to experience God's life-giving nourishment for us. Because we use the Liturgy, we know that throughout the world, other Christians are celebrating this very same meal with us. We may not use the exact same words, or perform the exact same actions, but we are still sharing the same sacred meal. We celebrate being connected to the worldwide body of Christ both now, and through the ages! We are not alone!
Sending Out
We go out into the world as blessed people. We receive the blessings of God that strengthen us and energize us, as we start anew each and every week. We are reminded that we are loved, and that Christ walks with us. We can serve the world and our communities, just as Christ serves us, in the safety of God's promises to us.
