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Our Worship and Our Community at Christ Church
Episcopalians are often called “a people of the book” because we use The Book of Common Prayer and the Holy Bible as our main sources for the prayers and forms of our worship together. While the authors of the Prayer Book wanted to be sure that we knew what they wanted us to do, they also left a lot for us to figure out on our own.
We Pray Every Christian should always be regular in prayer to God on behalf of those in need, and to offer our praise and thanksgiving for all God has done for us. This is especially true for Episcopalians. In our corporate worship we gather as the Church—the people of God—to offer our prayers, praise and thanksgiving together as a community of believers. At Christ Church we gather together for prayer on Sundays and Wednesdays. Between those days, we have an active Prayer Chain network that is always praying on our behalf and ready to respond to special needs or joys within our congregation and throughout the world.
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We Worship Corporate worship is public worship, and that means that everyone—whether you are an Episcopalian or not—is invited and welcome to join us. As the Catechism of the Episcopal Church puts it, “we unite ourselves with others to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear God’s Word, to offer prayer, and to celebrate the sacraments.” Word and Sacrament together are the essential components of Anglican liturgy, for we believe that Christ is present both as the Living Word of God proclaimed in the assembly, and as the Bread of Life and Cup of Salvation received in the Eucharist. Christ is therefore present in us who feed on the Word of God and the Eucharist. When we gather to worship, we give tangible witness to our belief that the living, Incarnate Christ is present in the world.
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We Celebrate Every Sunday—the Lord’s Day—is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and our salvation. We gather to hear and reflect on God’s Word, to offer prayers, and to respond to what we have heard and prayed with thanksgiving, the Great Thanksgiving, which is the Holy Eucharist, also called the Mass, the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. Songs and music are always part of a celebration. We sing hymns and liturgical songs to praise and glorify God, and to give voice to our deepest yearnings for a closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Sights, sounds, touch, taste and (sometimes) smells combine to help us realize that all creation glorifies God.
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We Work Through Baptism, we are all ministers of God's work whether we are lay persons, bishops, priests or deacons. All of us work together to celebrate the mighty power of God revealed through Jesus Christ and the sacraments. Worship here is not a spectator sport. Everyone joins in the celebration; everyone has work to do in corporate worship. And the work doesn't end with the last hymn on Sunday morning. The real liturgy—the work of the people—is carried out in our many ministries of hospitality, reconcilliation and inclusion, as well as in our daily interactions with others. Our witness, our worship and our work extend far beyond the walls of the church building.
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We Are Diverse The Episcopal Church is very diverse, and Christ Church is no exception. Our members were born in Wales, the Sudan, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Turkey, throughout the U.S. and, yes, a lot of us were born right here in Minnesota. Some of us were baptized as Episcopalians, but most of us came from another religious tradition. Our members are widowed, married, divorced, single, and in lifelong committed relationships; some of us have children, some of us don’t. Our Sunday School and Wonderful Wednesday after-school program fill our building with the love and laughter of children. But then again, we are all Children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Many of us have been faithfully attending church for years, and some of us are just beginning or renewing a spiritual connection with God. We welcome seekers, those with questions, those with doubts, but above all we welcome everyone who is trying to make or reaffirm a closer relationship with God. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, Christ Church welcomes you!
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We Have Our Own Styles Some of us come to church in dresses or suits, while others come in jeans and sweatshirts (and sometimes with our hair still wet from the shower). We accept our differences and embrace our diversity. While our style of worship is traditional, we use prayers, texts and music from both ancient and modern resources. The organ or the piano accompanies our hymns and songs, but we often utilize the musical talents of our members to explore other styles. We follow the forms of worship in the Prayer Book, but with a relaxed attitude that allows God to be the center of our worship. We make mistakes, we try new things, but above all we offer our best to God in prayer, praise, thanksgiving and fellowship.
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We Invite You to Be Our Guest There’s always room for you at our Table and always a place for you in God’s heart. We welcome guests and hope you will worship with us: once, once in a while, or every Sunday. We're not here to find new members; we’re here to find new friends to walk with us on our journey with God and with one another.
Come. Join us in the mission, ministry and fellowship of Jesus Christ. Come to Christ Church, where everyone is welcomed in the Name of God. Our doors will always be open to you!
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Join us for worship this Sunday at 10:00 am!
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