The Anglican Tradition
At St. John’s, we worship within the Anglican tradition supported by the beauty of ancient rituals and sacred music. The rich tradition of the English church and the apostolic faith shape our worship at St. John’s today. Each Sunday, we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, a practice of faith and worship rooted in the earliest days of the Christian community. We believe that when we are gathered together, we are invited to encounter the mystery of God’s love.
We observe many ancient customs at St. John's as we conduct the church's ceremonies. Although our liturgies are full of words, they are also made up of actions. Sometimes, these ceremonial actions reinforce what we are saying, and sometimes, they speak for themselves, saying things for which we have no words. Together, words and actions are symbolic and represent our offering of ourselves, our lives, and our faith in God.
In the Episcopal church, we are blessed with a rich heritage of language and rituals that have also benefitted from a measure of renewal. At St. John’s, we use a variety of forms and styles of ritual, most of which are from the Book of Common Prayer. You will find services that employ contemporary language and more traditional language. We enjoy singing hymns from the Hymnal 1982 but sometimes borrow contemporary hymns from other sources.
Holy Eucharist
At the Eucharist, we come to offer our thanks for and experience again the mystery of God’s love for us. On Sunday morning, we mark the celebration of the Eucharist through the rich traditions of hymns found in the English church.
Over the years, the Holy Eucharist has been known by several names: Holy Communion, the Divine Liturgy, and the Mass. In the Eucharist, we celebrate the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood, and in it, we are made one with one another and with Jesus’ first disciples. Today, we continue this ancient practice as disciples ourselves, remembering Jesus’ words to “do this” in remembrance of Him. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek eucharistia, meaning “thanksgiving,” reminding us that our first response is gratitude to God.
Music
Music in the Episcopal Church can be as diverse as its worship services. Although final authority over the music used in an Episcopal service is “the duty of every Minister,” our hymnal draws all Episcopalians together musically in the same way that the Book of Common Prayer draws us together in prayer and liturgy.
The Hymnal of the Episcopal Church, most recently revised in 1982, offers 720 hymns and liturgical music. While some of the hymns date back to monastic chants, the hymnal also offers more modern music.
As Episcopalians, we have a musical heritage that is one of the world’s richest and most deeply spiritual. For 1500 years, Anglican church music has sought to witness the Christian faith in authenticity and truth. Our music is not a homogeneous product but an extremely diverse and multi-layered art form that celebrates and encompasses many different traditions.