ABOUT OUR WORSHIP
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SUNDAY
With four services on Sundays during most of the year, we
are able to provide a variety of experiences in worship. Here is a brief description of our September through May schedule:
- 8:00 am – A spoken, meditative, Rite I Eucharist
in the original Stone Church. Healing
prayers are offered routinely on the first Sunday of the month, and at any other time by
request.
- 9:00 am –
Our largest service, held in the Great Hall. It is a Rite II Eucharist (except during
Advent and Lent, when
we use Rite I). It is liturgical, but
less formal in feel, and the music on
most Sundays is a balance of traditional hymnody and contemporary praise
music.
- 11:15 am – Held in the original Stone Church,
this service is generally a Rite II Eucharist
(except during Advent and Lent, when we use Rite I). The Neo-Gothic
architecture and excellent acoustics help the liturgy to have a traditional,
more formal feel. Music is mostly traditional hymnody.
- 5:00 pm
– "Ascend" contemporary evening prayer and praise, held in the Great
Hall. Bridging traditional and modern worship, Ascend combines
the ancient liturgy of Anglicanism with 21st century music styles.
During the summer, our 8:00 am and Ascend Sunday services
continue, but there is one later service at 10:00 am, and much of the music is by request
from our parishioners, matched
appropriately to the lessons for the day.
WEDNESDAY
Every Wednesday there is a service in the Chapel
at 10:00 am. Any Feast Days that fall during a given
week are observed at that service, which is a Rite
I Eucharist. The Chapel is located in
the Parish House complex.
A WORD ABOUT MUSIC
We believe strongly that good music, when provided, is an integral part of spirit-filled
worship. We also believe that our music ministry should draw
from the best which has been composed over the whole history of the Church. For this reason, we have avoided segregating traditional and contemporary
genres on most occasions in favor of a healthy
balance. (For the exception, see Special Sundays below.) We are blessed to have
many fine volunteer musicians under the direction of Dr. David
Kreider (Choir, Music Director) and Ms. Lynn Lyon-Vaiden
(Handbell Choir),
as well as Ms. Caren Bezanson for the first-Sunday Contemporary Service (see
below).
SPECIAL SERVICES
Normally, the first
Sunday of the month is our most diverse, service- and music-wise. After
our usual 8:00 am service, our 9:00 am service includes entirely
contemporary music, and our 11:15
am service is a High Sung Eucharist with choir, sanctus bells, and
incense. The 11:15 am service is also a High Sung service on Principal
Feasts, such as Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.
For
the annual Bishop's Visitation and
other special events, it is our custom to only have one
later morning service at 10:00 am. Accordingly, we encourage everyone, especially visitors, to consult the most recent worship and Christian education schedule (available by clicking here) and announcements section on the front page
before they come.
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23 N. Court
St., Westminster, MD 21157 USA
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The
CHurch of the ascension |
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