HOLY EUCHARIST
Holy Eucharist (also known as Mass or Holy Communion) is the center of our collective spiritual lives and ministries here at St. Stephen’s. In it we hear and reflect upon God’s Word in Holy Scripture, gather around the altar to share the Body and Blood of Christ in the form of bread and wine, and then are sent back into daily life to love and serve God and one another. It is the sacrament of continuing participation in the way of Jesus and in the life of the church.
Every Sunday we celebrate with joy the relentless gift of newness, and the invitation to transformation that stands even in our midst.
Our celebration of the Eucharist is rooted in ancient tradition, as we do as Christians have done for centuries. Our praise of God engages all the senses: with music, ritual, and incense (at our Wednesday night Eucharist) we lift our hearts and minds from the stresses and strains of modern living. For we believe that in our worship we glimpse heaven itself – a world so much bigger and greater than the present moment, and a vision of hope.
Although we embrace ancient traditions and utilize an Anglo-Catholic style of worship, with a strong sense of dignity for liturgical worship, our outlook is fresh and inclusive; our community diverse. We are neither stuffy nor “spiky” in how we worship. Our commitment is to translating the wisdom and beauty of the past to the needs and hunger of the present. The best way to learn about our worship is to experience it: we invite you to join us.
We celebrate the Holy Eucharist twice each week,
SUNDAYS
11:00 am HOLY EUCHARIST done according to an adapted form of Rite II of The Book of Common Prayer, which utilizes inclusive language regarding God, with Hymns and music
WEDNESDAYS
6:00 pm HOLY EUCHARIST in which we use an adapted form of Enriching Our Worship, a resource using more inclusive language i.e. gender-neutral language regarding God. We also offer a non-hypoallergenic incense as part of our worship experience on Wednesday evenings.
Gluten-free hosts are available at all our liturgies.
Please join us for the Holy Eucharist at St. Stephen’s!
