Worship at St. Luke's
"Where ever you have come from, where ever you are going,
Whatever you believe, whatever you don't believe,
It doesn't matter.
There is space at the table for you and you are welcome here."
Stephanie Nagley, Rector
The Worship Service - What to Expect
Gathering as a community for worship is central to everything we do. The customary service is the service of Holy Eucharist where we say our prayers, sing, read and respond to lessons from the Bible and gather around the table to share the bread and wine of Holy Communion. When we gather together, despite our differences and diversity we are one people united in rebellion against a broken world. We are sharing God's meal and therefore we place no restrictions upon it. Everyone is welcome to receive the bread and wine. This is God's meal and everyone is welcome.
Our two Sunday services are at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Children and adults gather from 9:15 a.m. to just before 10 a.m. for education. The children are in the lower level classrooms and the adults gather in Ludlum Hall.
On Wednesdays there is a service of Holy Eucharist and Healing at 12:00 noon. This is a small, informal service, 30 to 45 minutes in length providing a more intimate and conversational setting for worship.
At St. Luke's we are dedicated to the ministry of hospitality and make every effort to help you feel at home. As you enter you will probably be greeted by an usher. Please ask the usher for any assistance you may need such as help with finding a seat, to using a hearing assistance device or finding the restroom.
On Sunday you will find the entire service printed in booklet form which the usher will give you as you enter the door. As you read through the bulletin you will notice that we try as much as possible to use inclusive language and from time to time we will use other sources, in addition to the Book of Common Prayer, to enhance our worship.
As an example of what we do during a typical worship service and why we do it, the Instructed Eucharist offers a very useful explanation both for those who have been worshiping for a long time and also for those who are brand new in their worship journey.
Children are Welcome
Your children are also welcome to stay with you during the service. Sometimes young children get restless and you may find that the soft space adjacent to the choir loft with soft toys and a rocking chair helpful.
If you have pre-school age children and would like to use the nursery the greeters will assist you.
Gathering After the Service
Hospitality is at the heart of everything we do and we hope you will stay for conversation and refreshments served in Ludlum Hall after Sunday services. This is time for enjoying fellowship with friends and meet new friends.
Baptisms, Weddings, Holy Unions and Funerals
Baptism is a joyous celebration for everyone involved in its expression of God's love for us and our response to that love. The Sacrament of Baptism is understood to be the way in which people, usually children and infants, are brought into the Christian community. Baptisms occur throughout the year at the regular Sunday service. Commonly scheduled dates for Baptism are the Sunday after All Saints' Day in November, the Sunday following January 6 (Epiphany), Eastertide (usually sometime in April), and Pentecost (late May or June). Please contact the Rector ro schedule a Baptism.
Weddings and Holy Unions are worship services of celebration and commitment between two people and the community. These services are available to members of St. Luke’s throughout the year, except during Lent. Please contact the Rector to make arrangements at least 90 days prior to your desired date.
Funerals provide a way for us to gather to grieve and to celebrate a person’s life among us. Please contact the Rector to arrange a funeral service.
Worship Ministries
Acolytes
All members of the parish are eligible to serve as acolytes. Each acolyte is scheduled throughout the year to serve on Sundays for the 10:00 a.m. service and at other special services. Duties rotate so that each acolyte has a chance to carry the cross, serve the altar, present the offering, etc. Training sessions are held as necessary. In addition, the acolytes who desire may represent St. Luke’s at the Annual Acolyte Festival held each October at the National Cathedral.
Altar Guild
Dedication to God's hospitality is at the heart of everything the Altar Guild does. They make our table fellowship a beautiful and accessible experience by taking care of the vessels, vestments, the linens and other items that we use for worship services.
These dedicated men and women work in teams of three to six members rotate weekly to share the jobs of the various services during the week. The Altar Guild also assists participants in planning Weddings or Holy Unions at St. Luke's. An Altar Guild consultant meets with the couple to review church procedures and their service plans, and an Altar Guild team attends the reheasrsal and the service to be of assistance.
Choir
Make a joyful noise! The St. Luke’s Choir provides music for the 10:00 a.m. service and for special services and concerts during the year. All singers of high school age and above are invited to share in this ministry. If you are unable to commit to a full season (September – June) of singing, you may wish to add your voice for the Christmas and/or Easter seasons.
St. Luke’s Choir practice one evening a week. No audition is required, although the ability to read music is always desirable.
In addition talented instrumentalists are always welcomed to participate in our worship; contact the Organist/Choirmaster to schedule special music.
Flowers and Flower Guild
The altar flowers at St. Luke’s are gifts of thanksgiving, celebration, or memorial. Please contact the church office to reserve a date, and your donation will appear in the Sunday Bulletin.
The Flower Guild of St. Luke’s provides flowers for the Sunday services and for special decorations at Christmas and Easter. Each week two members of the group select the flowers on Friday to arrange them on Saturday morning. Semi-annual meetings are held to review problems, discuss new ideas, and plan for religious festival seasons. Each member serves approximately five times a year, and at Christmas and Easter.
Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors
We are here to serve each other in all that we do. Some people may feel called to be Eucharistic Ministers serving the wine of Holy Communion. We also have a team of Eucharistic Visitors who take the Sunday bread and wine to those who are home or hospital bound.
Readers
The reading of the scripture is always part of our Sunday worship. We share the stories of our faith. Readers are people who offer to read the lessons on Sunday at either the 8 a.m. or 10 a.m. service or at other special services. If you would like to be a reader please contact the Rector and she will help you get started in this ministry.
Ushers
These are the people who provide the first wave of hospitality to all those who enter for Sunday service. This dedicated group of men and women and children are there to help everyone enjoy and experience the open and expansive love of God.
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