“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. ”
Worship
Worship is central to the Christian life — it is where we gather to celebrate our faith, express joy, renew hope, rekindle vision, and prepare for the tasks ahead. Generally, our services reflect time-honored and traditional rituals — a rich convergence of art, music, scripture, and the spoken word. It is the community’s prayer in which we adore God and know ourselves loved by God.
At Saint Philip’s, worship ranges from the simple and intimate morning prayer services of weekdays, where a few gather to share in the the patterns of daily prayer that have shaped monasteries and churches for century upon century, to the elaborate pageantry of Christmas Eve and Easter morning. In all of this we share in the patterns of faithful living and holy encounter in which we offer our selves and souls — all that we have and all that we are — to be transformed by the Spirit.
In our worship, we celebrate God with us through water, bread, and wine. Jesus shared bread and wine with his first followers and is with us today in this meeting with him which we call Holy Communion. Through it we receive the forgiveness of our sins and a strengthening of our union with God and one another as we take part in Christ's life, death, and resurrection.
An individual becomes part of the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism by water. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us that through Baptism we are united with God. The Episcopal Church believes that through Baptism — in any Christian denomination — we become brothers and sisters in God’s family. Episcopalians therefore welcome and encourage all those who have been baptized, in whatever church, to join us in taking Communion. Those who are not baptized may feel drawn to receive, and we hope that they will speak with a member of the clergy here about what Baptism means and how the Holy Spirit calls us together as one.
Communion is always about more than receiving Bread — it is about becoming and being the Body of Christ together, for we who are many form one body. You can learn more about Communion, the Sacraments, and what we believe by clicking the “learn more” button below.