Our Worship
We are a traditional Episcopal church – we follow the Book of Common Prayer – but we innovate and experiment with the liturgy to find ways for people to participate through words, poetry, and art, and we give people a chance to express their own reactions to the gospel. It takes practice and courage to articulate our faith in this world, and what better place to learn to do this than in our sanctuary among friends. The sounds of little children are welcome during our services.
We come to the Lord's table, where all are welcome, where no one is turned away. The bread of Holy Eucharist is made by our parishioners.
We come to the Lord's table, where all are welcome, where no one is turned away. The bread of Holy Eucharist is made by our parishioners.
A candle-lit Christmas Eve service is traditional at CHS, as in many Episcopal churches.
We observe Good Friday in an unusual way. In place of the traditional three-hour service of reflection and repentance, we spend Good Friday as a day of service, in keeping with the advice of the prophet Isaiah: the "fast" that the Lord loves is to extend a helping hand to those in any kind of need.
The Good Friday Day of Service is well-attended. Projects vary widely as shown in the photos:
The Good Friday Day of Service is well-attended. Projects vary widely as shown in the photos:
Music is an integral part of our services. CHS music-makers include a small choir, a bell choir, and a number of instrumentalists we can call on. We are fortunate to possess a wonderful pipe organ and to have, as our director of music, an experienced virtuosic classical pianist. He regularly incorporates music from the classical repertoire into our worship services. While the pandemic took its toll on our music program, we are on the way back.
