Lessons and Carols

The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a treasure of Anglican worship. Edward White Benson (then Bishop of Truro and later to become Archbishop of Canterbury) developed the service and held it for the first time on Christmas Eve in 1880. It was quickly adopted by other churches. Now held around the world (often adapted for local contexts), the service weaves scripture lessons with music to tell of God’s redemptive love. Through readings and song, we follow the story of salvation from hope-filled prophecy to gracious fulfillment in the birth of our Savior.

Advent

Happy New Year! The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the Church Year. Advent (from the Latin adventus, meaning arrival or coming) is the four weeks before Christmas; Christians have observed it for centuries as a time of waiting and preparation. We remember how God’s people waited for Jesus’ first coming, as we now wait expectantly for our King to come again. At church this season, the readings, music, and even the royal blue of the pastors’ stoles all point to our King’s first and second advent—the Good News of Immanuel, God with us.

Vestments (Part 3): Why do you wear robes?

In our services in the Sanctuary, the ministers wear what many people call “robes.” Actually, they are wearing the two garments traditionally worn by Anglican clergy. The cassock is a simple black floor-length garment. It was everyday street-wear at the time of the English Reformation (this is where we trace our theological roots). The white surplice (pronounced like "surplus") is worn over it. Together, they have come to symbolize our salvation in Christ: our dark, sin-stained souls are washed, and covered with the pure righteousness of Christ.

Vestments (Part 2): The Stole

This is the second installment of a series on vestments. The stole is the minister’s long scarf-like garment worn around the neck (the colors reflect the season of the church year). It originated as a kind of napkin the priest would use in communion. It now serves practical and symbolic functions. First, it helps the congregation to identify the clergy. (Only clergy wear stoles; priests allow it to hang down as shown, while deacons wear it diagonally across the chest). Second, it represents service under the yoke of Christ. Finally, it symbolizes the towel Jesus used when he washed the disciples’ feet (John 13) and reminds clergy of their role as servants.

Vestments (Part 1): What and Why

In our tradition, clergy sometimes wear special clothing, called vestments, during services. These have been worn in the church for centuries and are a visual reminder of our deep historical roots (they point to the specific historic eras when God worked in human history to create his church). In future posts, we’ll start explaining what each garment means. But for now, why wear any vestments at all? First, like any uniform, vestments indicate a role or function. It helps the congregation figure out who’s who. Second, and more importantly, it diminishes the focus on the minister (and other participants in the service, from choir members to readers to those helping with Communion). Clothing can be a way we assert the self, and pastors are tempted to do this too. We've all likely been to church services where the clothing of someone "up front" proved to be a big distraction (whether extremely dated or extremely hip). In our worship services, however, our focus is Christ, not the appearance or taste in clothing of the pastor, worship leader, or anyone else. Vestments can be a way to keep things simple, and keeping the focus not on the people leading, but on our Lord.

Reading from the Gospel

The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are the four books in the New Testament about Jesus’ life. When we read the Gospel passage in church during a service of Holy Communion, a lot happens. First, we stand up! This reminds us to wake up, take notice. At some services, the reader walks into the congregation, reminding us of how Jesus came to us. When the reader announces the Gospel, we respond, “Glory to you, Lord Christ.” Afterwards, we say, “Praise to you, Lord Christ.” This is because these are the words of Christ—Jesus himself is speaking! So when you hear the Gospel read, ask, “What are you saying to me, Jesus?” (Footnote: During non-Communion Sunday services--what Anglicans call Morning Prayer--typically two lessons are read: one from the Old Testament, and one from the New Testament. Sometimes the NT reading is from one of the Gospels, while other times it is from Acts, the Epistles, or Revelation. In any case, the congregation remains seated for both the OT and NT readings during Morning Prayer, even if the NT lesson is from a Gospel.)

The Collect (or Prayer) of the Day

Traditionally called the “Collect,” these prayers gather up, or collect, the prayers of the congregation. They often focus on the seasons of the church year or some aspect of the Christian life. Using a written prayer keeps it brief and keeps us focused on God. It is not rote; as we pray, we add our own emotions and longings. Think of it like when you sing along with the radio. Someone else wrote the words, but they become yours.

The Shape of Our Service

Our services can be divided in two halves. The first part focuses on God’s Word (the Bible). God speaks through the reading of his Word, and his Good News (the Gospel) is proclaimed to us who are lost, suffering, weak, or sin-sick. The second part focuses on the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (or Communion). This is another way of proclaiming the Gospel. We hear the story of Jesus death for us, and that he wants to live in us. As we respond with faith in Christ, eating and drinking in remembrance of him, we are powerfully reminded that we are people who need something from outside ourselves to save us. We leave church assured of his grace and refreshed by his power in us.

The Collect (or Prayer) for Purity

A collect is a short, focused prayer that "collects" and gathers the prayers of the people in worship.
This collect comes at the start of our service. It begins, “Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid.” This reminds us God knows all about us (our little secrets)—and it ain’t pretty. This rightfully and wonderfully puts us in our place. Thus, we don’t come lightly or self-righteously into worship. Next we pray that God would "cleanse the thoughts of our hearts." This acknowledges the reality that when we come to worship, we are a distracted and sinful people, with cold hearts and wandering minds. So this prayer helps us come to God with great humility, aware that we cannot even worship God without his intervention in our hearts. Then we conclude by praying that by God's grace and help we might be able to "worthily magnify" (or praise) his holy name. When we worship rightly, it is only by God going before us and giving us hearts that love him.

The Opening Sentences

Our services begin with the pastor saying, “Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” The people respond: “And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever.” Why? First, these words reminds us that we’re here for something different from normal life—because who needs more of that?—we’re here to meet God. Second, we remember that God is Three Persons (the theological term is Trinity)—so he’s bigger than us, and maybe a little mysterious, beyond our understanding. Third, when we say "blessed be his kingdom, now and forever" we remember God is our king—and he’s in charge forever. This is good news. If God is here, and he’s big, and he’s in charge, there is hope for us, because “sometimes you can’t make it on your own” (U2).

What Is Liturgy and Why Do We Do It?

Liturgy is the formal order of a worship service. While not rigid or stuffy, it uses set words and prayers, done in order. Following Jesus’ example, the early church worshiped this way. We continue to do this because (1) it allows all to participate—not just the clergy; (2) it takes the focus off the person “up front”—there’s no need to make up eloquent, showy prayers; and (3) the Bible-based, Christ-centered prayers focus our thoughts, reminding us who God is and what he’s done for us.

Why Service Notes? A Word From Your Pastors

As an Anglican church, we know there may be some parts of services at St. Stephen's that are unfamiliar to people, newcomers and long-time members alike. We get questions like: Why do we stand for Gospel readings? Why do we say prayers together? What’s the deal with Lent? Why do the colors of your stoles change? (And what’s a stole?) And what happens in Communion? This fall, you’ll begin to see “Service Notes,” a new feature in our service sheets to answer some of these common questions. And we'll archive each week’s entry online here. Ultimately, we would love it if this little project made St. Stephen's a more accessible place. After all, we're not trying to build an exclusive worship club, where only insiders "get it." At the same time, we believe our sometimes unfamiliar traditions (which Christians have been doing for thousands of years!) are worth keeping. Hopefully, Service Notes will help you know what we're doing and why we're doing it. And if there’s something you’re curious about, let us know.