St. Matthias Episcopal Church

What are services like?
Our worship follows the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, using most of it throughout the year. Music is pulled from various traditional and contemporary sources. Dress is casual.

What is the community like?
The community is varied and multigenerational. We have a real commitment to social outreach through our mission partnerships.

What if I'm not a Christian?
Let's start with some promises on our part: A. You will not be singled out. At no point will you be asked to stand up alone or sign anything. You are our guest, and you will be treated as such. B. We will not attempt to brainwash you. Episcopalians believe that doubt and intellectual inquiry are a fundamental part of a healthy Christian faith. There are no topics in faith, including the Bible, that are off-limits or hidden from vigorous scrutiny. Our tradition is one that has long valued scientific discovery and we see no inherent conflict between the life of faith and science. Our current Presiding Bishop, Katherine Jefferts-Schori, was a research oceanographer before she entered ministry. C. You will not be pressured to give money. While we do take up a collection every week to help support the ministry of the church, it is certainly not an emphasis. If you don't have any money, just pass the plate without any embarrassment. Most of our members give on a monthly basis and many through on-line bill pay, so not everyone puts something in the collection plate every week. Don't sweat it. D. You will not be laughed at if you don't do the right thing at the right time. Our people come from various traditions, and some stand at some points while some kneel. Some cross themselves at various points, and others don't. So most of the time, there is not one correct thing to do. Just follow along as best you can and find what works for you. E. There are no stupid questions. Not only will you need help finding the bathroom (which seems cunningly hidden sometimes) but you may need help with the bulletin or have other questions. Please ask without embarrassment. Let's move on. What will happen during the service? Our services are based in the shared tradition of the western church. While our services are in modern English (except for the 8am which preserves the beautiful Elizabethan language of our prayer book tradition) they reflect two thousand years of church tradition. When you participate in our services, you are encountering God in a manner shared by billions of people across the world and through time. Allow yourself to experience the timeless connection to God reflected in our worship. We will sing. Episcopalians love to sing, no matter how good we are at it. Join in with gusto. We will read Scripture. Through the use of a lectionary, the vast majority of the Bible is read aloud in small snippets over a three year cycle. Each service includes a reading from the Hebrew Scriptures,a Psalm, a reading from the Christian Testament, and from the Gospels. This is followed by a sermon of about eight to twelve minutes. If you get bored, feel free to flip through the Book of Common Prayer or even surf the web. We say the Nicene Creed. The creed is a poetic statement of the faith of the church, not an individual intellectual affirmation. It is a starting point for speculation about God rather than an end product. We pray for the church, the world, and our society. By holding up our concerns before God, we remind ourselves of the needs of those around us and ourselves, and we commit ourselves to working for a just society. We confess our sins. We do this with a shared text as a congregation (You will not be asked to voice your individual sins, nor will anyone else), acknowledging that we often fall short of what God would like from us. The priest pronounces God's absolution, reminding us that we are never beyond God's love. We pass the peace. We greet one another, reflecting our gladness in Gods love and forgiveness. We celebrate the Eucharist. The priest prays over the bread and wine on the congregations behalf, asking Jesus to be present in it. We take the bread and wine as a re-participation in Jesus' last night before his crucifixion. The priest pronounces a blessing. Then we go out into the world where the real work of Christian life occurs. Being a Christian is not primarily about church on Sunday. It is about living our lives in such a way that we daily reflect the love of God we have been shown. We strive to do that in our daily lives. No matter where you are on your journey of faith, you will be welcome at St. Matthias. You will not be judged, you will not be shaken down, you will not be embarrassed.