Worship

Worship on Sundays at St. Christopher’s begins at 8:00 AM when we share a traditional Rite I Eucharist with liturgical flow and language that have changed little in the 100-plus years that St. Christopher’s has been alive. Some people call this language “the Queen’s English,” referring in part to its formality, although those who attend this service are anything but formal. This quiet, spoken service of prayer, scripture, and Holy Communion is an inviting encounter with God in the company of a wonderful and growing group of people.

Our contemporary eucharist is grounded in the belief that all should feel welcomed and accepted as who they are. “Wiggle Worship” is a Rite III Eucharist geared toward younger children and their families, but welcomes all people of all ages. We listen and discuss God’s Good News, sing and pray together, and share Christ’s bread and wine. There are no service leaflets, which means that music and responses are simple. Prior to pandemic realities, the children did virtually everything, including helping with the sermon, preparing the table for Communion, collecting the offering, and distributing Communion. These important ministries of service are being added back in as mitigations allow. The service is traditionally 40 minutes. Recent growth in the Wiggle Worship service led us to replace six pews with movable chairs.

Our 11:00AM service is a Rite II Choral Eucharist which uses both The Book of Common Prayer and approved liturgical materials from Enriching Our Worship. Forms of the Eucharistic Prayer change seasonally and the Prayers of the People weekly. This service typically lasts an hour to one hour and 15 minutes and is accompanied by our liturgical choir under the direction of our choirmaster and organist Dr. Richard Sobak.