Sundays

St. Elizabeth’s is an Episcopal church and we use the services in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer on Sundays and at other times. Our service of worship is a liturgy which, translated literally from the Greek, means, “the work of the people.” So what should you expect when you worship at St. Elizabeth’s?

For one thing, although we are firmly planted in the Episcopal tradition, our worship space is not traditional at all. We gather in a simple room where we sit in a semi-circle facing one another. At the center of our space, and of our lives, is the altar where we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, or Holy Communion, each Sunday.

We also do music a bit differently than some of our sister Episcopal churches. We do not have a choir, or an organ, or even any hymnals. Instead we all join in making our music, lifting our voices together in chant and song, all a cappella, without musical accompaniment. Why?

Because St. Elizabeth’s hopes that the music we make together will be a way of praying and of offering God our ‘sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.’ The chants and songs we use are deeply traditional: in fact, some of them go back to the earliest days of Christianity. But the music we offer is not a performance or something extra in the service. It is instead a way of praying with our whole body. We begin each service by practicing the music, making sure that everyone knows what we will be singing, and when, and how it goes. At St. Elizabeth’s we believe that everyone can sing and you are invited to come join in making a joyful noise!

Holy Week - the week that begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday, a week later—is the height of the Christian year. This is the week when we celebrate the events that are foundational to our faith. From Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, through his arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection, in the services of Holy Week we commemorate and celebrate the major events of Jesus’ last days on earth.

On Palm Sunday we tell the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem which, in turn, leads to his arrest and trial before Pilate.

On Maundy Thursday, we recount Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, his institution of the Holy Eucharist (also known as Holy Communion), and his giving of the commandment to love one another as he has loved us.

Good Friday is the day when we remember Jesus’ crucifixion and death in a solemn liturgy that ends in silence and dark.

At the Holy Saturday morning service, we gather to wait and pray as we remember the three days Jesus lay in the tomb.

That evening we gather for the single most festive and joyous celebration of the entire Christian year: the Great Vigil of Easter, one of the most ancient celebrations of the Church. At the Easter Vigil, the Paschal candle is lit and carried into the darkened Church, symbolizing the light of Christ returning to the world. We then hear the whole story of God’s saving work in history, from His creation of the world in Genesis right up to Jesus’ triumph over death in his resurrection.

Easter Sunday is the continuation of the joyful celebration begun at the Easter Vigil as we complete our walk through this most holy of weeks.