Sunday Services
From September to June, St. Matthew's has two Sunday services offering holy communion (called the Eucharist in the Episcopal church):
8:00 a.m. A shorter service, using Episcopal Rite I, using older language. Afterwards, the attendees often get together for a hot breakfast downstairs.
10:30 a.m. A fuller service, using the newer language of Episcopal Rite II, with full choir (in season). Afterwards, the congregation gathers for a coffee hour.
The time in between the services is the education hour where parents may attend interesting educational programs while their children are going to Sunday school. People of all faiths are welcome, and all are invited to take communion.
Both services are family-friendly—a toddler wandering down the aisle will get smiles, not scowls. However, a nursery is provided for children under five. The nursery is staffed continuously by two adult caregivers starting at 8:00 through the 10:30 service.
In the summer, we have just one communion service, Rite II, at 9:00 a.m.
On the first Sunday of the month, we incorporate the Episcopal rite of healing at the 10:30 eucharist. The rite involves the laying on of hands and annointing with oil for those who desire healing for themselves or for somebody else. And on the second Sunday at the 10:30 service, we lead the children downstairs before the sermon to our children's altar, where they will listen to a homily just for them.
Sunday Evening Compline. On Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. we also offer the service of Compline, an intergenerational and multicultural half-hour service of prayer, thanksgiving, and healing. Our version of the service incorporates elements from Native American and other world worship. The service is followed by both silence in the Sanctuary for personal prayer and contemplation, and coffee, cocoa, cookies and conversation in the Undercroft Gallery. Children are welcome.
About Episcopal Worship. If you are unfamiliar with Episcopal services, they are liturgical (meaning that they follow a script), they are scriptural (at least three Bible readings are included in most services), and they are participatory (the congregation reads and responds throughout the service). The scripts are found in the eloquent Book of Common Prayer which allows you to follow along and participate throughout the service.
Our style of worship is "diverse traditional". Our services are dignified and beautiful to both the eyes and the ears, but we often add elements from liturgies used in other parts of the world, including Kenya, Uganda, New Zealand, England, and Ireland. We enjoy the beauty and power of some of the spiritual expressions of people in the Anglican Communion and other countries.
If you're planning to visit St. Matthew's (and we hope you are!), you may go to our Visitor's Guide to find out what to expect. Then take a deeper look at our worship on our Worship Background page. Also, the Episcopal Church's online Visitor's Center offers more information about Episcopal worship in general.
Weekday Services
At St. Matthew's we hear from many people in our community who tell us how busy and stressed their lives are, and how they yearn for a quiet time that will help them get in touch with their spirituality. We have sought to respond to this expressed need with some quiet midweek services:
Taizé Candlelight Service. Held on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. Developed by the Taizé religious community in France, Taizé services are simple, quiet, contemplative, and non-denominational. The service include a reading from scripture, simple sung chants, candlelight, and spaces for silence and prayer. Our version of the service includes violin accompaniment and stations for prayer and contemplation.
Wednesday Communion and Prayer Services. Additionally, St. Matthew's offers two Wednesday services. At 10:00 a.m. we offer a Rite I celebration of the Eucharist. And then at noon, we offer a brief prayer service, followed by a discussion of the readings for the coming Sunday.
