St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

Every summer is an opportunity for us to experiment with the liturgy. We’re trying some new music, some old music that we’ve never tried, and also having fun.

One of the major shifts we’ve made over the last few months is that our 10:00am services are sung. I believe that singing is one of the crucial aspects of worship. It forms the faith and builds loyalty. It heals the mind. It brings the soul and the body together. Churches are one of the few places where anyone can sing without feeling embarrassed. Some argue that music is where God resides. Others wonder if we sang before we spoke. It definitely builds community. That said, our 930 services during the summer will remain a reasonable length.

I will be chanting the collect for purity. The collect for purity symbolically sets aside the time for us to encounter the transcendent. It is not mandatory (we’ve been omitting it for the past several years). In many churches, the priest may sprinkle the congregation to get them ready for what’s to come.

After the collect for purity we will be singing songs of praise from the hymn instead of traditional service music. This allows us to have more variety in the hymns and gives us time to sing some old favorites.

The offering – all gifts – will be placed on the altar. This includes food and cash. The symbolism represents that all our gifts come from God and we’re offering it all up. I will not be elevating them. But we’re merely stating they are all on the table, and we’re sharing it. I’m insisting on this because I believe that one of our cultural challenges is open conversations about money and our relationship to it. Best to bring it out into the open.

For four weeks we will be using Rite D. Rite D is the prayer that has been approved by all liturgical denominations – from the Eastern Orthodox to the Methodists. What changes is that the prayers of the people come during the canonical service and instead of between the prayers and the peace.

For the other weeks we will be praying Rite C. Rite C is the cosmic prayer. In requires much more congregational participation and recognizes the presence of God in all of creation.

We’ll be singing a communion Taize chant for communion during the summer in addition to our communion hymn. This is a very powerful chant that starts softly and is meant to build up after being sung several times. It is very powerful and brings the mind into a powerful state.

Last, we will be having more jazz and gospel during the summer, with Issac Assor being our cantor and accompanist. This is wonderful opportunity for us to hear some wonderful contemporary music.

Announcements will, during the summer, come before the blessing, after communion. Traditionally they have come during the peace, but for now they we will have the entire service run as one piece. After communion is a natural pause at which point we will have a few selected, truncated announcements. The final prayer asks God to send us forth, so setting the announcements before being sent makes liturgical sense.