Dear St. James’ Parish Family,
September means an end to summer vacation for our children, even if summer weather persists. It also means we are in the middle of the long green season (liturgically speaking) after Pentecost.
It will last until we step into the blue of Advent at the end of November. Back in the spring, the Worship Team decided that since this is such a long season, and since we’ve established a pattern
of changing our liturgical framework each season, we would split into two blocks: May-August and September-November. So it is, that beginning September 4th the texture of our Sunday worship
will change.
For these next few months we will using liturgical elements from Enriching Our Worship 1, one of the supplemental liturgical resources of the Episcopal Church. This will include small things that
may stand out, like saying, “Hear what the Spirit is saying to the people” instead of “The word of the Lord” after our readings, and bigger pieces such our Eucharistic Prayer (we’ll be using EOW
Prayer 2 in case you’re wondering) and the Confession. For the first block of this season we said the Lord’s Prayer using the traditional language, after singing it in various forms from last fall
through Pentecost. We’ll continue the Lord’s Prayer spoken, but use the modern language version for the fall. Additionally, all the pieces of service music (the Introit, Gloria, Gospel Alleluia, Sanctus, and Fraction Anthem) are changing as well. It will be a mix of familiar tunes and trying on a couple new ones. In Advent we will return to liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer – and perhaps a sung Lord’s Prayer again!
I look forward to coming back together to worship after our summer months of travel, rest, and relaxation. See you on Kick-Off Sunday!
Yours in God’s peace,
Kristin+