Our Worship Services
Sunday 8:00 a.m. RITE 2 LITURGY
Held in the chapel. The Rite 2 liturgies reflect contemporary theology and use inclusive language.
Sunday 10:00 a.m. RITE 2 LITURGY
Held in the main sanctuary using the Rite 2 liturgy, with our full pipe organ and chancel choir.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. REFLECTION
Delve deeper into the meaning of the Gospel reading from the liturgy. This is a chance to let the text speak to us, share our thoughts, and listen to the views and insights of others.
Listen to the Right Rev. Craig Loya’s address at the General Convention. Please consider this powerful message, relevant and hopeful, for all Episcopalians in Minnesota to hear and inwardly digest; and in community, to discern how the Holy Spirit is calling us to recommit to the ways of discipleship of Jesus Christ.
Liturgy* 101 →
A general guide to the Sunday service at Christ Church
Services are well-ordered. Episcopal services are formal and structured compared to some protestant denominations. We take pride in the fact that the same worship service is happening around the world in thousands of churches. There is a formal structure, and a pace and flow refined over many centuries. You will find it predictable, sacred and supremely comforting.
Music. The music at the 10:00 service is from the 1982 hymnal. It is the classical canon of the oldest English-speaking Christian musical tradition.
Dress. There is no dress code. (Believe it or not, our founder even wore sandals to church!) You'll see men wearing everything from jeans and T-shirts to business suits. Women wear everything from dresses and pretty hats (especially at Easter), to skirts, jeans or capris. Dress however you feel comfortable in the presence of God.
Parking: There is ample (free) street parking. This is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Red Wing, and it's perfectly safe to park your car and walk to the church at all hours of the day. There is also free, covered parking a half block away in the Plaza or Studebaker ramps.
Children: Children are welcome in the services. For younger children, there are activity bags in the rear of the church; there is also a well-staffed and equipped nursery, and programs for all school-age children.
Help. The Ushers and Greeters are always available to answer questions and provide assistance.
Special Needs. The building is handicapped-accessible. Enter through the 4th St door and take the elevator to the first floor, or enter by either of the two side doors on East Avenue. There is a ramp and wide doors to gain access to the sanctuary. (The ushers will be more than happy to help you navigate the building.) We also have gluten-free bread at the communion altar.
Stand up. Sit Down. What's going on? There's no wrong way to do your pew aerobics. And we like to keep you awake. Episcopal congregations across the world have different rituals and sit or stand at different times. Just watch the congregation and follow along. You do not have to kneel. It is perfectly acceptable to kneel or stand during the formal prayers. (However, hunkering down in the pew is discouraged - we try to be bold - and to be technically correct, you should either stand or kneel in respect for the tradition.)
Fill out a visitor’s card found in the pew, or at the back of the sanctuary. Please put it in the offering plate or hand it to an usher. This way we can get to know you and it will ensure that you are on our mailing list, and clergy can contact you if you so desire.
* A form of public worship; a prescribed ritual.
NOTE: There is real wine in the communion chalice: the fermented fruit of the grape. If you wish to abstain from the chalice, you may partake of only the bread. If you do this, rest assured, your communion is absolutely complete (referred to as "in one kind only").
NOTE: If you wish to receive gluten-free bread; we keep a separate chalice for this purpose.
Partaking in Holy Communion means taking strength to live the vows we took in Holy Baptism. We invite you to ask us about how we view Holy Baptism. We welcome your questions. God is at work in you, and Christ Church is a place to begin your sacred conversation with God.
There are two handicapped-accessible ramps. Both are located on the East Avenue side of the building.
“Much of the power and effectiveness of the Episcopal Church is because we all participate in common rituals. The blessings, prayers. and statements of faith are spoken by over 80 million Anglicans around the world every Sunday.
It’s a time and space warp. You come as an individual, but you are actually part of a collective force of people who are all disciples of Christ and who are speaking the same words and praying the same prayers at the same time as you. It’s comforting. It’s thrilling. All of us are experiencing the same reverence, awe, and peace at that very moment.
You feel a deep connection when you realize that you are an important part of a worldwide outpouring of joy.”
The Book Of Common Prayer
“The Book of common prayer has seeped into the collective consciousness more profoundly than that of any other book written in English - even the bible.
— Brian Cummings, Oxford Press
For 500 years this book has marked the hours (Morning & Evening Prayer), the days (Feasts and Festivals), the most profound sorrows (At the Burial of a Child), the suffering (Visitation of the Sick), happiness (The Order of Baptism), and the crises and triumphs (Prayers and Thanksgivings Upon Special Occasions) of this human life.
The Book of Common Prayer has shaped the inner life and branded the tongue of the English-speaking peoples. It's phrases and rhythms did not merely enter our language, they largely defined it. Almost every English speaker on the planet uses phrases from the BCP often without knowing the source.
The 20th century's most astute critic of English, George Orwell, frequently quoted the BCP from memory. And, although he claimed to be an atheist, Orwell insisted on being married…
"Dearly beloved…"
"…to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."
"…those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder."
and buried…
"Deliver your servant from all evil and set him free…"
"May angels surround her and saints welcome her in peace…"
“May light perpetual shine upon him."
…to the timeless words of the Book of Common Prayer.
On page 845 you will find the basics of our faith clearly and succintly spelled out in Q&A format. It is our Catechism; our FAQ.
If you ever need to pray, and don't know what to say, look in the Book of Common Prayer.
If you can't express your highest thoughts in words, have a look.
It is a monumentally significant work.
Click on the image to read the Book of Common Prayer as a pdf
We understand Communion as participation in the Body of Christ (you and I are the body of Christ) and the meaning of this ritual flows from the five most important vows we have made in baptism. It is a weekly reminder and recommitment to: (1) continue in regular worship, (2) repent from evil, (3) proclaim the Good News of God in Christ, (4) seek and serve Christ in everyone, and (5) respect the dignity of every human being.
If you are not baptized, you are welcome to come to the table for a blessing. Stand at the rail, cross your arms over your chest as a signal to the priest, and you will receive a verbal blessing in the name of Jesus Christ. If you are seeking a deeper knowledge of Christ, please speak to a clergy person after the service. We are here to accompany you on your journey.
Baptized children, no matter how young, are welcome to receive Communion. None of us can fully understand the mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ even after a lifetime of study, and so we encourage children to participate fully. Periodically we offer workshops for children and their parents on Baptism and Communion. Speak to a member of the clergy if you wish to have your child baptized.
If you cannot walk to the front, the priest will bring the bread and the wine to you. Stay in the pew and raise your hand, stand up to be seen, or simply remain in your wheelchair. We will find you.
Receive the bread in your cupped and outstretched hands. Many people say "amen" or cross themselves to place the cross of Jesus upon them after they eat the bread and drink the wine.
There are small cups for the wine near the front aisles. Receive the wine by holding your small cup out to the Chalice bearer. (We are not using a Common Cup for the Eucharist due to recent health concerns.)
To receive a blessing instead of the bread and wine, simply cross your arms across your chest.
Eucharist (the Greek word for "thanksgiving") is a most sacred rite for us. The form and substance hearken back to the early roots of Christianity. It echoes the last supper of Jesus with his disciples the night before he was crucified. Each week it reminds us of our relationship to our Lord Christ Jesus.
Holy Communion
(Eucharist, The Lord's Supper)
All baptized Christians are invited to share in Holy Communion.
The general structure of the service:
We Gather as a Community
to hear God's Word through stories in the old and new testament. We believe the human authors to be inspired by God and believe God uses these writings to speak to us today.
We reflect
on God's word through music, silence, and a sermon as we open our hearts and minds to God's message for us.
We respond
with our voices as we recite the Nicene Creed, and with prayer as we hear the Prayers of the People
We pray
for the Church, our leadership, our planet, and all who join with us in the hope for a better world. We respond to God by thoughts and deeds, with or without spoken words.
We confess
that we often seek of our own will instead of the will of God and in thinking that we can define good and evil ourselves.
We are forgiven
to free us and strengthen us to trust God's grace and love.
We model God's love and forgiveness
as the congregation greets one another with a sign of the Peace.
We give thanks
for God's outrageous generosity and love for the world as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist (the Greek word for giving thanks). Bread and wine are blessed and become powerful reminders of the Body and Blood of Christ, and what he did for us. As Christ offered himself for us, we offer ourselves to God as we receive the wine, bread and blessings.
We are blessed and go forth into the world
after we are fed with the spiritual food of Christ's love we are blessed and sent out into the world. We go in peace to love and serve the Lord with the strength of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
What’s with all the different colors?
Liturgical Colors
The “Liturgical Colors” in Episcopal worship signify our place in the Church Year. It is simply another way to add meaning and importance to your worship experience.
“The sacred exists and is stronger than all our rebellions”