What to Expect in an Anglican Church
When you visit an Australian Anglican church, you
will be our respected and welcome guest. You will not
be singled out in an embarrassing way, nor asked
to stand before the congregation nor to come forward.
You will worship God with us.
Should you wish to know more about the Anglican
Church of Australia or how one becomes a member, the
minister or priest will gladly answer your questions
and suggest the way to membership.
The Place of Worship
As you enter, you will notice an atmosphere of
worship and reverence.
At St.Stephen's you will be greeted at the door by
an usher who will offer you a green prayer book and a
leaflet showing the prayers and readings for the service.
(They may also offer you a Hymnal for services using the
traditional hymns.) Copies of the Bible are placed
on alternate seats (pews) throughout the church for
your use during the service.
If you desire, the usher will answer your questions
about the service.
Pews are unreserved at St. Stephen's - feel free to
sit anywhere you like.
Anglican churches are built in many architectural
styles; but whether the church be small or large, elaborate
or plain, your eye is carried to the altar, or holy table,
and to the cross. So our thoughts are taken at once to
Christ and His saving work, and to God whose house the
church is.
On or near the altar there are candles to remind us
that Christ is the "Light of the world"
(John 8:12). Often there are flowers, to beautify God's
house and to recall the resurrection of Jesus.
On one side at the front of the church, there is a
lectern-pulpit, or stand; here the Scriptures are read
and the sermon is preached. (In many churches, however,
the lectern is separate from the pulpit and stands on
the opposite side of the church.)
The Act of Worship
You will find the services of the Australian Anglican
Church beautiful in their ordered dignity, God-centred,
and yet mindful of the nature and needs of human beings.
Anglican church services are congregational: everyone
participates in the service. As you arrive you will be
offered a copy of a green-covered book with the title
"A Prayer Book for Australia". Much of the
service is taken directly from this book, and you will be
able to use it to follow what is going on. The large print
is the actual service. The smaller print gives directions
to ministers and people for conduct of the service.
Text in bold is usually the part which the congregation
says. The minister or priest will make sure you know
which pages are being used for that service.
Generally speaking, Australian Anglicans stand to
sing hymns (found in the Hymnal) and other songs as part
of the service. The type of music varies considerably
from church to church. At St. Stephen's, for instance,
we hold an early service on Sundays with traditional hymns
and a later service with more contemporary music.
We stand, too, to say our affirmation of faith (the Creed);
and for the reading of the Gospel in the Holy Communion
(or Lord's Supper or Holy Eucharist.) Psalms are sung or said
sitting or standing. We sit during readings from the Old
Testament or New Testament Letters and for the sermon.
At St. Stephen's people sit or kneel for prayer as they
are most comfortable. (Some Anglican churches stand or kneel
for prayer as an act of humility before God.)
At one point during the service it is likely that the
minister or priest will invite the congregation to
"share the Peace". At this point, members of
the congregation turn to those around them and, shaking
hands, say "the peace of the Lord be always with
you", or simply "peace be with you".
The other person responds with "and also
with you."
The Regular Services
The main service is Holy Communion (the Holy Eucharist,
or Lord's Supper). In some Anglican churches it is
celebrated quite simply, without music, early on Sunday
morning. Weekday celebrations also are frequently without
music, and without sermon. When celebrated at a later
hour on Sundays, or on other great Christian days such
as Christmas, music and a sermon are customary.
While some parts of the services are always the same,
others change. At Holy Communion, for example, two or
three Bible selections are read. These change each Sunday.
So do the psalms. Certain of the prayers also change,
in order to provide variety. Page numbers for parts of the
service printed elsewhere in the Book are usually announced
or given in the service leaflet. But do not be embarrassed
to ask your neighbour for the page number.
Before and After Services
In many churches is the custom upon entering church to
sit or kneel in one's pew for a prayer of personal
preparation for worship. In some churches it is also the
custom to bow to the altar on entering and leaving the
church as an act of reverence for Christ.
People generally do not talk in church before a service
but use this time for personal meditation and devotions.
At the end of the service some people kneel for a private
prayer before leaving. Others sometimes sit to listen to
the musical postlude.
Following the service the Rector (minister or priest)
greets the people as they leave.
At St. Stephen's, Sunday services are followed by morning
tea, allowing people time to chat and get to know each
other.
Vestments
To add to the beauty and festivity of the services,
and to signify their special ministries, the clergy and
other ministers usually wear special clothes
called vestments.
At St. Stephen's, the clergy usually wear a vestment
called the alb, a white tunic with sleeves that covers
the body from neck to ankles. Over it, ordained ministers
wear a stole, a narrow band of coloured fabric. Deacons
(clergy who are not yet ordained) wear the stole over one
shoulder, priests and bishops over both shoulders.
At the Holy Eucharist in other churches, a bishop or
priest frequently wears a chasuble (a circular garment
that envelopes the body) over the alb and stole. The
deacon's corresponding vestment has sleeves and is called
a dalmatic. Bishops sometimes wear a special head covering
called a mitre.
Stoles, chasubles, and dalmatics, as well as altar
coverings, are sometimes made of rich fabrics. Their
colour changes with the seasons and holy days of the
Church Year. The most frequently used colours are white,
red, violet, and green.
The Church Year
The Anglican Church of Australia observes the
traditional Christian calendar.
The season of Advent, during which we prepare for
Christmas, begins on the Sunday closest to November 30.
Christmas itself lasts twelve days, after which we
celebrate the feast of the Epiphany (January 6).
Lent, the forty days of preparation for Easter,
begins on Ash Wednesday. Easter season lasts fifty days,
concluding on the feast of Pentecost.
During these times the Bible readings are chosen for
their appropriateness to the season. During the rest
of the year, the season after Epiphany and the long
season after Pentecost (except for a few special Sundays),
the New Testament is read sequentially from Sunday to
Sunday. The Old Testament lesson corresponds in theme
with one of the New Testament readings.
