Visitors

Worship Services

When you visit St. Luke’s, you’ll quickly find that we are a warm, receiving group, and we laugh – a lot! Friendship, faith, food, fun, and service are what our fellowship is made of.

Sundays 10 am – This service is about one hour long; we sing hymns and parts of the service, hear a ten to twelve minute sermon, and on major feast days our worship includes a modest amount of incense.

Children are welcome! 

Coffee, Tea, and Refreshments are provided after the service, downstairs in St. Francis Hall.

When you visit you’ll notice that our style of worship is pretty traditional. For us the pinnacle of worship is Holy Communion. You can follow the service from missalette in the pew, as well as the How Anglicans Worship leaflet (available as you enter). ​Our approach to the liturgy is to create a sense of sacred mystery while still feeling comfortable. You will find at times that we kneel and make the sign of the cross. We chant a little, in the olde English way, light candles, sing hymns and on major feast days you may smell incense. We listen to a bible-based sermon lasting about 10-12 minutes. We pray together, but there are times the priest prays for us. This provides time for quiet contemplation as we prepare to receive Communion. We receive Holy Eucharist, which we believe and teach is the Body and Blood of Christ present in bread and wine at the altar rail, kneeling (if you can, otherwise, standing is fine.)  If you are unsure whether you should take Communion, ask the priest.  If you are not receiving Communion you may still come to the rail and cross your arms in front of you to receive a blessing.  Communion is followed by concluding prayers and dismissal.

If you have come from an Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Episcopalian background, our worship will be familiar. If not, you will find that it might be a very different experience compared to other churches you may have visited. If you are coming from an evangelical church experience with modern music the difference will be more apparent. Our worship is a direct descendant of Jewish temple practice – you may find it helpful to read through the book of Revelation and see how our worship is based on the worship in heaven! 

Traditional Anglican worship is like entering a new culture. It takes time to learn it and feel comfortable in it, but the rewards are great! In time you will find that your spiritual life is more solid, resilient and your ability to combat sin will improve as well. The ultimate aim of this sort of worship is to make us holy, more than making us momentarily happy or satisfied. 

Anglican worship is also more deeply grounded in scripture. You will hear more scripture read in our service than in just about any other church setting. There is a deep emphasis on doctrine too, which helps keep your faith on track. At the end of the day, we want you to develop a strong faith that goes beyond Sunday morning, a faith that is alive, strong and rich.

Did you know…..that every service we do is a healing service? We believe that God does miracles and heals the sick.  If you want healing prayer, come to the altar rail after the service. The priest will meet you and anoint you for healing.  (That’s another Sacrament, called “Unction” – which is just another word for “anointing.”)