St. Peter the Apostle Anglican Church
A Traditional Anglican Church
We are ordinary people who worship an extraordinary God in a traditional, liturgical, and reverential way.
We use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, the Authorized King James Bible, and The Hymnal 1940
How We Worship
In worship, we use the Book of Common Prayer in its 1928 American edition. This edition contains prayers and affirmations of faith dating to the beginning of Christianity, as well as the traditional Anglican/Episcopal liturgy. This liturgy has been in continuous use since it was first published in 1549.
When we gather together in services of worship, our “common prayers” are liturgical, that is, they are structured. Only in this way can we truly share our worship of God. Our liturgical worship involves the whole person, body, mind and spirit. We are active participants rather than just listeners. Worship to us is not “show business.” It goes from us to God rather than from a preacher to us. We come to church to give God the praise and worship which, as His creatures, we owe Him; not to get something for ourselves.
The Holy Eucharist
The center of our worship is the Holy Eucharist. Other traditional names for this service are: the Holy Communion, the Mass, the Lord’s Supper, and the Divine Liturgy. It is the service specifically commanded by Jesus in the New Testament. The Eucharist joins our offering of worship to Christ’s offering of Himself upon the altar of the cross. As He promised (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 6; I Corinthians 11) Jesus is truly, spiritually present under the outward forms of the consecrated Bread and Wine, to infuse our lives with the spiritual strength of His life.
Receiving Holy Communion
The Lord's Supper is for the Lord's people. Holy Communion is open to all members of Christ's one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church who have visibly become members of that Church through water Baptism as Jesus taught in the Great Commission, and have prepared themselves through faith in Christ our Savior, repentance of sin, and a desire to follow Christ as Lord. If you have not yet been baptized, or are not prepared to receive communion, you may come forward to the altar rail at communion time and receive a blessing by crossing your arms over your chest.
Morning and Evening Prayer
The Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer are prayer services derived in many ways from the Synagogue worship of the Old Testament. They consist of readings from the Psalms, other Bible readings, canticles (songs), and prayers. They are provided in the Book of Common Prayer in a manner which makes their discipline of prayer, psalmody, and Holy Scripture the daily spiritual diet of the Church, clergy and lay folk alike.
Customs
If you are new to Anglican worship you may find some of the customs in our services unfamiliar. You will also find some variation of customs from parish to parish. Fr. Scott will be happy to explain to you the symbolism of our worship. One general rule of thumb for Anglicans is that we stand to praise God, sit for listening to instruction, and kneel humbly to pray.
Worship is the prime responsibility for all Christians. Anglicans believe that the life of Christian service is possible only through a full life of worship, through which we receive God’s love and express our love to Him. Hence, we believe it is our obligation not only to worship God together every Lord’s Day (Sunday) but also to have a daily life of prayer. A number of parishes are able to offer the Daily Offices and the Holy Communion during the week, as well as on Sunday.
Keeping the Faith
Our mission is to bring people to Jesus Christ and to incorporate them into the community of faith through our Historic Anglican Tradition.
We are a small, friendly, and growing community of faith, worshiping our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in the traditional Anglican Way. We use the liturgy of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the King James Version of the Bible. We use The Hymnal 1940 accompanied by traditional organ music for praising God. Our services are traditional, liturgical, and reverential.
For more information on all things Anglican see our Digging Deeper page.
"Our frantic lives make us yearn for rhythms and routines that build the spiritual health we seek. For many of us the architecture, theater seating and structure of our former churches said to us, “ Sit back, relax and receive what comes to you from the stage.” While having no need to criticize that, there is a hunger in many churchgoers today for a Sunday ethos that says, “Sit up, be alert and participate.”
"The liturgy being the work or participation of the people does just that. Furthermore, it fosters in us and connects us to a life of participation with the Holy Spirit in the 167 hours a week we are not in church."
Todd D. Hunter. The Accidental Anglican: The Surprising Appeal of the
Liturgical Church. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 2010, p. 14
