Worship at All Saints is more than the music we sing, or the emotions we feel, or the insights we may gain from a sermon, or a weekly duty. Worship is the essential calling of our lives, the activity that rightly orders our souls to our Creator, Redeemer and Lord. Transcendent, reverential, Spirit-filled, obedient worship is foundational to our identity and our spiritual transformation. In and through worship, the veil is removed and we glimpse the glory of God, a glimpse that changes everything. As St Augustine wisely wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” Many choices and practices bring our souls to rest in the Lord, but none is more important than faithful worship.
We believe that worship is a participatory activity, the work of the people (liturgical). We believe that proper worship centers directly in the Person and work of Jesus Christ (Eucharistically-centered). We are committed to what is often called “Three-Streams Worship” – worship through Word and Sacrament, in the power of the Holy Spirit. (John 4:23-24; I Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 17:22-24).
More about liturgy . . .. Liturgical worship is active, participatory worship by the people of God. We are worshippers, not spectators. We reverently and joyously respond to the Lord of love with our minds, hearts, souls and bodies. We are active in our worship – standing, kneeling, sitting, speaking aloud together, singing, praying, moving. We see the importance of visual symbols and physical actions as a means of understanding and expressing our faith. Bottom line, you cannot worship at All Saints and be a sideliner!
Our worship services are creative and vibrant while following a liturgical path established by various Anglican Books of Common Prayer. Our worship is enriched by the beautiful rhythms of the Christian church calendar. Our weekly liturgy takes us progressively toward the climax of worship, Holy Communion. Knowing that our liturgy may be new for people, we include explanatory notes in our weekly service bulletin at each step of the service. We've also created a print and online booklet designed to help everyone understand our liturgy. Click here to read Walking the Liturgical Path.
Our musical worship is a balanced blend of traditional and contemporary hymns and songs that teach and declare the truth about God and life. We are committed to worship that connects ancient Christian tradition and unchanging truth with current culture. Our music is rich and vibrant, and whether we are singing a newly-minted hymn or joining in the millennia-old words of the Sanctus, we enjoy singing! We are always eager for more gifted people to join in helping us with musical worship.
Art and Worship: God has given art and beauty, and our appreciation of beauty, as a means of expanding our imaginations and deepening our understanding of His revealed truths. For centuries, the Christian faith has nurtured the souls of artists, poets, musicians, playwrights, writers, sculptors and more, and these gifted people have used their talents to honor God and creatively communicate the truths of the Gospel. All Saints has a growing cadre of artists who seek to serve God and strengthen our worship and witness for Him.
What is Three-Streams Worship? We seek to know and be transformed in our relationship with God through His Word, His Spirit and the Sacraments. Our worship includes a wholehearted commitment to all three streams.
The Word: God speaks, and the world comes into existence. God speaks, and the light bursts into the darkness. God speaks, and we hear the words of love and hope, life is born, hearts are transformed, souls are illumined and paths are revealed. God speaks in and through the Holy Scriptures. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God (John 1:1-18). All Saints is an evangelical church holding firmly to the faith delivered to us by the apostles and believed on by the church. Worship at All Saints is a time to read, hear, study and preach the Word of God, earnestly applying it to the struggles, concerns, issues and questions of personal life, family, community and culture.
The Spirit: We prayerfully seek the presence, ministry and partnership of the Holy Spirit in all we do, especially when we gather as His family to worship Him. We seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit through prayer before, during and after the services: the lines are always open! We encounter the Holy Spirit through the love of God we share with one another, and through song, Scripture, silence, prayer and Eucharistic and healing prayer in our services (click here for more information about All Saints’ Prayer Ministries).
Sacrament: The Holy Sacraments of Communion and Baptism are unique means of entering into the very life of Christ. The sacraments are not merely memorials but living encounters with God that nurture our souls in ways that transcend human understanding. They are mysteries, not for a select few but for all who join personal faith with these actions. We enter into the family of God through the waters of Baptism, and we renew our baptismal vows weekly through our common declaration of the creeds. Communion is our “family meal”, sustaining us with the very life of Christ, uniting us to one another (and the saints of all the ages!) in common faith and fellowship and bringing us into the sacrifice of Christ on the cross by which we are reconciled to God.