St Matthew's
OUR WORSHIP
Saint Matthew’s worships in the historical Anglican tradition…
At St. Matthew’s, our worship is grounded on the truth of the Bible as transmitted in the beauty of the Anglican tradition. It is done with reverence and dignity, according to the time-tested Biblical and traditional forms of the historic Book of Common Prayer (in the revised R.E. edition of 2003).
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St. Matthew's uses:
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a traditional liturgy to guide us through our corporate prayer, and
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the Reformed Episcopal Revised Book of Common Prayer (2003), based on the 1928 and the 1785 BCP
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Our fellow Christians of other branches of Christ’s Church, and all who love our Divine Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in sincerity, are affectionately invited to the Lord’s Table.
LITURGICAL
BIBLICAL
We are committed to the Bible as the Word of God, containing all things necessary to salvation. Our services are permeated with readings from the Scriptures, songs based on Scriptural texts or themes, and actions and prayers that have their grounding in the Scriptures.
The Reformed Episcopal church is made up of traditional Anglican liturgical parishes, believing that the historic Book of Common Prayer (traditional & modern) (1662/1928) sets forth a good and godly pattern both for our worship and for our formation as Christians.
See the REC Lectionary.
PRAYERFUL
You will notice that our services are full of prayer. Sometimes these prayers are offered to God silently, at other times they are spoken corporately (the congregation praying in unison), and sometimes the clergy prays alone on behalf of the congregation.
GOD-CENTERED
MUSICAL
Music is an important part of our worship services. The Reformed Episcopal Church desires for our music to be reverent, God-centered, liturgically appropriate (fitting in with where we are in the liturgical year ), and theologically orthodox in content.
Whether we are hearing God’s Word read & preached upon, receiving the Sacrament, praying, or lifting our voices in song it is our desire that our focus would be upon God the Father Almighty whom we worship through the Son and in the power of the Holy Ghost.
SACRAMENTAL
We are a church that highly values the Sacraments, especially Holy Communion and Baptism. Sacraments are “sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace and God’s good will towards us by which … he strengthens and confirms our Faith in him.”