Worship
At Varina Church, worship is core to our faith and provides us with spiritual grounding and fellowship for our ministry in the world. We typically worship twice a week, Sunday mornings at 10:15am and Thursdays at 10am. Both of our services are rooted in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer but is supplemented by a host of other materials. However, both of our worship services are warm, joyful and welcoming. We mean it when we say all are welcome, no matter your age, background or beliefs, come and join us! We are blessed by having you here!
Children in Worship
Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ (Matthew 19:14)
As Jesus welcomes all children to himself, so are children of all ages welcome in our services. Each of our Sunday services begin with a short children’s homily in which the priest invites children to engage in a brief conversation about the scripture of the day. Children also take active part in the liturgy as acolytes, readers, and servers in the Eucharist. Children who are not taking part in the liturgy are welcome to be in the congregation and to share their joyful noise and energy with all or they can go to Sunday School during the service (see our Formation page). In any event, children – and their joyful noise! – are always welcome in our services.
As Jesus welcomes all children to himself, so are children of all ages welcome in our services. Each of our Sunday services begin with a short children’s homily in which the priest invites children to engage in a brief conversation about the scripture of the day. Children also take active part in the liturgy as acolytes, readers, and servers in the Eucharist. Children who are not taking part in the liturgy are welcome to be in the congregation and to share their joyful noise and energy with all or they can go to Sunday School during the service (see our Formation page). In any event, children – and their joyful noise! – are always welcome in our services.
The Holy Eucharist
|
Our Sunday Service usually follows the structure of the Episcopal Holy Eucharist. In this service, we gather to hear the Word of God and share Communion with one another.
The Liturgy of the Word The first half of our service is called the Liturgy of the Word, as it focused us listening to readings from the Bible, stating our faith in the Word, and praying for ourselves and our world. Most of the time there is a reading from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament); a Psalm; a reading from the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) and a reading from the Gospels. Members of the congregation usually read the first two readings. The psalm is normally said or sung by everyone. Because the Gospel, the stories of Jesus’ life and death, are central to our faith, that reading gets “special treatment.” Normally the Gospel book is brought into the middle of the congregation and is read by either a deacon or a priest. Everyone stands for this reading and turns and faces the Gospel Book. Following the Gospel a brief sermon is preached that considers the readings we have heard and applies those readings to our lives. After the sermon, we stand and make a statement of faith, typically the Nicene Creed, which reminds us of our beliefs and encourages us to live out those beliefs. After the Creed, we gather together and pray for ourselves and our world. |
|
|
The Liturgy of the Table
The second half of our service is called the Liturgy of the Table, as it is focused on God’s Table and the sharing of communion. It is marked by an extended prayer by the presider, who retells the story of the Last Supper and asks the Holy Spirit to come into the bread and wine and into us. At the end of this prayer, everyone prays the Lord’s Prayer. Then, the presider breaks a piece of the bread, symbolizing Christ’s body being broken for us. After this symbolic breaking, some more practical preparations are made which might include pouring additional chalices of wine, breaking the bread into pieces for distribution, etc. Once the bread and wine are ready the presider invites people to the meal. All are welcome at communion, but it is not required. If you don’t want to receive communion that is totally fine. You can remain in your seat, or you can also come forward and cross your arms over your chest. The priest will offer you a blessing instead of communion. After communion, the presider offers a final prayer and there is a recession out of the church. At the very end we are dismissed by a deacon or priest, sent out into the world to love God and serve others. After the Service After the Sunday Service, which usually lasts about an hour, there is typically a coffee hour in the parish hall. There, members of the community can hang out, greet one another, and engage in fellowship. All are welcome! |
|
Healing Service
On Thursdays, we gather in our sanctuary for a small, intimate service to pray for ourselves and for others in a Healing Service. This service generally follows the structure of noonday prayer in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. It begins with listening to the Word of God with a Psalm and Scripture Reading. This is followed by a brief homily offered by the presider. The remainder of the service is a communal prayer for those in our community and in the world who are in need of prayers for hope and healing. If you would like to be added to our prayer list and receive prayer from our community, please submit a Prayer Request or email the Vicar directly.
|
Varina Episcopal Church
2385 Mill Road Henrico, VA 23231 [email protected] 804-795-5340 Weekly Schedule Sunday Service: Sundays, 10:15am Healing Service: Thursdays, 10 am Bible Study: Thursdays, 10:45 am |
