At the Church of the Ascension, our worship is both beautiful and ancient. The prayers, readings, hymns, and actions we share each Sunday are not random—they are part of a pattern of worship handed down through the centuries, reaching back to the earliest Christian communities.

We believe, as the saying goes, “lex orandi, lex credendi”—the way we pray shapes what we believe. And what we believe shapes how we live in the world. Our worship forms us to live as followers of Jesus: to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Scripture in Worship

Every service is grounded in Scripture. Each Sunday, we hear readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament letters, and the Gospels. This cycle of readings—called the Lectionary—means we read through much of the Bible together as a community over three years.

Scripture doesn’t just inform our worship; it is woven into it. Our prayers, responses, and hymns all echo biblical themes. Sermons at Ascension are usually briefer than in some other traditions, but they always seek to connect the heart of the message found in Scripture to our everyday lives as we follow Jesus more faithfully.

Embodied Worship

We worship not only with our minds and voices but also with our bodies. You’ll notice that we stand, sit, and kneel at different points in the service. These movements are not rules but invitations—ways of engaging our whole selves in prayer.

• Standing is the ancient posture of praise and prayer, a sign of respect and readiness.
• Sitting allows us to listen and reflect during Scripture readings and the sermon.
• Kneeling expresses humility and devotion, especially in confession and prayer.

This rhythm of movement helps us remember that faith is not only something we think or feel—it is something we live with our whole selves.

The Sacraments

Sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace. They are the ways God meets us in ordinary things—bread, wine, water, touch, promises—and makes them holy.

The Episcopal Church recognizes two primary sacraments given by Christ:

• Baptism: Through water and the Spirit, we are adopted as God’s children, made members of Christ’s Body, and marked as Christ’s own forever.
• Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion): In bread and wine, Christ is truly present. We are nourished with his Body and Blood so that we may go out to be his hands and feet in the world. We celebrate Holy Eucharist on a weekly basis.

We also recognize five other sacramental rites that grow out of the life of the Church:

• Confirmation
• Ordination
• Holy Matrimony
• Reconciliation (Confession)
• Unction (Anointing for healing)

Through the sacraments, God meets us where we are, transforms us by grace, and sends us to live as Christ’s people in the world.