Worship at St Marys
Coming to church is about gathering ourselves Gods family, in Gods presence, to praise him, to get to know him better, and to receive his grace and blessing in our lives. So its about:
- Meeting God getting to know God more, and receiving his grace and blessing.
- Meeting each other growing together as Gods family in the local community, and supporting each other in our faith and in our lives.
When we come to church we bring with us in our minds and hearts all that has happened to us in the days and weeks that have just passed our hopes and dreams, our fears, our regrets, the situations and decisions about which we need guidance, the burdens we carry for ourselves and for others. All these things are what we bring before God for his blessing when we come to church.
During a church service:
- We gather in Gods presence often this means singing a hymn, saying an opening greeting together, praying a prayer together
- We set ourselves right with God often this means saying together a prayer of confession, during which we bring to mind the things that we have done (or failed to do!) that have damaged our relationship with God, with each other, and with the world, and we ask Gods forgiveness. The minister pronounces the absolution - that is, he or she assures us that when we are sorry, God has forgiven us.
- We hear Gods word, from the bible, and usually there is a talk or sermon that helps us to reflect on what we have heard, and relate it to our own life, and the life of the world.
- We say the creed that is, we affirm what we believe, that God is the only God, and that we can relate to God as Father, as Son, and as Holy Spirit (click here for more on this). This is a faith that we share with Christians all over the world.
- We pray usually prayers are led by a member of the congregation, and include prayers for the world, for the church, for the local community, for those who are in special need (perhaps because they are ill) and for those who have died.
- We usually share the peace that is, we set ourselves right with each other by saying peace be with you and sharing a handshake or a kiss. This can be an opportunity to make peace with someone when there has been a disagreement or upset.
- If the service includes Holy Communion, then we bring forward some bread and wine, bless them with a special prayer, and receive them, as a special way of receiving Gods grace there is more information on Holy Communion here.
- The minister prays for Gods blessing on us, and we are sent out, renewed in our faith and strengthened for whatever challenges we will face in the coming days.
Church services come in all shapes and sizes some is very traditional, some is modern, some is very adult-centred, some is very much geared towards children and families, some is quiet, and some is noisy! You can find out more about our regular services here
We come together in church to worship God, to hear His word and to share the Good news of Jesus,
receiving forgiveness and renewal through His death and resurrection.
We are sent out from church to live as Christian disciples, showing love to others
and living out our faith in all we think, say and do.