The word Liturgy is Greek for the “work of the people.” Together in our service Liturgy, we praise and adore, listen, ask for ourselves, intercede on behalf of others, confess, and are fed & blessed by God. How we worship contrasts with the world and takes practice to learn; it is supposed to be that way, as worship is not primarily about pleasing us, but rather about offering divine service to God. We entrust ourselves to the ancient Traditions of the Church, offering ourselves to a God who will shape the desires of our hearts and transform us.

During the service, we use prayer books and hymnals, as well as a weekly service bulletin, as aids but our aim ought to ultimately be to memorize the Liturgy, so we might meditate on God’s presence through it. As author C.S. Lewis put it: worship is a dance. At first you must learn to dance and intentionally think through each step before you can enjoy it or dance with others. Learning the dance can be hard and requires practice, but once learned it is deeply rewarding. Like a dance, our worship takes some work and you will, undoubtedly, mis-step or get lost for a while. That is okay! Follow along with the bulletin and Book of Common Prayer and submit yourself to the beauty of holiness.

CHILDREN AT ST. ANSELM

Children are part of God’s family and should be included in our worship and liturgy as much as possible! Let them look at the books, point things out to them during the service, and invite them to sing with you. We expect them to make a little noise during the service; don’t let it worry you.

“Service & Sermon” clipboards with activities for children (yellow for non-readers/early readers; orange for independent readers) are available, as are blue activity bags for those under 4 – please ask an usher if your child didn’t receive one at the door. Any children not yet receiving communion are invited to the altar rail to for a blessing.

If you need a little space during the service, there is a nursery located in the back of the church for children under age 2; children over age 2 who are welcome to use the undercroft (basement) where a speaker transmitting the service will keep their accompanying adult involved.