Worship
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers."
Acts 2:42
Our Westminster family welcomes you for worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Though broadly characterized as “traditional,” this time of worship is also known to be engaging and inspirational. Our pastors offer words of affirmation, encouragement and challenge to members and guests alike as they read from scripture (NRSV) and deliver their weekly messages. Together with the pastors, we joyfully sing hymns from the Presbyterian Hymnal and compassionately offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving, as well as prayers seeking God’s intervention in our lives and the lives of others.
Because children are important to us, we always plan for and deliver a special message just for them in the course of our worship service. And, before the close of worship, we gratefully return to the Lord a portion of that which God has showered upon us, lift up a proclamation of what we believe, and receive our charge and blessing so that we can again be sent courageously into the world to serve God and humankind.
Sacraments
Presbyterians celebrate two sacraments:
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism, a sign and seal of our incorporation in Christ, signifies the beginning, not the completion, of our life in Christ, and is received only once in our tradition. Those who joyfully wish to make a profession of faith, and parents who wish to present their infant or adolescent children for baptism, must meet with one of the pastors for appropriate instruction in the sacrament in preparation for administration of the same. Typically, our pastors “sprinkle” those who are presented for baptism or desire to be baptized.
The Lord’s Supper, also known as communion, is the sign and seal of eating and drinking in communion with the crucified and risen Lord. At Westminster Presbyterian Church we observe this sacrament on the first Sunday of every month. On that Sunday morning we remember again the sacrifice our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, made on our behalf with the distribution of bread and juice, symbols of his broken body and shed blood, to the gathered people around the Lord’s Table. In prayer and in the reading of scripture we are reminded of our personal and corporate brokenness and of Christ’s redeeming love. Our pastors preside at this sacrament and our elders assist in the distribution of the elements.
All who have received instruction in or have a mature understanding of this sacrament are invited to participate in the same. Our only prerequisite is a professed belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Parents and their children may confer with one of the pastors or members of the Christian Education Committee regarding their children’s preparation for this sacrament (i.e. baptism) .
Both of these sacraments are corporate elements of worship. Accordingly, neither of them may be administered in a private setting since each calls upon the congregation to present themselves publicly and to respond to mutual commitments of accountability and faith with those being baptized or participating in the Supper.
Christian Calendar
The two most important days in the Christian calendar are Resurrection Day, Easter, and the day of our Savior’s birth, Christmas. The seasons of Lent and Advent, respectively, precede these special celebrations in the life of the church, and worship services during these seasons include special sermon series, thoughtful litanies, warm candle lighting and intimate yet dynamic choral music. We are also grateful for our gifted accompanist who can truly make our pipe organ sing for these occasions. Special instrumentalists join us from time to time, as well, adding to our praise and thanksgiving.
Other special services, including Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Mother’s and Father’s Day, Pentecost, National Day of Prayer, All Saints Day, Silent Night, World Communion and Youth Sunday give us an opportunity to gather as a community of faith and celebrate our oneness in Christ. We encourage you to visit and/or subscribe to our weblog so that you can be notified in advance of these worship events.
It is our profound belief that each and every part of our worship service is respectfully offered as an acknowledgment of God’s presence in the world and in our lives. When we participate in worship, we do so in response to God’s love for us. And, as a result, we find ourselves to be transformed and renewed. Nothing could be more fulfilling, other than having you join us in this experience!
We invite you to direct your questions regarding worship to:
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