Worship

At St. Paul's Church-by-the-Lake, we make use of the Rites found in the Book of Common Prayer. This order provides a lectionary of Scriptural lessons and spiritual themes for each week and season of the year, guiding our community through a historical pattern of worship and prayer. 

We use the Anglican Service Book (ASB) for our worship services, which takes the best of the 1928 and 1979 BCPs in a consistent traditional language.

follow our liturgy

At St. Paul's Church-by-the-Lake, we make use of the Rites found in the Book of Common Prayer. This order provides a lectionary of Scriptural lessons and spiritual themes for each week and season of the year, guiding our community through a historical pattern of worship and prayer. 

We use the Anglican Service Book (ASB) for our worship services, which takes the best of the 1928 and 1979 BCPs in a consistent traditional language. For helpful guides about using this order of worship, use the links below.

holy week

Our parish observes the full and ancient rites of the week of Our Lord’s Passion.

We begin on The Sunday of the Passion, commonly called Palm Sunday. The 8:00 a.m. Low Mass has a simple Blessing and Distribution of Palms. The 10:30 a.m. Mass is Solemn and begins with the Liturgy of the Palm in the Parish Hall using All Souls Chapel as the background for the Blessing and Distribution of the Palms. We then process from the Parish Hall outdoors and around the Church to the front doors. There a Station is made with the tradition of knocking on the door with the foot of the Procession Cross. The Priest asks, “open for me the gates of righteousness.” This ceremony symbolizes Jesus coming to the gates of Jerusalem. The Church now is the image of the heavenly Jerusalem as described in Psalm 118. The procession of the Choir, Sacred Ministers, and Congregation all enter to the joyful music of “All Glory, Laud, and Honor to Thee, Redeemer King.” The Mass begins with the Collect of the Day and the Readings. The Gospel is the Passion Gospel read or sung by the Sacred Ministers. The mood to the liturgy turns from Jesus’ triumphal entry to His Passion. The Mass ends with the traditional singing of “Ride On, Ride On In Majesty.”

On Holy Wednesday, Mass is at 7:00 p.m.

The Triduum Sacrum (Sacred Three days) begins on Thursday with the evening Mass of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper & Mandatum (foot washing) at 7:00 p.m. in the main church. This ancient and moving liturgy contains words spoken only once a year by the priest at the consecration: “On the night in which he was betrayed, even this very night, He took….”

The Mass ends with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose. Our Altar of Repose is set in our Annunciation Chapel and the Altar Guild turns it into a beautiful and lush conservatory to remind us of Jesus’ praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. After a brief visit to the garden the parish family gathers in Banner Hall for an Agape Potluck Supper. Turns are taken to sit for an hour at the Altar of Repose. At midnight the Sacrament is reposed and the church closed for the evening.

Good Friday is celebrated with the Stations of the Cross prayed at 12:00 p.m. The main Liturgy of the Day begins at 7:00 p.m. in the main church. This Solemn Liturgy consists of the Reading of the Passion, the Ancient Collects, the Veneration of the Cross, and the Mass of the Presanctified. The Liturgy ends in silence and all leave without visiting.

Holy Saturday begins with Morning Prayer in the Chapel of the Annunciation at 9:00 a.m. The Altar Guild works all day to make ready the Church for the Great Easter Vigil and First Mass of the Resurrection at 7:00 p.m. Saturday evening. This is the most important liturgy in the life of parish each year. The Liturgy begins at the Narthex doors with the blessing of the new fire & the Pascal Candle. A procession enters the darkened Nave to the deacon chanting “The Light of Christ.” The whole congregation genuflects and responds “Thanks be to God”. The Exsultet is sung and prophecies read. At the beginning of the Mass the lights come as the priest declares, “Alleluia, Christ is risen.” The Gloria in Excelsis is sung with all ringing hand bells. The Baptismal Font is blessed with new Lustral Water and all renew their Baptismal Vows and receive the Asperges. After Mass there is a Parish Resurrection Party with champagne, hard-boiled eggs, and Easter cakes.

Easter Day is celebrated with Low Mass at 8:00 a.m. and a Solemn Mass of the Day at 10:30 a.m. Festive coffee hours follow both Masses. Easter is a time at St. Paul’s when all are reminded of the gift of Salvation and our call to spread the good news: “The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!”

Advent & Christmas

Advent begins Sundays prior to Christmas with Sunday Masses at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m.

Mass on the First Sunday of Advent begins with  Decalogue (the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20) said at the 8:00 a.m. Mass, and the Great Litany (an ancient prayer of petition) is sung in procession at the 10:30 a.m. Mass.

The Third Sunday in Advent is Rose Sunday, named for the change in liturgical color from violet to rose. Roses are distributed to all of the women in attendance.

Christmas Eve

4:00 p.m. - Sung Mass with blessing of the Creche.

10:45p p.m. — Vigil of the Nativity: Solemn Procession, Blessing of the Crèche, and First Mass of Christmas

Christmas Day

9:30 a.m. — Sung Mass
(No Christian Education classes).

First Sunday After Christmas

The Feast of the Holy Name
8:00 a.m. — Low Mass
10:30 a.m. — Solemn Mass

FEAST of epiphany

The Feast of the Epiphany

7:00 p.m — Low Mass with the blessing of chalk and water for house blessings.