Worship
Our worship is considered liturgical by our
evangelical friends, and spirit-filled and relaxed by our more traditional
friends. We use traditional as well as innovative prayers, and
readings from the book of Psalms. Some of our order of worship is liturgical
and traditional; some of it is more innovative and spontaneous. We find that
this balance makes for a meaningful experience of praising God and hearing from
His Word when we gather, with comfort and ease of participation for people
who come from a variety of Christian faith traditions.
Our Pastor preaches on
the basis of Holy Scripture. He seeks to present lessons that
inspire, comfort, challenge, and relate God's Word to our daily lives and
decisions. The sermons often elaborate on biblical principles of peacemaking
relationships, as befit our endeavors to build a peacemaking culture in FCC
Boylston. (To hear or download the most recent sermons, click on the 'Videos'
link on the Home Page.)
Our singing (supported by our Choir,
soloists, and small groups) leans toward the more traditional hymns. We have
a relatively recent hymnal, Celebration Hymnal, which gives us a wide range
of familiar and new ways to sing God's praise and make a joyful noise
together.
Children are a welcome part of our worship
life. A Children's Message is typically included in our worship service,
before the younger children are invited to depart for Mustard Seed, a time of
a faith-based craft or other activity. We typically celebrate a Family
Worship Service once a month from September through June. Rather than being
merely for traditional families, this is a worship service designed to
include all ages, with music, prayers, and a message that can be shared
across the generations.
Our service of the Lord's Supper, also known
as Holy Communion, is celebrated as part of Sunday morning worship on the
first Sunday of each month. All confessing Christians are invited to share
with us at Christ's table. In traditional Church terms, we have an "open
communion."
Worship is at 10:30 am during the school
year, and at 9:30 am from Father's Day through Labor Day weekend.
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