Welcome to Sunday: An Introduction to Worship in the Episcopal Church

Rating:
Summary: It happens every Sunday...
Review: Christopher Webber's book, 'Welcome to Sunday', is an excellent companion to the volume 'Welcome to the Episcopal Church'. Together, these books often form a curriculum of sorts for inquirers' classes, confirmation classes and new member conversations. This particular volume, as the title suggests, concentrates on the Sunday worship experience, the centre of most every church.

The Episcopal Church is the official version of the Anglican Church (Church of England) in the United States. For historical reasons, after the American Revolution the Church of England in America could no longer remain the Church of England -- the tendency toward national autonomy among Anglican church structures generally holds true as a pattern today.

Webber's first chapter looks at architecture and space considerations. Most Americans are familiar with basic differences in church design depending upon denomination. The Episcopal church actually has a wide variety of architectural styles incorporated into their many churches, but there are some patterns that generally hold true (with exceptions, of course). Most Episcopal churches can be noted by a red door -- red draws attention to the entrance. Episcopal churches will almost always have the altar as the centre element, with a pulpit raised but to the side. The baptismal font is always somewhere, but again design can locate it almost anywhere.

The chapter on ministry talks not only about the three-fold ordained ministry of bishops, priests and deacons as well as the ministry of the laity. The Episcopal church has been in a mode of recovering the importance of lay ministry, but there is still a long way to go in that regard. Webber compares the ministry definitions of the four orders as laid out in the catechism of the Book of Common Prayer and as they appear in the New Testament scriptures -- alas, a visit to any Episcopal church on any Sunday, however, will show the sharp contrast and division of types of ministry.

Webber's chapter on how to worship looks at practical pieces such as posture, prayer positions, silences, vestments and clothing, and other physical aspects. One of the more confusing aspects for newcomers to Episcopal churches is knowing what to do and when, and sometimes following the congregation does not quite work out well. There is a lot of ceremony, and a lot of 'doing' in the church, which reflects the incarnational aspect as well as the sacramental aspect of the church.

Webber's final three chapters look at the liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer. The church year discusses the differences in the seasons (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost) as well as saint's days and ordinary time. The final two chapters look at the structure of the liturgy in its two primary pieces -- ministry of Word and ministry of sacrament. Both follow patterns adapted from ancient sources that involve the reading aloud scripture, singing (congregational, choir and celebrant), recitation of faith contained in creeds, and the performance of the Eucharist. Webber's descriptions here are precise without being overly technical, and are useful as descriptions in instructed Eucharists.

Each chapter ends with a series of questions for further thought and discussion, which makes this a useful text for use in small groups and classrooms as well as personal instruction. Worship is the heart of the church, and as Webber states, it is where the church begins. God does not need us to worship (indeed, God does not need anything from us), but we worship and praise nonetheless to God's glory. This book tells how this special group of Christians called Episcopalians set about the task with reverence and care.

Rating:
Summary: Great Introduction to Sunday
Review: This book serves as a short introduction to the Episcopal Church's Sunday service. As a newcomer to the church, this book helped me understand "what was happening" during Sunday Eucharist (communion). The author writes with sensitivity and openness. I'd also recommend "Welcome to the Episcopal Church" (same author) as an excellent more general introduction to the church's history, beliefs, and practices.