July–August 2003

You may have noticed that a few things are different about the worship experience at Saint Andrew’s during the summer. For one thing, since the heat rises earlier in the day, we’ve shortened the service a little, so that we’re getting out of church before 9 a.m. for the 8 o’clock service, and by 11 o’clock for the 10 o’clock service. This is because we have shortened the entrance rite and eliminated one of the readings.

Some people may think, “I thought there were supposed to be three readings at a Sunday Eucharist.” Suggested, yes, but not required; the prayer book says, in a rubric, “One or two lessons, as appointed, are read. . .”, the lessons immediately being followed by the Gospel, which can never be omitted. Between the lesson and the Gospel, a psalm is read at 8 a.m., and at 10 a.m., a sequence hymn is sung.

The children will leave for the Summer Sunday Program during the sequence hymn, and will return at the Peace (see Summer Sunday Program article on page 1).

Because churches generally attract more visitors during the summer months, we will be using the traditional form of the Lord’s Prayer, since that is more familiar than the contemporary version for many people. We want to make our worship experience as relaxing and as unconfusing as possible.

In light of the word “relaxing,” and since it’s summer, don’t feel like you have to get all dressed up to the nines to come to church at 8 or 10. As an advertisement prepared by the Church Ad Project reminds us, “It’s OK to dress casual for church. Jesus did.” Accompanying the ad copy was a photograph of a pair of sandals.
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