Liturgy and Music at the Church of the Advocate

Miranda K. Hassett

Participatory, eclectic, and lively are three words that come to mind when I think about how to describe the liturgy and music of the Episcopal Church of the Advocate. Our worship is participatory -- the whole congregation is very involved in both liturgy and music. We have no separate choir, so we all sing everything together, and we've sought out liturgies that give the congregation lots to say, as well. Our worship also offers many opportunities for individual involvement. Everyone is encouraged to serve in the various lay roles in the liturgy: reader, crucifer, leader of the Prayers of the People, greeter, and so on. Some Sundays we have a ten-year-old reading a lesson and a 75-year-old processing with the cross!

Our worship at the Church of the Advocate is eclectic. We draw on the Prayer Book, the Enriching our Worship resources, and other creative Anglican liturgy sources (with the approval of our Bishop!) to develop liturgies that help us hear and experience Word and Sacrament in new ways. Likewise, our music is drawn from The Hymnal 1982, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and Wonder, Love, and Praise, as well as other sources such as Taize and the music used by the innovative Church of St. Gregory in San Francisco. We change the prayers and service music we use with each season of the church year; the liturgies reflect the tone and meanings of the different seasons, and these periodic changes help us reflect anew on what we're doing together when we worship. The way we arrange our worship space aids in this reflection, too -- the altar is in the middle of two arcs of chairs, so we can both see one another, and keep our focus on the Eucharistic table, around which we are gathered, as we worship.

Finally, our worship at the Church of the Advocate is lively! We can be solemn and reflective when the time is right, but even our prayers are participatory -- in the Prayers of the People, we really encourage members to speak out their petitions and thanksgivings. And when it's time to praise God, we really let it out! We sing hymns like dances, with a drum and other percussion to help us keep moving and sing with spirit. Come visit us on your birthday, and you'll see what we mean when we sing blessings for you!