What To Expect

 

What to expect when you visit

 
        What you can expect first and foremost when you visit is a friendly face to warmly greet you when you arrive. As you come up the walk, generally the doors will be open with a smiling face just on the other side. The person who greets you will help you find your way up the stairs or into the elevator, to make your way to the worship space.

       

        Feel free to explore the building, the beautiful stained glass windows, grab a cup of coffee, and introduce yourself to a smiling face if you feel so inclined. We love having guests in our midst - but want to allow you to take things at your own pace.  If you seem shy, we won't chase you down.  You can have your space.

      
     Settle into a pew, everything you'll need to worship will be right there for you in the bulletin. Feel free to flip through the bulletin, it has a bunch of announcements and information about St. Mary's that is current and happening.



        Worship at St. Mary's is lively. It is eclectic and rooted to our ancestors.   It is the heartbeat of our life together.   It will begin with a call to worship, we'll hear readings from the old and new testaments of the Bible. After that, you'll hear a sermon that will dig deeper and crack open the scriptures - hearing how they connect today as much as they did over the ages.  


        And did we mention the music?  There is singing, lots of joyful noise offered up by sweet and loud and soft and crackly and off-key but sincere voices, and beautiful pieces by our adult choir or one of the children's choirs or the handbell choir or the recorder consort (Why don't they get to be called a choir?  What's a consort anyway?)


After the sermon, we will say our prayers for ourselves, and for the world, and the earth.  There will be some announcements, an offering - a time for our members (visitors are not expected to participate) to put financial gifts into the plate, and then move our attention to the liturgy of the table. At St. Mary's we believe it is just that, God's  table and not ours - so all are welcome to receive the bread and wine.


After the Eucharist (maybe you are more familiar with the terms Lord's Table, or communion, or Mass) we say a final thanksgiving and are sent into the world strengthened to live so gratefully, so compassionately that the world will look more like the Reign of God.






Preceding such lofty work though is coffee and treats.  Coffee hour is pretty fun, lots of laughter, lots of small children running around and making forts out of the couch cushions.


Stop on by, you are more than welcome!