Questions and Answers about our worship and the Episcopal Church

If you are considering a visit to St. John’s, or curious about our Episcopal tradition, this page provides some answers to common questions.

What is liturgy?

The Greek word liturgy (λειτουργία) comes from two words: laos, meaning people, and ergon, meaning work. Liturgy is literally “the work of the people,” the way in which the early Christians structured their communal worship of God around specific words said by the priest and people to express praise, repentance, and most importantly the story of God’s love for us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Churches that follow a liturgy do so not to stifle individual expression, but rather to give a form for the whole community to follow in which each person has a part to play.

What is Rite 1?

All of our worship comes directly from The Book of Common Prayer. The Prayer Book is “bilingual” in that it offers a traditional language liturgy (Rite 1) and a contemporary language rite (Rite 2). For Rite 1, think “King James” English, the language used in worship when the 1662 Book of Common Prayer was published. At St. John’s, we use the Rite 1 form for our 11:00 am Sung Eucharist as well as the 8:00 am Eucharist on Sunday mornings.

What is Rite 2?

Rite 2 is the The Book of Common Prayer’s contemporary language rite. At St. John’s, we use Rite 2 at our 5:30 pm Saturday night service and our 9:15 am Sunday service. It is also the rite we use for Morning Prayer and Eucharist at St. John’s Episcopal School throughout the week.

I’ve never been to a liturgical service. Will I be able to follow along?

St. John’s is not a community that judges people by how they participate in our services. We know it can be intimidating to take your place in a new church where you don’t know all the customs. Besides providing worshipers with a bulletin, our ushers and greeters also have a “Newcomers Guide to the Holy Eucharist” which eases the experience, putting all the words and music together in one place.

Who is allowed to participate in Communion?

Holy Communion is open to all baptized believers. You do not have to be an Episcopalian to receive the sacrament. It is not that we take Communion lightly as much as we take baptism and belief seriously. We believe that every person who approaches the altar in repentance and faith is welcome at the meal that Christ instituted for his followers. Worshipers who are not baptized or do not wish to receive the sacrament are invited to receive a blessing at the altar rail during the administration of Communion.

Are children and infants welcome in the service?

Absolutely! Our services are intergenerational. Even the youngest worshipers are able to participate in age appropriate ways. In order to aid parents who are shepherding their children through worship, we provide children’s bulletins for kids 8 through 11 and “busy bags” with activities for younger children. Infants are welcome as well, but if they (or their parents) need a break, we have a room to which a family can retreat and still hear what’s going on during the service. Additionally, our Nursery is always available for children five years old and younger.

Do children receive Communion at St. John’s?

We leave it to parents to decide whether and when their children receive communion. Some families wait until their child is in first or second grade. Others desire that even their youngest receive the sacrament. We also offer periodic classes for parents and children about receiving their first Holy Communion.

How do I get involved in serving at one of the worship services?

We are always looking for more Lectors (those who read Scripture) acolytes (those who assist the clergy at that altar) Lay Eucharistic Ministers (those who serve the chalice at communion) and more. Go to our ministries page and sign up.

What does “Episcopal” mean?

The Episcopal Church comes from the Church of England. After the the Revolutionary War, Church of England congregations established The Episcopal Church, taking the name from the Greek episcopoi, meaning “bishops.” The name reflects our belief that the historic succession of bishops, going back to the apostles and Jesus himself, is an essential part of expressing the fullness of the Church in all times and places. The Episcopal Church is both reformed, believing that Scripture is the ultimate rule of faith, as well as catholic, seeking to be true to the ways Christians have worshiped, governed the Church, and practiced their faith since the apostolic era.

What is the relationship of the Episcopal Church to the Church of England and the Anglican Communion?

The Episcopal Church is “in communion” with the Church of England, meaning that while the English and American churches govern their own affairs, we share Eucharistic fellowship with one another and recognize one another as a part of Christ’s one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We are also in communion with the Anglican Communion of churches: forty-four regional and national churches in more than 160 countries, comprising more than 80 million members worldwide.

Do Episcopalians believe the Bible?

Episcopalians believe Scripture to be the rule and ultimate standard of faith, above any council or magisterium. Bishop Stephen Neill once summed up the Anglican position as follows: “Show us anything clearly set forth in Holy Scripture that we do not teach, and we will teach it; show us anything in our teaching and practice that is plainly contrary to Holy Scripture, and we will abandon it.” (Stephen Neill, Anglicanism, p. 119) At St. John’s, every sermon is centered on proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ as it comes to us through the Bible.

What else do Episcopalians believe?

We believe the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed, these formulates articulating our essential beliefs that God is a Trinity of Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and that Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine. United in the basics, Episcopalians allow for different understandings regarding doctrines that are less central to the Christian faith–questions regarding free will and God’s sovereignty, for example, or how exactly Christ is present in the sacramental Bread and Wine. Episcopalians are therefore also ecumenically inclined, appealing to the words of Rupertus Meldenius (a Lutheran!): “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

What is a diocese?

A diocese is the basic unit of the Church: a geographical district of congregations under the pastoral care of a bishop. St. John’s is a church of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, under our bishop, the Rt. Rev’d George Sumner.