WORSHIP
Above, we begin Palm Sunday and Holy Week each year with a procession through our neighborhood, remembering Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, just days before his crucifixion.

If you ask people what keeps them coming to St. John’s, nine times out of ten the response is: “The worship.” “The sincerity of the worship.”“It’s real.” “It’s authentic.” “The people really pray and sing together.” “The best ‘prayers of the people’ ever!”

When we gather here to worship God, people really show up, bringing their entire selves, souls and bodies, to be enveloped by God’s presence. We invite you to join us in receiving the love that God is sharing with us and through us. That is true of all the worship opportunities at St. John’s, yet each is different. Here is what you might expect to find at each of our weekly worship gatherings.



 

Choral Eucharist
Sundays at 11 a.m.
This is the main event, the gathering of the community on the first day of the week to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the new life he brings. Sunday morning at St. John’s is a hard-to-define mix of formal and informal elements: incense and bells, choral anthems and the chanting of prayers; but also intensely active participation of everyone in prayer and song, people in jeans and t-shirts, the sharing of stories from Scripture and from our own lives. The worship is transcendent and intimate, grand and deeply personal, all at the same time.

Eucharistic worship is in two-parts. In the first part, the Liturgy of the Word, we gather to hear Scriptures read and applied to our daily lives, to affirm our faith, and pray for the needs of the world. In the second part, the Liturgy of the Table, we share a sacred meal of bread and wine, the Body and Blood of Christ, remembering our unity in Christ and receiving the grace to continue Christ’s presence and ministry in the world.
Above: Acolytes and crucifer prepare to lead the altar party: the thurifer leads the way with incense.



  

It’s all very familiar to folks from Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and even Orthodox backgrounds, as well as to fellow Episcopalians, but it has a certain twist that is uniquely St. John’s: reflecting our welcome of the queer immigrants and refugees who find their way to San Francisco; of the teachers, healers, and activists searching for spiritual roots; and of the poor, the mentally ill, and those in recovery from addiction seeking sanctuary. It’s a motley crew: the people of God.
Above: The Gospel is read during the Liturgy of the Word; Fr. Richard celebrates the Liturgy of the Table, or the Holy Eucharist; Fr. Jeff distributes Holy Communion.



   

Special Liturgies
Throughout the year, we mark feast days, liturgical seasons, and Holy Week with special services, including Advent Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve and Morning; Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and the Great Vigil of Easter and Easter Morning services; the Feasts of St. Francis and All Souls. We also hold a special service in memory of Matthew Shepard and all victims of hatred and violence.
Above: Easter Sunday; Fr. John leads our Palm Sunday observance, which begins with a blessing of palms in our garden and a procession around our neighborhood; blessing of companion animals (in this case, a rat), Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.





Holy Eucharist
Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
Midweek worship in the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin is a much smaller-scale, more intimate affair. We keep it simple on Wednesday: no music, more silence, fewer words, a quiet sharing of Scripture and Holy Communion. This thirty-minute worship experience is a touchstone of faith in the middle of the week, with a tradition of honoring the saints of the Church.





Taizé: Christian Chant & Meditation
First Thursdays at 7 p.m.
Yes, Christians do chant and meditate. If you are looking for something more contemplative, more open and spacious, we invite you to experience this form of worship, which comes from the ecumenical monastic community of Taizé, France. We gather in the beautiful, candlelit nave of the church for a time of simple chant led by a cantor and musician, with a ten-minute period of silence preceded by a brief Scripture reading as the centerpiece. That’s pretty much it. No sermon. No sacraments. Just people gathered for sung prayer and silence surrounded by candles, icons, and stained glass. It lasts about 50 minutes. You are free to move around: spend some time praying with an icon, or lighting a candle, or lying on a cushion and letting the chant wash over you.





Baptisms, Marriage, and Funerals
Baptism: Christian Initiation
Holy Baptism is full initiation by the Word of God with water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body the Church. The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble (adapted from the Book of Common Prayer, p. 298). Holy Baptism is a sacrament or sign of God’s unconditional love for us, a love that binds us into community with one another. In baptism we receive forgiveness of sins and are made sharers in God’s own life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and we respond by promising to follow the way of Jesus.
 
Infants, children, and adults may be baptized in the Episcopal Church. Youth and adults also may renew their baptismal promises in the presence of the Bishop at various times during the year. A parent desiring baptism for a child should contact the Rector to arrange a time to meet and discuss the promises made in baptism. A baptismal covenant class is offered periodically throughout the year for those preparing for baptism or the renewal of baptismal vows. We normally expect that the parent(s) will be active members of St. John’s, or in special circumstances practicing members of another Christian Church.
 
Four dates are usually set apart especially for baptism: The Sunday after All Saints Day (First Sunday in November), The Feast of the Baptism of Jesus (normally the second Sunday in January), The Great Vigil of Easter (the Saturday before Easter), The Feast of Pentecost (seven weeks after Easter). Baptism may be scheduled during the principal Eucharist on other Sundays as well. Private baptisms are not celebrated in the Episcopal Church except in case of emergencies.





Marriage: Blessing Holy Relationships
In the Episcopal Church marriage is a sacramental rite, and the commitment that two people make to each other in marriage is a sign of God’s love for the whole world. This commitment ideally entails life-long mutual fidelity, respect, and care for one another, nurtured in Christian community. At St. John’s, we honor and bless the commitment between same-gender and opposite-gender couples with equal joy and dignity, and we rejoice that all couples may enjoy the benefits and obligations of both sacramental and civil marriage in California.

Weddings are celebrated according to the form provided in the Book of Common Prayer, and in those rites for same-gender couples set forth by our Bishop. It is important to realize that a wedding is a worship service. The selection of readings, prayers and music is done in consultation with the clergy and parish musician.

Preparation for marriage consists of five or six meetings with one of the clergy to discuss the blessing, challenges and commitments of marriage. At least one person in the couple must be a baptized Christian, and normally it is expected that at least one of them will be an active member of St. John’s or another Christian church. Weddings generally are not celebrated during the season of Lent (the 40 days before Easter). Please contact the Rector for more information.


Funerals and Memorial Services
Respect and care for the dead and those who grieve is a sacred obligation. The sacramental rite of Christian burial is provided for all baptized people, regardless of their denominational affiliation or participation at St. John’s. Memorial services are celebrated for all people of any or no religious background. There is no requirement other than the need for the support of a loving community during a time of grief and loss. Please contact the Rector for pastoral assistance during times of illness, dying, or death.

Photos: M. Cousins; B. Pethoud; K. Wade, SF Chronicle; B. Pethoud; J. Adams; M. Cousins; J. Adams; M. Cousins; B. Pethoud; K. Leibenath; P. Lane.