Prayer is simply conversation to God (which includes both talking and listening), which can be done spontaneously or using prepared words. In public worship, formal prayer preserves essential truths that the intimacy of spontaneous prayer can overlook, such as God's majesty and sovereignty. Jesus is our brother, but He's not our little brother. Jesus is the lover of our souls, but if we relate to Him with sentimentality as we might to a human lover using pet names, for instance, we seriously distort our relationship to the living God. He is far more than that.
Anglican worship is based in the Common Prayer tradition, utilizing set prayers that can be memorized as a vehicle of the Spirit to strengthen our faith and enable us to better worship our Lord. It need not prevent us from other expressions of worship, and never restrict us when necessary for alternative expressions of worship. Church of the Ascension follows the Prayer Book worship as a sure guide to vital, ordered community worship. Worship of God itself, however, isn't a matter of external things, like standing, kneeling, bowing, raising hands, folding hands, etc. It also isn't a matter of saying prayers. Worship is something we do in the depths of our hearts that only God can see. Then, that internal attitude and intention toward God is expressed in external actions. So, how we do what we do in worship isn't most importantly the way we do external things. What matters most is the attitude of our hearts.
You will notice at Church of the Ascension that we have adopted a truly blended manner of worship. This is revealed in several ways. First, musically. The ancient hymns and chants of the church are song alongside tunes of praise that were composed in the 20th and 21st centuries. Also, we value a diversity of instrumentation, such as the traditional (piano, organ, wind instruments and strings) the expressive (guitar & percussion) and the unique (bouzouki).
Secondly in the preaching: Our speakers are careful teachers and the goal is to thoughtfully engage the congregation with accessible and meaningful sermons. The sermons are easy to follow and applicable to daily life and faith, sincere and rooted in Christ and the Bible.
Third, our prayers are not perfunctory or rote. We embrace both the written form (liturgy) and the extemporaneous. Formal liturgical worship using set prayers that have been well-analyzed for theological clarity and truthful content. Our corporate worship attempts to be one which is formally structured, using set prayers and actions in which we can all participate, yet in which God the Holy Spirit draws us into His presence together. At such times, there are often natural, spontaneous expressions of prayer and song, revealing the intimacy of our relationship with God. We truly believe and love the prayers we pray, and you will notice that they are prayed with enthusiasm, sincerity and great care.
Finally, Father Matthew and other leaders offer explanations along the way. Why do we do this? Where did this ritual come from? Also, we invite any who have been baptized to receive the Eucharist at Church of the Ascension. The Priest will explain how to receive communion and offer options for the expression of your faith during the service.