Worship Schedule

As you enter the church at 8:00am, you will notice an atmosphere of quiet reverence in the few minutes prior to the start of worship. Most of our worshippers cherish that quiet at 8:00 am service and the moments that help to make the transition from the world outside into the Spirit of God’s presence.

 A different call to worship is heard at the 10:30 am worship.  You will hear an upbeat song calling us to worship extemporaneously and express the outward joy that Christ gives to us.  Contemporary music and instruments will be heard and the clapping of hands to the beat.

On and alongside the altar are candles to remind us that Christ is the "Light of the world." [John 8:11] The outer candles are lit for the first part of the service to symbolize the illumination of the word of God we hear through scripture, preaching and prayer, but the candles on the altar are not lit until the consecration of the bread and wine itself begins, symbolizing the presence of Jesus Christ.

To the left of the altar is the lectern, which is used for the reading of scripture from the Bible by the congregation.
 

The Act of Worship

Episcopal worship services are congregational. For Sunday Services, a service bulletin is prepared that includes the order of service, scripture readings and music which enables the congregation to share fully in every service. In addition, you will also find in the pews a copy of the Episcopal Hymnal and the Book of Common Prayer.

You may wonder when to stand, sit or kneel. You may also notice that there are times in the service when some people at St. Anne’s are standing while others are kneeling. The general rule is to stand to sing. We stand, also, to say our affirmation of the faith (the Creed) and for the reading of the Gospel. Some of our parishioners stand during the consecration while others kneel—either is appropriate. We sit during readings from the Bible, the sermon, the announcements and music. We generally kneel, though some stand, during prayers to show our gratefulness to God for accepting us as his children, or as an act of humility before God.

The Prayer Book

All worship at St. Anne’s is drawn from the Book of Common Prayer.   The Book of Common Prayer serves as a guide to the worship service at St. Anne's, but don't mistake it as only a rote document - we have a diverse order of worship that stresses vitality.  Each Sunday a Service Bulletin is prepared that guides the experienced and less-experienced through the service.  

The Regular Services

The central service of worship at St. Anne’s is the Holy Eucharist, the remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection made concrete in the bread and wine. As you participate in the Eucharist over time the logic of this service will grow clearer. In a nutshell, we begin by listening to scripture and reflecting on its meaning for life, and then move through prayer, confession and forgiveness to becoming the family of God gathered around the table of God, living ever so briefly the life of heaven before we return again to the world, hopefully transformed and renewed to live life differently.

There are variations on the Eucharist service you will encounter if you come to worship at different times. The form of Eucharist we celebrate at the 10:30 a.m. service utilizes more contemporary language and music, whereas the 8 a.m. service each Sunday is conducted in more traditional language without music.

Healing services and various prayers are held regularly at St. Anne's in Ankeny and at the Des Moines Jewish Life Center. 

Read some of our recent Sermons.
 

Vestments

To add to the beauty and festivity of the services, and to signify special ministries, the clergy, deacons and other ministers wear vestments.  Acolytes, young people who assist with worship, wear a muslin tunic.

The priest wears an alb as well—a white tunic with sleeves that covers the body from neck to ankles. Over it, the priest wears a stole, a band of fabric in the color of the liturgical season.
 

The Church Year

The Episcopal Church observes the traditional Christian calendar in which we move through the life of Christ in the course of a year. The season of Advent, during which we prepare for the birth of Christ at Christmas, begins on the Sunday closest to November 30. Christmas itself lasts twelve days, after which we celebrate the Epiphany (January 6) in which the light of Christ breaks out into the world.

Lent, the forty days of penitential preparation for Easter, begins on Ash Wednesday. The night before Ash Wednesday, St Anne's holds their annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner.  The most deeply spiritual services of the year take place during the week before Easter in which we commemorate the last days of the life of Christ culminating in his resurrection on Easter Sunday. During the Easter season, we focus particularly on the experiences of the risen Christ in the early Church, culminating in Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, when the disciples are filled by the Holy Spirit and sent into the world.

During all of these seasons, the Bible readings are selected for their relevance to the events being commemorated. During the rest of the year in the long season after Pentecost, the New Testament is read sequentially from Sunday to Sunday so the congregation can experience the total teaching and experience of Christ and of the apostle Paul and other authors of New Testament letters. Old Testament lessons are selected to correspond with the theme of the day’s Gospel.

Where do I go from here?

To church, we hope! As you experience worship at St. Anne’s, please feel free to ask any questions that come to mind. Our priest will be happy to schedule time to visit with you. We trust and pray that, as worship becomes more familiar to you, the experience of being with Christ at St. Anne’s will open the doors of the kingdom of God to you.

The above material is based upon the excellent materials from St George's Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas.  We are in their debt.