Worship

The Abbot's Chapel

The Abbot's Chapel is where the Abbot holds his Mass at designated times. At other

times the chapel is open for meditation and contemplation as well as small prayer and study

group meetings. Masses are generally held using traditional Christian rituals derived from

well-known and established Catholic and/or Anglican liturgies. The degree of formality of

the services will vary depending on the time of day and abbey designated activities of the

day. Remembering and giving thanks for the bountiful blessing of this life should not be

restricted because of attire. At morning or other daily prayer you may see the Abbot or

other clergy dressed in a variety of attire from clerical shirts while holding informal prayers

or while at a celebration of High Mass the clergy will be in albs, a designated clerical habits,

or the designated tunic and scapular signifying the celebrants as members of the holy order.

Because brothers and sisters of the abbey actually live their Christian worship every day,

worship services in the Abbot's chapel are as unique an experience as the everyday Christian

life that the members live.

Our Sacraments Include:

Baptism - We believe, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of

commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as infants or adults, Baptism is

the Church's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of Holy Spirit.

Eucharist - We believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacred and nurturing

meal. We believe in the real presence of Holy Spirit during the Eucharist, and that during

this remembrance of the sacrifices for us we are brought closer to the Holy Spirit.

Reconciliation - The Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Penance, or Penance

and Reconciliation) has three elements: conversion, confession and celebration. In it we

find the Holy Spirit's unconditional forgiveness; as a result we are called to forgive others.

Confirmation - Confirmation is a Sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a

deepening of baptismal gifts. It is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation for the Church.

It is most often associated with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Marriage - We believe, the Sacrament of Marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a public sign

of a sacred union or partnership between people, which transcends the materialism of this

realm through the blessing and sanctioning of the Holy Spirit of the bond. It is also a

public statement about the Holy Spirit: by the imitation of the accepting, non-judgmental,

forgiving, and nurturing eternal family that we are all a part of as the Children of the

Most Holy Spirit. When people enter into the state of Holy Matrimony they are

confessing to the world that they are bound to each other as they have been bond to the

Holy Spirit.

Holy Orders - In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, the priest being ordained

vows to lead other Christians by bringing them the sacraments (especially the Eucharist),

by proclaiming the Good News of Salvation, and by providing other means to fulfill the

wholesomeness (holiness) of the Most Holy Spirit.

Anointing of the Sick - The Christian Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, formerly

known as Last Rites or Extreme Unction, is a ritual of healing appropriate not only for

physical but also for mental and spiritual sickness.

Daily Meditations:

Members of the Abbey set aside various times during the week for private and group

meditation periods. This is a time for contemplation of works past, present activities, and

future endeavors. A time for us to dwell both alone and with the Holy Spirit, on the

nature of this life and on our eternal existence as spiritual beings. In the early years of the

Christian era the original followers of Jesus' teachings found it natural to take time during

the day to take time to dwell on their teacher's words and apply those lessons to the issues

they faced daily. In the fast past confusion of today's complex social order we need to

remember and recreate daily the peaceful calm provided us in Jesus' teachings to replenish

our souls to continue the work of the Holy Spirit.

Home Worship:

Home churches were the main stay of the Christian church for many centuries and

offer a great opportunity to fellowship with others any day of the week. We like to

encourage Christians of all denominations to partake in this easy to follow, wonderfully

enlightening, and spiritually fulfilling practice that was followed by Jesus and later

apostles for hundreds of years. Training and worship materials for home church groups

are available from the Abbey.

We encourage members and others to experience the joys and spiritual lifting of home

services and breaking of bread together. Whether held by a small group of lay people or

in the accompaniment of a member of the clergy, home church meetings can be a

powerful tool for spreading the good news of Jesus' teaching as well as sharing the love of

the Holy Spirit. Home churching can be as simple as discussing one or two lessons taught

by Jesus, to watching a documentary of church history or teachings, to hosting a clergy

member conducting a full Eucharist, marriage, or baptism.