Services
Incarnation gathers together in a variety of formats. During January, we will gather in one another's apartments on Sunday mornings for an informal time of Scripture reading and brunch. During the week groups meet together to read, explore, pray, and serve. Beginning in February, we will again return to worshiping together as a larger group on Sunday mornings.
Whether or not you're familiar with other Christian communities, it's natural to want to know what's going to happen. When you arrive, you will be given a program that outlines the service for that day. In the margins, there will be "cues" for those new to Christian worship explaining what's going on and why.
Our services follow a similar structure, based on ancient practices of worship referred to as a "liturgy". There is a "call to worship" - a leader bids us pay attention as we enter a sacred time. Then we are led in singing for about ten minutes. Next, we pause to reflect on the good news that God forgives us for all the ways that our lives are bent away from goodness (a "confession of sin").
Then a section of text is read from Scripture, followed by a twenty minute sermon relating that ancient text to the challenges of living well together in the city. Then we move to the "Eucharist" or thanksgiving meal where all baptized persons are invited to feed on the bread and wine that are Jesus Christ given to us. Baskets are passed for those who wish to support the work of the church and announcements are made about what's going on in the life of the church. Finally, we are dismissed with a blessing to go out to love and serve God and our neighbors.
Child care and children's classes are provided for the entire service for infants through 5th graders.