Isn’t that a bit weird?
Some of the things we can do during our service can seem a bit weird, particularly if you are not familiar with church or church language. This section tries to explain some of the thinking behind them.
Communion
This is the bit of the service known in other churches as the Lord’s Supper, Mass or Eucharist. It all started with the Last Supper celebrated by Jesus and the disciples the night before he was executed, as described in the four gospels. The bread and wine are interpreted as symbols representing Jesus’ body and blood, and reminding us that his sacrifice allows us to be forgiven and to approach God.
The speaker normally starts communion with a reading, followed by a prayer giving thanks for the bread and wine. The stewards normally then hand out the bread, followed by the wine, which we pass from person to person. If you don’t want to eat or drink, then please pass the bread and wine to your neighbour, and no-one will take any notice.
Offering our money
We believe that God has ownership of our entire beings, including our money and possessions. While many people donate their money through monthly standing orders or other means, the offering allows us space to rededicate our entire selves to God.
Offerings are entirely between an individual and God; if you are a visitor then please do not feel that you have to put anything in the offering plate.
Singing together
Most people don’t get the chance to sing communally any more, but singing forms a large part of our worship. Songs help us to express emotion in worship - whether that is joy, fear, trust, sadness.
Some people like to express themselves bodily in worship, by raising hands, dancing, moving. We would like you to be free to express yourself in whatever way you feel.
Speaker
A core part of each service is someone speaking to us, usually taking a passage out of the Bible and helping us to think through the implications of that passage for how we live out our faith in today’s world. Most talks (jargon = “sermon”) last about 30 minutes.