When people gather together for worship they are praising God and celebrating his love for each and every one of us. Worship is the public prayer of the church. Much of the worship in the SEC is sacramental in character. Its patterns of worship are full of drama and colour, which appeals to the senses as well as the intellect. In its unique tradition most of the services follow a common framework or ‘liturgy’. In this way, words become familiar and part of who we are. Some public prayer may be highly structured, but on other occasions it might be more informal. Styles of worship differ.
The main service at St Finnian’s on a Sunday is fairly traditional, with an organist providing the music and the hymns being a mixture of old favourites and more contemporary tunes. Once a month we hold an evening service, alternating between Compline, part of the old order of daily services in the church, and Taizé-inspired worship, a reflective type of service, varying in theme each time. We open our doors to everyone without prejudice or judgement, being welcoming, friendly and inclusive and always delighted to see children.
Often called the Eucharist, Holy Communion is the most common worship service in our church. The service recalls and celebrates Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples on the day before his death on the Cross, and encourages us as the Christian family today. As such the Eucharist is a sacrament of the church, a channel of God’s love and grace in our lives. At St Finnian’s we use modern language in our liturgy (dating from 1982). The service is enriched by music, vestments (colourful robes) and, on special festivals, incense, and we encourage active participation by members of the congregation in the worship.
Every Sunday and Tuesday morning (Tuesday being when we hold a mid-week service), and on the occasions of our monthly evening services, we offer refreshments afterwards, so that we may join in fellowship with each other and give newcomers an opportunity to meet other people and discover more about the Christian faith and ourselves as the church family at St Finnian’s.
So, do come along and find out for yourselves – we would be delighted to welcome you and help you to understand our worship.