Tour of Sunday Worship

Upon entering the church, feel free to sit anywhere you'd like - there is no assigned seating. Once you're in a pew, locate the red Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the blue Hymnal 1982. These will probably be used in the service. The paper bulletin will guide you through the service, and the clergy will do what they can to help everyone be "on the same page." Feel free to ask someone near you for help if you're confused. It can be a little cumbersome to juggle books, but you'll find that as you become more familiar with the service, you won't need to rely on them so heavily.

(Note: a more complete description of the components of the service and their meaning as part of the liturgy is available in the text of the Instructed Eucharist.)

The service begins with an organ Voluntary to provide worshipers a time of private prayer and preparation. When the first hymn begins, the congregation stands and sings from the blue Hymnal. We remain standing for the opening prayers, then are seated for the Scripture readings. (Don't worry if you don't know when to stand or sit; just do what those around you are doing). We stand for the next hymn, which will overlap the Gospel procession: a Deacon or Assisting Priest carries the Gospel book through the congregation and reads it amongst the people.

This is followed by a sermon (usually 7-10 minutes), for which we are seated. Following the sermon, we have a short time of silent reflection, the end of which is designated by a Tibetan bell. Then we stand to reaffirm our faith in the ancient words of the Nicene Creed, and to offer intercessory prayers. We kneel for the general Confession and Absolution, then we stand again to pass Christ's Peace to each other. Passing the Peace usually consists of a handshake, though as you get to know people, you may wish to offer a hug. People will approach you and say, "Peace" or "Christ's Peace" or "The Peace of the Lord be with you." And you may respond by simply saying, "Peace" in return. This is not meant to be an overly social time, but instead a way of connecting with those with whom we are worshiping, and recognizing ourselves as a community in Christ's Peace as we gather together around God's table.

The Offertory is a time once again for private prayer, to offer ourselves to God, and to present a token of that offering in the collection plate. After a musical offering, the money that has been collected, as well as the bread and wine to be used at communion, is carried to the altar and offered to God. A Priest presides at the altar, praying the Eucharistic Prayer on behalf of the gathered congregation. Everyone participates by singing the Sanctus ("Holy, holy, holy…"), saying various responses as indicated in the BCP, giving assent to the prayer by saying Amen (the Greek word for "Truly"), praying the Lord's Prayer, and singing a Fraction Anthem after the bread is broken. Service

To receive Communion, the congregation gathers around the altar, moving forward by rows. This can be a little confusing, so watch what the people around you are doing, and ask someone if you don't know where to go. Everyone is welcome at the Lord's Table, either to receive the blessed bread and wine, or to receive a blessing. If you would like to receive a blessing, cross your arms over your chest and the Priest will put her hands on your head to say a blessing. Otherwise, hold out your hands to receive the bread. You may either consume the bread, then sip from the chalice, or you may dip the bread in the chalice, then consume it. When you are served the bread and wine, the server will say, "The body of Christ, the bread of heaven" and "The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation." You may respond, "Amen." For various reasons (food allergies, recovery from alcoholism, etc.), you might not want to consume one of the elements. Feel free to simply touch the plate, kiss the chalice, cross your arms over your chest, or whatever motion feels appropriate and reverent. After receiving Communion, you may return to your seat.

The congregation will say together a Postcommunion Prayer, then have a short time for announcements (you can also find information on activities and events in your bulletin, on the table in the back of the church, on this website, and in our newsletter: "Calling All Saints"). The Priest will give a blessing, then the congregation will sing a closing hymn. The Deacon or Assisting Priest will dismiss the people, then the choir and clergy will process out during an organ Voluntary.

The 10:30am service typically will take an hour and fifteen minutes, until 11:45.

After the Voluntary, we hope that several members of the congregation will greet you and invite you to coffee hour. If you didn't sign our guestbook on the way in, please give us your name and address so that we can keep in touch with you. The Vestry (governing body), clergy and lots of others are available to answer any questions you might have. Feel free to catch us after the service, or call us during the week at 650-322-4528.

We hope to meet you soon!

We're located at the corner of Hamilton and Waverley in downtown Palo Alto. See our Directions page for more information on how to get here. And note that parking is not much of a problem on Sundays. Even though our hexagonal (modeled after an old baptismal font) church has many doors, our main entrance, and the only one that's open on Sunday, is on Waverley Street, just north of Hamilton. You'll spot a chalice-shaped walkway, leading to a breezeway between two buildings. The building on the left is the Office Building/Chapel, and the one on the right is the Church

	As you reach the door, you'll see a welcome table in the breezeway, containing some literature about All Saints. We'd love to have you sign our visitor's log. Near the table, you'll find a couple of designated greeters, and hopefully they'll spot you as someone who's new and give you a proper welcome. They'll also offer you a nametag, and answer any questions that you might have ("Where's the restroom? Is there childcare? What's a Prayer Book?"). A greeter or usher will also hand you a paper bulletin that outlines our service. Your children and teenagers are welcome in church. They may wish to attend Church School (pre-K to 8th grade) from 9:30-10:20am, which would allow you to attend the Adult Forum. During the 10:30 service, there are several options for your children: Children's Chapel (in the Chapel) at 10:30am is the first half of the service (the Liturgy of the Word) presented at a level that is more comprehensible for elementary aged children. The children then rejoin their parents in "the big church" in time for Communion. Infants and toddlers may go to the Childcare room. Preschool age children may have supervised play on the playground. Or, your children may remain with you during the entire service. Approximately every 6 weeks, we have an "All-age Worship" which allows for greater participation by children. Each Sunday we receive about half a dozen visitors, so chances are, you won't be the only one. By the way, no one will ask you to stand up and introduce yourself or come to the altar during the service, so put your mind at ease! We are a friendly, yet fairly introverted congregation; we'll do our best to welcome you without putting you in the spotlight. We are of all ages, in many different family groupings (or not), with smatterings of various ethnicities. It's likely that you'll find someone like yourself here. Upon entering the church, feel free to sit anywhere you'd like - there is no assigned seating. Once you're in a pew, locate the red Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the blue Hymnal 1982. These will probably be used in the service. The paper bulletin will guide you through the service, and the clergy will do what they can to help everyone be "on the same page." Feel free to ask someone near you for help if you're confused. It can be a little cumbersome to juggle books, but you'll find that as you become more familiar with the service, you won't need to rely on them so heavily. (Note: a more complete description of the components of the service and their meaning as part of the liturgy is available in the text of the Instructed Eucharist.) The service begins with an organ Voluntary to provide worshipers a time of private prayer and preparation. When the first hymn begins, the congregation stands and sings from the blue Hymnal. We remain standing for the opening prayers, then are seated for the Scripture readings. (Don't worry if you don't know when to stand or sit; just do what those around you are doing). We stand for the next hymn, which will overlap the Gospel procession: a Deacon or Assisting Priest carries the Gospel book through the congregation and reads it amongst the people. This is followed by a sermon (usually 7-10 minutes), for which we are seated. Following the sermon, we have a short time of silent reflection, the end of which is designated by a Tibetan bell. Then we stand to reaffirm our faith in the ancient words of the Nicene Creed, and to offer intercessory prayers. We kneel for the general Confession and Absolution, then we stand again to pass Christ's Peace to each other. Passing the Peace usually consists of a handshake, though as you get to know people, you may wish to offer a hug. People will approach you and say, "Peace" or "Christ's Peace" or "The Peace of the Lord be with you." And you may respond by simply saying, "Peace" in return. This is not meant to be an overly social time, but instead a way of connecting with those with whom we are worshiping, and recognizing ourselves as a community in Christ's Peace as we gather together around God's table. The Offertory is a time once again for private prayer, to offer ourselves to God, and to present a token of that offering in the collection plate. After a musical offering, the money that has been collected, as well as the bread and wine to be used at communion, is carried to the altar and offered to God. A Priest presides at the altar, praying the Eucharistic Prayer on behalf of the gathered congregation. Everyone participates by singing the Sanctus ("Holy, holy, holy…"), saying various responses as indicated in the BCP, giving assent to the prayer by saying Amen (the Greek word for "Truly"), praying the Lord's Prayer, and singing a Fraction Anthem after the bread is broken. To receive Communion, the congregation gathers around the altar, moving forward by rows. This can be a little confusing, so watch what the people around you are doing, and ask someone if you don't know where to go. Everyone is welcome at the Lord's Table, either to receive the blessed bread and wine, or to receive a blessing. If you would like to receive a blessing, cross your arms over your chest and the Priest will put her hands on your head to say a blessing. Otherwise, hold out your hands to receive the bread. You may either consume the bread, then sip from the chalice, or you may dip the bread in the chalice, then consume it. When you are served the bread and wine, the server will say, "The body of Christ, the bread of heaven" and "The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation." You may respond, "Amen." For various reasons (food allergies, recovery from alcoholism, etc.), you might not want to consume one of the elements. Feel free to simply touch the plate, kiss the chalice, cross your arms over your chest, or whatever motion feels appropriate and reverent. After receiving Communion, you may return to your seat. The congregation will say together a Postcommunion Prayer, then have a short time for announcements (you can also find information on activities and events in your bulletin, on the table in the back of the church, on this website, and in our newsletter: "Calling All Saints"). The Priest will give a blessing, then the congregation will sing a closing hymn. The Deacon or Assisting Priest will dismiss the people, then the choir and clergy will process out during an organ Voluntary. The 10:30am service typically will take an hour and fifteen minutes, until 11:45. After the Voluntary, we hope that several members of the congregation will greet you and invite you to coffee hour. If you didn't sign our guestbook on the way in, please give us your name and address so that we can keep in touch with you. The Vestry (governing body), clergy and lots of others are available to answer any questions you might have. Feel free to catch us after the service, or call us during the week at 650-322-4528. We hope to meet you soon!
Greeting at the Main Entrance

The Church Interior from the Front Entrance

The Church Interior from the Side

The Procession

Reading of the Gospel

The Offertory

The Eucharist

Communion

Hospitality in the Parish Hall

		Tour of Sunday Worship

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