Worship > Sundays > Road Map to 7 PM Rock Eucharist Service
Road Map to the 7 PM Rock Eucharist Service
We welcome you to our 7 PM Rock Eucharist service. It is our hope that this guide will give you a sense of the service and answer any questions you might have, particularly if this is your first time attending an Anglican Church service. If we’ve forgotten something, please ask.
The worship service follows the pattern for our morning liturgies and uses the Book of Alternative Services.
As You Arrive
There are two entrances to our worship space – the front doors on Bloor Street and the ramp entrance on Avenue Road. Pushing the round paddle on the wall to the left of the door at the top of the ramp will open it for you.
Wheelchair accessible washrooms are located to the left as you come in the Bloor Street doors. In the area at the back of the worship space you will find a number of print resources about the parish. It is also in this area that a time of coffee and conversation will take place at the end of the service.
As you arrive the band will be warming up and the volume will be turned up, too! There will be folks on the front steps to welcome you. The worship team for this service is gathered from the community that shows up for the service – the preacher, the presider and the musicians are all scheduled but all other roles are led by those who offer their leadership for the evening. We dress casually for this service.
Preparing for Worship
The service takes place in the main worship space. Please sit where you feel most comfortable. The leaflet contains all of the prayers and the music for the service as well as notices of upcoming events. You are welcome to take the leaflet home with you.
We Gather
We stand as the service begins with the opening song. The Presiding Celebrant greets the community and gathers us in prayer with the collect (collecting our prayers for the day).
To Hear Our Story
We are seated for the first reading – drawn from one of the readings assigned for the day from the Hebrew (Old Testament) or Christian (Epistle reading from the New Testament) texts. When the band begins to play the next song we stand up in preparation to hear the Gospel reading that will be read from the midst of the gathering.
We then sit to listen to the sermon where the words of scripture are opened up for us through reflection on what the biblical story has to say to us in this time and place. The preaching at Redeemer is inspiring, challenging, and thought-provoking.
To Offer Prayers
After the sermon, we stand for the Prayers of the People. A member of the community will lead us as we offer prayers for our world, our church, and our community. In the silences we offer names and concerns aloud or quietly. At the conclusion of the prayers we exchange the peace through a hug, a kiss, or by shaking hands. We usually say “peace be with you”, or simply “peace”.
To Gather Around the Table
Members of the community bring forward the bread and wine while the table is prepared for communion. A song is played while the offering plate is passed amongst the congregation and then brought forward so that all of our gifts offered are received with thanksgiving.
The celebrant leads the congregation in a Eucharistic prayer. The bread and wine are blessed. Following this prayer of thanksgiving, we say a version of the Lord’s Prayer.
The bread is broken, the wine is poured and it is shared by all who gather around the table, regardless of age. If you have gluten or wheat intolerance, we have gluten-free wafers available. Please let the bread-bearer know and they will get one of the wafers for you. To receive the bread put your hand out to receive a piece of bread and eat it. When the cup is offered, you may guide it to your mouth with your hand and take a sip. It is customary to say Amen after receiving.
The communion ministers will stand in front of the altar at the base of the stairs. Come forward along the centre aisle to the bread bearer and then move to either side to receive the wine before returning to your seats. While communion is being served, the band continues to play another song.
If you would like to receive a blessing instead of receiving communion, you can indicate this to the celebrant by crossing your arms in front of you as indicated in the picture below.
To be Sent Out into the World
After all have received communion, a final prayer and the ‘Glory to God’ is said and the band plays more songs to send us out into the world to love and serve God in all that we do. And we go out dancing!
Following the Service
There is always lively conversation following the service. Please join us - members of the community and the clergy will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
To download a PDF version of this road map, please click here.