Welcome to Sunday: An Introduction to Worship in the Episcopal Church

This book is so very good-- all the Welcome To books are excellent. This one causes one to actually feel they are in church on Sunday. It explains absolutely everything, and is never boring. I really loved it...and plan to re-read often. If a book is that good, one does tend to re-read it and find information that one missed the first reading. Very well worth the purchase.

I am a life long Episcopalian and found this book full of useful information. I highly recommend this book for every Episcopalian or for someone wanting to learn about the Episcopal Church.

My wife and I are former Methodists who have attended an Episcopal church for the past 18 months. We are attracted by the Eucharistic service but don't wish to "check our brains at the door", as would be required by the Bishop of Rome. I bought this book because I wanted basic information on the background and meaning of the service we so recently found. The book didn't disappoint me. The author explains the traditional architectural styles and floor plans, the roles of the Ministry and the Laity, and the Christian year as it is observed in the Episcopal church. The author systematically works his way through a typical service, explaining in adequate depth for all but the budding theologian, the origins and meanings of each part. He also discusses trends within the church, for example, to include more elements of the Eastern Orthodox service. Each chapter ends with questions for thought and further discussion. This would make it a great book for an adolescent or adult discussion group. If you want a book to explain the Episcopal (Rites I and II) service in a methodical and easily understood fashion, this is a great start.

Christopher Webber's book, 'Welcome to Sunday', is an excellent companion to the volume 'Welcome to the Episcopal Church'. Together, these books often form a curriculum of sorts for inquirers' classes, confirmation classes and new member conversations. This particular volume, as the title suggests, concentrates on the Sunday worship experience, the centre of most every church.The Episcopal Church is the official version of the Anglican Church (Church of England) in the United States. For historical reasons, after the American Revolution the Church of England in America could no longer remain the Church of England -- the tendency toward national autonomy among Anglican church structures generally holds true as a pattern today. Webber's first chapter looks at architecture and space considerations. Most Americans are familiar with basic differences in church design depending upon denomination. The Episcopal church actually has a wide variety of architectural styles incorporated into their many churches, but there are some patterns that generally hold true (with exceptions, of course). Most Episcopal churches can be noted by a red door -- red draws attention to the entrance. Episcopal churches will almost always have the altar as the centre element, with a pulpit raised but to the side. The baptismal font is always somewhere, but again design can locate it almost anywhere. The chapter on ministry talks not only about the three-fold ordained ministry of bishops, priests and deacons as well as the ministry of the laity. The Episcopal church has been in a mode of recovering the importance of lay ministry, but there is still a long way to go in that regard. Webber compares the ministry definitions of the four orders as laid out in the catechism of the Book of Common Prayer and as they appear in the New Testament scriptures -- alas, a visit to any Episcopal church on any Sunday, however, will show the sharp contrast and division of types of ministry.Webber's chapter on how to worship looks at practical pieces such as posture, prayer positions, silences, vestments and clothing, and other physical aspects. One of the more confusing aspects for newcomers to Episcopal churches is knowing what to do and when, and sometimes following the congregation does not quite work out well. There is a lot of ceremony, and a lot of 'doing' in the church, which reflects the incarnational aspect as well as the sacramental aspect of the church.Webber's final three chapters look at the liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer. The church year discusses the differences in the seasons (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost) as well as saint's days and ordinary time. The final two chapters look at the structure of the liturgy in its two primary pieces -- ministry of Word and ministry of sacrament. Both follow patterns adapted from ancient sources that involve the reading aloud scripture, singing (congregational, choir and celebrant), recitation of fa

This book serves as a short introduction to the Episcopal Church's Sunday service. As a newcomer to the church, this book helped me understand "what was happening" during Sunday Eucharist (communion). The author writes with sensitivity and openness. I'd also recommend "Welcome to the Episcopal Church" (same author) as an excellent more general introduction to the church's history, beliefs, and practices.