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Services
and Worship
As the deer longs for the
water-brooks,
so longs my soul for
you, O God.
-- Psalm 42:1
For a listing of Special Services, such as
Christmas and Holy Week, etc., please click the
Events
button near the
top left of this screen.
Schedule of Services
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Sunday |
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7:45 am to 11:30
am |
Nursery Care in the Education
Wing |
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8:00 am |
Spoken Eucharist - Rite I |
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10:00 am |
Sunday School in the Education
Wing |
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10:00 am |
Choral Eucharist - Rite II |
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12:00
noon |
Misa en español (Mass in Spanish) |
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Wednesday |
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11:30 am |
Eucharist and Healing Service |
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First Saturday |
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5:00 pm |
The First Saturday of each month we
offer an alternative |
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Service in the
Sanctuary. Please refer to the EVENTS section of
this |
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|
website for more information and to
double-check times and dates. |
Worshipping together and
praising God is the central activity of the St. Clement's
by-the-Sea community. While we glory in the ancient
liturgical and musical traditions of the Episcopal Chu rch
and the Anglican Communion, we also work to understand the
myriad ways in which Our Savior is known and worshipped
throughout the world. Our worship is always interesting,
often beautiful, frequently moving, and always warm and
embracing.
As is true for much of the Episcopal Church, one of the
most important aspects of our congregational worship is
the Holy Eucharist. Celebrated on Sundays and Wednesdays,
the Eucharist/Sacrament of Holy Communion is the center of
our life together. It is our belief that
ALL are welcome at God’s
table to share in the Eucharistic feast. You will hear the
priest say, "wherever you are in your spiritual journey,
you are welcome at God's table." We mean that. All are
welcome to participate as fully as they feel moved.
We strive to make our worship as welcoming and as friendly
as possible. If you are unfamiliar with our tradition, the
bulletin will help guide you through the liturgy. For the
8:00 service, it makes reference to the Book of Common
Prayer (BCP), which is in the pew rack. For the 10:00
service, all you need will be included in the bulletin for
you. You will see directions in the bulletin or the Book
of Common Prayer about sitting and standing. Also, you
might see members of the congregation kneeling, bowing, or
making the sign of the cross during the liturgy. None of
those actions are "requirements" and we invite you to
participate in any way that feels authentic to you.
Here are some links to help get you more familiar with the
Episcopal Church and our Worship style:
What
to Expect in an Episcopal Church
(from Anglicans Online)
The
Book of Common Prayer Online
Sunday Worship
Our three Sunday morning Eucharists (8:00 am,
10:00 am and 12:00 noon) are at the same time very
different and very much alike.
The 8:00 am service is a
spoken service, usually without music, using Rite I
(Elizabethan English) of the
1979 edition of the Book of Common Prayer.
The 10:00 am
service is a Choral Eucharist, featuring music from our
organ (and sometimes other instruments) in addition to our
Choir. This is a Rite II (modern English) service from the
Book of Common Prayer. Liturgies from
Enriching Our Worship, the New Zealand
Prayer Book and other resources are sometimes used.
Similarly, while our hymns are generally found in the 1982
Hymnal, we occasionally use selections from Lift Every
Voice and Sing, Wonder Love and Praise, and Voices,
as well as other sources used throughout the
Church.
The 12:00 noon service, conducted entirely in Spanish, is
another great way to worship God. If you are trying to
learn Spanish, speak Spanish fluently, or just want a feel
for a different style of worship, please join us.
You may want
to make use of these links to enhance your worship
experience:
The Daily Lectionary -- readings for each day in the
Church year.
A meditation on today's
lectionary reading from Forward Movement Publications
Special Times of Worship
and Celebration
Throughout the year, we offer
special times to come together to celebrate God and the
life of the Church. Christmas, Easter, a bilingual service
in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a Peace Mass in honor
of Dr. Martin Luther King, a Celtic Mass in honor of St.
Patrick, a celebration for the Marine
Corps Birthday and Veterans Day are among the special services we
celebrate. These are in addition to the regular Holy Days,
such as Christmas and Easter.
Baptisms
The liturgy of baptism is
normally celebrated within the context of the Sunday worship
of a Christian community. Nowadays, following ancient Church
practice, baptisms are public events. St. Clement's
by-the-Sea celebrates baptisms on specific feast days in the
Church’s calendar, as well as on other dates to be arranged
with the Rector.
The Church, from the
earliest years, has baptized both infants and adults.
Some Christian traditions have stated that people must
be able to make a conscious adult choice about following
Christ. Others have seen infant baptism as a way of
expressing the inclusiveness of God’s family in Christ.
It is important to note that baptism is never primarily
an act of an individual; it is centrally the action
of the entire Church of God.
If you are an adult, and
wish to baptized, we encourage you to participate in our
Newcomers
Class,
which prepares adult for the rites of baptism, confirmation,
or reception into the Episcopal Church. All candidates for
adult baptism should notify the Rector, the Rev. Cn. Diane
Jardine Bruce (see below) to schedule a pastoral
appointment.
Parents of babies and
young children who are being presented for baptism
should also notify the Rector. She will be able to give
you details about dates for baptisms. Godparents are not
required to be Episcopalian, but at least one of them
needs to be a baptized Christian.
While baptisms are often
planned months in advance for public worship events, always
know that any Christian can baptize another person,
particularly if there is a life-threatening emergency.
Baptism requires water poured over the person, saying,
“(Name), I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Please let the clergy know
if such an emergency baptism has taken place.
You can receive more
information about baptisms by calling the Rector at
949.492.3401.
Weddings
At St. Clement's
by-the-Sea, we focus upon building and nurturing the
many relationships that have brought you to and will
carry you through your marriage. This is part of our
Christian calling in the world.
We strongly suggest
that at least one member of the couple be an
Episcopalian, and that local couples without a home
parish become active, pledging members of this
community, with a membership of at least one year.
Episcopalians within
the Diocese of Los Angeles and non-Episcopalians are
welcome to inquire about a wedding at St. Clement's
by-the-Sea. Episcopalians and non-Episcopalians
throughout the nation who wish to make San Clemente
their wedding location may also inquire about potential
wedding dates. Please note that Parish community members
have first priority for dates and times.
If you are planning to
make St. Clement's by-the-Sea your church home, it’s
important that we all get to know each other. Come
experience our worship, fellowship and community events.
Introduce yourselves to the clergy and people of the
parish. As a couple, finding a church home is one way to
build up the relationships that will be life-giving to
both of you. The Rector will be happy to share
information about membership and pledging with you.
All prospective couples need to speak with the Rector
(949.492.3401) in order to initiate the wedding
preparation process. The canons of the Church require
that each couple preparing for marriage in the Episcopal
Church must undergo pre-marital counseling. Clergy
cannot marry couples who have not completed pre-marital
counseling.
If a member of
the couple has been previously married, the canons of
the Church require the permission of the Bishop to
proceed with wedding plans. This process is
primarily to ensure that the previous marriage has
achieved appropriate closure, and that all concerns and
duties regarding former spouses, the care of children,
and personal property have been justly and charitably
engaged. You will need to schedule a meeting with your
officiating priest in order to initiate this process.
Funerals
We encourage all
parishioners to consider funeral planning ahead of time,
making choices today that can help create peace of mind
in the future. Funeral planning also is a profound help
to family members who, in many cases, would be uncertain
of how to proceed with a loved one’s wishes. Funeral
planning is a concrete way to prepare for a process all
of us will experience. Our Christian faith tells us that
death, and preparing for that death, is not a failure or
the end of hope.
Booklet for planning your funeral |
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