Anglican worship is distinct and set apart from other worship forms you will find in your typical 21st Century evangelical congregations. Not because it is anything new or innovative, but rather because it retains the historic worship practices (i.e. the liturgy) set forth by the Apostles and the Early Church, as received in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. We worship according to an Apostolic Liturgical form: Historical, Biblical, Sacramental, Orderly, and Participatory.

• Historic—because it originates with the patterns of worship received from our Hebrew heritage and refined in Christ by the Apostles. These patterns of worship were established by the Apostles and faithfully maintained throughout the worst persecutions the Church ever experienced, even unto the complete Christianization of the Roman Empire. It is that continuous heritage which has been passed down from our fathers of Antiquity, further developed through the Medieval Era, refined and clarified in the Protestant Reformation, and preserved unto today.

• Biblical—because the Holy Scriptures are the foundation of our worship: the patterns and practices are derived from scriptural precedent, the words of our our liturgies are directly derived from scripture, and the reading of scripture itself frames the worship service. In a typical service we will read multiple chapters from sacred scripture, and of course there is a sermon preached from the readings of the day.

• Sacramental—because every Sunday we celebrate the holy sacrament of our Savior Jesus Christ: the Lord's Supper, also called Holy Communion or the Eucharist (from the Greek for "Thanksgiving"). We also celebrate Holy Baptism during our Sunday services whenever someone has need to be baptized. We understand that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ as a means of His grace, to be celebrated every time the saints gather together on His day, whereby He gives Himself to us in a true and mystical manner, and preserves us body and soul for His glory and everlasting kingdom. See the 39 Articles of Religion (articles 25-30), to learn more on what we believe and teach about the sacraments.

• Orderly—because we have a structure or form of worship. This is often what people may think when they hear the word "liturgical." We have a structure of service which, while allowing for some modest variation, has remained consistent in its structure, Sunday after Sunday, for centuries. All our members know what happens when, so they are always ready to play their participatory role in the worship of the Triune God. And this order maintains a special degree of reverence for God as we humbly yet joyfully approach Him every Sunday morning.

• Participatory—because our people worship together openly in unison: through prayer, praise, proclamation, and thanksgiving unto God. We recite the Ten Commandments together, we proclaim the Creed together, we sing hymns and psalms together, we confess our sin together, we pray prayers together, and we receive Holy Communion together. Our worship is communal and participatory, and to be in the pew is to be part of the "worship team."

The service begins with a Call to Worship, which is usually in the form of a bell rung once. Historically the bell in the Bell Tower would be rung three times.

An Introit (processional hymn) is then sung as the minister(s) approach the altar.

The minister then invites the congregation to join with him in prayer,
"The Lord be with you."
"And with thy Spirit." 

After which he prays the Collect for Purity. A "collect" is a prayer that follows a specific structure to be used in worship. These prayers frame how we desire to approach God: in purity, holiness, and mindful dependence upon Him.

"ALMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen."

The minister will either proclaim the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) with the congregation—typically on the first Sunday of the month—or else our Lord Jesus' Summary of the Law:

"THOU shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Our response to the Law is to sing the Kyrie Eleison:

Lord have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lord have mercy upon us.

A final Collect for Grace to Keep the Law is rendered unto God for assistance:

"ALMIGHTY Lord, and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, sanctify, and govern, both our hearts and bodies, in the ways of thy laws, and in the works of thy commandments; that, through thy most mighty protection, both here and ever, we may be preserved in body and soul; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."

The reason we take the time to recite the Law at the beginning of the service is to remind us both of God's holiness and our sinfulness and desperate need of His grace. The Decalogue is the Old Testament summary of the Law of Moses, under which we stand condemned if not for the grace purchased with the precious blood of Christ. If God is indeed with us when we worship Him on Sunday morning (and He is), then we need to begin by approaching His throne with a reverent and mindful disposition toward His majesty and our dependence upon His mercy. Every morning we wake and every breath we breathe is a gift from God Almighty, and of which we ourselves are not worthy to receive.