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Lay
Liturgical Ministry
There are several special ways in which the laity serve God at
worship. All of them are important, require commitment
and training, and are offered on behalf of the entire Church.
Therefore, these servants are recognized with the official title of lay liturgical
ministers.
Altar Guild
This group sets up for, and cleans up after, worship services.
Members receive training and then serve
on a monthly rotation. Their care of the articles used in worship and
the adornment of the church with flowers and other decoration recalls not
only the Levites of the Old Testament but also the Holy Women who came to care
for Christ's body on the eve of His Resurrection. Altar Guild is often a
quiet, contemplative form of service.
Acolytes
Acolytes enrich the liturgy in a number of ways. In the
processions, they bear
candles (called torches, that symbolize the Light of Christ come into the
World), the
processional cross, and the church banner. Before the altar, they ring the sanctus
bells (which focus our attention during the Eucharist),
handle the offering plates, and generally assist the clergy during the liturgy.
New acolytes receive training from the priest, encouragement
from senior acolytes, and their schedules from the Acolyte
Coordinator. All
acolytes wear crosses hanging from ribbons bearing symbols denoting years of
service and the ministries for which they have trained. The church
specially recognizes the service of her acolytes on a Sunday each year.
Involvement as an acolyte is
an excellent way for younger members to make an active contribution to the
life of St. Bede's and learn more about their faith.
Lectors
A central focus of our worship is the reading of the Holy Scriptures.
The proclamation of God's
word in worship requires particular preparation, and those who have sensed
a call to this ministry, or whom others have recognized as called to it, are
called lectors. In worship, they read with
great care the Scripture readings appointed for the day and lead the Prayers of the People
(the intercessions for the Church, the World, and the concerns we
bring to worship on that particular day.)
Lectors are assigned their
readings on a rotation. Each year new lectors are licensed and
commissioned on St. Bede's Sunday, the learned and Venerable St. Bede being,
in fact, the patron saint of lectors.
Chalicebearers
Provision is made in the Episcopal Church for specially called, trained,
and licensed lay persons to assist the clergy in the distribution of the
sacred cup at the Holy Eucharist. This ministry is by invitation of
the priest and is known at St. Bede's as a "chalicebearer." Chalicebearers must be regular in attendance and have a demonstrated
knowledge of, and devotion to, their vocation. They wear vestments
that
denote the dedication of their role to serve
the chalice during communion, and usually they also read the Second
Lesson (from the New Testament.)
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