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The
Church of the Resurrection is a faithful Christian community located in the
heart of the Valois neighbourhood in Pointe-Claire Quebec.
We are a
member of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal and are proud to welcome you to
worship with us at any of our weekly services. Recognizing that we have
different backgrounds, traditions and preferences, we offer a variety of
worship styles from the very traditional to the more experimental. That being
said, as Christ is the center of our shared life so is the Eucharist the
central liturgical act of each of our Sunday worship services.
You are
also welcome to participate in any and all of our more social and community
events such as our front yard BBQs, garage sales, bazaars, and our soup
kitchen. For more information, please call the office at 514-697-1910 or email
at office@cotres.ca
What to
Expect at the Church of the Resurrection
We extend a warm welcome to you to worship with us,
and offer these notes as a brief introduction to the Anglican Church and its
ways. For those who have never been in our church here is
a breakdown of what to expect
when you come to a Sunday Service here at Church of the Resurrection
When you come in to your right is a cloak room where
you can leave your outerwear. Please remove all valuables from your pockets. Then you walk forward into the church and a greeter
will say good morning and pass you a bulletin (some might even ask if this is
your first visit.) You may sit where you wish on the left hand
side or the right hand side. The only exceptions are the two pews directly to
the left of the organ since that is where the choir sits.
There is a little talking and greeting in the pews
before the service begins. We try not to be intimidating.
The service will begin with the processional hymn
all stand after the 1st part of the music ends and the singing
starts. You can look at others in the congregation for clues as to when to
stand. The servers, choir, and the clergy walk up to the
front of the church. We then all sit when greeting from clergy.
Have children?
At the moment we don’t have a Sunday school. The children are welcomed and encouraged to sit
with you. When they get restless don’t worry we don’t get upset. Or there is an area set-up to the right of the main
altar. There are books, paper and crayons, and stuffed animals so that they can
sit and listen and play quietly. You are also welcome to sit there.
Ask one of the greeters as you come in – they can
point this area out.
Our Place of Worship
As you enter our church, your eye is drawn to the
altar, and to the cross. You are drawn to God whose house the church is. On the altar there are candles to remind us that
Christ is the Light of the World. Often there are flowers, to beautify
God's house and to recall the resurrection of Jesus.
On the left side at the front of the church, there
is a pulpit where sometimes the sermon is preached. On the opposite side is a
lectern from where the Scriptures are read.
The Act of Worship
You will find the "Book of Alternative
Services" (green book) in the pews. It allows us to fully
participate and follow the worship service. The appropriate page
numbers can be found in the bulletin. The larger print is the actual service
and the smaller print gives directions to priests and people who conduct the
service. Or, if you prefer, you can follow along on the overheads which will
have all the parts where you will be asked to participate. You will also find the hymn book in the pews. It is
a blue book called “Common Praise”. The words will be displayed on the overhead
but if you would like to have the music you can use the books. The numbers are
printed on the bulletin and are on the overhead.
You may wonder when to stand or kneel. Practices
vary -- even among individual Anglicans. The general rule is to stand and sing
hymns. We stand, too, to say our affirmation of faith, the Nicene Creed;
and for the reading of the Gospel in the Holy Eucharist. Psalms may be sung or
said, sitting or standing. At our church we generally sit and read the psalm
together followed by the psalm prayer. We sit during readings from
the Old Testament, the New Testament Letters, and the sermon. We stand or
kneel for prayers to show our gratefulness to God for accepting us as children
or as an act of humility before God.
The Regular Services
Our principal service is the Holy Eucharist (Holy
Communion). It is celebrated without music at 8am on Sunday morning and with
music at 10am. On Wednesdays, a small group of us pray together at 10:30am
using a Celtic prayer book.
While some parts of the services are always the same,
others change. At the Holy Eucharist, for example, several Bible passages are
read. These change each Sunday. Certain
prayers also change in order to reflect the season or what was read. Page
numbers for parts of the service printed elsewhere in the Book of Alternative
Services are given in the bulletin, and reflected on the overhead. But do not
be embarrassed to ask your neighbour for the page number if you get lost. They
are eager to help.
As we hope you will agree, the services of the
Anglican Church are beautiful in their ordered dignity, God-centered, and yet
mindful of the nature and needs of human beings. These services have adapted to
the changing language of the times but are also ancient at their core providing
spiritual sustenance to untold generations of faithful Christians.
Before and After Services
When you get to your pew you may notice that people are kneeling and
saying a private prayer as soon as they sit down. They are likely saying a prayer
of personal preparation for worship. Some people bow to the altar on entering
and leaving the church as an act of reverence for Christ. At the end of the
service some people kneel for a private prayer and many wait until the organist
finishes playing before leaving
Receiving Holy Eucharist
All baptized Christians are welcome to receive the Holy Eucharist here
at the Church of the Resurrection. We all receive in both kinds; this
means that both bread and wine will be offered to you. If you would like to
receive, proceed up to the altar rail following those in front of you. You
may stand at the rail or kneel. Cup your hands and hold them out to
receive the bread and take the cup when it is offered. You can use your hands
to guide the cup to your mouth. At this time, due to the increased risk of
contagion we would prefer you not dip your bread into the wine. Should you not
want to take the wine, simply fold your arms across your chest after you have
received the bread.
If you do not want to receive either the bread or wine at the Eucharist,
simply fold your arms across your chest and the clergy will offer a blessing
for you.
If you are unable to walk up to the altar, the clergy can come and bring
communion down to you. Please let one of the sidespeople or greeters know so
they can tell the clergy.
Vestments
To add to the beauty and festivity of the services, and to signify their
special ministries, the clergy and other ministers wear vestments over their
regular clothing.
A common vestment is the alb, a white tunic with sleeves that covers the
body from neck to ankles. Over it, the ordained ministers wear a stole, a
narrow band of coloured fabric. Deacons wear the stole over one shoulder,
priests and bishops over both shoulders. At the Holy Eucharist, a bishop or
priest frequently wears a chasuble (a circular garment that drapes over the shoulders)
over the alb and stole. The deacon's corresponding vestment has sleeves and is
called a dalmatic. Bishops sometimes wear a special head covering called a
miter.
Choir vestments usually consist of an under gown called a cassock with a
white, loose tunic over top called a surplice.
Stoles, chasubles, and dalmatics, as well as altar coverings, are
usually made of rich fabrics. Their colour changes with the seasons and holy
days of the Church Year. The most frequently used colours are white, red, and
violet, green, and blue.
The Church Year
The Anglican Church observes the traditional Christian calendar. The
season of Advent, during which we prepare for Christmas, begins four Sundays
before Christmas. The Christmas season starts on Christmas day and lasts twelve
days, after which we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany.
Lent is the forty days of preparation for Easter and begins on Ash
Wednesday. Easter season lasts fifty days, concluding on the feast of
Pentecost.
During these times the Bible readings are chosen for their
appropriateness to the season. During the rest of the year (the season after
Epiphany and the long season after Pentecost, except for a few special
Sundays), the New Testament is read sequentially from Sunday to Sunday. The Old
Testament lesson corresponds in theme with one of the New Testament readings.
Coming and Going
There are greeters who will greet you and offer you a bulletin. They are
also available to answer questions about the service, the location of children’s
area, etc.
Pews are usually unreserved in Anglican churches except for special
occasions such as a wedding, baptism or funeral. There are two pews in the
middle on the left hand side for those who need extra space for a walker or are
in a wheelchair.
Following the service our clergy greet the people at the door as they
leave.
For other information about the Anglican Faith please visit http://www.anglican.ca/about/beliefs/ | 
