A Liturgical Church Primer

The Episcopal Church is one of a number of churches identified as liturgical churches. “Liturgy” means the church’s public worship of God. The term comes from Greek words for “people” and “work.” Here is a short primer on the major aspects of a liturgical church. Much of the source documentation can be found at episcopalchurch.org.

Liturgy

Liturgy includes the actions and words, symbols and ritual, scriptures and liturgical texts, gestures and vestments, and prayers that are spoken or sung. It is also shaped by the seasons, feasts, and fasts of the calendar of the church year and the lectionar...