Sunday Holy Eucharist

Worship Service with Children’s Program: 11am to 12:30pm in the Sanctuary.

Welcome to St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery. Wherever you might be on your own spiritual journey, St. Mark’s welcomes you to celebrate with us every Sunday.

Children are very welcome at St. Mark’s in-the-Bowery! We are a young, diverse and growing congregation. Infants-in-arms are also welcome! Don’t worry if your child cries—we understand that babies are sometimes moved by the spirit too.

Our Episcopal tradition recognizes sacraments as “outward and visible signs of inward and visible grace.” Holy Baptism and the Eucharist (also known as “Holy Communion”) are the two great sacraments given by Christ to his church.

Eucharist

This sacrament goes by several names: Holy Communion, the Eucharist (which literally means “thanksgiving” in Greek), the Lord’s Supper, the Mass. Whatever we call it, this is the family meal for Christians—a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Before we take communion together, we should “examine our lives, repent of our sins, and be in love and charity with all people.” This is why we say prayers of confession before we celebrate the Eucharist.

Because St. Mark’s is a church in-the-round, we celebrate the Eucharist differently than most other Episcopal churches. We gather around a circular altar and give communion to one another, saying “the body of Christ, the bread of heaven” and “the blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.” Instructions are always included in the weekly bulletin, and if you feel lost, just follow your neighbor and the instructions of the acolytes!

Baptism

Baptism is the spiritual sacrament that marks you as a Christian. In baptism, God adopts us, making us members of the church and inheritors of the Kingdom of God. We are made sharers in the new life of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins. Baptism is the foundation for all future church participation and ministry, so if you have not been baptised—consider it and contact us!

At St. Mark’s, we baptise both adults and infants; when an infant is baptised, sponsors (godparents) speak on behalf of the candidate, who is too young to speak for themself. In the baptismal rite, the members of the congregation promise to support the candidates in their life in Christ. They join with the candidates by renewing the baptismal covenant. We then perform baptism by affusion (that is, we pour water rather than fully immersing). Candidates are baptized “in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” and then marked on the forehead with the sign of the cross.

Other spiritual markers

Although the Episcopal church only recognizes two sacraments, there are other spiritual markers in our journey of faith that can serve as means of grace, and which you may encounter at St. Mark’s. These include:

• Confirmation: the adult affirmation of our baptismal vows

• Reconciliation of a Penitent: private confession

• Matrimony: Christian marriage

• Orders: ordination to the diaconate, priesthood, or episcopacy

• Unction: anointing those who are sick or dying with holy oil

St. Mark’s worship is inspired by an eclectic array of musical styles: gospel, Taizé, classical, jazz, blues, and other genres. Music director Jeannine Otis regularly invites guest musicians from all music backgrounds and from around the world. Some highlights of the musical year include Good Friday Blues—a musical passion play performed by members of the community each year—and our occasional old time/bluegrass mass. St. Mark’s also hosts and supports many music events, including a Sunday music series.

You can listen to some tracks from past services on our Soundcloud or our Youtube channel.