The three words that describe worship at Trinity are liturgical, sacramental, and traditional.
Our Sunday worship service at Trinity lasts around 70 minutes and always includes a sermon from one of our clergy, multiple hymns sung by the congregation, splendid music by a variety of ensembles, and the sacrament of Holy Communion. People dress for worship in various ways–you’ll see everything from suits and dresses to sweaters and jeans.
Our worship is liturgical because we follow the ancient pattern for worship: gathering with song and prayer, hearing God’s living Word through scripture and sermon, receiving the Eucharist (also called Holy Communion), and being sent out to serve God and God’s world. While there are many variations on this pattern and no worship service is ever the same, at Trinity we believe that this regular rhythm provides us an anchor in the midst of a hectic and changing world.
Our worship is sacramental because the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist are the centerpieces. When we take the Eucharist, we receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Through this meal, Jesus works in and through us, helping us to be little Christs to all we meet. While baptisms happen less frequently, when we confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness, that forgiveness flows out of our status as God’s baptized people.
Our worship is traditional because we are rooted in the traditions of Western Christianity. Our choirs, acolytes, and ministers wear traditional vestments. We chant, pray, and move our bodies in ways that would be familiar to Christians from a thousand years ago. We sing hymns together in four-part harmony, following our Lutheran tradition. Our principal instrument for worship is the organ, but we also enjoy other instrumentation.
Our primary worship service is held every Sunday at 10 a.m. in our historic Nave.
Services on other important days such as Ash Wednesday, Christmas Eve, or during Holy Week are offered every year and will be announced on this website.
From September to May, we also offer a 25-minute Holy Eucharist service in our Chapel, starting at 12:05 PM. This service has a brief sermon from one of our clergy, one hymn, and a full celebration of the Eucharist. For this service, a limited amount of parking is available in our Fifth Street parking lot, but many participants walk from their homes or businesses to our Chapel entrance along Washington Street.