Worship Committee:
Worship (and Music) at St. Paul’s
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
Have you ever thought about the many ways in which you worship God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
We in the Episcopal Church have a rich tradition of corporate worship that involves us as a whole person; body, mind, and spirit. Every Sunday, we experience a procession of the cross and the Holy Bible to the altar. We kneel. We cross ourselves. We sing and we pray. We read the Psalms together and we listen to scripture. We re-enact the triumphant procession into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and we are the crowd screaming, “Crucify him!”
We sit in silent reverence before each service, and we offer petitions for others. We give God a portion of the riches with which He has blessed us. We sing praises to Him. We chant ancient texts. We adorn the altar with flowers and with the colors of the liturgical season.
We listen to sermons that bring us to deeper understanding of God’s word. We listen to inspiring anthems that lift us up. We welcome visitors and newcomers and draw them into our parish family and into the Body of Christ.
Do you like the quiet of the 8:00 Eucharist or the festive nature and music of the 10:15 service? Are you a Rite 1 or Rite 2 person? Have you discovered the new Compline service on First Wednesday nights right after the Purely Social? Do you enjoy Taizé music? Would you like to be involved in a Centering Prayer group?
What does the Worship Committee work on?
As you think of our life of worship at Saint Paul’s, consider these questions:
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What helps you to quiet your mind and prepare yourself to worship?
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What helps you to be aware of God’s presence in our midst?
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What can we do to make our service more accessible and user-friendly to our
guests and new members?
All of these ideas are being explored by the Worship Committee. Please let us know what you think. We welcome your input and we thank you for your prayers and support.
Who can I contact for more information about the Worship Committee?
The Worship Committee currently does not have a set meeting time; instead meetings are arranged as needed. Please contact Becky Paluzzi with questions or for more information: paluzzir@etsu.edu.
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The music at St. Paul’s is an important part of the worship experience. The selection of all music is a direct link to the scripture readings of the day and is intended to offer another perspective for God’s word.
The choir is the music leader for our 10:15 worship service and provides inspirational music during the offertory and during communion. Parishioners also participate during the 10:15 service by singing hymns, the psalm, and other service music.
The current contact person is our organist, Greg Lacey. E-mail: galacey@earthlink.net
Opportunities to Participate in Music at St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s offers many musical opportunites for both singing and instrumental playing for adults and youth!
Adult and Youth Choir
The adult choir sings each week during the 10:15 service and for addtional services such as Christmas Eve, Maunday Thursday, and Ash Wednesday. During the school year, they rehearse on Wednesday evenings in the sanctuary at 5:30 with a nursery provided. (Rehearsals in the summer are on Sunday mornings at 9:45 am in the upstairs choir room.) We welcome anyone to come and join. There are no auditions or music reading requirements to participate in this part of worship!
The parish children provide all the music for the 4:15 Christmas Eve service and Youth Sunday in May.
Individual Musical Contributions
Instrumentalists and singers are all encouraged to contribute their musical talents throughout the year. Instrumentalists play during the service as needed as accompanists, soloists, or part of an ensemble.
If you would like to make a musical contribution to a service, please contact Greg Lacey: galacey@earthlink.net. 
