WORSHIP
Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m. continues to be at the heart of our life together. Through music and prayers, stories from the Bible and stories from life, shared silence, and sacrament, we experience God’s presence. That shared experience strengthens our relationship with God and with one another - helping us to respond faithfully to the joys and challenges of our everyday lives.
Small gatherings give us a chance to reflect on our faith journeys with others. Sharing our life experiences helps us find deeper meaning.
In the United Church, we celebrate two sacraments: baptism, the ritual that formally recognizes we belong to the Christian community, and communion, a symbolic meal initiated by Jesus. A sacrament is a symbolic action, or ritual, by which people of faith encounter the presence and goodness of God. In a sacrament, ordinary things like water, bread, and wine are used to point us to God and God’s love, reminding us of the sacred in life. For more information on the Sacrament of Baptism
The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist—these different terms refer to the same sacrament shared by most Christian denominations, a symbolic meal.
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Communion is celebrated at a table that suggests the dining table in our homes. At the communion table, we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is our host and all our guests. The meal uses the symbols of small pieces of bread and a taste of wine or juice to remind us of Jesus’ last supper with his followers and of God’s enduring love.
The United Church practises an open table, inviting all who love Jesus to share in this family meal.
If you are not confirmed or if you belong to another denomination, you are welcome at the table of our Lord. It is not our table – it is open to all who feel God’s call. At Living Spirit UC, children are welcome to receive communion. We leave it up to the parent(s) to decide if a child is ready to take communion.
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In the United Church, we serve grape juice and small pieces of bread. For those allergic to wheat, gluten-free bread or crackers is available.
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LSUC offers communion in two different styles. The traditional style has bread and grape juice delivered to people in their seats. The people wait to eat or drink together.
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The “Methodist” style has people pick up bread and grape juice from the servers. The bread is dipped into the juice and consumed there.