Celtic Worship Service – 8:30am Sundays
The Celtic Worship Service is a 40-minute service with The Lord’s Supper, music and a guided discussion about the Scripture. It is a hybrid service. Some gather in a circle of tables in the sanctuary while others join through Zoom. There is room at the ‘table’ for everyone.
Christian Celtic worship values the everyday experience and the ways we use our senses to praise God. We respond to God’s gifts of seeing and tasting, hearing and feeling, and singing by offering our whole selves to God in worship.
The Celtic tradition is a way of seeing the world. The tradition emphasizes the goodness of creation and makes us aware of the connections of nature with God’s creatures. Nature does not serve humankind, rather, all of creation joins with humanity to praise God.
Click here to see an example of the Celtic Worship program.
Join us Sunday mornings for an early morning contemplative worship service. Start your day with Celtic music and prayer and discussion about a particular Scripture. Celebration of the Lord’s Supper takes place around the Communion Table. All are invited to come and participate in this Celtic Worship experience. Loving, professional child care is offered during this service.
“I really enjoy during the Celtic Service how we discuss the reading and bring in our own interpretation along with others.”
Outdoor Service
Beginning on May 4th, and continuing through October, come and experience new spiritual practices in the 9:45 period of outdoor worship. When you arrive our deacons will have a beverage cart available to you on the patio from which you might wish take some water or a cup of coffee with you to the Outdoor Cathedral. Use your time there in a manner that meets your personal needs: spend some time in contemplation and prayer; bring with you a devotional book if this is a part of your daily practice; take in the harmonies of the flutist and the birdsongs; or simply let the quieting beauty of the surrounds nurture your soul.
Stay for as long or short a period of time as you wish. Then as you take your leave, breathe a prayer of gratitude for the community of the Kirk, both present and past generations, who have created this to be a space for worship.
11am Sunday Worship
As many other Presbyterian congregations, we use a schedule of readings to guide Scripture selection for Sunday. We sing hymns, we include children as active participants, there is a sermon, and holy communion. We pray for the world, our neighbors, our friends, and ourselves.
As participants in the worship experience at The Gayton Kirk we, as the gathered community, offer ourselves and our abilities in service to God. We sing. We dance. We pray. We make music. We preach. We share a holy meal. We serve. We are the actors on the stage before God. We are bringing ourselves to God.
We believe it is very important to welcome children as participants in worship. We have a children’s time during the morning service and we include appropriate experiences during worship for the young and old. Loving, professional child care is offered during this service.
Click here to see what an 11:00 worship service program looks like.
“I like seeing and talking with many church friends. I am always renewing my faith that people are good, loving, and generous. I leave smiling.”
Jazz Vespers – 5pm Sundays
Program notes for 5PM live streaming service
Jazz Vespers is an innovative worship experience of jazz music, art, poetry, conversation, and Holy Communion. This service encourages worshipers to explore their questions about God.
Join us for a service that features quality jazz music from our Jazz Trio: Ross Riddell, Bruce Sullivan, and Joe Sarver. In addition to great music, the evening’s Scripture is read and interpreted through visual art and poetry. We worship through music and discussion and celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
For those who watch the service online, there is an opportunity for after-service discussion available on Zoom.
Come for the jazz, the discussion, and the worship; stay for soup and bread and more meaningful conversation. Our soup recipes are getting famous! Check out some of our most well-loved recipes on our Pinterest board: Jazz Vespers Eats
Click here to see what a Jazz Vespers program looks like.
“The Jazz Vesper is a grand slam spiritually and intellectually. Where else can one find such welcoming folds–outstanding engagement of art, poetry, religion, music, and prayer– inspiring pastoral leadership as well as holy communion? A visionary’s dream.”
Midday Prayer in the Spirit of Taizé – 12:30 pm Wednesdays
Midday prayer in the spirit of Taizé centers on singing, prayer, readings from the Bible, and periods of silence. Simple songs are sung in a repetitive manner to aid the worshiper in obtaining a meditative mood. Taizé worship does not incorporate a sermon or Holy Communion. It is candle-lit and contemplative, creating a quiet space for reflection and communion with God and one another.
This time of prayer lasts about 30 minutes.
Click here to see an example of the Midday Prayer program notes:
“It is such a quiet, peaceful, meditative experience midweek that truly refreshes the soul.”
