We celebrate the centuries old Eucharist of the undivided church, commonly called Mass, at 8 AM on Sunday morning, daily during Lent and following Evening Prayer on other Holy Days. 10 AM on Sundays we we chant Morning Prayer followed by Sung Mass with high liturgical ceremony. On major feasts Solemn Mass is celebrated. On the 5th Sunday we observe Solemn Matins and the canon of the Mass. At 4 PM on Sundays the quiet and reflective Evensong with Holy Communion consecration prayers from the 1928 Prayer Book with simple liturgics as prescribed by Archbishop Cranmer and the other sixteenth century Anglican divines.

Spirit led and Scripture driven

Sunday Bulletin	Music and score
	Processional	Sequence	Offertory	Communion	Recessional
	Processional	Sequence	Offertory	Communion	Recessional

Our principal worship on Sundays beginning at 10 am consists of Morning Prayer with an Old Testament Lesson and one canticle, the Aspeges me or Vidi aquam, and Sung or Solemn Mass depending on the day of observance. Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer are services of worship distinctly Anglican. Archbishop Cranmer cobbled together these rites incorporating the psalms and prayers from the monastic offices and the canticles and scripture readings from the cathedral services. These he printed in his Book of Common Prayer, first published in 1549, so that all could share in this meaningful daily prayer at home, in great cathedrals or in the neighborhood parish. Thus Anglicans could have the same worship opportunities in the grandest cities, mid-sized towns or the smallest hamlets. The Aspeges me (Thou shall purge me with hyssop O Lord), or during Eastertide the Vidi aquam, (I saw water proceeding from the temple) is a ceremonial washing reminding us of our baptism into the church, the body of Christ here on earth. On some occasions a Solemn Procession is formed down the middle aisle and around the sides and back up the center reminding us of the wandering of the chosen people of God in the wilderness. Often incense is carried as a sweet offering to our Lord and reminding us of the gifts the Magi brought to our Savior at the time of His Nativity. The major propers: Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei are sung to various settings that we change for different seasons. We usually use Shaw for Advent, Willan for Christmas and Easter, Merbecke for Lent, and Nash, (our resident Director of Music), for Trinitytide. We hope to introduce other settings from time to time. The Pater Noster (Lord’s Prayer) is sung to the most ancient Christian musical setting in the western church. At Sung or Solemn Mass the minor propers: Introit, Gradual, Alleluia or Tract, Offertory, and Communion are chanted to set the theme of the liturgy for the day. These are snippets of scripture, usually but not always, from the book of Psalms. The Collects of the day, three or less as well as the Post Communion Collects of the same number are also chanted. At Solemn Mass the Epistle and Gospel are chanted according to ancient formulae. When a lesson in place of the Epistle is called for, then another formula is used, this one being the Prophecy tone from ancient Hebrew temple worship. At Solemn Masses we also chant the Credo using a plainsong setting from the ninth century. On the three most solemn occasions, Christmas, Easter, and Whitsunday, the Canon of the Mass may also be chanted. Chanting is employed in the great cathedrals to make it possible for all to hear and understand the words, particularly after the introduction of the vernacular Mass in 1549. In our little and very un-lively acoustic setting it is used to fulfill Cranmer’s Anglican goal to have the smallest parish church in the least grand town worship the same as the greatest cathedrals in the most important cities. The first Sundays in Lent and Advent we replace the usual Mass opening of the Procession Hymn, Collect for Purity and the Kyrie with the Great Litany. This Litany was the first service to be offered in English, four years before the Mass itself was celebrated in English. Traditional Anglican posture is noted in the missalette for assistance but please know that the pious posture that is correct is that which affords one comfort in worship of our Lord; so please sit, stand, or kneel as best suits your personal worship experience.

.. a traditional Anglican presence in Athens, Texas
comitted to growing our witness of God's love
through prayer,  worship,  fellowship and outreach.