We worship in person and online Sunday mornings at 11am
Our worship is our response to the many blessings bestowed upon us by the living God, and Metropolitan has a long tradition of excellence in preaching, liturgy, and music. While we take worship seriously, we also try to not take ourselves too seriously, knowing that “God is Holy Mystery, beyond complete knowledge, above perfect description” (Song of Faith) and that what we do can never adequately represent the transcendent. Within a United Church context, our worship can best be described as “high church”, but rather than being cold, there is warmth and contemporary relevance to a Metropolitan service that feeds the souls of those who have been part of the church for decades as well as those who have just walked in the doors for the first time. While we do not shy away from difficult things in our worship, the intention is that everyone will leave more hopeful, ready to love and serve in Jesus’s name, each in their own way.
Metropolitan has a standard liturgy that is modified when called for. In general, the service has four parts:
- We are gathered in Christ: Organ Prelude, Words of Welcome, Processional Hymn, Invitation to Worship, Prayer of Approach and Confession, Silence for Private Prayer, Kyrie, Assurance of Pardon, Act of Praise.
- We encounter the Word: Readings (OT, Epistle or Psalm), Anthem, Gospel (Met generally follows the Revised Common Lectionary), Hymn, Sermon (usually 15-20 min), Anthem.
- We respond with love: Peace Greeting, Affirmation of Faith, Announcements, Offering, Offertory, Doxology, Dedication of Offering, Great Thanksgiving, Prayers of the People, Lord’s Prayer.
- We are sent to offer hope, healing and beauty in Jesus' name: Recessional Hymn, Commissioning and Benediction, Sung Blessing, Organ Postlude.
The carillon is played outside for about 30 minutes prior to the service.
