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Worship With Us

Our services are in the Liberal Catholic tradition of the Church of England. That means they are liturgical in nature; they involve ritual, gesture, and posture, as well as scripture, sermons, and songs, while at the same time having a relatively relaxed and uncomplicated feel. Our clergy wear vestments, and at All Saints we have a robed choir. For those familiar with church traditions, this is something between the formality and reverence of the Roman tradition and the more relaxed feel of contemporary worship. For us the Eucharist is central, and we try to celebrate it as regularly as possible, as well as offering other kinds of service- services of the word- as part of our regular programme of worship. As we have a team of worship leaders, different voices and perspectives are on offer week by week. We also offer a monthly Messy Church aimed at families with young children. Please contact us for further details.

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Why Liturgy?

Liturgy and ritual can seem strange in a culture in which they are rare. For us, liturgy and ritual are important- they provide a way of worshipping with the whole body as well as the mind and they offer a 'grammar', as it were, of reverence, respect, and awe, to express our worship of God. The liturgy of the church extends back into the mists of time, and incorporates elements that are very old alongside elements that are more modern. Liturgy is an evolving form, and we try to embrace it as a living tradition, rather than as something that has to be preserved in aspic. The liturgy is particularly helpful once you have become accustomed to it; the learned repertoire of words, postures, and gestures helps us to let go of ordinary things and enter a different mental space in which we are able to focus on God. A further question that might be asked is 'why hymns'? Hymns are a specific genre of music, they are not interchangeable with worship songs, ballads, or any other kind of music- they are a form all of their own. They a written with a specific purpose in mind; to move the spirit in a way which is powerful but nevertheless consistent with Christian profession. Thus, they aim to be emotionally moving, but in a measured and appropriate way- they do not aim to excite on a superficial level, nor do they try to stir us up in anger or frenzy, but address what one might call the moral faculties via the aesthetic. Because of this, by modern standards they can seem reserved, understated, or overly gentle- this is not, however, a bug, it is a feature; it is not an accident, it is deliberate.

Contact Us:

Fr Samuel Eccleston AOP

brsecclestonop@gmail.com

All Saints Church Hebburn Drive Bury BL8 1ED

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St James' Church Woolfold, Walshaw Road BL8 1PY

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