SERVICE

What is the Folk Mass?
It’s a Holy Eucharist — the same service the parish celebrates every Sunday morning — set to folk music and held in the quieter light of Sunday evening.

“Folk”? Sounds like the 1970s.
This is a folk sound updated for the 2020s: rooted in the past, but with a modern style. “Folk” really just means the music of the people—it’s music intended to be sung and played by everyone.

How different is it from Sunday morning?
Less different than it may sound. Same Prayer Book, same readings, same sermon, same sacrament, same priest. What changes is the music, the hour, and the vibe. If you know the 10:00 service, you will recognize nearly everything at 5:00. Some people may choose to come to both.

When does it begin?
Sunday, September 27, at 5:00 p.m., and every Sunday after that, year-round.

Where does it meet?
In the nave, gathered in a semicircle of chairs around a small altar.

How long is it?
Forty-five minutes to an hour.

What happened to Vespers?
The 5:00 service is changing rather than disappearing. Vespers was a prayer service with chant and Communion; the Folk Mass is a complete Eucharist, similar to Sunday morning. If Vespers was your service, we hope you’ll find much here that is familiar – evening quiet, unhurried prayer, a small congregation that knows one another, and the Phas bilaron (“O Gracious Light”), which we’ll keep singing — with the addition of the full Eucharistic liturgy and instrumental music.

WORD AND SACRAMENT

 Why call it “Mass”?

“Mas, “Eucharist,””Holy Communion,” and “the Lord’s Supper” all name the same thing — a pattern of worship Christians have kept since the beginning, with parts many people will recognize, such as the Confession, the Peace, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Great Thanksgiving. We’ve chosen “Mass” because it’s short, it’s ancient, and it’s a word many of our neighbors — including a good number of the people we hope will find this service — already use for what we do.

Is there a sermon?
Yes — the same sermon preached that morning at 8:00 and 10:00.

Is it a full Eucharist?
Yes. We use The Book of Common Prayer and other authorized texts, and we consecrate bread and wine to share with the gathered congregation as the Body and Blood of Christ.

THE MUSIC

 What’s the music like?

Acoustic and folk-rooted: built around the guitar, with other instruments joining as we grow — piano, flute, cello, bass, banjo, accordion, whatever fits the sound and whatever folks can play. We draw on the repertoire of Liturgical Folk, traditional hymns from the 1982 Hymnal, and folk hymns rooted in African-American, Appalachian, and Indigenous American melodies and rhythms.

I don’t read music and I’m not much of a singer. Is that a problem?
Not at all. The music is written to be picked up by ear, and much of it comes back week to week, so it gets easier fast. Singing along is welcome; so is listening.

YOUR FIRST SUNDAY

I’m Roman Catholic. Am I welcome? Can I receive Communion?
You’re very welcome. At All Saints, everyone is invited to receive the bread and wine, whatever their tradition. If you’d prefer a blessing instead, simply cross your arms over your chest as you come forward.

Can I bring my children?
Please do. Children stay with us for the whole service, and the soft space at the front of the church will be waiting for them.

What should I wear?
Whatever you are most comfortable in.

Why are we doing this?

Our 10:00 service is often near capacity during the fall and spring semesters, to the point that newcomers sometimes can’t find a seat. And there are those among us for whom Sunday morning simply doesn’t work, for a variety of reasons. The Folk Mass gives us room to try something new and to welcome people who might not otherwise find us.

Who is the Folk Mass for?
Anyone who wants it. The hour and the music may make it an especially attractive option for students, young families, and people whose Sunday mornings belong to something else. But this is a service for the whole parish, and anyone is welcome to try it — and to stay, if they choose, or to go back to Sunday morning. There’s no pressure.

How can I help?
We’re building the teams that make this service work — readers, ushers, altar guild, musicians, hospitality. If you’d like to be part of it, let Father Andrew know at andrew@allsaintseastlansing.org.