Worship at The Ranch
We welcome you to join in the worship life of The Ranch. This invitation is extended to those on retreat, attending meetings or workshops, and to guests and neighbors.
Morning and evening prayer are offered each day in the Chapel of St. George. Morning prayer is at 7:30 am and evening prayer at 6 pm. These simple prayer services offer an opportunity for silence and for praise and thanksgiving. Maggie Ross, Anglican Solitary in Residence at the Ranch generally serves as officiant.
We invite you to join us for Sunday worship at 9 AM in the Chapel of St George located on the hill at the Ranch. Our practice is to worship not only in word and sacrament but also in silence. We begin in silence, and there is a silence following each of the readings. After the silence that follows the gospel reading we invite you to share your own reflections on the passages or themes of the day if you wish. This time of sharing is not so much a dialogue, but a simple offering—short silences surrounding each reflection give us an opportunity to digest what has been said.
In addition, special feast and fast days are kept: Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, Christmas Eve. As these services are scheduled their times will be posted here. This year a contemplative Great Three Days Retreat will be offered April1-4 that will include all the liturgies of the days leading up to Easter, in the context of silence, with talks offered by Maggie Ross. You may join us for all or parts of this retreat.
Occasionally due to special events our Sunday worship schedule is changed. We will post any changes here in advance. Any additional gatherings for worship (meditation, compline, taize, etc) will also be posted here. Special outdoor worship will also be held from time to time and posted.
The Chapel is available for individual use. There is a notice posted on the front door that indicates when the chapel is in use by groups. When it is not in use, individuals are welcome to come in for quiet, prayer, and meditation.
The Chapel of St. George
The Chapel of St. George was built in 1955 as a chapel peculiar of Grace Cathedral under the leadership of Bishop Karl Morgan Block. It was the first new building constructed after the Diocese of California purchased the Ranch from the White family in 1947.
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier in the Guard of Diocletian. One of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, he is considered the patron saint of England. He is immortalized in the legend of his defeat of a dragon about to devour a princess. He was martyred in 303 for refusal to worship pagan gods
The windows on the north wall, in the sanctuary, are the work of glass artist Irmi Steding, with thanks to Reflection Studios of Emeryville. The guiding idea of these windows, as well as the sanctuary windows on the west wall, is to provide non-representational inspiration for meditation. Currently, the yellow glass nave windows are being replaced, as sponsors step forward, with windows designed and built by Irmi Steding following the theme of the song-prayer of St. Francis, the Canticle of the Sun. Franciscans managed the Ranch and offered daily worship in the Chapel from the mid-70s through the mid-80s. |
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