“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.”
(Martin Luther's Small Catechism: Explanation to the 3rd article of the Creed)
About The Divine ServiceIn Matthew chapter 18, verse 20, we hear Jesus say that where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Each and every time we arise from sleep and make our way to those who gather in the name of Jesus, we help to claim the very promise of our Lord in that verse. We believe that when we gather as God’s people, we are answering a call that originates with God and is brought about by the working of the Holy Spirit. As the 15th century reformer Martin Luther reminds us in the Small Catechism, “…it is the Holy Spirit that calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in one true faith.” Through the words of the Scripture lessons read, from the voice of the preacher, in hymns that are sung, with prayers that are lifted up from the gathered assembly, and in the liturgy enacted, we hear the Word of God, not just a word about God but a word from God. When we are complacent and hard-hearted, this Word of God judges, teaching us to see our sins for what they are, making us afraid and sorry enough to want to change. And when we despair of our sins the Word of God blesses, saying to the believer: Because of the cross of Christ, you are forgiven and will live with God forever. As Lutherans, we confess that God saves us not because of our moral or religious well-doing, but simply because of His love – by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24.) When the Church gathers, most important is not what we do for God but what God is doing for us. Gathered for worship, we are invited to listen to God’s Word and to receive Holy Communion, to confess the common Christian faith, to praise God, to pray, to offer ourselves in service to God and for the sake of God’s mission in the world, and to share the peace of the Lord. We are not spectators when we gather for worship, but full, active, conscientious participants….listening, praying, confessing, praising, receiving.
The pattern for worship in a Lutheran congregation is called the liturgy and it has two principal parts: the service of the Word and the service of Holy Communion. The service part of which we speak is God’s service. God is graciously at work among us, in us, and through us by the Gospel which center’s in His son and our Lord, Jesus Christ. That’s why we call the worship in which we are gathered the Divine Service. Worship glories not in what we offer to God, but in what He gives to us. It is this pattern and understanding of worship that has guided the one, holy catholic (universal) and apostolic Church for centuries, and continues to guide and instruct Lutherans as we gather in worship. Some people claim that the historic liturgy of the Church and the one that Lutherans still use is rather routine. It’s boring. It’s doing the same old thing all the time. But think of the liturgy this way: the liturgy is the conversation had between an old married couple, a conversation between bride and groom, between husband and wife. The liturgy is the conversation of lovers who keep saying, “I love you.” It is the same old thing too, the same words, but because the love relationship is active and growing those same old words are constantly filled with new messages. As Christians, we are encouraged to read the words of Scripture continually. How many times have we read those same words and passages from the Bible? Should we stop reading them because we’ve heard those words before? Of course not, because we know that the meaning continues to deepen as our relationship with the Lord deepens. And those words of the liturgy that people may find so boring and routine are actually passages from the Bible. They aren’t our words, their God's words. The entire Divine Service is the Bible message set to music and liturgical text. |
“Worship begins not by offering our gifts to God but by receiving the Gift God wants to give. Worship begins not by trying to change the world for the better but by being changed by God’s work upon us. Worship begins not by telling God what we want, but by learning to want what God gives. Worship begins not by speaking to God but by listening to him." 
Please join us for worship this Christmas!
The Nativity of Our Lord - Christmas Eve Tuesday - December 24, 2024 10:00 PM Candlelight and the celebration of Holy Communion*. The Nativity of Our Lord - Christmas Day Wednesday - December 25, 2024 10:30 AM (All those who have been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and believe that Christ's body and blood is truly present in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion are welcome to join us at the Lord's invitation regardless of your denominational affiliation.) 
Please join us for this Easter!
The Resurrection of Our Lord Sunday - April 20, 2025 10:30 AM |
Sunday Schedule9:15 AM - Christian Education
Christian Education is offered year round for all ages. 10:30 AM - Divine Service The sacrament of Holy Communion is offered weekly. |
Mid-week ServicesMid-week services are offered on Wednesday evenings during the following seasons of the Church year:
ADVENT SEASON 6:00 PM - Soup Supper 7:00 PM - Vesper Service LENTEN SEASON 6:00 PM - Soup Supper 7:00 PM - Vesper Service |
Special ServicesCHRISTMAS
The Nativity of Our Lord - Christmas Eve 10:00 PM - Candle lighting and Holy Communion LENT Ash Wednesday 7:00 PM - Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion HOLY WEEK Maundy Thursday 7:00 PM - Confession and absolution, Holy Communion, Stripping of the Altar Good Friday 7:00 PM - Service of scripture and prayer. The Solemn Reproaches are sung. EASTER The Resurrection of Our Lord - Easter 9:00 AM - Easter Breakfast 10:30 AM - Holy Communion |