Our Worship

The author of Ephesians writes, “Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20). We worship because we have this need to give thanks to God for all of the blessings, large and small we have received daily through God’ s grace. Therefore, worship is an act of gratitude, acknowledging God as the source of all that is good in our lives.

As an ELCA congregation, we follow a very traditional order of worship that is focused on the reading and preaching of God’s word and the celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion.

The scriptures are, in some cases 3,000 years old. Yet human nature hasn’t changed much in all that time. Therefore, the Holy Spirit, enables these ancient words to speak with a fresh, relevant voice in this and every time. The Holy Spirit helps both the preacher and the hearer to receive a word that is just as relevant and applicable to present day situations and challenges we all face.

Then in grateful response for the blessings of God’s Word to us, we respond with “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs,” singing God’s praise, praying for the needs of the world and the people we love, dedicating our monetary offerings to God’s service, “giving thanks to God at all times for everything.”

We also celebrate the sacrament on a weekly basis. Our sacrament is known by various names:

• The Lord’s Supper – It is a remembrance of the meal Jesus celebrated with his disciples, the night before he was arrested and crucified. The bread and wine, representing the Lord’s body and blood, recalls his supreme sacrifice of love for all of us, so our sins could be forgiven, and so that we could be brought into renewed relationship with God and each other.
• Eucharist – a word that means thanksgiving. The sacrament is given for the forgiveness of sins; but it also is a time of giving thanks, expressing our gratitude for all that God has done for us through Jesus. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate these blessings of God’s grace, in the living presence of Christ at the table and in the bread and wine.
• Holy Communion – the church’s weekly meal brings the people together in communion with one another, and with the living Christ. We are no longer just a gathering of individuals but we become one body of Christ, a living expression of God’s love and grace, a family of love and support for each other.

At the close of worship, our attention is directed outward, as we are sent to love and serve our neighbors in Christ’s name!