Our worship style is traditional and yet we are informal. Come as you are; we are an imperfect people trying to follow Jesus. Check out the message blocks below to find out more about liturgical worship and the church year.
At Christ Lutheran Church we include a creed in most of our Sunday services. The creed typically follows the sermon and is the congregations statement of belief.
We use a variety of creeds: sometimes the Apostles or Nicene Creed, typically on "festival days." These are ancient statements of faith used around the world and across centuries. While individuals may struggle with certain components, such as the "virgin birth" we use these statements to show that we are part of the catholic (universal) church of God.
During much of the year we use a progressive Affirmation of Faith:
We believe that the way we treat one another is the fullest expression of how we live out our faith. We find our approach to God in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ who is our model for living and we recognize the faithfulness of other paths which may also lead people to an experience of God.
We stand in God’s grace and we live that grace in our attitudes and actions toward one another. We understand the church as a community of people, who together make up the body of Christ as we strive to serve the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of others.
We are inclusive, as Christ was, and welcome all people seeking a closer relationship with God. We believe that the questions are as important as the answers, that living the mystery is as sacred a position as church dogma and doctrine, and we strive to “love all, serve all, in Jesus’ name” as we proclaim our mystery of faith that: Christ died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again
Christ Lutheran Church values liturgical worship. Liturgy literally means work of the people; liturgical worship is our standardized order of worship. Most of the words during the service are from the Bible. If you have experienced Roman Catholic, or other Protestant services the service will seem familiar. If you aren’t familiar with liturgical worship, the patterns might seem awkward or stilted. However, there is a flow that forms us and reforms us into a community of faith.
Worship stands at the center of our life of faith. Like many other Lutheran churches, our liturgy follows a four-part pattern. We Gather, we Hear God’s Word, we Share in God’s Meal (Holy Communion) and we are Sent into the World. At various times during the service people are invited to stand (in body or in spirit) as a sign of respect and reverence for God.
Gathering weekly, we begin with an Invocation (in the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) a simple creed – a statement of belief. We follow with Confession and Forgiveness or on some Sundays an Affirmation of Baptism. With confession we admit our need for Christ and with the affirmation we remember the gifts received from the Holy Spirit and promises made to God at the time of our baptism. At the services with music, we continue with the Gathering Hymn and Prayer of the Day. Sometimes we add additional music such as a kyrie (Christ have Mercy) or This Is the Feast. The Gathering portion of the service ends with the Prayer of the Day.
Next we hear God’s Word. Most Sundays we hear first from the Old Testament, then a Psalm which we often read responsively. The Psalm is followed by the Second Reading, most often an epistle (letter) from the New Testament. We stand up to hear the final reading, the Gospel. The reading is from one of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and sometimes John. We follow the liturgical calendar (Revised Common Lectionary) a three-year cycle of readings. The Sermon follows the readings, then the Hymn of Day. The Sermon and the Hymn of the Day follow the theme of the combined readings, and are meant to comment on, expand, or challenge thoughts about the Sunday theme.
A creed (statement of belief) is followed by the Prayers of Intercession. These are prayers of the people, which usually follow a pattern; for the church universal and the mission of the Gospel, for the well-being of creation, for peace and justice in the world, for the poor, sick, lonely, and bereaved, for reuniting us with those who have passed on and sometimes for the congregation and special concerns.
The third part of our worship begins with sharing the Peace of Christ with others around us. The service usually follows with the Offering, an Offertory (hymn) and Offering Prayer. Holy Communion begins with the Great Thanksgiving, followed by Holy, Holy, Holy and then the Communion (Eucharistic) Prayer, culminating with the words Jesus said on the night he was betrayed. We follow with the Lord’s Prayer and the Sanctus (Lamb of God) introduced in the church about 700 AD. Then the pastor invites all to receive Holy Communion. Usually, a hymn is sung during the distribution. After communion the pastor gives a blessing, which the assisting minister follows with a Communion Prayer.
Worship ends with a Benediction by the pastor, a blessing to end the whole service. The Benediction is followed by a Sending Hymn, and a dismissal led by the assisting minister, sending the people out in the world to serve neighbors and to witness to the presence of God.
While liturgical worship may seem to some people as repetitive, stilted, or awkward, the purpose of the “work of the people” is to worship God and to remember who and whose we are as God’s people. Liturgical worship, using words that have been repeated both across the centuries and around the world remind us that even as we are the church here and now in a specific community and culture, we are part of the universal (catholic) church of all times and places.
The church year begins learning about Jesus Christ, beginning with the Season of Advent in late November/early December, followed by Christmas, Epiphany, Lent and the Season of Easter.
Easter is more than one day; it is a whole season of 40 days culminating with Pentecost, when the church celebrates receiving the Holy Spirit.
After Pentecost we worship in Ordinary (Ordered) Time – when the church learns about how to be the church. Often during this time, which corresponds with summer, we may have sermon series or themed services.
Each season has different texts, music, and color of paraments (the linens and banners). Advent is blue, Christmas is white, Epiphany is green, Lent is Purple, Easter is white, Pentecost is red and Ordinary Time is green.