beautifully experiencing god!
Worship
A beautiful way to think about Worship is that when we gather as the Church, Jesus serves us! This is why we call it a Worship "Service", or as the Bible says it in Greek, liturgia or "liturgy". Listen to what Ephesians 4 says:
" Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
So in our Service, Christ equips us through the pastor. Up front we have a pulpit and lectern where the Word of the apostles/prophets/evangelists is read and taught. Front and center is a baptismal font where Jesus washes away our sin and gives us a new birth. And at the Altar Jesus again meets us in a special way to feed our faith in communion and forgives our sins. When we are strong in grace and equipped with God's Word, we live out a life of thanksgiving to Jesus.
Here's the parts of the Liturgy or Service:
Some may think our way of Worship is old fashion. It is! There is a reason why the structure of the liturgy has been used by the Church for over 2000 years and even is how Jesus worshipped in the Synagogue!
1. Hymns: more than praise, they teach and instruct us about Christian living and Faith
2. Confession and Absolution: Coming into God's presence we first get our heart right with Him. He promises to cleanse us if we confess our sin! "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:8ff
3. Spoken Responses: Have you ever wanted to memorize more of the Bible? The responses we read each Sunday are just that!
4. God's Word: Each week we have a well rounded variety of readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Gospels.
5. Sermon: God's teaching is explained and applied to our lives in practical and useful ways.
6. Baptism and Communion: Special ways that God promises to meet us and give us forgiveness and fellowship with Him and His Church.
FAQ:
* What about children in Worship?: Some Churches have kids leave but at Faith think it's valuable for families to worship together. We love children and glad they here! If they get restless, we have a cry room at the back of the Sanctuary you can take them and see the Service from from
* How should I dress? We insist you wear clothes. We don't go for the Adam or Eve look here lol. But seriously, we don't care if you dress up or dress casual! Everyone dresses in the way they feel comfortable here, from suit jackets and dresses to t shirts and shorts.
* Can I take communion? We practice close communion here which means that we ask that you be a communicant member of our Church, or belong to another ELS or WELS congregation. If you would like to take communion in the future we would love to have you take the classes so that you can take communion. Just speak with Pastor.
* What about if I have special needs? We will do everything we can to accommodate you! Are you hard of hearing? We have personal amplification devices. Have a hard time sitting comfortably? We have extra pillows and cushions. Kids need something to do? We have activity pack to give them. Do you frequently use the restroom? We have a bathroom right next to the Sanctuary! Many of us here have probably the same issues you do so do not feel embarrassed. Please, please, please don't let anything be an excuse to keep you from fellowship. Let us know how we can serve any special needs you have.
Seasonal colors of the church year
Advent
Advent means “coming” and is a time of quiet reflection in preparation for the coming of Christ at His birth. The color is blue or purple and symbolizes His royalty.
Christmas
For twelve days we celebrate the coming of God as a man to save us. To us a child is born! The color is white and symbolizes the purity of Christ
Epiphany
Epiphany is a Greek word that means “appearing.” We remember the ways God revealed his Son Jesus as our Savior, like He did to the Magi. The color is green.
Lent
Lent is time for humble and solemn meditation on the seriousness of our sins and the depth of Christ’s love for us that he took those sins upon Himself. Purple is a somber color, also reminding us of His bruises and bleeding.
Easter
The sorrow of Lent is broken by the triumphant celebration of Christ’s resurrection — the highest of holy days for Christians. We are made clean and pure by Christ's righteousness so the color of white reminds us of this.
Pentecost
The season of Pentecost begins 50 days after Easter. During Pentecost we focus on the teachings of Christ and their application to us. Color of red symbolizes the Holy Spirit as He came down in tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost. Color later turns to green as the Bible teaches focus on growth in Christ.