our Worship on Sundays at 10:00 am
Liturgy: Liturgy means we follow the order of service from the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). We follow a pattern for worship: Gathering, Word, Meal, Sending. Within this pattern, there's a lot of room for variety and creativity. We want worship be familiar enough to be comforting and encouraging and new enough to be challenging.
Why Worship? Worship bonds us as a community. We take time and set it aside for God and take time out of our lives to think about what's really important, We are transformed to view the world through a lens of love with the gal of building a community of caring and compassionate people.
What are Sacraments? Sacraments are ritual actions in which we believe God acts in some pretty profound ways. Baptism is just plain old water and an old story of God's love and adoption. Together, they are a sign and seal that God is with us and we belong to God. Holy Communion or the Eucharist (which means thanksgiving) is more than a little piece of bread, cup of wine or juice. As the pastor presides at the communion table, we believe the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus. When we partake of communion, Jesus is taken into our very beings. Sacraments are an opportunity and invitation to enter into relationship with the divine in a real and intentional way. We make that journey together, not just as individuals.
Can't the Divine be encountered just as readily outside the church? Sure. Absolutely. God is the author of creation, and God's glory is all around. So yes, you DO encounter God in other people, in every day life, in nature, and in time spent with friends and family. But just as there are things about God to be encountered in all these ways that are distinct from a church, so too there are things about God that can only be encountered in community, in the rhythms of life together and not just individually. So, is an encounter with the divine something that happens at church or everywhere? As individuals or as a community? Our answer is a resounding YES.
