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GOD AT WORK
At the heart of our liturgy is God. The focus of liturgy is not on the "performance" of the pastor or individuals, but upon the grace of our God, and God's actions for us. For this reason, worship is filled with symbols and signs that point to the nature and work of God. One of the most visible symbols in worship is that clergy and lay assistants wear special clothing during worship. These garments are called vestments. A vestment is often worn by clergy to emphasize the office of pastor rather than the person. This is because worship is not a personality contest with respect to the pastor. Worship is about honoring God. The office of the pastor is to serve God and proclaim the Gospel.

Another symbol commonly seen in worship at a Lutheran church is the use of gestures. Our liturgies are filled with movement because common gestures let the whole person pray, as well as express the unity in prayer of the whole people of God. It is common during a service to see sitting, standing, kneeling, and bowing.

Sitting: We sit to listen. Consequently, we sit during the first and second lessons and during the sermon.

Standing: We stand to express joy (Hymn of Praise, Offertory, Post-Communion Canticle), to honor Christ (Reading of the Gospel), and to voice our beliefs (Creed).

Kneeling: We kneel to show sorrow and humility (Confession), and to show adoration (Reception of Communion).

Bowing: We bow to show respect. We bow in prayer, toward the altar and cross, and when the name of Jesus is mentioned in prayer.


THE PARTS OF WORSHIP
Lutheran liturgy has two basic sections. These are the Service of the Word and the Service of The Lord's Supper. To see an example of a typical Sunday click the following link: Bulletin.

THE SERVICE OF THE WORD
The Service of the Word contains several elements. The primary of these are the readings from the Holy Scriptures, the sermon, the confession of the Creed, and the Prayers. The readings of Scriptures have a regular pattern. The First Reading is from the Old Testament, except during Easter. Then, a Psalm is generally sung or spoken responsively. The Second Reading (sometimes called the Epistle, which is the Greek word for "letter") is from one of the letters of the New Testament. The final reading is the Holy Gospel. The Gospel is read by the pastor because it is a announcement of grace to the congregation. The congregation rises at the reading of the Gospel to show respect for the words of Christ.

The Sermon proclaims the message of the Holy Gospel. Following the sermon, the Creed is confessed. In the Lutheran church the three creeds are the Apostle's (confessed during ordinary time), the Nicene (confessed during feast days and high seasons such as Easter), and Athanasian (often confessed on Trinity Sunday). The Prayers of the Church follow the confession of the Creed. The Prayers of the Church are offered for leaders of state and church, the sick, Christians throughout the world, as well as local and national concerns. The traditional pattern of the prayer closes each petition with, "Lord in your mercy...hear our prayer."


SERVICE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER
The Meal and celebration of the Lord offering us his Body and Blood is known by several names.

The Holy Communion: This name is derived from 1 Corinthians 10:16-17. We believe that in this Sacrament we are united with Christ and all Christians (living and dead) through the sharing of Jesus' Body and Blood.

The Breaking of Bread: This is the oldest title for the Sacrament, and is used in Scripture to describe the Sacrament (Acts 2:42).

The Eucharist: This term is from the Greek word for Thanksgiving. In the New Testament Jesus gave thanks at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:27).

The Lord's Supper: When we use this term, it is a confession that the meal we celebrate is not of human origin, but has been given as a gift and instituted by Christ our Lord.

Sacrament of the Altar: This name describes the place where the Sacrament is celebrated in our Churches. The altar is a focus of worship because it is where his Body and Blood are present.


REAL PRESENCE
Lutherans hold to the teaching of Real Presence when speaking about Holy Communion. When describing Real Presence, the phrase used is " the body of Christ is in, with, and under the bread and wine."

Unlike other denominations, Lutherans have never tried to use philosophical arguments to attempt to explain just how Jesus' Body and Blood are present in the Eucharist. Lutherans have resisted philosophy in favor of the mystery of the faith and the plain words of Scripture. Jesus said, "This is my Body. This is my blood." He did not say, "This represents my Body. This symbolizes my Blood." Believing and trusting the words of Christ, we affirm that he is truly and really present in the Holy Communion without attempting to explain how this happens.