Messiah Lutheran Church is a Liturgical Church:
Liturgy, meaning “work of the people,” is what we do when we worship God communally. We follow a basic order for worship which includes:
- Gathering: We center ourselves for worship, confessing our sins, and hearing the forgiveness of sins declared.
- Word: Where God’s Word, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, is read, proclaimed, and preached.
- Meal: We are invited by our Lord Jesus Christ to be fed and nourished by the Lord’s Supper, otherwise called Holy Communion or the Eucharist.
- Sending: We are sent out back into the world with the blessing of the Triune God to love both God and neighbor.
Messiah Lutheran Church Uses a Lectionary:
Our lectionary is a three-year rotation of Bible passages. The Old Testament lesson and the Gospel lesson are intended to go together. The second lesson or epistle follows its own track. This year we will hear primarily from the Gospel of Matthew. The other two years are Mark and Luke. The Gospel of John is interspersed throughout all three years. The lectionary was put together by biblical scholars and is used by many denominations, including Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches.
Messiah Lutheran Church Uses a Liturgical Calendar:
The Liturgical Calendar is a guide for Christian worship.
Advent begins the year on the Sunday closest to November 30th. This is a period of four Sundays focused on preparation and expectation of the baby Jesus. The color is either blue or purple and the tone is hopeful.
Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birth for 12 days ending on January 6th, Epiphany, the date of the Wise Men arriving in Bethlehem. The color is white or gold and the mood is joyous.
The Season of Epiphany stresses the public ministry of Jesus and God, revealing Jesus as God’s child. The color is green and the primary symbol is light.
Lent follows. It is a season for personal reflection and renewal in preparation for Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts 40 days (not counting Sundays, which are always understood as “little Easter”). The color is purple and the mood is sober.
Holy Week remembers Christ’s suffering and death. Beginning with Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion (usually including a reading of one the Gospel Passion accounts), Maundy Thursday (the day Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and introduced what we now call Holy Communion) and Good Friday (the day Jesus was crucified and buried).
Easter, the high point of the church year, is celebrated for seven weeks. The color is white or gold and the mood is joyful.
The Day of Pentecost, the day the Spirit gave birth to the church ends the season. The color is red symbolizing the tongues of fire that appeared over the believers’ heads.
The Season After of Pentecost is the longest season, representing a time of growth in discipleship. The color is green, the color of growing things.
Messiah Lutheran Church Centers Itself Around Two Sacraments:
A sacrament has three attributes:
- Commanded by Jesus
- Acts as a vehicle of God’s love and forgiveness
- Involves earthly element(s)
We believe the “action” of the sacrament is initiated by God, not us. We respond. This explains the Lutheran belief in infant baptism. Baptism does not occur because or when we are ready, but because God loves us. Confirmation is our “yes” to the baptism and to the promises made by our parents, sponsors and congregation. We believe in the “real presence” of Jesus “in, with and under” the earthly elements. Real Presence occurs when God’s Word comes together with the earthly element(s). The elements of bread and wine or water do not change their substance nor is the act simply in remembrance of Jesus’ death and resurrection. As Lutherans, we confess that God is truly present in the Sacraments and imparts God’s love, grace, and forgiveness within them.