Liturgical Worship

When you worship at First Lutheran, you will see that we come together to joyfully praise God for all that we are and all that we have, and that as a congregation – we are a pretty active bunch. This is because Lutheran churches are liturgical. The term “liturgy” comes from a Greek word meaning, “work of the people.” Liturgical churches follow a set pattern of hymns, responses, prayers and readings, and our services are participatory. We stand up, sit down and kneel together. We pray together out loud. And, all are invited to the front rail to receive communion. If you are used to mostly sitting, watching and listening during a church service – you will find that at liturgical churches, people get (relatively) busy!

When you arrive for a service at First Lutheran, an usher will greet you and give you a bulletin with an outline of the service. A typical service includes confession and forgiveness, Scripture readings and sermon, and prayers for all God’s people. We utilize instrumental and vocal music throughout the service and are often blessed by a performance from one of our choirs.

Photo by J. Fallon.

Not every church service is the same however. There is great variety within a flexible pattern of listening to the Word and eating the Communion meal together. In addition, liturgical churches like ours also tend to celebrate “seasons” within each year, such as Advent (the season leading up to Christmas) and Lent (the season leading up to Easter). These celebrations add a unique variety to our services throughout the year.

Photo by J. Fallon.

In a liturgical church, the pastor is not a “solo performer,” but one minister among many such as choirs, readers, acolytes, Communion servers and more. There is a place for everyone and we encourage you to try worshiping with us at First. Communion is offered at each service, and there are no prerequisites for partaking; all are welcome. We encourage parents to bring their children to worship.

Photo by J. Fallon.

Good to Know

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Accomodations
Hearing loop and large print bulletins are available, please ask! The building has wheelchair access and handicap accesible bathrooms on both levels and an elevator.
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Bring the Kids
In the narthex are Worship Bags and Children's Bulletins with activities. At the front left of the sanctuary is our Prayground, where little ones have more room to roam. 
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Passing the Peace
This usually takes the form of shaking hands with those nearby while saying "Peace." You may simply wave hello, fist bump, or whatever is comfortable for you. Hand sanitizer is provided in the pews.
Map & Directions

See our Map & Directions page for more information about the where we are located, the building, and parking.