Worship With Us.

Messiah’s worship is a liturgical service for contemporary people based upon –

–          Readings from the Bible (Gospel, letters  & Old Testament)

–          A sermon/teaching looking at the Bible readings for the day and how they apply to us today

–          The Sacrament of Holy Communion (see note below)

–          And fellowship with others

Communion

All are invited to share communion. If you are visiting and are accustom to receiving communion, you are invited to receive communion at Messiah.  If you do not receive communion, you are still invited to the altar and receive a blessing from the pastor.  Crossing your hands over your heart will let the pastor know you do not wish to receive communion, but would like a blessing. You are invited to stand or kneel at the altar rail.

Sign of the Cross

At various times throughout the service, you’ll see some people making the sign of the cross. They are symbolically reminding themselves and the rest of us of their baptism and it is a quiet way to mark the sacrifice our Lord made for us on our very person. If you are comfortable, please feel free to do so at times indicated by a small cross (?) embedded in the order of service.

As a sacramental community, we take very seriously our Lord’s example – God’s love is not meant just for some, it is for everyone. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he welcomed all, including those who were excluded, who didn’t “fit in,” and who others turned their back on. We are called to do the same and to look beyond exclusion to inclusion and to welcome all. Messiah works toward this goal. It does not matter your background, including your faith background, all are welcome.

We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person — questions, complexities and all. Join us as we do God’s work in Christ’s name for the life of the world.

Messiah Lutheran Church is a dynamic, sacramental community dedicated to living out the implications of Jesus’ love ethic. But what does this mean?

Dynamic – As Christians, we recognize our called to live and love intentionally in the world. Because God first loved us, we have an obligation to each other and to the world at large to share God’s love.  This means we work for social justice, peace, human rights, and the dignity of all people, and this sometimes means exploring positions that make us reach beyond the commonplace, to look for new ways to help Christ’s light to the world.

Sacramental – We see God in the world and Jesus Christ, our Messiah, is fully human and fully God. We believe and share in that oneness of spirit and world most strongly in the weekly Eucharist (communion) and in our baptism.

Community – We believe that we cannot be a Christian alone, for it is being part of a community of faith that sustains us. We are part of the Church Universal, which makes us all a part of the Body of Christ.  We look to each other – our brothers and sisters in Christ – to support us in times of trial and to celebrate with us in moments of joy.  Each individual is part of a network of relationships all joined around the altar. Each individual is part of the network that reaches out to the world.

We try to follow our Lord’s example. Jesus opened his arms to those who society excluded. God’s love is meant for everyone. We work to extend our community to those in need, the homeless, the unemployed and those who are suffering.

We recognize that there are no simple answers in life. Our 21st century faith calls us to reject simple clichés and stereotypes while seeking a meaningful role for all people of God in today’s world.

We invite you to join us.