Worship

Direction is everything in worshiping the one true God.  There are two vital directions involved, but only one should dominate.  The most important direction is from above as God comes down to us to bless us who are assembled together. Emmanuel (God with us!) comes in His Word read and preached to us and in the Holy Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper with His Word in, under, with and around the water, bread, and wine.  Having been blessed from this heavenly direction with these gifts, we then respond in the upward direction with our hymns, psalms and spiritual songs as well as prayers.

Since what we most need is Emmanuel blessing us with the forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our faith, and uniting us to care for each other and our neighbor, this direction must dominate our coming together.

That is why as Lutheran Christians we much prefer the word "Divine Service" to describe this marvelous time with Emmanuel.  The English word "worship" as commonly understood leads us astray, as it goes back to its root meaning and direction of the worshipper to the worshipped.  Thus, our preference and emphasis in worship on the opposite direction, the worshipped comes to us to bless us.

We emphasize the Word of God in all that we do gathered with this God.  We hold music to be a very powerful expression of God's truth and our response to His loving Word.  We seek to use the best music in the forms of liturgy, hymns, and musical offerings.  We currently use Lutheran Service Book hymnal with its rich variety of Divine Service settings, hymnody from all ages, and other worship aids.

Such hymnal usage might seem odd and out of place to those not familiar.  As well, the "God to us to bless us" directional emphasis might seem strange at first to those unaccustomed with it.  Therefore, we would encourage those who first visit to inquire of those worshippers around them for help in using the hymnal and bulletin materials.  Most of your fellow worshippers would be most glad to aid you with this, even sitting beside you to walk you through the service.