Worship Services - The Sacraments - Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

Worship in the Lutheran Liturgical Tradition

Worship happens differently in various Christian churches. Lutheran worship is patterned after Christian worship that dates back several hundred years. Our Service connects us to generations of believers across time. Our assembly for worship also connects us to Christians of other denominations such as Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Orthodox, Anglican, and other expressions throughout the world.

Lutheran worship is based on the Bible. Many of its elements are right out of the scriptures, such as portions of the confession, hymn of praise, the readings, the offertory, the Lord's Prayer, communion liturgy, and benediction.

Lutheran worship is centered around Word and Sacrament. We meet God in the Scriptures and in the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.

Lutheran worship is liturgical. Liturgy means the "work of the people." A liturgical service has an order that is rooted in the worship life of the Bible and the early Church. See pages 6-9 of With One Voice (blue hymnal) for foundational material on the liturgy.

Lutheran worship has two movements. 1) God's gifts are given to us. These gifts are God's Word and the body and blood of God's son, Jesus Christ. The title Christ means the anointed one or Savior. 2) We give back to God an offering of our thanks, honor, prayers and gifts.

God's word comes to us as both law and gospel. The law or commands of God keep sin in check, it protects us from sin. The law also convicts us of sin, the world's sin and our own, and it drives us to the One who can deliver us from the power of sin, death and the devil, and the condemnation of the law. That One is Christ the Lord.

God's Word also comes to us as gospel, which announces the Good News that we are forgiven because of God's unconditional love towards us. This love is expressed through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This gospel (or good news) is God's promise that we are rescued from those hostile powers that would take life from us.

The Bible readings in worship are from a lectionary or cycle of readings that cover a three-year period. The readings are from the older testament, the epistles or letters of the newer testament, and a gospel reading from Mathew, Mark or Luke. One of those three gospels is used each year, with John's gospel interspersed throughout all three years.

In brief, within our worship in the historic Christian tradition:

We are greeted in the name of the Triune God.
We confess our sin and receive God's forgiveness. This is a fresh start or a new beginning for us.
We sing hymns and songs that convey God's faithfulness to us and our response of faith.
We pray for the needs of the world, the Church and ourselves.
We hear the Word of God through the reading of Scripture.
We hear law and gospel through the sermon, which is based on the Scripture.
We confess our faith in the words of the Apostles' or Nicene Creeds.
We act as good stewards, offering our gifts of time talent and offering.
We receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion, believing that Jesus is present and offers us forgiveness, life and salvation.

Worship in the historic Christian tradition in communal. It does not depend on our individual feelings, which change from day to day. Worship is based on the unchanging love of God that is given to us through the Word and the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper.