The Lutheran Church service is a great way to get in touch with your spirituality, and it’s also a great way to practice being a good person. You can also find out more about resources like “Lutheran Church Service Online.” and “How long is a Lutheran church service?” on our blog.
The first thing you should know about Lutheran church is that it’s not like other churches. It’s not just about going through the motions and saying the right prayers at the right times. It’s about connecting with God and recognizing that you’re part of something bigger than yourself. That may sound scary or overwhelming, but it’s actually really easy once you get started.
The first thing you need to do is find a church near where you live or work. You can look online or ask around for recommendations from friends who might have gone before. Once we have found one, we will contact them and make an appointment for orientation, so don’t worry about that yet!
When we arrive at our new Lutheran congregation, we will meet with Pastor Jim (or whoever) who will be there to welcome us into their community and answer any questions we may have about how everything works here at First Lutheran Church of [city name].
Lutheran Church Service
Introduction
The Lutheran service is a treasure trove of theological riches and spiritual depth. The liturgical worship of the Church expresses the sacramental character of God’s presence to us in His Word and in His Sacrament. We pray, sing and respond together as one body in Christ. Let us praise our God!
Opening Hymn: ALLELUIA! SING TO JESUS
The opening hymn is a time to reflect on our Savior. Singing the words “Alleluia! sing to Jesus,” we acknowledge that there is something about this hymn that keeps us singing it over and over again. We know that the more we sing it, the more we want to keep singing it. It brings joy and hope into our lives when everything else seems dark and hopeless.
Invocation
The invocation is an opening prayer to God, seeking his help and guidance in understanding the Bible. It may also include mention of events or people who were important to the congregation.
Confession and Forgiveness
You will ask for forgiveness. You will ask God to forgive you for sins against him, and you will pray that he forgives your sins against others.
This is one of the greatest moments in life: when we are able to admit our mistakes and ask for forgiveness from those whom we’ve hurt or wronged. It can be difficult for some people to do this, but we believe it’s important that everyone take this step toward self-improvement in order to live a healthy life; if we don’t admit our wrongdoings and seek forgiveness from those around us, then how can we hope to improve ourselves?
Your confession should include not only things done against God but also sins committed against yourself (such as drinking) or nature (such as littering).
ALL (repeat after me):
ALL:
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified; died and was buried. He descended into hell: on the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty where he will come to judge all people. I believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from God the Father; who together with God and Christ (and his body) is worshiped and glorified as they are one true living god. I believe in one holy catholic* united* apostolic* christian church.* I acknowledge one baptism for forgiveness of sins*.
The Psalm of the Day – Psalm 58
Psalm 58 is a psalm of David, who wrote it to describe his own personal experience of being persecuted by wicked enemies. It is a psalm of vengeance, distress, and hope. In the first part of Psalm 58, David recounts how he has been attacked by his enemies and how they have tried to destroy him; however, in the second half of this psalm we can see that his enemies cannot defeat him because he knows that God will protect him from all harm.
In verse 1 we see David complaining about someone who has wronged him: “Do you indeed decree what is right?” This could be translated as “Who are you anyway? Why do you make such decisions? You don’t even know me!” The word “decree” comes from an ancient Hebrew word that means “to cut off.” In other words: “Don’t cut me off!”
To answer this question we must remember where we are in history: during the time period when Israel lived under God’s protection as His chosen people–the time before Jesus came into our world–God was their judge (see Exodus 18). He ruled over them while they lived outside His land (now called Palestine). He would decide if someone was guilty or not guilty based on whether they were obeying His laws or not obeying them.
Antiphon (sung) God shall shatter their teeth in their mouths; the great teeth of the young lions shall be broken. (Psalm 58:7)
- Antiphon (sung) God shall shatter their teeth in their mouths; the great teeth of the young lions shall be broken. (Psalm 58:7)
- The antiphon is a response to a psalm and it was sung during the Latin Mass as well as during Lutheran Church services. An antiphon is not actually its own song, but rather a refrain that repeats throughout another song such as “Alleluia” or “Hallelujah.”
- An antiphon can also be sung responsively between two groups of singers (i.e., choir versus congregation).
Conclusion
We get to spend the whole morning together in this sacred space, so let’s try and make it worth our while. Let’s remember what we do here can have a lasting impact on our lives and those around us. Let’s leave today saying that we feel like we received something from God. Let’s pray for courage to go out into the world and be Christ-like in all that we do.
