At St. Paul's, our worship is not about what we offer to God. It is all about what God offers to us. This is why Lutherans refer to their Sunday worship as The Divine Service. Each week we gather before God as sinners to be served by Him and to receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. God delivers these blessings through the proclamation of His Word and the administration of the Sacraments. As He gives, so we receive and respond joyfully with songs, prayers, and thanksgiving.
Our worship follows the traditional Lutheran liturgy (order of service) and is accompanied by many hymns, both old and new. The Lord's Supper is celebrated on the first and third Sundays of each month.
What Does the Service Look Like?
All of this may sound strange to someone considering a visit to our church for the first time, but we love welcoming visitors and helping the strange become familiar over time. We have as many styles of clothing as we have members--everything from suits & ties to jeans & t-shirts--so wear whatever you're comfortable with. Whether noisy or quiet, infants and children are joyfully encouraged to join us for the entire service. A cry room is also available behind the sanctuary if parents feel their little ones are getting out-of-hand.
When you first walk through the front doors, you'll see the sanctuary ahead of you. Just walk on in, take a bulletin, and sit wherever is most comfortable for you. We begin the service as a community by sharing news.
Then, everyone takes their seats, and we begin the Divine Service. All words spoken by the Pastor to the congregation and the congregation's responses are printed in your bulletin. The day's hymns can be found in the bulletin and in hymnals located in each pew. If you have any trouble following along, feel free to ask your nearest neighbor; they will be happy to help you out. A card that explains the different parts of the service can be found in each pew. You can expect the service to last a little over an hour.
Children age 3 to teens are welcome to join us for Sunday school and adults for Bible studies as well!
"The rhythm of our worship is from Him to us, and then from us back to Him. He gives His gifts, and together we receive and extol Him. We build each other up as we speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Our Lord gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink. Finally His blessing moves us out into our calling, where His gifts have their fruition." - Dr. Norman Nagel