Liturgical Worship Services
Worship services at St. John seek to focus us on Christ. Why? Without Christ, we would have no reason to gather for worship. We would be separated from God and each other. In the presence of God, all we could do is cower in shame and fear. In the presence of each other, things would get ugly with our self-centeredness. But Christ, our Savior, has restored our relationship with God. In Christ, we are now the family of God, a family blessed with peace! In peace, we open our hearts to receive his saving and empowering gospel. In thanksgiving, we open our arms to offer Christ our hearts, our lives, our everything.
This cycle of receiving from God and giving to God characterizes the Christian life. It also characterizes the way we worship when we gather together as a congregation. To receive God's spiritual gifts and to give our spiritual thanks, we use a form of worship that traces its roots back to the apostles themselves. It's called liturgical worship.
Christ is at the center of liturgical worship. Some parts of the liturgy stay the same each Sunday. This is to make sure that Christ is proclaimed and praised during every service. Some parts of the liturgy change every week. These changes are based on the appointed calendar of the church, making sure we cover the important events and teachings of Christ every year.
At St. John Lutheran, our liturgical worship takes the best worship forms from historical Christianity and the best from today to present a service of worship with substance (Christ and his Word), with variety (in style, mood, instruments, and content), and with meaning for our lives today.
Learn more about worship and music at St. John Lutheran Church. |
Call: 847-362-4424
501 West Park Ave