 SanctuaryWe believe that the church is all of God's people, gathered in community. We could worship in the middle of a corn field and our gathering would be just as much "church" as if we gathered in a cathedral.However, we also recognize that God speaks to us through our environment; through art, music, smell, sound, and space. We want to encourage creativity in building the kind of environment that fosters a worshipful spirit. One of the ways we do this is through our sanctuary. Built in 2001, our sanctuary bridges modern architectural style and elements of ancient Christian assembly. We also encourage members of the congregation, working as a ministry called "Worship Arts," to share artistic gifts by painting and decorating the sanctuary many times throughout each year. Since we are a liturgical church, we follow the liturgical calendar. That calendar walks through the story of God's abiding with humanity through Jesus, including Advent, Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. View a small collection of the many ways we decorate our sanctuary, and stop by to see what the Worship Arts ministry is doing this week! |
Worship......At the Heart of Our CommunityOf all the things we do at Lord of Life, the most important thing is the worship of the Triune God: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Everything else in our community flows from worship. Liturgical
For 2000 years, Christians have gathered together in worship. In all three of our Sunday morning worship services, we follow the ancient four-fold rite of the liturgy: gathering together as community, hearing the word of God read from the Bible and preached on, sharing the common meal of Holy Communion, and sending forth into the world at the conclusion of the service. Depending on the style of worship you attend, the liturgy will look very different. At 8:00, it looks more contemplative, quiet, and intimate. At 9:15, we connect with the richness of our Lutheran prayer and hymn tradition. By 11:15, the liturgy looks far more contemporary, with fewer boundaries, and higher volume.SacramentalIn addition to being liturgical, at Lord of Life we are sacramental. Lutherans believe there are two sacraments: Holy Communion and Baptism. What makes these two things so special? Sacraments hold a pivotal place in our faith because, in addition to being scripturally based, they are outward signs of an inward grace bestowed by God to humanity.Holy CommunionIt's celebrated at each of our worship services. All are invited to the table of our Lord Jesus, where we are fed with his own flesh and blood. For that reason, and because we are blessed by God to receive it, we call Holy Communion, Eucharist, a "table of thanksgiving." In the bread and wine, we receive Jesus' body and blood. It's a mystery we can't fully explain, but which we celebrate every time we gather.BaptismSeveral times each year, there are Baptismal Festival days at Lord of Life. In Baptism, we are given new birth into a living hope, delivered from sin and death, and raised to new life in Jesus Christ. This is a remarkable, joyous abundance of the grace of God at work, but Baptism does more than affect an individual in his or her relationship with God. We are united with all the baptized in the one body of Christ, anointed with the Holy Spirit, and joined in God’s mission for the life of the world. Learn more about BaptismWorship Times and Styles |
