Worship

The gathering of Christians in worship has always been the central activity of the Church. It is in worship that we can come together as God's family, hear God's word for us today, receive the strength for our daily Christian walk and build each other us as we care for one another as God has cared for us.

Life is challenging. Worshiping God takes our eyes off of our problems and focuses them on God. Worship stirs our hearts and opens us up to the joy and hope that can only be found in God. At Sunday Worship (10 AM) the dress is casual, the music is upbeat, and the messages are relevant. No church experience is required to join us.

Everything that we do or accomplish here at Messiah has, at its center, our worship of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is the way the members of this community are strengthened and it is our way of saying "WELCOME" to those who come through the doors to visit with us.




The gathering of Christians in worship has always been the central activity of the Church. It is in worship that we can come together as God's family, hear God's word for us today, receive the strength for our daily Christian walk and build each other us as we care for one another as God has cared for us. Life is challenging. Worshiping God takes our eyes off of our problems and focuses them on God. Worship stirs our hearts and opens us up to the joy and hope that can only be found in God. At Sunday Worship (10 AM) the dress is casual, the music is upbeat, and the messages are relevant. No church experience is required to join us. Everything that we do or accomplish here at Messiah has, at its center, our worship of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is the way the members of this community are strengthened and it is our way of saying "WELCOME" to those who come through the doors to visit with us.				Vital to our gathering for worship is the celebration of Holy Communion. All baptized Christians regardless age, denominational affiliation, or church membership are welcome to the Lord's Table at Messiah. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first and third Sundays of the month. For more information about Communion and its importance, please
In an interesting way, our focus in and through worship is reflected in the name of our congregation: Messiah Lutheran Church *Messiah: We worship the God whose unconditional love for all creation is made known through Jesus, the messiah. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" John 3:16 God did not wait for us to be ready for Jesus, have our lives all figured out, or wait for us to conform to some rule or regulation -- God sent Jesus to be the messiah simply because God loves creation and could not stand the thought of spending eternity separated from ii, "For while we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly...But God proves his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-7) Lutheran: The backbone of our worship; what we say, what we sing, how we speak is all based upon our Lutheran understanding of God. God acts, we react. God moves, we respond. God saves us completely, totally, without question or hesitation and we then order our lives as a response to what god has done for us. Our Lutheran theology is the root that gives our worship and life its strength. We don't often "celebrate" theology, for we spend most of our time exploring the meaning of our faith in practical terms. However, it is our theology (our understanding of God and God's relationship to us) that gives all of our discussions their power and meaning for daily life. At Messiah there is no "litmus" test of conditions placed upon being a part of our community. We hold that God loves all people and, therefore, all people are welcome to be a part of our community of faith. Church: We believe that there is a power in the gathering of believers around the word of God and the sacraments of God (Baptism and Holy Communion), a power that we cannot connect with in private. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to enjoy the fullness of our relationship with God in isolation. God has told us to gather together and God created the Church so that we would have a place to share, be strengthened, build each other up, support one another, be energized, healed, forgiven and accepted for who God has made us. Ephesians 3:10 tells us that, "through the church, the manifold wisdom of God in its rich variety may be made known..*." We believe that the church is important, not as an institution but as the house of God where all people can meet God face to face, hear God's message for them today and receive the fullness of the blessings that God has to offer. Each Sunday we gather at 10 am for worship. Currently, we follow the order for worship found in the Lutheran Book of Worship. The order for worship (called a liturgy) takes us on a journey from our daily life in the world into the presence of God through responsive litany, prayer, song, scripture, teaching, and Holy Communion. Finally, we are sent back out into the world equipped to be the ones who boldly proclaim the love of God for all people in Jesus. Rather than explain or eliminate all of the "mystery" surrounding God, we relish in the unknown elements of God love and though our meditation, prayer, and exploration -- we find God's purpose for all of us and in that, we find meaning for our daily life. Our Worship service provides many opportunities for the special participation of those wanting to contribute their talents. Included are: singing in the choir, serving as ushers, being a part of the Altar Care group, readers, communion assistants, acolytes and sound system operators.

				We say that our gathering in worship -- as well as all of our other ministries -- is "not about religion but relationship." We do not focus our attention on the "religion" aspects of the faith: the rules, the dogma, the regulations for we do not believe that this is what God intended for us. Rather, we believe that in Jesus' life, death and resurrection -- God established a pathway for a real, vital and living relationship with God that has a positive impact on our lives today! Central to our worship together is the exploration of what a relationship with God means for us in our daily lives and how we can live and possess the "abundant life" that Jesus promises us through a active relationship with God.



*Everyone* is welcome to join us as we worship our God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Come as you are... meet the God that loves you without measure, condition or end!