What to expect in Lutheran Worship
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” – Colossians 3:16
If you’ve heard “you’re in church to give, not to get”, expect to do a 180°. Worship is all about getting good gifts from God. It’s as simple as that.
In worship at CTR, the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is really present, alive and active. In worship, God comes to us! He knits us into His family through Baptism, and offers His very body and blood for us in the Lord’s Supper. His Word speaks truth into our lives. He listens to every heart that comes to Him in prayer. In worship, we come face-to-face with real love, real peace, real joy and real hope. And best of all, through worship, we’re reminded that in Jesus, there is forgiveness, life and salvation for all who believe.
Worship at CTR is soaked in God’s Word. Every part of our worship service – from beginning to end – is saturated in Scripture. It’s in the words we read and the songs we sing. You can’t miss it! Each week, we dig into the Bible and hear how God is still speaking to us through His Word today. You’ll hear God’s promises – from both the Old & New Testaments – and those promises point us to the Gospel message: that by grace, through faith, we have life now and forever because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Worship at CTR is set to music. Why? Because that’s God’s design. Music is yet another gift from God. He tells us to sing and make music. People love to share their musical gifts at CTR. It makes our worship come alive. It also helps unite us as a Christian community. Singing together connects us to each other, and with believers who boldly sang the same words in generations present and past.
Worship at CTR is kid-friendly. Our worship is designed for kids to be able to participate. We even set aside time in every service to make sure we’re sharing the Good News of Jesus with children. We supply worship bags for kids to take into the service with them, stuffed with goodies to keep them engaged. If you worry about your child making ‘too much noise’, don’t! We’re certainly not worried about it. Children should always feel at home in God’s house.
Worship at CTR is interactive. You won’t come for a show. Worshippers at CTR don’t just sit back and watch. You’re not coming to a concert, a lecture, or a laser light show. Prepare to be an active part of your own worship experience. You’ll read the Bible. You’ll grapple with the enormity of the grace and mercy that is ours through Jesus Christ. You’ll be embraced and supported by Christian sisters & brothers.
Why worship? Because we are God’s creation, and every creature owes their Creator praise. We sing, pray, and praise our great God for all the gifts He freely gives. We respond in thankfulness. But nothing we bring to worship can compare to the beauty and bounty of the blessings God pours out on us. Join us for worship, and prepare to receive gifts beyond imagination.
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21