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© 2025, Christ Lutheran Church of Palestine TX. All Rights Reserved.
If you have never attended a worship service at a Lutheran Church, it might be good to first learn a bit about how we do things! We believe that when we gather together as Christians, God also meets with us to bestow grace through the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments.
We call our worship service the Divine Service, but this doesn't mean what you might expect.
Many would assume that in this worship service, we are gathering to serve God. Thus, we call it a Divine Service. However, this is the opposite of what we mean. When we gather to worship God, it is not primarily about us serving Him, but Him serving us!
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Mark 10:45)
This is the essence of the Gospel message, that Jesus Christ came as a servant on behalf of us poor sinful humans. He took on human flesh in order to die in our place, satisfying the demands of God's just and holy law on our behalf, so that by His suffering and death, our debt would be paid and we would be reconciled to God. It is all about what Christ has done for us, and has nothing to do with our own good works.
Therefore, in the Divine Service, we come before God as poor, empty-handed, beggars - not seeking to be counted righteous in His sight for anything that we have done, but looking to the perfect righteousness of Christ alone. Not only has Jesus won salvation for us by His death and resurrection, but having secured that salvation, He now graciously delivers the benefits of this salvation to us through His means of grace; the Word and Sacraments.
THE WORD
Not only do we hear God's Word taught in the sermon, but we also worship in a Liturgical setting that is filled to the brim with references from Scripture. Thus we constantly hear God's Word spoken, sung, or chanted.
Our service also includes times where the congregation responds to what is heard, so that not only do we hear God's Word, but we also speak, sing, and chant God's Word back to Him. We believe the Holy Spirit works powerfully through this concentrated exposure to God's Word, renewing our hearts and minds, strenghtening our faith, and pointing us to Christ. The Word of God is not mere information to store in our heads, but has a healing and transformative affect on us.
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
(Hebrews 4:12)
THE SACRAMENTS
We recognize 3 Sacraments that were instituted by Christ, to be observed by the Church: Baptism, The Lord's Supper (also called Communion, the Eucharist, or the Sacrament of the Altar), and Confession & Absolution.
Each of these Sacraments has the promise of Christ attached to them, and where they are adminstered, God is active and works the forgiveness of sins among other spiritual benefits. None of these are to be understood as works that we do, but in all of these God is the one who does the work to and for us. Each of these Sacraments has a part in the Divine Service.
1.) Baptism: We do not have a baptism at every Divine Service (although it would be great if we did!), but we do begin each service with a remembrance of our baptism, making the sign of the cross and speaking the Triune name of God which we were baptized into, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit".
By remembering that we are baptized, we are reminded that we are born-again, that Christ has washed away our sins, clothed us in His own robe of righteousness, and united us to Himself. This reminder prepares us to receive even more of God's grace in the Divine Service.
2.) Confession & Absolution: After His resurrection, we read that Jesus breathed on His Apostles, told them to "receive the Holy Spirit", and gave to them the authority to forgive sins:
"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."
(John 20:23)
This was not given only to the Apostles, but it is something that Christ gave to the Church, so that ministers in His Church would be authorized to forgive the sins of God's people. We read also in 1 John that "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9).
Therefore we also begin our service with a corporate confession of sin, followed by the absolution (the forgiveness of sin). Along with the remembrance of our baptism, this serves to remind and assure us of God's mercy and grace, and that our sins are forgiven, preparing us to draw near to God in faith.
3.) The Lord's Supper: Under ordinary circumstances, the celebration of the Lord's Supper is the central, culminating event of the Divine Service. There in the Supper, we recognize that Jesus is serving us by giving us his true flesh and blood to eat and drink. Unlike some who regard this as a mere symbolic representation of Jesus' body and blood, we confess and believe what the Church has always believed in every age about the Supper, that the bread and wine are truly Christ's flesh and blood.
Jesus said of the bread, "This is my body," and of the wine, "This is my blood", broken and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. We do not claim to understand how this mystery takes place, but we take Christ at His word and receive this gift with awe and wonder.
"Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
(Matthew 26:26-28)
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ wants all people (including YOU!) to commune at His table, to receive the precious gift of his flesh and blood along with fellow believers.
However, He does NOT want anyone to commune in an "unworthy manner", as this results in the person's harm and condemnation rather than bringing them the grace Jesus intends to bestow through this meal. As Paul warns in 1 Corinthians:
"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died."
(1 Corinthians 11:27-30)
Therefore, the Church has always exercised great caution regarding the administration of the body and blood of Christ. If one studies Church History, they find that the Lord's Supper has always been regarded as sacred, requiring the utmost care in how it administered. Although many modern churches are less strict about communion, we are bound by the words of Holy Scripture to take communion very seriously.
Out of care for our visitors and fear of God's judgment, we kindly request that guests speak with a pastor to understand the significance of the bread and wine before participating in Communion. We regard the Lord's Supper as a very potent medication, intended for our healing. But if it is taken wrongly, it can harm us as Paul warns in the text above.
This understanding of the supper echoes the perspective of St. Ignatius of Antioch (an early church father), who called the Lord's Supper "the medicine of immortality". Our pastors, then, can be thought of like pharmacists who have been entrusted by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, to administer this powerful, life-giving Sacrament for the spiritual nourishment of His sheep.
Even if you have not spoken with a pastor about communion, we do still invite you to come forward during communion to receive a blessing, with your arms crossed over your chest to indicate that you will not be receiving the Sacrament. In this way, you can still participate with us during communion in the same manner that our non-confirmed members do.
"We call this food Eucharist, and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration [i.e., has received baptism] and is thereby living as Christ enjoined. For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nurtured, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus"
(Justin Martyr - Early Church Father, First Apology 66 [A.D. 151])
References to early Christians are not held on the same level as Scripture, but they are helpful for learning what the ancient Church believed and practiced, and as these men were so close to the Apostles, often being disciples of the Apostles or disciples of disciples of the Apostles, their words do carry some weight even if they are not regarded as inspired. The Lutheran Church has always sought to demonstrate that our beliefs are not only Biblical, but also that our interpretations of Scripture are not new interpretations. We are interpreting the Scriptures just as the Christians who came before us have, especially on this matter of the Lord's Supper to which numerous early Christian writers attest.
Our children worship with us!
We do not shuffle them off to kiddie church or Sunday school. Your children are welcome, too! It is very good for children to see their parents worship and to be included with the rest of the members of the Church. We believe that God works in the lives of everyone, no matter what age they are, through His means of grace.
Rather than sending them away, which can give growing children the impression that "Church is for adults", we remember and cherish Christ's words:
“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 19:14)
Don't worry if your child wiggles and squirms a bit. God put the wiggle in them, don't try to get it out! Unless your child is making more noise than the minister, stay put. They are not a bother or a distraction. They are valued. When they need a little more room, just walk them to the back so they can still see and hear what is going on.
It can be a sacrifice to raise children in the Church, and we know it. God knows it, too. But it is worth it.
From a young age, children learn to attend to the Divine Service, and by God's grace they will learn to incline their hearts to God and turn aside from distraction. Instilling this kind of spiritual discipline from a young age will help them as they grow up in a world that is designed to distract them. And we are here to help!
(Also, our sermons tend to not be as long as they are in many other churches, and this helps!)
We follow Setting Three of the Divine Service from the Lutheran Service Book.
Below is an outline of this service. When you arrive, there will printed versions of the service so you can follow along. There will also be hymnals for the hymns.
We begin by singing a hymn.
Following the hymn, the sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
(Pastor) P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
(The congregation responds) C: Amen.
P: Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C: who made heaven and earth.
P: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C: and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination
(Pastor) P: O almighty God, merciful Father,
C: I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has had mercy upon us and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake forgives us all our sins. To those who believe on His name He gives power to become the children of God and has promised them His Holy Spirit. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. Grant this, Lord, unto us all.
C: Amen
This is a Psalm which the pastor and congregation chant responsively. The pastor chants a line of the Psalm, and the congregation responds with the next line.
The tone used is very simple, and can be picked up on easily after hearing it a few times.
A short hymn with the words:
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen."
A short hymn with the words:
"Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us."
(Omitted during the seasons of Advent and Lent)
A short hymn where the pastor begins with the words, "Glory be to God on high"
The congregation responds:
"And on earth peace, good-will toward men.
We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee,
we glorfy Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy great glory.
O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord.
Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen."
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And with thy spirit.
P: Let us pray.
(The pastor prays the collect.)
C: Amen.
After the reading:
P: This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God.
This is a short portion of Scripture that is read, chanted, or sung responsively. Below is an example.
P: O come let us fix our eyes on Jesus
C: The founder and perfecter of our faith.
P: Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross despising the shame
C: and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
After the reading:
P: This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God.
(Omitted during the season of Lent)
C: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. ____, the ____ chapter.
After the reading:
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
The whole church confesses the faith using the words of either the Nicene Creed or Apostles' Creed.
These creeds are ancient summaries of the Christian faith that many Christians make an effort to memorize. They can also be found in the hymnals.
The Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian* and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
* Christian: the ancient text reads “catholic,” meaning the whole universal Church as it confesses the wholeness of Christian doctrine. So that people are not confused by the word 'catholic', thinking that we are referring to the Roman Catholic Church, we say the word "Christian" instead.
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian* Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
* Christian: the ancient text reads “catholic,” meaning the whole universal Church as it confesses the wholeness of Christian doctrine. So that people are not confused by the word 'catholic', thinking that we are referring to the Roman Catholic Church, we say the word "Christian" instead.
The hymn of the day is sung.
The pastor preaches a sermon, normally based on the Scripture readings from the day.
The congregation sings a portion of Psalm 51:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.
(We do not collect an offering during the service, but have a small box where offerings may be placed before or after the service.)
The pastor prays on behalf of the whole congregation.
(If there is no Communion, the service concludes with the LORD’S PRAYER, a concluding collect, and the BENEDICTION.)
PREFACE
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And with thy spirit.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them up unto the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
C: It is meet and right so to do.
(The preface is spoken or chanted by the pastor)
P: It is truly meet, right, and salutary . . . evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS
The congregation sings:
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna, Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He
that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
THE LORDS PRAYER
P: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliever us from evil.
C: For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said:
"Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me."
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying:
"Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
AGNUS DEI
The congregation sings:
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
grant us Thy peace. Amen.
DISTRIBUTION
The pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first and then distribute them to those who come to receive.
NUNC DIMITTIS
The congregation sings:
Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace
according to Thy word,
for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
a light to lighten the Gentiles
and the glory of Thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
THANKSGIVING
P: O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,
C: and His mercy endureth forever.
COLLECT
After the collect:
C: Amen.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And with thy spirit.
P: Bless we the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
C: Amen, amen, amen.
A final hymn is sung.
© 2025, Christ Lutheran Church of Palestine TX. All Rights Reserved.