Whether you are considering a visit to First Lutheran, or have recently visited, or even if you are a long-time member, gaining a greater understanding what is happening in the Divine Service will help you appreciate it much more!
The Sanctuary and its Furnishings
The Pastor: Alb, Stole
The Church Year
Liturgical Worship
Preparation: Confession and Absolution
The Service of the Word
The Service of Holy Communion
Service Details
The Hymnal and the Screens
Bulletins
Attendance Cards
Prayer Requests
Children in Worship
Offerings
Online Services
The Sanctuary and its Furnishings
The entrance to the church building is called the narthex, and the seating area for the worshippers is called the nave. Beyond the communion rail and raised above the nave is the chancel, and raised above the chancel is the sanctuary proper, where sets the altar. This is the focal point of the worship area. The alar represents the presence of God and the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who shed his blood to take away the sins of the world. The elements for Holy Communion are upon the altar and covered. Above the altar is a large cross, again directing the thoughts of the worshippers to Christ’s offering of Himself on the cross. To the left and forward of the altar is the lectern, from which the Word of God is read, and to the right and forward of the altar is the pulpit, from which the Word of God is explained and expounded. Next to the pulpit is the Christ candle, which symbolizes the presence of Christ Himself, Who is the light of the world. The altar, pulpit and lectern are draped in paraments, and there are banners hanging to the left and right of the cross as well, all of these cloths decorated with symbols of the Kingdom and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. They are all in the special color appropriate for the season of the church’s calendar, either green, purple, blue, white or red.
The Pastor: Alb, Stole
The pastor wears a white robe, called and alb, to represent that what he says and does in leading the worship is not done in his own name and authority, but as an under shepherd of Christ, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. The pastor also wears a stole in the same color as the paraments, representing his call from God through the congregation to act on behalf of all the people and to lead them in worship. Acolytes and readers also assist with the worship. At times the pastor speaks for God to the congregation, and at times for the congregation to God.
The Church Year
The church follows an ecclesiastical calendar, not a secular one. The Sundays of the year are divided into seasons, each season having a particular focus, and each Sunday having a special focus within the season. The seasons themselves are organized around three chief festivals, Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Specific readings from the Old Testament, and Epistles, and one of the four Gospels are appointed for each Sunday. The most prominent theme for the day is generally derived from the Gospel reading.
Liturgical Worship–The Divine Service
It was never the intention of the Lutherans to form a new church, because there is only one Church, the “one holy Christian and apostolic Church” which Christ Himself founded. When the Lutherans and the Roman Catholics split in the early 1520s, the Lutherans considered the worship services and traditions handed down from the ancient church to belong as much to them as the Roman church and continued to use them. The orders of the Divine Service we follow are adapted from the Latin mass. The mass was already quite ancient at the time of Martin Luther. It was altered by the Lutherans in order to bring it into conformity with Scripture and evangelical theology. The similarities between a Roman Catholic mass and the Lutheran Divine Service are many and evident, yet non-Roman Catholics will easily see the evangelical emphasis on faith alone, grace alone, and Christ alone in the Lutheran Divine Service.
The Divine Service, like the mass, consists of two parts, the Service of the Word, and the Service of the Sacrament, preceded by a preparatory rite.
The Preparation: Confession and Absolution
Proper worship requires that Christians prepare for it, and preparation for worship requires that Christians reflect upon their own unworthiness to worship God at all. Thus, the service begins with a call to reflect on our sinfulness, and a confession of our sins. This is immediately followed by the absolution, that is, the declaration by the pastor that our sins are forgiven on account of Christ. Those who believe these words of forgiveness are truly prepared what is to happen next.
Part I: The Service of the Word
In the first part of the Divine Service we sit at Jesus feet, as it were, and are taught by Him. We begin with prayer and praise, and then we hear the words of the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Himself read from the Scriptures. A sermon explains and applies the readings to our lives today. We also recite the fundamental teachings of Scripture using either the Apostles’ or the Nicene Creed.
Part II: The Service of the Sacrament
In the second part of the service we draw near to the truly present Lord Jesus to receive His Body and Blood which was shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. Unlike the focus of the first part of the service, which was on hearing and learning, the focus of the second part of the service is on drawing near and touching our Savior, and receiving from Him the fruit of His crucifixion, that is, forgiveness, life and salvation.
Service Details
The Hymnal and the Screens
Depending on the season of the church calendar, with only rare exceptions, one of the five divine services in the Lutheran Service Book will be used. The screens will display the page number in the service or the hymn and verse number of the hymn being sung. The same words will be displayed on the screens as are written in the hymnal, without musical notations however. Readings from Scripture are printed in the bulletin and will be displayed on the screens as they are read. Worshippers can follow the service as it displays on the screens if they wish, or follow the service in the hymnal and the readings from the bulletin.
Bulletins
Printed bulletins are provided to all worshippers. The bulletin announces the day of the church year being observed, and reproduces the Scripture readings to be read. It also lists the hymns to be sung and the order of divine service being followed. Additionally, announcements regarding upcoming congregational events or special worship services are listed as well. Because the readings appointed for a given Sunday apply to the entire week, the bulletin can also be a helpful devotional resource after worship. The readings may serve as a guide to private prayer and devotion in the home during the entire week. Also, to assist worshippers to prepare more adequately for the following Sunday’s divine service, the readings for that service are provided as well.
Attendance Cards
Red attendance cards are available in each of the pews. Visitors are especially encouraged to fill out an attendance card and place it in the offering box at the entrance to the church following worship. Members should use these cards to advise of any change in their address or phone number. As a courtesy to the pastor, members are asked to indicate upcoming Sundays on which they expect to miss worship.
Prayer Requests
Prayer requests for individual people and needs to be included in the public prayers of the church will be requested immediately before the prayers themselves. However, requests may be made at any time before the service, in person, or by text, phone or email. White prayer request forms, in each of the pew pockets, may be used for this purpose, but are not necessary. Prayers may be requested to be kept private and not announced, or may be made for anonymous people and needs. God knows who and what the prayer concerns! To protect the privacy of individuals, please note that, prayer requests are not announced, and prayers for specific people are not made during the livestream portion of the service, nor will they be recorded or placed online.
Children in Worship
Children of every age are encouraged to participate in the worship service from beginning to end. Children, even little children, when regularly exposed to the words and music of the liturgy, learn them and join in them and truly enjoy doing so! Besides that, the sound of children in worship is the sound of a church family in worship, and it is a beautiful sound. We have a nursery, but it is designed and intended for brief use only, as parents may determine the need.
Offerings
Members are expected to make regular offerings, according to their ability, to support this ministry. Visitors are welcome to do so but are by know means expected to contribute an offering. For those desiring to make an offering at the time of the divine service, whether members or visitors, an offering box at the entrance to the church may be used, either before or after worship. Alternatively, offerings can be mailed to the church or made online. An offering plate is not passed through the pews as part of the worship.
Online Services
The divine services of the church are recorded and livestreamed to Facebook and to You Tube, from the opening of worship until the post sermon hymn is concluded. The prayers and the Service of the Sacrament are not livestreamed or recorded. To receive notice that a livestream service of Bible Class is about to begin, follow FLCBenton on Facebook or subscribe to FLCBenton on You Tube. The recorded service is also saved to Facebook and to You Tube for viewing later, and the most recent service may be viewed on this website.
Online worship is not designed to be and is not a substitute for in-person worship. It is provided for the benefit of members who cannot attend a worship service in person because of illness or work or some other temporary cause. Online worship is especially provided for those who, because of chronic illness or disability, cannot attend in-person worship at all. For these, regular communion is provided by arrangement with the pastor.
Online services are also provided for the benefit on non-members who are wanting to know and understand more about what it means to be a Christian, or for Christians who are looking for a church home. It must be stressed that the fulness of worship and congregational life can only be experienced in regular, in-person attendance. If you are not a member of a church but enjoy our online worship and Bible classes, we pray that your online experience would grow into an in-person one! Feel free to contract the pastor if you would like to discuss a fuller connection with First Lutheran Benton–or just show up! We’d love to see you!