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SUNDAY DIVINE SERVICE SCHEDULE & Other Services

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Have mercy upon us and grant us Thy peace.  Amen.
Agnus Dei

At Gloria Christi we follow the body of historic liturgy of the Lutheran Church. We believe this is the most consistent with our confession of the faith. Both our early and late services follow traditional Lutheran liturgy in the hymns, order of service, and ceremonies. The historic Lutheran liturgy is not simply German or Scandinavian, but reflects the universal, ancient, biblical faith of the Church.   Our services come from Lutheran Service Book, the latest hymnal produced by the Commission on Worship of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

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A Lutheran Divine Service in Muhlberg Elbe

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What time are church services?
 
DIVINE SERVICES AT
GLORIA CHRISTI:
"I AM among you as the One who serves."  Luke 22:27 

Sunday 8:00 AM - DIVINE SERVICE (liturgical)
The Lord's Supper is celebrated every Sunday in the early service.

Sunday 10:30 AM - DIVINE SERVICE (liturgical)
The Lord's Supper is celebrated every Sunday at the late service.


The services at Gloria Christi follow the historic patterns of worship known by Lutherans and commended by our forefathers in the Lutheran Confessions.   We offer the time-tested and eternally relevant alternative to blended or "contemporary worship."   To be truly relevant, one must proclaim things which are eternal, confessing the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).   Come and hear the good news and learn to worship Christ in reverence, joy, and awe, bowing down before the throne of the Lamb who was slain and yet lives.

 
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO USE?
IS THERE VARIETY?  WILL IT BE FAMILIAR?
When the Lord's Supper is celebrated we use one of the 5 communion orders from Lutheran Service Book (usually setting 1, 3 or 4) and when it is a non-communion service we typically use Matins or on evenings we use Vespers, Evening Prayer or Compline from LSB.  We believe these time-tested liturgical orders best serve the church rather than exhibiting the creativity of the pastor, or to entertain, where reverence is most proper.  We believe our liturgical heritage is an asset to the church.   We rejoice in the stability and reliability of the historically-received liturgy and hymns of the church, as well as the variety and richness of the Church Year calendar.


FREQUENT CELEBRATIONS OF THE HOLY SUPPER
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  Revelation 3:20

As one can see from the schedule of when the Lord's Supper is offered, it can be received each Lord's Day for those faithful who wish to do so for the nurturing of faith. The weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper is consistent with the practice of the Apostles (see Acts 2:42; 20:7), the early and medieval church, as well as the intention of the Lutheran Confessions (Augsburg Confession, and Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV). While the Lord's Supper is offered every Sunday, we make no laws about how often one should receive the Lord's Supper. This is the way of our Lutheran Confessions and the way of the gospel. The gospel is always available but forced on no one.


REGARDING ALTAR FELLOWSHIP AT GLORIA CHRISTI:
Ordinarily only those who are currently confirmed members of our Lutheran church body partake in the Lord's Supper.  Our church is not currently in fellowship with the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America).  We ask that visitors who wish to commune to speak with the pastor prior to the service. It is helpful if you can come early to do this. 
If there is not sufficient time before hand please wait until you can speak with the pastor. Instruction is available regularly and upon request for those who wish to become communicants in our congregation and fellowship. Our goal is that those who commune do so in unity, with instruction, and preparation.
(See I Cor. 4:1-2; Romans 16:17; Acts 2:42; I Cor. 10, 11; 2 John 9-11 et al.)

OTHER SERVICES
During the year we also observe midweek Vespers/Evening Prayer services during the seasons of Advent and Lent, along with other festival observances for Christmas, Holy Week, Easter, Ascension and other feasts. Please call the church office for more information on these special services.  353-2554


WHAT TO EXPECT
When you come to services at Gloria Christi you can expect the historically-received liturgy of the Lutheran Church carried out with reverence and joy in the presence of the Triune God, with the confession of justification by grace through faith ringing clearly.

At Gloria Christi we regularly use the hymnal of our church for both liturgy and hymns. We are a biblical, creedal, liturgical, and sacramental church. We follow the Church Year, the liturgical calendar of historic Christianity. We sing time-tested as well as newer traditional hymns that are biblical and Christ-centered. Expect a service that is inspiring, reverent, and Christ-centered.

Some who visit Gloria Christi might think that some things like chanting the liturgy, or making the sign of the cross are "kind of catholic." Well, perhaps they are in the original sense of the word.  Even many life-long Lutheran have never been exposed to the old type of traditional Lutheran worship.   Our worship life reflects what we confess as Christians who see the church continuing through the centuries as a living and breathing body gathered around the Word and Sacraments of Christ. And so we see the continuity of the church throughout the world and throughout time, in heaven and on earth, expressed in the way of worship. At the same time we treasure our evangelical heritage from the Reformation, proclaiming boldly that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, without the works of the law. As we say this we teach that a full Christian confession is both evangelical (gospel centered) and catholic (universal, whole, timeless). Therefore what we believe forms our way of worship - doctrine is not disconnected from practice.

While it may take some practice and learning if you are not used to a liturgical service, we assure you it is worthwhile, as are many things in life which take practice and instruction. Our pastor or other members would be glad to explain the format of the hymnal and other practices to you. Instruction for youth and adults is available for those who would like to learn more or become baptized, communicant members of our parish.

Practically speaking, the service is followed mainly from our hymnal (which contains both liturgy and hymns) and from an insert in the service bulletin - which provides the Scripture readings for the day and other changing items in the regular liturgy.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the historically-received Lutheran liturgy as we seek to practice it at Gloria Christi.

HOW DO I GET TO GLORIA CHRISTI?

THE INTENDED LITURGICAL PRACTICE OF LUTHERANS FROM OUR
OFFICIAL CONFESSIONAL WRITINGS:


At the outset we [the Lutherans] must again make the preliminary statement that we 1] do not abolish the Mass, but religiously maintain and defend it. For among us masses are celebrated every Lord's Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved. And the usual public ceremonies are observed, the series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other like things.

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV,1

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Painting of a Lutheran Divine Service in 17th century Hamburg

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus...

LITURGICAL RESOURCES
AND TOPICS

Why do we call the service "Divine Service"?

What's With Those Fancy Robes?

Lutheran Quotations on Vestments (PDF)

The Weekly Celebration of the Holy Eucharist

The Meaning and Practice of the Sign of the Cross Among Lutherans

What's With That Chanting? Is It Lutheran?

Communion of the Pastor in the Liturgy

Ashes on Ash Wednesday

May Absolution Be Called A Third Sacrament?

Are Crucifixes Un-Lutheran?

Staying With Wine Rather Than Grape Juice in the Lord's Supper

What Lutherans Say on Mary and the Other Famous Saints

Freestanding Altars in Lutheran Churches

The Passover Seder and the Lutheran Congregation (PDF)

Lutheran Service Book
our new hymnal, Lutheran Service Book

The first president of the Missouri Synod worked long and hard to restore a common historic liturgy to the church when so many churches were following their own devices. C. F. W. Walther's efforts received some negative feedback. He responded in a publication that he edited for many years: Der Lutheraner, as in this example, translated from the July 19, 1853, issue, volume 9, number 24, page 163.

Whenever the divine service once again follows the old Evangelical-Lutheran agendas (or church books), it seems that many raise a great cry that it is "Roman Catholic": "Roman Catholic" when the pastor chants "The Lord be with you" and the congregation responds by chanting "and with thy spirit"; "Roman Catholic" when the pastor chants the collect and the blessing and the people respond with a chanted "Amen." Even the simplest Christian can respond to this outcry: "Prove to me that this chanting is contrary to the Word of God, then I too will call it `Roman Catholic' and have nothing more to do with it. However, you cannot prove this to me." If you insist upon calling every element in the divine service "Romish" that has been used by the Roman Catholic Church, it must follow that the reading of the Epistle and Gospel is also "Romish." Indeed, it is mischief to sing or preach in church, for the Roman Church has done this also . . .Those who cry out should remember that the Roman Catholic Church possesses every beautiful song of the old orthodox church. The chants and antiphons and responses were brought into the church long before the false teachings of Rome crept in. This Christian Church since the beginning, even in the Old Testament, has derived great joy from chanting... For more than 1700 years orthodox Christians have participated joyfully in the divine service. Should we, today, carry on by saying that such joyful participation is "Roman Catholic"? God forbid! Therefore, as we continue to hold and to restore our wonderful divine services in places where they have been forgotten, let us boldly confess that our worship forms do not tie us with the modern sects or with the church of Rome; rather, they join us to the one, holy Christian Church that is as old as the world and is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

P.E. Kretzmann on Worship and Adiaphora [indifferent things]
 
Divine worship in the Christian Church is not an adiaphoron. The Lord expressly commands that His Word be heard, "He who is of God hears God's words" (John 8:47). He has only severe censure for those who forsake the Christian assemblies, "And let us...not [forsake] the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some" (Hebrews 10:25). He expressly enjoins public prayer, "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence... I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy 2:1-2, 8). He graciously promises His divine presence at such assemblies, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). He records with approval the public services of the early Christians, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:42-47).

But though He has prescribed the general content of public worship, though He is present in the sacramental acts of divine service, declaring and appropriating to the believers the means of grace, and though He graciously receives the sacrificial acts of the assembled congregation, in confession and prayer and offerings. He has not commanded a definite form or order of divine service. It is a matter of Christian liberty whether a congregation wishes one or many prayers, one or several hymns, one or two sermons or homilies, whether the chief assembly be held in the morning or in the evening, whether the service be held on Sunday or on a ferial day.

To argue from these facts, however, that it is a matter of complete indifference as to how the form of Christian worship is constituted would be bringing liberty dangerously near to license. The Lord says: "Let all things be done decently and in order," (1 Corinthians 14:40); and again: "Let all things be done for edification" (1 Corinthians 14:26). It cannot really be a matter of indifference to a Christian congregation when the order of service used in her midst shows so much similarity to a heterodox order as to confuse visitors. One may hardly argue that such adiaphora do not matter one way or the other, when it has happened that a weak brother has been offended. And a Lutheran congregation cannot justly divorce herself, not only not from the doctrinal, but also not from the historical side of its Church. It is a matter of expediency, as well as of charity and edification, that every Lutheran pastor and every Lutheran congregation have outward significant symbols of the inner union, of the one mind and the one spirit.

In addition to these facts, there is the further consideration that the outward acts of the Church, commonly known by the appellation "the liturgy," have a very definite significance, which, in many cases, renders the acts of public service true acts of confession of faith. And the symbolism of many of the Lutheran sacred acts, if correctly performed, is such that the beauty of these treasures of our Church may be brought to the joyful attention of our congregations.

"Christian Art in the Place and in the Form of Lutheran Worship"
, p. 395-396

Also appears in "Theological Quarterly" Volume XXII:3 (July, 1918).

Gloria Christi Lutheran Church (LCMS)

1322 31st Avenue

Greeley, Colorado 80634

(970) 353-2554

Visits since 12 December 2006