Worship at St. Thomas
At St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church, our worship is shaped by the principles of reverence, love, order, and humility. These are not arbitrary customs but the natural expressions of faith, formed by the Gospel and received with gratitude. We gather to receive Christ’s gifts—His Word and Sacraments—knowing that He is truly present among us. This is why our worship follows the historic liturgy of the Church, marked by sacred beauty, thoughtful order, and joyful reverence. Whether in prayer, in song, or at the altar, our ceremonies reflect the reality that God Himself is among His people, giving us life and salvation in Christ Jesus.
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Worship is a meeting with the living God, and He calls us to approach Him with reverence and awe. This is not only an inward disposition but also an outward expression. Just as Moses removed his sandals before the burning bush, we show reverence in our posture, our gestures, and our attentiveness to God’s Word and Sacraments. Our worship reflects the fear and love of God, who has made us His own in Christ.
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The heart of Christian worship is love—first, the love God has shown us in Christ, and second, the love we are called to show one another. Worship is not an individualistic endeavor but a communal act, where we bear with one another in patience, serve each other in humility, and reflect the love that Christ has for His Church. Our ceremonies are not mere formalities; they are expressions of love for God and for our fellow worshipers.
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God is not a God of confusion but of peace. Order in worship ensures that the focus remains on Christ, not on personal preferences or distractions. The historic liturgy, beautiful in its structure and clarity, helps guide us in receiving God’s gifts with joy and responding in faith. Just as God gave Israel an ordered pattern of worship in the Old Testament, the Church maintains a reverent and consistent structure so that all things may be done decently and in good order.
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Worship is not about self-expression but self-forgetfulness. We humble ourselves before God, confessing our sins, kneeling in repentance, and receiving His mercy. We also practice humility toward one another, giving preference to others, honoring the offices of the Church, and recognizing that we stand together as beggars before God’s throne of grace. The ceremonies of the Church cultivate this humility, directing us away from self-importance and toward Christ.
Acts 2
“Then those who gladly received St. Peter’s word were baptized…And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
Augsburg Confession
“The Mass is held among us and celebrated with the highest reverence. Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved…For ceremonies are needed for this reason alone, that the uneducated be taught what they need to know about Christ.”
The Chief Divine Service
Following the pattern of the Ancient Church and the teaching of Scripture (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11), the Lutheran Church considers the Divine Service with Holy Communion to be the most glorious and central act of Christian worship. At St. Thomas, this Chief Divine Service (Hauptgottesdienst) is celebrated on Sundays at 9:00 AM and on Feast Days as announced, where the proclamation of the Gospel culminates in the Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood—God’s seal of grace to His people. As the Augsburg Confession states, “Masses [or Chief Divine Services] are celebrated in our churches every Sunday and on all festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it, provided they have first been examined and absolved” (AC XXIV).
St. Thomas also offers incidental divine services (Nebengottesdienst), which are public prayer services that include the preaching of God’s Word but do not conclude with the Lord’s Supper. These services, such as Evening Prayer or Vespers, are primarily held on Thursday evenings during Advent and Lent.
Below, you’ll find more information about what to expect on Sunday mornings and Feast Days at St. Thomas.
Confession & Absolution
In the Christian Church, Confession and Absolution take several forms. We confess our sins directly to God in prayer, pleading for His mercy, and we confess to our neighbor, seeking reconciliation. Both are included in the Lord’s Prayer when we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Beyond these, Christ has also given His Church the gift of individual or private confession and absolution, where a Christian confesses the sins that trouble their conscience to their pastor and hears Christ’s personal word of forgiveness.
In the Divine Service, we participate in Corporate Confession and Absolution, where the congregation together acknowledges sin and receives forgiveness from the pastor as from God Himself. This is rooted in Christ’s own words to His disciples after His resurrection: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven.” Each confession and absolution is a return to our Baptism, where Christ washed away our sins, clothed us in His righteousness, and made us children of God.
The Confession and Absolution at the beginning of the Divine Service, often called the Preparatory Service, readies both pastor and congregation for communion with God. Just as the Old Testament priests were cleansed before offering sacrifices, so we, who have been made priests by the blood of Christ, are prepared to offer our spiritual sacrifices in faith. As St. Peter writes, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession” (1 Peter 2:9), and St. Paul exhorts, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Having been washed in Christ’s blood and sanctified for service, we now enter into His presence to hear His Word, receive His Supper, and give Him thanks and praise.
Service of the Word
In the Service of the Word, Christ comes to His people through the proclamation of Holy Scripture. Having entered the Divine Service with the Introit, which sets the tone for the day, the congregation humbles itself before God in the Kyrie, crying out for mercy in acknowledgment of the fallenness of this world and our own sin. Yet, just as Advent leads to Christmas, the Kyrie—”Lord, have mercy upon us”—gives way to the angelic song announcing the birth of Christ to the shepherds near Bethlehem in the Gloria in Excelsis—”Glory be to God on high!”—a hymn of adoration to the Triune God who has sent His Son for our salvation.
The congregation then gathers its petitions into the Collect of the Day, a brief yet profound prayer that reflects the character of the Sunday or feast. From there, the Lord Himself speaks. In the Old Testament reading, He speaks through the prophets, revealing His promises and foreshadowing their fulfillment in Christ. In the Epistle, He speaks through the apostles, instructing and exhorting His Church. In the Gospel, Christ Himself is heard, as His very words and mighty works are proclaimed to His people. The congregation receives this Word with praise, singing Alleluia, and confesses its faith boldly in the Nicene Creed, joining the Church throughout the ages in one voice.
After this, the people sit at the feet of Christ, like Mary before her Lord, to receive the sermon—a prophetic word in accordance with the faith, which nurtures and strengthens their life in Christ. Enriched by the Word and filled with comfort, they respond in prayer, bringing their needs and intercessions before God in the General Prayer of the Church. Thus, prepared by the Word, they move toward the Service of the Sacrament, where the Lord feeds them with His own body and blood.
Service of the Sacrament
Following the hearing of God’s Word in the Holy Scriptures and faithful preaching, we come to the Service of the Sacrament, where the Lord who has spoken in His Word now comes to His people in His very body and blood. This portion of the liturgy begins with a preparation similar to that before the Service of the Word: in the Offertory—“Create in me a clean heart, O God”—we pray for cleansing as we offer our sacrifices of thanksgiving in the gifts gathered from the people. Next comes the Preface, a great thanksgiving (Eucharist) in which the Church lifts up her heart in gratitude to the Lord.
The Sanctus—”Holy, holy, holy!”—follows, echoing the heavenly hymn of the angels and the Palm Sunday cries of the faithful, as the Church adores Christ, who comes in His body and blood just as He once entered Jerusalem to give His life for the world. The Consecration takes place within the Lord’s Prayer and the Words of Institution, recalling Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and His gift of Himself in the Supper. Immediately, the Peace is proclaimed—Christ’s own words of assurance to His disciples after His resurrection—preparing hearts to receive Him in faith.
As the Agnus Dei is sung—"O Christ, Thou Lamb of God"—the congregation confesses the mystery before them: the crucified and risen Lord is present for their forgiveness. The Distribution follows, as the faithful come forward to partake of the true body and blood of Christ, accompanied by hymns that confess His real presence. Having received this heavenly gift, they sing the song of Simeon, the Nunc Dimittis—”Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace”—for what more could be desired in this life than Christ Himself?
The Divine Service concludes with the Post-Communion Collect, a prayer for the fruit of the Sacrament in the lives of the faithful. Then, the Benediction is pronounced—the same blessing Christ gave to His disciples before His ascension—sealing the gifts of grace received in Word and Sacrament and sending the people forth in His peace.
More about Christian liturgical worship.
Want to learn more about Christian liturgical worship? You're in the right place! The videos and links below will help you explore the rich traditions, biblical foundations, and deep significance of the Church's historic liturgy. Take a look and discover how the Divine Service proclaims Christ and His gifts to us.
Worship Resources from the LCMS.
St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). The LCMS provides many helpful resources on Christian worship. Click the button below to explore these resources!
Our worship is shaped by Scripture and the traditions of faithful Christians who have come before us. Return to the St. Thomas homepage to explore more.