Worship
Our Orientation
Our orientation is toward the cross of Christ, where human violence and the love of God meet. You will not encounter sermons focused on what you must do to receive God’s blessing or how you ought to live in order to be a ‘good person’ (as if). Instead you will find a whole worship focused on what God has done and continues to do through love, made known to us most centrally in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is this Good News that washes over us, and like a flowing stream has the power to wear down our resistance and reshape the course of our life.
A Community of Welcome
Walking together in God’s love, we rejoice in the diversity of God’s wonderfully made children. We celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and non-binary people and all members of our human family regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, age, marital status, physical and mental ability, faith history, economic status, education, family configuration, or immigration status. We renounce the sin of racism and all forms of discrimination. We welcome all to join us in worship, leadership, participation in rites and sacraments of the church, and fellowship on our journey of nurturing faith, doing justice, and serving all.
Regular Schedule
Sundays In-person and Online
Starting September 7, 2025, our fall schedule begins with learning hour at 9:15am and worship at 10:30am. June through August, we worship on Sunday mornings at 9:30am.
Livestreams of our worship services are available on Facebook and YouTube and can be watched any time during or after the event. Follow along with this Sunday’s bulletin.
La Santa Misa
5:00pm worship in Spanish through our sister congregation Santuario Luterano.
About Our Worship
In worship, we believe that past, present, and future connect: we look back, retelling the Biblical stories that culminate in Jesus’ death and resurrection; we look forward, singing the end-time song of when God’s ultimate plan of restoring creation is complete; and we look to God revealed in Jesus Christ, who by the power of the Holy Spirit – in community – through water, bread, wine, and Word – forgives, feeds, and empowers us in the present.
Form
We are liturgical (from the word liturgy which means work of the people). Thus, aspects of our worship are ancient, having been handed down from generation to generation for nearly 2,000 years. At the same time, as in every age, we seek to to take the ancient form and keep it fresh. We sing a lot, and our hymns and service music are chosen with all members in mind, including our children.
Children in Worship
We welcome and encourage children to attend worship, believing that as the words, symbols, rituals, and music wash over us they have a power to shape us all, regardless of age. Each Sunday, we invite the children forward for a children’s sermon which is centered on the Gospel reading appointed for the day. Children receive communion at an age deemed appropriate by their family, some as early as age 2 and others not until they are older.
Holy Communion
We celebrate Holy Communion each Sunday and practice “Open Communion.” That is, believing Jesus Christ to be truly present in the bread and wine, we regard Him as the host of the meal and, in his name, we welcome everyone to the Lord’s table. Those who do not yet commune are welcome to come to the altar for a blessing.
Click Here for the Communion Bread recipe
Assisting with Worship
Members of the congregation share their gifts in every service through various worship roles. These roles include assistant ministers, acolytes, lectors, ushers, and more. If you’d like to get involved, you can learn more by emailing firstlutheranwalthamoffice@gmail.com.
Click here for the ministry schedule.