Worship At Joy
“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:2
The worship of God at Joy Lutheran Church happens in a variety of ways. The following information is intended to help you understand our weekly gatherings for worship.When we worship
The worship services of Joy Lutheran Church occur weekly on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in our sanctuary (worship center).
People of all ages are welcome at worship. Nursery care for children under the age of two is available at each service.
How we worship
The message from the pastor, or sermon, is usually the same at each service. Communion is celebrated each weekend with a few exceptions throughout the year. While the three services are similar, the atmosphere is a little different at each. The Saturday 5:30 p.m. and Sunday 10:30 a.m. worship services tend to be a little more informal than the service on Sunday at 8:00 a.m.
We use a variety of worship settings and sing hymns and songs from a variety of songbooks and hymnals. Everything is printed in a paper program to help guide the person through the worship experience. People are encouraged to take these paper programs home or place them in a recycle basket. Traditional Lutheran liturgical settings are used from The Lutheran Book of Worship and the With One Voice worship book. Additional worship settings are used that replace elements of the liturgy with familiar songs and hymns. Special music is almost always offered by our music ministries.
The worship space
In addition to the various worship formats, we also rearrange our worship space. Normally we use an amphitheater setting with chairs oriented toward the front of the sanctuary. The place of Baptism is in the rear of the worship center to remind us that it is through baptism that we enter the community of the Church. The altar and podium are at the front of the room to remind us that we orient our lives toward God’s word and sacraments. A cross on the wall above the altar reminds us that we gather under God’s love shown to us in Jesus, who died on the cross, and rose from that death for us.
At other times we place the podium, altar, and baptismal font in the center of the room and arrange the seating around them. We call this “church in the round,” and it reminds us that we gather each week around God’s word and sacraments when we worship.
Our hope for you in worship
Our hopes and prayers are that worship is a helpful, hopeful, challenging, and inspiring time for each person, young and old, to encounter God personally alongside others. The pastors are always willing to answer any questions you might have about worship at Joy.
The Sacraments
Baptism
Baptism is NOT water only but water used together with God’s word and by His command.Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther in the Small Catechism
In Baptism God announces a Divine YES! Baptism is one of two sacraments in the Lutheran church, instituted by God’s command (Matthew 28:19). Baptism is a gift that God wants to freely give; it is a gift of God that creates new being. Luther’s Large Catechism says that “baptism is not a work that we do, but it is a treasure that God gives us and that faith grasps.” Baptism is one of the great joys of a worshipping community. We celebrate this gift in daily remembrance of our baptism in that we recall that through daily repentance and forgiveness we are free to live abundantly in Christ.
Communion
All who believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior and are baptized are welcome to come to the Lord’s Supper. Communion or the Eucharist is one of two sacraments in Lutheran theology. This sacrament, as described in Luther’s Large Catechism, is “the true body and blood of the Lord Christ, in and under the bread and wine, which we Christians are commanded by Christ’s words to eat and drink.” God’s forgiveness is offered to us in the bread and wine so we come to the table recognizing our shortcomings and leave the table fully forgiven. Another reason for celebration as a worshipping community.First Communion for children
The Eucharist is one of two sacraments in Lutheran theology. The other is Baptism. Preparing for one’s first communion is an exciting milestone in the life of a young person.At a First Communion retreat students, working with Pastor Lyn, talk about the 3-F’s of communion. Communion is 1) a free gift 2) for you 3) for the forgiveness of sins. We use a booklet called A Place for You, delighting in the discovery that there is a place for everyone at God’s Table. Traditionally, children attend this retreat as 5th graders. Please speak with Pastor Lyn for details.
Children will receive their first communion on the first Sunday in October which is World Communion Sunday.
Church Closure Due to Inclement Weather
Weekends: Cancellations of church services on the weekends will be announced on the church voice mail.
Weekdays: Church activities planned during weekdays, with the exception of music, will be canceled if the Douglas County or Parker schools are closed. The individual music directors will contact their groups. Douglas County School closings due to inclement weather are announced over local radio and television stations between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.
Banner Making
A group of women gather to meet as the need for new altar paraments and/or banners arise. They research theological meaning, patterns, and fabrics and do all of the preparation and sewing that results in a beautiful worship space.
To learn how you can become involved, contact Carolyn Weichmann.