You’ll find that Lutheran worship is often very similar to Catholic mass – and that’s no accident. Martin Luther, the 16th century reformer whose work led to the Lutheran movement, was originally a Catholic monk.
The Lutheran church is part of the “liturgical tradition.” “Liturgy” has different associations for different people – some think of it as “formal,” “structured,” “old,” or even “boring” (we disagree) – but its original meaning is simply, “work of the people.” Liturgical traditions involve the whole congregation in worship: in prayer responses, in singing, in confessing the creeds, and in Holy Communion. At Holy Spirit, we worship using a traditional liturgical form, but we seek to offer creative, reverent, and meaningful interpretations of that form.
Lutherans also follow an ancient pattern of the church year, which begins with Advent and continues through Pentecost. This pattern is meant to help us follow the life of Jesus through his birth, death, and resurrection. The church year follows these seasons: