Weekly Worship

About Worship

Worship is central to Christian faith and life at Bethany! Worship is rooted in rich, faithful history and tradition as we seek to take the best of what the past has given us and include the best of what we have available today.

Why do we commit to attending worship and participating in a congregation of Christian people? We are here because the Third Commandment of God’s Ten Commandments tells us it is right to do so: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Martin Luther writes in his Small Catechism that this means:

We are to respect and love God so that we do not neglect God’s word or the preaching of it,
but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it.

God tells us we should come to worship because God knows that there are so many people, places, and events that compete for your attention that we need a break! This commandment is God’s way of intentionally clearing out a space in your schedule so that you have time to rest and hear the words and promises God wants to give you. There aren’t too many places where you receive words of unconditional love, care, forgiveness, and a genuine interest in hearing an answer to the question, “so, how are you doing?” But worship is one of the few places in life where you’re guaranteed to hear those words.

God wants the pattern of worship and life at church to be about resting your body and receiving words that express love and forgiveness in order to strengthen you for life and the week to come. You’ll find that worship looks a lot like a conversation: God speaks to you through scripture, preaching, and gifts of bread and wine, which invites your responses of prayer, song, and praise.

Welcome to worship!