Worship is Central at Christ Lutheran Church.

Holy Communion is offered three times each week:

• 10:00 a.m. Sunday Morning
• 3:30 p.m. Tuesday Afternoon (at Vale Healthcare Center)
• 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Evening W.O.W.

10:00 a.m. Sunday Morning
          This is the most traditional of our worship settings, yet it is celebrated with a variety of settings and styles according to the season and mood.
          The Good News of God's Grace is always preached.
          Music is accompanied by organ, piano, guitar, flute, percussion or any available instruments appropriate to the musical style. We offer variety in musical styles within each service.
          The Sacrament of Holy Communion is offered every Sunday, providing the strength to meet the week ahead.

3:30 p.m. Tuesday Afternoon
          Each Tuesday, at 3:30 p.m., a group of residents gather for 'Worship and Praise' at Vale Healthcare Center (13484 San Pablo Avenue, CA). This ministry began years ago when one of our members was a resident. After her death we continued ministering to other residents with whom we have established relationships and who count on our presence. Time is spent connecting with each resident before worship begins. The service includes singing of favorite hymns (often with solos by the residents), a time for prayer, sharing Scripture and a homily, followed once a month with the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
          Volunteers are welcome to join in this time of worship and fellowship. We leave knowing we have been a blessing and have been blessed by the witness of these faithful saints.

6:30 p.m. Wednesday Evening -- September through May
          Full worship on a small scale, the “Worship On Wednesday” (W.O.W.) service incorporates the “shape of the rite” (see With One Voice, page 8) in a setting where children take leadership. Preparation is made for this service during the Wednesday Children and Youth program, which begins at 5:30 p.m. The children select which role they will assume in their worship, including call to worship, candle lighting, offering taking, and communion assistant. Worship themes and Bible stories are coordinated with the education time, which reflect the scripture themes for the week. We must emphasize, however, that this worship is not for children only! ALL ARE WELCOME!

The Elements of Worship

Worship is central at Christ Lutheran Church: 

"Corporate worship expresses the unity of the people of God and their continuity with Christians across the ages. In the liturgical tradition are the gestures, songs, and words by which Christians have identified themselves and each other. The Lutheran Confessions set our liturgical life within that mainstream of Christian worship: 'We do not abolish the Mass but religiously keep and defend. ... We keep traditional liturgical forms' (Apology to the Augsburg Confession, 24)"  —  From the Introduction to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 6.

Participants: 

We all participate in worship, but the most important participants are the people who  remain in their places in the pews throughout the worship, whose voices are heard in unison with the others, and whose prayers and meditations are said silently. The leaders in worship — the presider, the liturgy assistant, the lector, the preacher, the choir director, the choir, and the organist — are the participants whose roles are to facilitate the worship of God by the whole congregation. These leaders are your servants.

The Liturgical Settings and Hymns: 

We use a variety of settings to keep the ancient and holy words alive and fresh to all who speak and sing them. We use settings from Evangelical Lutheran Worship; The Hymn Mass (poetical versions of the ancient texts set to familiar tunes) from Augsburg Fortress; “Now the Feast and Celebration” by Marty Haugen; “The Kentigern Setting” from the Iona Community in Scotland; “Even as Christ Has Loved Us” by Arlin Aasness; and a simplified setting for Advent with music from all of our sources. Our goal in the Sunday morning service is to vary the musical style — not only monthly or seasonally but also within each service — to appeal to a variety of tastes in worship style and set the mood for the season or festival. 

The Environment: 

The Liturgical Arts Committee has worked to draw attention to the seasons and festivals of the church year. We hope to inspire you and even make you curious about the season or festival through visual accents. 

The baptismal font is placed at the entrance to the Sanctuary (which we call the “Narthex/Baptistry”) to remind us of our first entrance into the Church of Christ in our baptism. It’s placement in front of the “For All the Saints” window with resurrection symbols reminds us that we are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection.

The Gifts of Bread and Wine: 

We bring to the table the common things that become sacred, ordinary things that become extraordinary. Bread, whether one loaf or wafers, and wine remind us of our unity with Christ and all the saints of old, the saints here with us, and the saints of generations to come.