Our Services
 
 

Santuary of Advent

A Liturgical Church

Advent is a liturgical church. Why Liturgy? The liturgy of the church is thousands of years old.  Experiences in a liturgical church service date back to the Old Testament, the ways of worship in the time of Moses and the tabernacle that the Israelites used to worship the Lord in the wilderness. 
 

Liturgy is the process by which God brings His free gift of forgiveness of sins to us, poor miserable sinners that we are.  We receive, by the Holy Spirit, faith in Christ through baptism. That faith is strengthened through the hearing of God’s Word and receiving the Lord’s Supper. In this same liturgy we give thanks and sacrifice to God for these gifts. We do so with our prayers of thanksgiving and praise, with hymns of worship that proclaim His glory and with our offerings.   In all of this we are part of the eternal Christian Church. We are triumphant over sin by the grace of God, through faith in Christ Jesus by His Holy Spirit.  We celebrate this in our liturgy as it has and will be done forever.

CommunionThe Lord’s Supper

The Sacrament of the Altar, Adapted from Luther’s Small Catechism

What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and drink.

Who receives this Sacrament worthily?

Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training.  But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”  But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words “for you” require all hearts to believe.

Prayer before communing: Dear Savior, at Your gracious invitation I come to Your table to eat and drink Your holy body and blood.  Let me find favor in Your eyes to receive this holy Sacrament in faith for the salvation of my soul and to the glory of Your holy name; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Advent AlterOur Communion Policy 

The LCMS and Advent Evangelical Lutheran Church endorse the doctrine of closed communion. Closed communion is the policy of sharing the Lord’s Supper only with those who are baptized and confirmed members of a congregation of the LCMS or one of its sister churches with which it has formally declared altar and pulpit fellowship. There are a variety of ways in which Missouri Synod congregations put closed communion into practice. At Advent we ask visitors to speak with the pastor before coming to our altar for the first time. Before visiting you may contact us by calling 317.873.6318 or e-mail Pastor Mackay or Pastor Grady  to discuss your questions or concerns or to schedule a private meeting.