In the Divine Service, God our heavenly Father, comes to us with His good gifts. We believe that we are called through His Word and brought together by the Holy Spirit to receive His gifts and return our thankfulness and praise.
The holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is received the second, fourth, and fifth Sundays of the month. In it we truly receive the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine. We partake of the Sacrament not just as an outward sign, but truly to receive the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.
Lutherans of the Missouri Synod commonly practice “close” communion. We receive the Lord’s Supper or Holy Sacrament together because we are “close” in faith. That means we totally agree concerning the doctrines taught and revealed in Holy Scripture. Our communion practice stems from the firm belief that receiving the Lord’s Supper together is the most intimate expression of doctrinal unity. We believe Holy Communion is a sacrament of unity, not a sacrament towards unity. This practice of a communion of closeness in doctrine and faith is Scriptural as well as an ancient practice of Christ’s Church. Lutherans believe in the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar. That is, we believe that Christ’s body is truly present and received in, with and under the bread, and His blood in, with and under the wine of the Holy Supper. (Matthew 26:26, 28; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).
We are a parish of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod and use its hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book, exclusively.
St. John and Trinity Lutheran Parish 