What We Teach

The Divine Service

In the Divine Service God comes to us through the specific means of Word, water, bread, and wine He has promised to use to give us His gifts. We then respond in prayer and praise.

Our services follow a pattern that has been used by Christians since the time of the Apostles. Parts of the service are similar to that used in the synagogs at the time of Jesus. 

The Divine Service is Christ-centered and focused on the Good News of forgiveness of sins in Jesus. We believe that "faith comes by hearing"  (Romans 10:17). That is why we gather regularly to hear God's Word and be strengthened in our faith and life.

During the Divine Service, we simply hear God's Word and promises spoken to us, learn about Christ's forgiveness, and speak or sing Scriptural truths that remind us that God desires all be saved and that we are here to serve our neighbor until Christ returns. St. Silas uses the Lutheran Service Book as its hymnal in the home and at church. 

If you have any questions about the Divine Service, simply ask anyone at St. Silas - we are pretty friendly and happy to help you!

 

Baptism

 Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).  St. Peter wrote, “Baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21).  St. Paul wrote, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying” (Titus 3:5-8). Therefore, St. Silas observes the historical, biblical practice of baptizing infants, children, and adults.

The Lord's Supper

"This is my body...this is my blood"  - Matthew 26:26-27.

In the Lord's Supper, or communion, we hold to the Scriptural truth that in, with, and under the bread and the wine (in ways we cannot fully understand) the true body and blood of Jesus Christ are present.

When we partake of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament, He blesses us with the forgiveness He won for us on the cross and our faith and life.

When we parktake of communion, it is not only a time to recieve God's gifts but is also a public confession of our unity in belief. Those Christians whose public confession is the same as ours are invited to partake with us at the Lord's Table.

If you're visiting, and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor before the service.

 

The Historic Faith

Lutherans confess with Christians throughout history the three ecumenical creeds: the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

These creeds are brief summaries of what the Bible teaches about the Christian faith. In the Divine Service we say one of these creeds each Sunday to teach us and to remind us what God has done for us throughout history, what He still does for us today, and what He promises to do for us in the future.

We believe in the Triune God. There is only one God, but in ways we cannot comprehend there are three persons of this one God: God the Father, who created all that exists out of nothing; God the Son, who became man (Jesus) and lived the perfect life we never could live, died the death we deserved to save us from our sins, and then rose again; and God the Holy Spirit, who delivers faith in this Triune God through Word and Sacraments.

Through the use of His Word, Holy Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, God gives us faith as a free gift and then strengthens our faith and life. We cannot come to God or decide to believe in Him by our own strength or reason.

God loves all the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him, and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and to save the ungodly. By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God delivers faith in Jesus and the forgiveness of sins through the hearing of that Good News (Gospel). We believe the Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.

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