Church Site Visit: Lutheran Church Essay Examples

Lutheran church is a protestant movement instigated by Martin Luther King. Martin Luther king was an ardent reader of the bible and realized that some of the practices of the Roman Catholic were not in accordance to what he believed was the right doctrine. He came up with a doctrine and initiated a revolution that led to the break from the Roman Catholic. The Lutheran church was therefore born and a visit to the church revealed some practices and rituals that caught up with my attention.
The service I attended began at 8pm with a session of intersession. Intersession is a time when believers present their petitions to God as well as pray for the needs of others. There was somebody leading the congregation and guiding them on how and what to pray for. Intercession is a ritual observed by the church and is meant to clear the air of any evil forces as well as prepare believers to receive the Word of God. After intercession, a team of believers led a praise and worship session. This is all about song, dance and worship. During this time, believers take various positions as they see fit. Some lift up their hands, clap, kneel, jump and even close their eyes. The session is usually a time to show gratitude to God and even honor him for the things he has done. The praise and worship session, just as the intersession is also meant to prepare believers to receive the word and even minister to their personal needs.
Many consider the preaching the most important session. Preaching is the time when the pastor in charge takes over the pulpit to read and explain the bible to the hungry and thirsty souls. The preacher picks a verse or a series of scriptures from the bible and expound on the meaning basing on the revelation that he has. After the preaching session, members are given a chance to give their tithes and offerings. Giving is a biblical principle tests the faithfulness of believers to give back to God apart of what he has provided for them. Apart from the tithe which is 10% of one’s’ income, the offering is a voluntary action where a person gives as his or her heart wills. The money collected is usually used to facilitate church projects as well as minister to the needs of church leaders.
Another important ritual observed by the Lutherans is the Holy Communion. This is a time when believers partake of the Lords table, as a symbol of the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples before he was crucified. According to the Lutheran doctrine, there is a belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The step is therefore a reminder of the sacrifice that was made at Calvary for the redemption of sins. As believers partake of the Holy Communion, they reflect on their lives if they have been walking right with God. Taking of the communion together is also a symbol of unity for believers as they reflect on the needs of each other.
Outside the church building, I noticed a pool, which is usually used for baptism. During specific occasions, the priest usually leads past of his congregation through baptism, which is a symbol of new life. It is believed that when a person is born, they are born sinners due to the sin committed by Adam and Eve. Baptism is therefore meant to clear them of such sins and welcome them to the new life. Before the very act of baptism, believers are taken through a series of lessons to help them understand the symbolism of baptism. As person is immersed into the water, it is believed that they die just as Jesus die, and as they are taken out from it, they arise with Jesus and hence having a new life. The Lutheran church believes in both infant and mature baptism. A person who feels dissatisfied with the baptism they had, as infants are free to request for a second baptism once they are mature enough to understand its essence.
Apart from the regular church service, the Lutheran church also organizes a separate service for children and teenagers and even youths. This is considered important because of the generation gap that makes their needs different. There are also other different ministries within the church that minister to the needs of specific groups such as women, youths, widows, orphans and the likes. There are ministry teams within the church that are usually called upon whenever there is a need. This is done for the sole purpose of the great commission of Jesus where he commanded the disciples to reach out to the needs of different people. The Lutheran church understand that church is about service and whenever there is a need, either within or outside the church, there should be people ready to serve. The church is also involved in evangelism, where they reach out to the lost souls and win them back to Christ. Prayers are usually done for the sick, needy and helpless in the society.