October 7, 2015

Music & Worship

Music is crucial to our worship life at Friedens. We would like to welcome our new Minister of Music, Audrey Christ. She comes to us from the Schuylkill County area with enthusiasm and experience to compliment our congregation.  Our adult vocal choir, handbell choir, and the Cherub choir for children would like to extent a heartfelt thank you to Vicar Laila Sunday and other committed members of the congregation for their leadership while we were transitioning.

With the exception of the summer months, we worship at 8:00 and 10:30 am on Sunday mornings and on the second Saturday of the month at 5:00 pm in the Christian education building. During the summer, Saturday worship is outdoors, weather permitting, and Sunday worship is usually at 9:30 am.

Friedens is home to a historic Dieffenbach organ which was built in 1891. This pipe organ underwent major restoration work over a decade ago and is now played regularly in worship. Friedens is an associate member of the Dieffenbach Organ Preservation Society, which aims to raise money to keep these historic instruments in good condition.

Worship at Friedens is rooted in our religious tradition as Reformed and Lutheran Protestants. We follow the calendar year passed on through the church which celebrates the seasons and we follow a set pattern to worship each week. We hear God’s Word- read aloud, preached, and sung- every week. We celebrate Holy Communion on the first and third Sundays of the month and on major church festivals, and baptized Christians of all ages are welcome to the table! All are invited by Jesus himself. The worship service doesn’t take place without the help of many people- greeting, ushering, reading scripture, ringing the bell, preparing the worship space, lighting the candles, praying aloud, and assisting with communion. As Lutherans, we are clear that all baptized children of God at Friedens are ministers serving the Gospel. Therefore, active participation in worship is central to our understanding of who we are as a church. Worship is not a spectator sport- during that time, we are reminded of who we are as God’s people, caught up in relationship with our graceful God, and sent back out again to do ministry in our daily lives. Worship nurtures our unique callings in the world and keeps us grounded in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

Saturday night worship is a more informal service in the Great Room, and communion is celebrated. We have a covered dish meal after this worship service.  This service is held the second Saturday of the month.