What to Expect

​When is worship, what is it like, and what do I wear?

Lord of Light is a campus congregation - which means we truly span the full age range from newborn to 85+, with a good number of young adults in attendance during term. We worship Sunday evenings at 5pm, and we are worshiping inside, in person. We are following the CDC guidlines and our masking policy changes with the county alert levels indicated by CovidActNow:

Orange: Masks required

Yellow: Masks optional but encouraged

Green: Masks optional

For your own safety and for the safety of others, we request that if you plan to attend an in-person event, that you be vaccinated to the fullest extent possible. We are closely following CDC recommendations and seeking to lead by example with love of neighbor foremost in our minds.

Our service follows the liturgical tradition, but we mix styles of music. In each service, you will find everything from organ hymns to contemporary acoustic to music from various world traditions. Come as you are and in whatever makes you feel comfortable! We are quite a casual congregation, so you will see everything from business casual to jeans and t-shirts.

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Dinner follows directly after church.

 

How do you welcome the LGBTQ+ community?

Lord of Light/LCM has been fully inclusive and affirming of the LGBTQ+ community since 1987. We were the 5th ELCA congregation in the country to become officially affirming (Reconciling in Christ).

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Can I take Communion?

Yes! At Lord of Light, we believe that Communion is a gift of God for the people of God. We practice open communion, which means that all are welcome at the Lord’s table. Jesus made no restrictions, and neither do we.

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What’s so special about Lutherans?

Lutheran theology is centered around God’s grace – meaning we recognize that there’s absolutely nothing we can do to earn God’s love, and that we are justified in God’s eyes by God’s grace alone (Romans 3:21-30). There’s a whole lot more than that, of course, but that’s at least a start.

 

Does your church perform same-sex weddings?

Yes! Part of being open and affirming is that our LGBTQ+ members have FULL participation in all church activities. This includes:

• Weddings, Baptisms, Communion

• Serving in church leadership roles

• Being accepted to seminary and ordained as clergy

 

How do I know if a Lutheran church is open and affirming?

Look for the Reconciling In Christ designation and logo. Reconciling Works has a complete listing of all 990 RIC congregations (292 more are currently in the process).

 

Are all Lutheran churches open and affirming?

No. There are three major Lutheran denominations that have differing social views. It can get confusing, but generally:

• The ELCA is the most progressive, having ordained women since 1970 and partnered or married LGBTQ+ clergy since 2009. Like other mainline Protestant denominations, the ELCA takes a historical-critical view of the Bible, meaning we look at the cultural and historical context of the texts and interpret them accordingly. We also look at the original Greek and Hebrew and compare translations to see how that impacts what the text is saying to us in our time.

• The Missouri Synod (LCMS) and Wisconsin Synod (WELS) are much more conservative and interpret the Bible according to the fundamentalist tradition of Biblical inerrancy.

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What are some things LoL/LCM does outside of worship?

• Supporting the campus community by offering Vida, a free drop-in study space and snacks for students

• Wednesday night Faith & conversations

• Small groups

• Monthly collections and offerings to non-profit organizations such as Living Water Ministry, Food Gatherers, Ozone House, Lutheran Disaster Response, and Samaritas

• Service projects

• Supporting area humanitarian organizations like MISSION, Food Gatherers, and the Delonis Center.