Celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus at the Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols | December 24 | 7:00 PM
Keep Christ in Christmas by celebrating the Lord’s birth at the Divine Service. | December 25 | 9:00 AM
Christmas is about the eternal Word of God, God’s Son, taking on human flesh for our salvation.
God the Father created the world through His Son. When the world fell into darkness on account of human sin, He sent that same Son to redeem the world. By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born to a woman named Mary, 2025 years ago.
He lived a perfect life, the life we have not lived on account of our sins. Yet, He suffered the consequences of sin through His death. That suffering was in our stead.
All who believe in Him have eternal life. We share in the the merits of His righteous life because, in exchange, He took on the consequences of our sin.
That’s the message we celebrate at Christmas.
You can expect a warm welcome, reverent and joyous worship, and Christ-focused, biblical teaching at Messiah Lutheran Church.
We have two entrances. The front entrance is off of 35th Ave NE and is the same level as our narthex – a room outside of our worship area (sanctuary). We also have a free parking lot behind the church. You get to it by turning east onto NE 70th St. and then the first left onto 36th Ave NE. The parking lot is at the end of the street, drive past our school (Concordia) and turn left into the upper parking lot. You can also park by the school. The back entrance is the same level as our fellowship hall, just go right after entering and take the stairs or elevator to the second floor and our narthex.
Our worship services are held in the sanctuary, upstairs, and our fellowship and education events are usually held downstairs in the fellowship hall.
If you are here for a worship service, an usher will hand you a bulletin, and you can find a seat in whatever pew you like. Our pastor will also often greet you before the service.
Our worship services are about an hour long. You will find them to be reverent but also relevant to our greatest struggles.
You can just show up! There is no need to make a reservation or to call beforehand. We have space for you, and we often have people just show up.
However you might feel more comfortable if you talked with us before arriving.
Even if you don't talk with us before coming, you are welcome here.
We have long benches with backs on them. We call them 'pews'.
You are welcome to site in any pew you prefer. The front pew on each side are reserved for handicapped.
The focus of our worship is upon Jesus Christ and Him Crucified for sinners. The first thing you’ll notice is that the entire room is directed towards the altar, the pulpit, and the baptismal font. These are the locations of God’s gifts. From the font, we receive the promise of baptism. From the altar, we receive the Lord’s Supper. And from the pulpit, we hear God’s Word read and explained. We believe God is present with us in these ways, delivering to us the forgiveness and strength we need by the power of His Word and Spirit.
Our worship is multi-generational with toddlers singing loudly next to the elderly, with great joy! Portions of the service are repetitive from week to week so that small children, those with learning difficulties, and even those with dementia can all participate. We have found that our worship traditions are very effective in passing down the faith from generation to generation.
Some of what we do is uniquely Lutheran, but most of our traditions trace back to the ancient Church of the West, which spoke Latin. While we speak English today, the songs we sing were originally written in many different languages and cultures, across the span of the last 2,000 years.
Although our worship is very normal to us, we recognize that it will seem strange to those who have never experienced it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask anyone you meet, including our pastor. His email is pastor.elliott@messiahseattle.org.
You are welcome to paricipate in the worship service to the extent that you feel comfortable. You do not need to sing any hymns or speak the creed or any responses
In general, it is polite to stand when the rest of the congregation stands and to sit when they sit if you are able. However, if you are unable to stand or feel uncomfortable standing for portions of the worship service when we stand, you are free to remain seated.
Our worship services are provided free-of-cost
There will be a time during the service when the offering bags are passed. However, do not feel compelled to put in a contribution.
On Christmas Eve, we will have a Lessons and Carols service without the Lord’s Supper.
On Christmas Day and every Sunday we will celebrate our congregational unity with this holy meal. As a guest, you are always welcome to come forward for a blessing. Simply place your hands over your heart to show that you believe in Jesus, and our pastor will recognize you as a brother or sister in Christ.
For those who want to partake of the Supper, we don’t blame you. In fact, we are thrilled that you desire it. Just as the manger cradled baby Jesus long ago, we receive Him now into the manger of our hands! Our Lord Jesus gives us His true body and blood under the bread and wine, for the forgiveness of sins! While we want everyone to have this gift, there are some temporary limitations.
If you are a communicant member of one our sister Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod congregations, we welcome you to commune with us. However, if possible, please introduce yourself to the pastor before communing.
If you are from a Church outside of our fellowship or perhaps never had the opportunity to go through catechesis (i.e., basic instruction in the chief topics of Christianity), we ask that you would either attend our Adult Instruction Class (AIC) or schedule meetings with our pastor before partaking of the Supper.
If Christianity is new to you or if you have any questions, our pastor would love to hear from you. You can contact him at pastor.elliott@messiahseattle.org.
You will see all types of dress at Messiah - jeans as well as dresses and suits.
Yes, Messiah welcomes children. We have many child-focussed programs like Sunday School, Catechism Class, and Youth Group.
Children are always welcome in worship. We do not hold a "children's church" because we want out children to worship with us.
We understand that children can be restless and noisy. That's okay
However, if you feel like you need to step outside to calm your child there is an area to do so just outside the sanctuary.
There is parking in front on the street which includes a passenger dropoff. We also have a free parking lot behind the church. You get to it by turning east onto NE 70th St. and then the first left onto 36th Ave NE. The parking lot is at the end of the street, drive past our school (Concordia) and turn left into the upper parking lot. You can also park by the school. The back entrance is the same level as our fellowship hall, just go right after entering and take the stairs or elevator to the second floor and our narthex.
