Sunday Worship
Summer Worship at 9:30 am
Psummer of Psalms
As we begin returning to the Revised Common Lectionary, during Advent services this summer we will focus on Psalms. Often the Psalm doesn’t get much attention in worship, but the Advent Worship Team has asked Pastor Nick to use those as his preaching text for this summer.

8/18 shared MCC Pride Sunday Celebration
This week MCC worships together at 9:30 am in a celebration of Pride. The Summer Pick-Up Choir will add their voices in song. If you wish to be a part of the choir under direction of Sybil Klatt, come at 8:15 am to practice before worship. “Love is Love is Love is Love” is a wonderful song that comes from the Justice Choir Songbook. Click here to view the score. Here are some YouTube links – to introduce you to the piece, but note that there are many ways to arrange! -
https://youtu.be/EozLcYHGwRA; https://youtu.be/5_8NVi6ZRXI

In the afternoon, MCC will host a booth at the Madison Pride Festival at Warner Park from 1-6 pm. A big THANK YOU to the many who have signed up to provide hospitality at the booth and in other ways are helping us prepare to extend Christ’s welcome at the festival.

In 1995, Community of Hope became an Open and Affirming Congregation and Advent a Reconciling in Christ congregation. We celebrate that for almost half of MCC’s 50-year history, we have covenanted publicly to be a faith community that not only welcomes but affirms the belovedness of LGBTQ+ persons and families. We are also a learning community, recognizing that we still have growing edges to live more fully into that covenant. It is a strong commitment, central to our identity, that we take into the future with hope and joy.

8/25 Heartland Liturgy With Communion

9/1 ELW setting #8 With Communion

Mondays in July
Our annual outdoor summer midweek gathering will be the five Mondays in July this year. Gather for a catered picnic supper at 5:30, followed by a simple and interactive shared worship service until 7:00.

Worship to Go
And click here to access our Worship-to-Go booklet for those who will be away but would like a mobile worship resource.

Read The Whole Bible in a Year
To see the outline for the whole year, you can click here.

Up-Down-Up-Down?
Your Advent Worship Team recently had conversation about our capabilities and how we engage worship. We want you to remember that we stand and sit in worship for both theological and human reasons, but that you are always welcome to join in body and spirit however is best for you. Please stand, sit, laugh, cry, reflect, and participate in whatever way you need within the worship service.

This reality is simply an extension of what we already recognize with children: that each of us engages worship in the way that is appropriate for us. For that reason, children’s activity tables are in the front of the worship space for children to be part of the assembly and meeting God not only with their ears and voices, but also with their creativity. There are also books and more to help active bodies stay part of the gathering. (And, of course, there’s staffed nursery care for age 5 and under when it’s most appropriate to have a break from worship!)

"What Does This Mean?"
Having marked the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation when Martin Luther nailed 95 points of discussion on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany on Oct. 31, 1517, we proceeded through a “back to basics” of Luther’s way of teaching the faith through his Small Catechism. You can open a copy (click here) with reflection questions that we printed in weekly bulletins of Advent Lutheran. You can also download an app here. (Luther would be all for it – he used the newest technology of his time and had posters printed to be hung in family homes.)

Advent Worship Services
10:15 am During the School Year
  9:30 am Summer Schedule
Weekly worship at Advent Lutheran is a vibrant experience, engaging our passions and concerns and faithful pondering, yet in a fairly casual setting with the sounds of children constantly bubbling around us. Our worship is enriched by a wide variety of volunteer musicians on piano, guitars, handchimes, congas, tambourine, flute, banjo, voice, and an occasional harmonica. Our beautiful and adaptable worship space in the Blessing Room is enhanced by designs from our Liturgical Arts Team.

Services at Advent generally follow the historic liturgy of the church, and Advent uses a wide variety of liturgies for worship:

• both new and “classic” settings from the Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal, including the Spanish of setting 7

• Now the Feast and Celebration by Marty Haugen
  

• the Earthkeeping liturgy by Dakota Road
  

• the old favorite Chicago Folk Mass
  

• plus some of our own creations, like the African Song celebration (with drumming), a setting composed by our own Tom Hind, a Creation-oriented liturgy, one built around materials from the Iona Community, and more
  

Also about once a month, we share worship services with our partner congregation, Community of Hope UCC.  These services are typically a blend of styles and formats and may include Holy Week services, Lenten and summer outdoor midweek worship, festivals for Confirmation and celebrating Sunday School students, the “God’s Work. Our Hands” day of service, ecumenical occasions, and more.

Top Ten Things to Know About Advent
10. Advent is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

  9. Advent Lutheran and Community of Hope, a United Church in Christ
      congregation, are in a partnership called Madison Christian Community.

  8. A variety of worship settings are used and the congregation can sing in
      four part harmony.

  7. The use of inclusive language in worship is valued.

  6. Families with young children are welcome at worship and children
      may receive Holy Communion at an early age.

  5. Advent is a Reconciling in Christ congregation meaning we’re officially
      registered as openly welcoming for the LGBT community. We’re not only
     “officially registered,” though, we’re a place that people describe as the most
     welcoming and comfortable church they’ve ever known. More information
     about this at the top right of this page.

  4. A "culture of commitment" is fostered by the practice of renewing
      membership annually.

  3. People of Advent are not threatened by change and seek new ways
      of being faithful to God.

  2. Members of Advent are scattered throughout the greater Madison area

  1. Members of Advent are encouraged to identify their spiritual gifts
      and use them in service.

Mission Statement
We, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with filial affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.
Romans 12:5-6a, 9-13