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 Grace Lutheran of Parker was chartered as a congregation in May 2002 by a group of laypeople from Lutheran Church (LCMS) congregations who realized there was a need for a LCMS congregation in Parker. Initially the congregation was served by a number of retired pastors. In 2004 the Lord called pastor Joseph Murphy to serve as pastor of Grace. The founding members desired a congregation faithful to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions in both doctrine and worship services. They believe that Christian liturgy and doctrinally pure hymns teach the faith and proclaim the Gospel. All our services make use of the best hymns and liturgical resources both ancient and modern.
Since the proclamation of the Gospel is our mission at Grace, the crucifix and altar are focal points of our service, not a praise band or a soloist. That model distracts a congregation by putting people front and center instead of Christ. At Grace, soloists and choirs sing from behind the congregation so that the focus is not on the musicians. Our music is selected with the goal of proclaiming God's Word rather than for the purpose of stirring emotions. God's Word and and His real presence for us in the Divine Service is the point and blessing of every service. The Divine Service is the place where the Lord comes with His gifts of faith, forgiveness, life, and salvation for us. In the Divine Service we are united with the church of ages past by joining together in Christian liturgy and singing the best of hymns both ancient and new.
Services at Grace are not governed by our culture or passing fads. Our services unite Christians of all ages precisely because they do not cater to any single generation's taste in music or style. We joyfully pass on to our children the best of what we have received from Christians who have gone before us. However, we are not dwelling only in the past. We also introduce the best of new hymnody. When evaluating a new hymn we ask: Does it proclaim God's Word accurately? Who is the subject of the action verbs, God, us, or the song writer? The best hymns make the Lord the subject and His saving actions and mercy are proclaimed. Lesser hymns make our actions, desires, or feelings the subjects of the verbs. This is a simple way to distinguish between better and lesser hymns. Good hymns are about the Lord and His works, not about our own feelings, good intentions, or deeds. Only the best are worthy of being included in the Divine Service. Where the Lord is present with His gifts, only the best will do.
Future Plans
We own land located on West Main Street in Parker, next to the new Lutheran High School. While we are preparing to build our first church building we plan to continue to meet for services in the school. The school is located at 11249 Newlin Gulch Blvd. on the south side of West Main Street, 1/2 mile west of Jordan Road. |
