Our Savior's Lutheran Church

Today we worshiped at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 2147 Ridge Road Ext., Ambridge, PA 15003, 724.266.1169, www.lutheransonline.com/christoursaviors, Rev. Jill E. McGregor


Bob’s thoughts:

I think this is probably the closest church to our house; most churches we visit are a half hour or more away, so this was a nice change. I thought they could benefit from signage, but it is a small church and easy to find your way around.

They have a most welcoming social area. The kitchen is at one end of the hall with no barrier, like someone’s welcoming home.

There is a great shade of blue in the stained glass, the same as some other Lutheran Churches I’ve been in. Above the chancel is a round stained glass window powerfully portraying Christ in prayer at Gethsemane, great paraments depicting Advent, and a good central cross. The wood veneer/paneling, ceiling, and beams add a lot of character.

I liked the simple arrows (↑↓) in the bulletin to indicate stand/sit. We were greeted warmly, and a member suggested we sit with him so he could offer guidance through the service. We were able to partake of Communion, and that was my first taste of wine in many years.

To me the Lutheran Church seems to get lost in ritual. I always have trouble finding my place in the Psalter/hymnal. I don’t doubt the heart for Christ, but the mechanics to get there seem overly complicated to me.

The sermon dealt with the necessary human side of Christ, our alienation in sin, and how many excuses we can have. We are bound to Christ with the need to be bound also to each other.

I feel the pastor has a seldom-seen passion for Christ that I’d like to see given free rein.


Jan’s thoughts:

Following an intriguing conversation with Pastor Jill at the community Thanksgiving Eve worship service, we felt called to worship today at one of the churches she serves. (This parish comprises this church and nearby Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church.) We’ve been past this little church numerous times and have always been curious to see the inside.

Most of the parking is on a one-way side street, which we didn’t realize upon arriving. The building itself is small but unique, especially the downstairs fellowship hall area where the kitchen is at one end of the open hall with no walls separating the hall and kitchen. I’ve never seen this arrangement in a church before. It felt inviting and family-like.

The congregation is friendly: most who did not greet us before the service did so during worship or afterward. One gentleman was nearby when we arrived and overhead us tell Jill that we had attended worship at only one Lutheran church before, so he volunteered that we could sit with him and he’d help us if we got lost or confused. (We did pretty well and he was gracious when we needed his guidance.)

During the Children’s Sermon Jill talked about waiting, and how, prior to each of the children being born, their moms waited in love for them in spite of never having seen them. The truth of this struck me on several levels. First, as a mother who waited those long months and loved the children I carried even though I had not met them; second, as a Christian woman who is waiting to see her Savior face to face, and third, as a mother who has not seen her son for more than three years who confidently expects to see his face immediately after seeing that of her Savior.

For the last two months, through my daughter’s church, I participated in Beth Moore’s Bible study, “Breaking Free.” It centers on making liberty in Christ a reality, and obviously freedom was a central concept. Not just freedom, but authentic freedom IN CHRIST, which is why the statement in the sermon that most caught my attention was, “We are not free unless we are bound to a human Jesus.” The sermon was much deeper than that one statement, but it struck such a nerve for me that I made a note of it and have continued to ponder it. And I definitely believe it – there is no freedom without Christ, without submitting to His authority and following where He leads.