The robes that the pastors wear are called an alb. The word "alb" comes from the Latin word albus meaning "white." The alb is a popular type of liturgical vestment, used by many different churches. It’s common to see albs worn by members of the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and Anglican churches. It was originally intended to imitate the ordinary look of first-century clothing and was first used by the Christian church. An alb was also worn immediately after a baptism in the first four centuries of the Church. To this day, the alb is meant to be a reminder of baptism and that we are clothed in the righteousness and purity of Christ. 

Why do our pastors choose to wear the alb? On a practical level, they wear the alb so that you are focused on the words of Christ being proclaimed and not on their fashion (or lack thereof). 

Why are the pastors wearing green? The piece of cloth they wear over their shoulders is called the stole. It represents the responsibility of carrying the burdens of the congregation as a shepherd would carry a wounded sheep. 

Green, is by far the most common color seen during the year. Lutheran Worship calls for its use during the seasons of Epiphany and Pentecost. The first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox (March 21), also known as Easter Sunday, determines the length of these two seasons.

The days of Epiphany may entail a total of, but not more than, eight Sundays. The season of Pentecost, on the other hand, can last from 22 to 28 Sundays. Green is the appointed color for all but a few of the Sundays during these seasons. Consequently, green may be used an average of six to eight months of any given liturgical year!

Epiphany's message of Christ's revelation to the Gentiles along with the season's traditional emphasis on extending Christ's kingdom through missions, calls for the use of green-the color symbolic of growth.

The Sundays following Pentecost, observed as "the time of the church," share a somewhat similar theme as that of Epiphany. Affectionately called the season of the "green meadow," no doubt due to the fact of green being the established color, these Sundays also emphasize the subject of growth. Green is a neutral color, but there is nothing colorless about our need to grow and mature as disciples of Jesus Christ. That's why the "green meadow" time of the church year is so lengthy. Time must be given to encourage all worshipers to maintain their faith through the constant use of God's means of grace.

Purple, is a somber color, in contrast to a festive one. It is appropriately used during Lent. The forty days of Lent, including the six Sundays that fall during this season, use this deep, rich color which has come to represent somberness and solemnity, penitence, and prayer.

Violet or purple was a very cherished and expensive color in the world Jesus lived. The dye used to make the color was painstakingly acquired by massaging the neck of a Mediterranean shell fish that secreted a special fluid. It was therefore afforded only by the rich and worn most exclusively by the royalty. Jesus, the king of the Jews, wore a purple robe only once. As the soldiers mocked and tormented him, the Scriptures record they placed on him a "purple garment" in order to ridicule him and belittle the claim that he was a king.

Therefore, purple is used during the season of Lent as a vivid reminder of the contempt and scorn he endured, and the subsequent sacrifice he made for our eternal salvation. Purple should remind all Christians of their daily need to humbly give attention to leading a life of repentance.

This candle is called the “Christ candle.” It is the largest candle in the church representing that Christ is central to everything we do. The Christ candle is always lit on Christmas. Then it will not be relit until Easter. It is lit every Sunday during the seasons of Christmas and Easter. During the church year it is lit on days when a Baptism takes place and also when there is a funeral.   

This is called the altar. In modern churches, the altar is the piece of furniture which holds the bread and wine for celebration of the Lord’s Supper. In the Bible (especially the Old Testament), the altar was the place where offerings and sacrifices were made to God. Sometimes altars were also constructed after a significant encounter with God. 

A few notable altars in the Old Testament are:

1. Shechem (Genesis 12:6-7) — Abraham built an altar at Shechem after God appeared to him and promised the land to his descendants. This marked a significant moment in the covenant relationship between God and Abraham.

2. Bethel (Genesis 28:18-19; 35:1-7) — Jacob built an altar at Bethel after his vision of the ladder reaching to heaven. Later, God instructed him to return and build an altar there as a memorial to God’s faithfulness.

Other notable altar sites include Mount Moriah (Genesis 22) where Abraham was tested with Isaac, and Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:4) where Moses built an altar during the covenant ceremony. 

What are the symbols on the front of our altar? 

The symbol on the left is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and it is called “Alpha.” The symbol on the right is the last letter in the Greek alphabet called “Omega.” The symbol in the middle is two Greek letters stacked on top of each other. The one that looks like an “X” is called “chi” and makes a “k” sound. The one that looks like a “P” is called “ro” and it makes an “r” sound. These are the first two letters of the name “Christ.” The meaning of the symbols is that God calls himself the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the alpha and the omega (Rev. 22:13). God has no beginning and no end. And the “chi-ro” is a symbol representing that Jesus Christ is the center of all of God’s work.  

This candle is called the “sanctuary lamp.” It represents the eternal presence of God in the Sanctuary whether we are there or not. In some churches, the sanctuary lamp is an actual oil candle that needs to be refilled. Our church’s sanctuary lamp is electronic. It is never extinguished. 

This is called the Baptismal Font. The copper bowl is filled with water on days when someone will be baptized. The word “Font” is related to the word “fount” from which you can see the word “fountain.” This means that in Baptism, God gives new life like an over-flowing fountain. 

Do you notice how the font has 8 sides? This is in reference to the days of creation. God created in 6 days, he rested on the 7th day, and the 8th day of creation is the first day of life in God's perfect creation. Baptism is associated with the 8th day of creation in that, when we are baptized, we are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).