Our congregation includes folks who have grown up Lutheran, and those brand new to Christianity and Lutheranism. Want to learn more about what being a Lutheran means? Here's a place to start - Lutheranism Refresher.
Occasionally we have classes or study series together to learn about the Small Catechism (a central Lutheran faith document) - keep an ear out, and let the pastor know what you'd be interested in learning!
Lutherans are Christians
Lutherans, along with all Christians, believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We believe Jesus was fully divine and fully human. In Jesus, God became human, bore our human condition and our sins, in order to save us from sin and death and restore us to a right relationship with God. Jesus came to make known God’s love and grace to our broken and seeking world. The ultimate symbol of that love is the Cross, where Jesus was crucified, and gave his life for the sake of the world. In Christ we enjoy grace, mercy, freedom, and new life.
Lutherans are Protestants
In fact, Lutherans were the first protestants. It all began in 1517 when a German monk named Martin Luther posted a list of 95 points of disagreement with the Roman Catholic Church on the doors of the Cathedral Church in Wittenberg on October 31st. The main differences between Luther and the Church concerned the nature of our salvation. Lutherans believe that we are saved by God’s grace, which we receive through faith, not by anything we do.
Today, nearly five centuries later, Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of Luther’s theological teachings, such as Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone. These comprise the very essence of Lutheranism:
- We are saved by the grace of God alone — not by anything we do;
- Our salvation is through faith alone — a confident trust in God, who in Christ promises us forgiveness, life and salvation; and
- The Bible is the norm for faith and life — the true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged.
For a quick intro into the basic theology of Lutherans, check out Pastor Nadia’s presentation at the 2012 National Youth Gathering – Nadia’s take on Lutheran Theology.
Lutherans are Biblical
Lutherans love the Bible, but we do not take it literally. We are not fundamentalists. We read the Bible through the lens of God’s grace. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and recorded by faithful people. It is the story of God and God’s people – the story of God’s great love for us. When we read the Bible we become part of the story. For us, the heart of the biblical message is the good news that Jesus Christ died and rose again to bring us into relationship with God. That relationship gives hope, comfort, and purpose to our lives.
Lutherans are Liturgical
Worship is at the heart of our community. In worship we experience God together. God speaks to us as we sing hymns, read passages from the Bible, listen to sermons as the pastor preaches, and we are fed at the Lord's Table by receiving Holy Communion. Liturgy means "the work of the people" - and it is the shape of worship that we participate in together. Generally "liturgical" churches follow a traditional pattern of gathering, word, meal, sending, with songs, prayers, and words that come from scripture and our Christian tradition. At GLC, our music is organ and piano led, and we like to sing! May people say our service is very similar to the Catholic church - and that's true. We base our patterns for worship on traditions that share similar roots in the Christian tradition.
