Jesus is the Messiah (Hebrew: Anointed One) of God. He was more than a good person and great teacher. Jesus was God "in-the-flesh." These and many other statements can be (and have been) debated hotly. We say with confidence when it is all said and done is that Jesus was the human face of God, truly human and truly divine, and somehow became more than the power of death itself through the cross and resurrection event.
God is the creator of the universe. Everything from the ground under us to the air we breathe comes from God. God is involved in the world, bringing about relationship and possibilities beyond our imagining. God is all good, loving, powerful, present and knowing, though we cannot claim to know how God is or uses any of these attributes. God is fully revealed in Jesus Christ. We do not know all of God's hopes and desires for the world, but we trust that it is all about being reconciled with one another and with God's very self (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
The Bible is a collection of 66 different books which share stories and witnesses of how God showed up, shows up, and will show up for the world. There is history, symbol, and poetry in the Bible and sometimes it can be challenging to figure out which voice(s) is/are used at a given point. The Bible was composed in concert with the Holy Spirit-the Spirit of God who enters into our everyday lives and experiences to help us live out God's call for our lives. The Bible was composed over the course of 2000 years or so. Therefore, there is a high degree of accountability, conversation, and different-yet complimentary-images of God at work.
The power of prayer should not be thought of as a vending machine. We do not get to manipulate getting what we want by putting in the right "spiritual coin." The power of prayer is in recognizing and celebrating the connection we have with the very creator of the universe. No matter where we are, we have a gift of communicating with the source of life itself. Happy? Angry? Sad? God can take it all, not just the right time or right place. Not with the "right" conditions. Anytime, anyone, anywhere, unconditionally. That is the power of prayer.
Q: Is Lutheranism a Christian denomination?
A: Yes. Lutheranism was a movement which developed in the era of the Reformation (b. 1517) when many Catholics demanded reform of the larger Church's policies, especially the selling of indulgences. Martin Luther (Lutheranism's namesake) led the Reformation beginning with a call to debate as he nailed 95 "theses" most likely on the door of All Saint's Church in Wittenburg, Germany. Luther was a very devoted Christian who concerned himself with the power of grace as God's free gift of love totally revealed and lived through Jesus Christ.
Q: What do Lutherans believe?
A: We believe that we are created by God. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and we cannot save ourselves. Through Christ's life, death and resurrection, all of our sins are forgiven and we are made new (2 Cor. 5:17) to serve as Jesus calls us to serve (John 13:15-17). Through the Holy Spirit, we are nourished to live a faith-filled journey of loving God and loving others .
Q: What is Lutheran worship like?
A: We gather together to confess our sin before God and one another. We receive forgiveness. We sing together and hear a series of scripture readings. We pray together before sharing in peace and Holy Communion. We are sent and blessed by God to be a blessing to others. Expect a fellowship opportunity after service with coffee (at least!).
Q: That's nice but now this is getting too long. Can I ask more questions later?
A: Absolutely! We would be happy to be available to answer any questions. Contact information is on our home page.
