ABOUT THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
Music & Lutheran Worship
Lutherans have a strong and wide music tradition taken from the historic mass. Henry Muhlenberg, the first pastor of Blue Church, prepared a liturgy adopted by the Ministerium of Pennsylvania at its inaugural convention in 1748. The liturgy was used exclusively among Lutheran churches in Pennsylvania.
Music is an important part of the worship service liturgy and provides for participation by those attending the service. Singing is a means of giving praise to God. The Lutheran hymnal includes a wide range of music traditions from hymns composed by Martin Luther to Gaelic tunes and South African traditional hymns. When you attend a Lutheran church service expect to sing.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German theologian, professor, pastor, and church reformer. Luther studied the Bible intensely. In 1517 he defied current norms and nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the doors of the church at Wittenburg, Germany. The action set off a series of events that not only put Luther's life in jeopardy, it reverberated across Europe. Luther anchored his position on the Doctrine of Justification by Faith. This stood in opposition to the current practice of the sale of indulgences. His actions became known as the Protestant Reformation and resulted in the creation of the Lutheran church as well as other Protestant faiths.
The Nicene Creed- Our Statement of Faith
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, Begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate: he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom shall have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
What We Believe
Lutherans believe that the church is an assembly of saints in which the Gospel is taught purely and the sacraments are administered rightly.
Lutherans believe in justification by grace through faith. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ we will receive eternal life by God's grace, not our merit. We all fall short of the glory of God. We receive eternal life through God's grace and love for us as His children. We respond with faith and through our interactions with others including our community outreach.
Lutheran's believe it is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Word of God with those in need. Luther called this the "priesthood of all believers". We share God's word through our words and our actions.