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Ten
Reasons To Be A Lutheran
- Justification
by grace......through grace..apart from works of the
law. This critical concept states simply that
salvation is not earned but is an unconditional gift. But
this then raises some important issues concerning the
stewardship of our lives. If we do not need to earn God's
favor, what then ought we to do as an expression of
thanks for what we have received.
- Sole authority
of Scripture. With Luther we believe that the
Bible is the cradle in which we find the Christ
Child. We do not worship the cradle, but we look to
Scripture as the source and justification of all that we
teach and believe.
- No solitary
Christians. As Lutherans we affirm centrality of
the Church which is "the assembly of believers where
the Gospel is preached in its purity and the Sacraments
are administered according to the Gospel," According to
the Augsburg Confession. we believe there is no complete
Christian life apart from participation in the fellowship
of the redeemed, and that we experience the church in
three distinct realities: the local congregation,
participation in a regional witness (the synod), and
connection in a natural and worldwide expression of the
body of Christ.
- Priesthood of
all believers. This is our critical confidence in the
power of our baptism. which calls us in to Christian
ministry in the midst of daily life. This concept has
also driven e sense that the decision-making authority of
a congregation must dwell in all baptized and not be
expressed through some hierarchical system that would see
certain members as more important than
others.
- Education as a
high value. Our system of Lutheran colleges and
universities, Lutheran campus Ministry, and Parochial
schools in unequaled. We value theologically trained
leaders and anticipate that all members will participate
in a lifelong experience of Christian faith
formation.
- Passion for
sharing the Gospel. We intend to be a church always
in mission ....making Christ know....as we share
companionship with other Lutherans throughout the world.
We proudly participate in the Lutheran World Federation,
over 85 million Lutherans worldwide, most of them found
in Africa, Asia and South America.
- In a world but
not of a world. We sincerely try to be a reality -
based Church. We have never claimed to be a holiness
Church, which every day gets better and better. No,
we are simultaneously saints and sinners
(simul Justus et peccator).
- A
compassionate church. We are a church that has always
valued being Christ to our neighbor. Ministries of
compassion have always been central to the Lutheran
experience. We are proud to participate in Lutheran World
Relief, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.
Lutheran Disaster Relief and Lutheran Services in
America, the largest social service delivery system in
America.
- An ecumenical
Church. We have always honored our Lord's desire
that they might be one. We have come to value the
importance of our full communion agreements, which
provide us a chance to express our unity with all who
share with us a faith in Jesus Christ.
- An
ever-reforming Church. We Lutherans embrace the
challenge of change, understanding that the
changeless Good news about Jesus Christ must always come
in new forms. We seek to embrace tradition (the
living faith of those who have died) but reject
traditionalism (the dead faith of living people,
to borrow Jaroslav Pelikan's phrase). What is more, we
have a growing passion to reach the young, the new
immigrants, those who have felt outside the church of
Christ.
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