Our Beliefs
WE ARE CALLED TO FOLLOW JESUS …
Lutheran Christians believe that God's will for the world is revealed fully in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We welcome all who join us as we discover how to best respond to God's grace, love and forgiveness by heeding the call to follow Jesus and 'to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God." (Micah 6:8).
OUR HISTORICAL ORIGINS
We Lutherans are Christians who accept the teachings of Martin Luther (1483 – 1546). Luther was a German theologian who realized that there were significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the practices of the Roman Catholic church of his day. On October 31, 1517, he posted a challenge on the door of Wittenberg Church, titled “95 Theses” (this was the practice of the day to engage in public debate; in this case of his 95 theological issues). His hope was that the church would reform its practice and preaching to be more consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible.
What started as an academic debate escalated into a distinct separation between the Roman Catholic church of the time and those who accepted Luther’s suggested reforms. "Lutheran" has become the name of those who agree with Luther’s convictions.
Today, nearly five centuries later, Lutherans 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
· The Bible is the norm for faith and life -- the true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged
What started as an academic debate escalated into a distinct separation between the Roman Catholic church of the time and those who accepted Luther’s suggested reforms. "Lutheran" has become the name of those who agree with Luther’s convictions.
Today, nearly five centuries later, Lutherans 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
· The Bible is the norm for faith and life -- the true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged