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First, a little honesty.
This is the hardest part of a church web page. Why? Because in the big picture we believe that Christianity is the account of everything. That is no small claim.
So, on the one hand, to share the fullness of our faith would make this page longer than most will take the time to read. Now, on the other hand, we could list “5 Core Beliefs” or “10 Faith Statements." While they may be helpful, it would also overly simplify and would not sufficiently address the depth and breadth of the Christian faith.
In a humble attempt to do a little of both, a series of questions and answers are listed below, which begin to unpack the fullness of what we believe, while at the same time addressing only a few of the foundational topics of our faith and practice.
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Who is the God that you worship?
- We worship the God who has created all things by the power of His Word.
This same God has acted in this world since the beginning and has especially revealed Himself in the person and work of His Son Jesus. Jesus was sent to redeem the world and mankind. Why would this need to be done? Because even the people through whom God has been working had time and again rejected Him. So, through Jesus God brought forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life. This was accomplished through Jesus’ death on a cross and resurrection from the dead three days later. Following the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven where He has once again taken up His seat as Lord and Christ of heaven and earth. This same Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.
We worship the God who works among His people, the church, today by His Spirit as He still gathers us together to hear His Word and receive His Sacraments for the forgiveness of our sins and we will be given resurrection to everlasting life through the work of Jesus for them.
This is the God described and confessed in the three (3) ecumenical creeds, the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. We confess these creeds to be our own.
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How do you know this God?
- We know this God based on what He has done. What God has done and does is seen most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We know God only through Jesus. Jesus declared Himself to be the way to the Father. To be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. To know God is to know Jesus. To know Jesus is to know God.
Jesus’ disciples went about the world proclaiming that this Jesus is in fact the Lord. His death and resurrection from the dead were proof of this; they proclaimed that it is in this Jesus that forgiveness and life are found. As they proclaimed, they taught and placed other men to continue this preaching.
The church is established for this purpose still today. The church through its pastors proclaims the same message of the apostles today and it will until Jesus comes again. Through this Ministry the work of Jesus is proclaimed to us and Jesus’ Word is brought to bear on our lives, calling us to turn from our sin and receive forgiveness for our sin and so find our life, now and forever, in Christ.
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How do you receive the forgiveness of Jesus?
- It is received by grace through faith. This simply means that this forgiveness of Jesus is not received because of anything we do, but purely out of the gracious, loving work of God in Jesus. To say that this is through faith simply means that we trust that God is faithful and true to fulfill His promises made and revealed to us in Jesus. To live in faith is to trust that this work of Jesus is in fact "for me." By grace through faith means that we receive and trust in the words and promises of God for us in Jesus.
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So if you just have to believe, or have faith, why go to church?
- Our faith believes and trusts in the words and promises of God. Not only has God commanded us to gather together, but He also promises to be at work among us when we gather in His name. In worship He gathers us around His Words and promises fulfilled in Jesus. To go to church is to actually live in faith, or trust, in our Lord’s words and promises. Here we confess our sins before Him and His forgiveness is proclaimed to us. Here we find children and adults being claimed by His Word and promise in Baptism. Here we gather to participate in the body and blood of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper and receive, in faith, what Jesus promises; the forgiveness of sins. So in reality the more pressing question is, if you believe, or have faith, as you claim, why are you not living in trust of God’s words and promises for you?
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On what basis do you say all this?
- In the Holy Scripture we have the true testimony of Jesus’ disciples. They were the witnesses of Jesus’ ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. They were led to record what they saw and heard and left it for us that we too may believe through this word in Jesus. It is what they preached. It is on the basis of the witness of the prophets and apostles, in the Old and New Testaments, that we have received the promises of God and come to confess Jesus as Lord.
It is on account of the Scripture that we believe and practice our faith. In the Scripture we find the main subject to be God and His work in this world and for this world. The climax of His work is in Jesus and in Jesus we find everything now and forever.
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So what is up with “Lutheran”?
- In the simplest way, we consider that being Lutheran is to confess the Christian faith in the most universal (catholic) and true (orthodox) manner.
For more context and content on being Lutheran check out http://bookofconcord.org/
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I still have more questions…
- Then come and worship with us, attend Bible classes, speak with our pastor, and hear the Word of Jesus proclaimed for you. Through the Word of God we are all growing in the knowledge of the Truth of everything.
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Links of Interest
- We are a member congregation of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS): https://lcms.org
In the LCMS, we are part of the South Dakota District: https://sddlcms.org/
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