What are Lutherans" anvwav? (an extremely brief introduction)

Here at Holy Trinity, we're often asked - either by folks who haven't been to church in a while (or ever) or by former Roman Catholics - what exactly Lutherans are. In an effort to answer that, here are a few of the things that are important to us, here and now, in terms of what it means to be a Lutheran.

The Basics Lutherans are Christians, followers and disciples of Jesus. We are one of the first Protestant groups that broke away from the Roman about five hundred years ago. More than anything, we focus on the idea of grace - God loves us, cares about us, created us, saved us, and continues to inspire us, not because of any.thing we do (or fail to do) but because of who God is. We can't eam God's love or favor; it's already been given to us (and we couldn't earn it anyway). Grace is the essential idea of , and our main contribution to the mix of ideas within the Christian faith. That, actually, would be enough to describe us, so feel free to stop reading here. But if you'd like a bit more detail, keep on going.

History The history of Lutheranism begins in a period called the , a time of great r.rpheaval (religiotrs, political, and economic) in Europe in the early 1500's. A young monk named grew dissatisfied with the Roman Catholic Church of the time and some of their traditions and structures. After a thorough study of the Bible, he began to advocate for a return to what he felt was a more honest way of understanding faith and the church: such things as the free gift of God's grace, less distinction between priests and regular people, scripture available in a language everyone could understand, and many other topics. This did not sit well with the Roman Catholic establishment, and eventually a separate (Protestant) church was formed. Luther did not want it called 'Lutheran,' by the way - he preferred 'evange1ical,' which means it would concentrate on good news. These two churches - Protestant and Roman Catholic - existed side-by-side in Europe for many years, sometimes getting along and sometimes not. Lutherans tended to live in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) and in Germany, though some were scattered in other countries. Other Protestant groups arose as well during this time: Reform, Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian, and so on. Once the 1700's and 1800's rolled around, many of these groups migrated to America, and many kept their denominational ties along with their cultural and ethnic ones. That's why many Lutheran congregations have German or Nordic backgrounds, with cultural tendencies to go along with them. As time goes by, however, the modern Lutheran church in America tends to look more and more like the rest of the nation. Globally, as well, Lutheranism is spreading very strongly in the Global South (especially Africa) even as it has challenges in Europe and North America. Theology As mentioned before, the primary element of Lutheranism is our emphasis on grace: the good news of God's love, already given. We also focus on Jesus, the Christ - God's anointed and chosen leader. Some faiths and denominations focus on God as the father and creator, some on the Spirit, and some on the church itself; we are Jesus people. We do understand God as a Trinity, and adhere to the basic Creeds (belief statements) of , but we look to Jesus above all. Luther was fond of pointing out the singular importance of certain things: Scripture, Grace, Faith, and Christ. He captured this idea in Latin phrases (they were still big on Latin back in Luther's time, even as he was translating the Bible into common German) known as the 'Solas' - which means 'alone.' Scripture alone (not mixed with lots of church tradition and bureaucracy), grace alone (you can't earn God's love or salvation), faith alone (trusting God is all we do), and Christ alone (Jesus does this for us). Luther also made a big point of contrasting his , a focus on Jesus having done everything by dying on the cross, with a Theology of Glory, which looks at human achievement, wealth, and power as markers of success. Lutherans describe two things as 'sacraments,' which are particular promises God has made to us coupled with earthly elements - things. These are communion, where we eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of Jesus, and , where we use water to welcome people into the congregation and into the kingdom of God. We welcome all people to communion, and we baptize infants as well as adults. Also, Lutherans place a lot of stock in scripture, in reading the Bible and talking about it and iearning from it, anci in hearing the Worci preached in worship. To us, this is a big deai. The Bible is not God, but it is a way that God has chosen to speak to us. Beyond that, to Lutherans lots of stuff is 'adiaphra' - a fancy way (Latin, again) of saying that it just doesn't matter. What you wear to church? Doesn't matter. Are there flowers? Doesn't matter. Is it red wine or white wine? What kind of music do you use? Bread or wafers? Do I have to sit or kneel? Am I required to do this, or do that? Doesn't matter. Lots of stuff, actually, doesn't matter. This is incredibly liberating.

Interesting details There are several different Lutheran groups in the U.S. at the moment - we are an ELCA congregation, which stands for Evangelical (good news) Lutheran Church in (not of) America. Other Lutheran bodies include the Missouri , the Wisconsin Synod, and several others. The ELCA is composed of more than just congregations. We have (regional groups of congregations), the national church structure, several colleges, seminaries, many wonderful camps (including Bear Creek Camp, right in our area!), and service organizations. More can be found at ]yyly.qk11.e_Ig. Another wonderful source of information on Lutherans and Lutheranism is the Lutheran Handbook, various books and pamphlets by Daniel Erlander, and (best of all!) talking to me or to other members of the congregation. If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Feel free to ask me any questions you might have, and may your day be blessed -

Pastor Paul Metzloff