Who Are Lutherans
Lutherans Are Sinners
. . . but
they are forgiven. Lutherans may identify themselves as students or senators,
Texans or Tanzanians, children or senior citizens. But when they consider their
religious beliefs, they will confess what you would soon find out: they fall
short of God's expectations.
They will go
on to tell that this same God, a loving God, forgives them. They believe that it
is God acting for and in them, and not their own acts, that brings forgiveness.
Lutherans call this "justification by grace through faith." As a result they are
new people who are not haunted by guilt or bothered by worry. They trust God who
comes to them in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Lutherans Are Evangelical
. . . and as
forgiven people reach out to share the message of God's grace. Evangelical
refers to the good news, or gospel, of Jesus Christ. As sinners Lutherans
sometimes get caught up in themselves as much as everyone else does. But they
try to look beyond themselves to bring the gospel to community life with people
of other faiths and those of no faith. They welcome others to worship and work
with them.
Lutherans Are Born Again Christians
. . . with
their own understanding of what it means to be "born again." Lutherans, like
other catholic Christians, baptize infants, believing that God works grace in
them. In fact, they believe that every day and in every act of serious return to
God they are returning to their baptism. They come forth as new people, which
means that they are born again--and again and again.
Lutherans Are Worshipers
. . . who
think of worship not as a pastor's performance but as the people's service. They
are sacramental. Along with Baptism they celebrate the Eucharist (or Lord's
Supper or Holy Communion) frequently, in many churches weekly. They believe that
Jesus Christ is truly present when they gather in faith for this sacred meal.
Theirs is a
singing church, and Lutherans have contributed and still contribute much to
Christian music. These songs are not always on the Christian Hit Parade, but it
does not take long to learn them and to appreciate the way they focus thoughts
on a gracious God. Lutheran worship includes song and prayer from many Christian
traditions.
Lutherans
place special emphasis on the word of God. Lutheran worship stresses preaching
in the form of a sermon that addresses the needs of sinners and announces the
loving activity of God. God is present when humans speak the divine word, so
Lutherans gather to hear it together.
They believe
God speaks to people through the Scriptures, and so Lutherans revere personal
Bible reading in addition to personal prayer. They are serious about their
devotion to God but do not prescribe special postures or mannerisms.
Lutherans Are Stewards
. . . which
means they believe that all of life and health, all possessions and capabilities
are, in a sense, on loan from God the Creator. So they keep on learning--never
rapidly enough, or profoundly enough--how to return on God's investment in them.
Lutherans Want to Make a Difference
. . . as
people who do well when God works through them. Lutherans take the divine law
with utter seriousness, but they are not legalists. They do not think they can
please God by following laws nor can they come to perfection. Remember, the
first thing to be said about them is that they are sinners who are forgiven. But
they believe that they are to make faith active in love. Where there is no love,
no generosity, no service to others, they suspect that faith is weak or absent.
Through
organized groups and individual action Lutherans are part of public life. They
want to work for justice, as biblical prophets and New Testament believers did.
Lutherans
also participate in works of mercy and healing, as the name "Lutheran" on so
many hospitals, social service agencies, and relief projects makes clear. These
efforts involve non-Lutheran partners.
Lutherans Are Churchly
. . . and
learning to be more so. This means they are ecumenical--they want the church to
be as united as Christ prayed it would be. Yet they confess their faith through
creeds and statements designed to set forth distinctive Lutheran understanding
about a gracious God. As sinners, they do not think of themselves as better than
others. As confessors, they do believe all Christians should speak clearly of
their understandings of faith.
Lutherans Are Protestants
. . . who
are also catholic. As Protestants, they continue the reformation begun in
European churches in the 15th century. Being catholic they believe that Christ's
church is universal, and that they are connected with Roman Catholic, Eastern
Orthodox, Anglican, and other Christians who stress their ties to Christ's
church everywhere and through the ages.
Lutheran
Protestants would not have chosen the name Lutheran; it was acquired
accidentally, often from early enemies. The name refers to Martin Luther, a
German monk and an Old Testament professor, who came to renewed understanding of
the good news almost 500 years ago. Lutherans do not worship Martin Luther, but
they do celebrate what God worked through him. Luther's writings called for
church reform and led to protests--now known as the Protestant Reformation. His
statement on justification by grace through faith, for example, remains a
central, distinct characteristic of Lutheran understanding today.
Lutherans Come From Somewhere
. . . and
would like to be everywhere. Lutherans originated as people who were involved
with church reform in Scandinavia and Germany. They moved from northern Europe
first and chiefly to northern North America, which seemed to be a second natural
habitat. However, they believe that their message of a God who forgives sinners
is for everyone, so Lutherans have moved south from Europe and northern America
into all the world.
Most
Lutherans believe that the Christian good news knows no racial, ethnic,
economic, national, or gender-related boundaries. The Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America is organized to give emphasis to its desire that men and
women, white and black, Hispanic and Asian and others, share equally in the
benefits and tasks that go with Christian life.
Lutherans Are Congregational
. . . but do
not limit their activities to local or regional arenas. Most of the time their
neighbors know Lutherans through the local churches which bear their names. And
Lutherans put most of their energies into these local congregations. There they
baptize, commune, speak the word of God, reach out with acts of love, become
friends, receive challenges, pray for others, and test their responsibilities.
Lutheran
congregations are connected by synods and by church bodies like the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, which has over five million members. They pool
resources so that together these congregations can better reach out to people in
need everywhere.
Together
they educate leaders. Lutherans stress learned ministries and cherish skilled
professional workers. For this they need jointly supported seminaries and
colleges. But their stress on leadership, made possible by the larger church,
does not make Lutheranism a priestly movement. Lay Christians as well as
ordained ministers make up what Martin Luther called "a priesthood of all
believers." All are ministers. Lay people, in teamwork with pastors, take
initiatives to help see that Christ is represented among them and in their
communities.
Lutherans Are Unfinished Products
. . . though
their forgiveness is complete. Aware of human weakness, imperfection, and
mixed-up priorities, Lutherans are hopeful people. They respond to God's love by
reaching out to others to tell and to demonstrate the good news of Jesus Christ.
They believe that with God, anything is possible. They invite others who are not
now active in Christian communions to join them in the challenges which a
trouble-filled world presents, and to rejoice with them in the promises with
which a loving God greets them.
Who are
Lutherans? by Martin
E. Marty copyright (c) 1989 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Posted on
this website by permission of Augsburg Fortress. www.augsburgfortress.org
Websites on Lutherans, Lutheran traditions and
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