What is Lutheranism?

For Lutherans, worship is an ever-changing and -growing experience. Connected with and central to eve rything we do, worship unites us in celebration, engages us in thoughtful dialogue and helps us grow in faith. It grounds us in our Christian and Lutheran roots, while demonstrating practical relevance for today’s world.  

There is a basic pattern for worship among Lutherans. We gather. We encounter God’s Word. We share a meal at the Lord’s table. And we are sent into the world. But we do not think about worship so much in terms of what we do. Worship is fundamentally about what God is doing and our response to God’s action. Worship is an encounter with God, who saves us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Think about it like this. God’s Spirit calls us together. God speaks to us through readings from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, through preaching, prayer, and song. God feeds and nourishes us in a saving way. And God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world.

Taken together, the Word proclaimed and the sacraments — both Holy Baptism and Holy Communion– are called the means of grace. We believe that Jesus Christ is present in these means through the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we describe worship as a “gathering around the means of grace.” This is a way of saying that we trust that God is genuinely present with us in baptism, in preaching, and in sharing the bread and wine of Holy Communion. In that sense, Lutherans believe that God’s presence permeates all of Christian worship. 

The cross is the central symbol that marks our worship spaces and when Lutherans worship, singing fills the air. The voices of all the people joined in song and the participation of all the people in the worship is a witness to our conviction that in worship we are being drawn in to God’s own saving story.

Why a Lutheran church? 

The Lutheran Church celebrates the teachings of Martin Luther as they witness to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Luther became an Augustinian monk in 1505, and was ordained a priest in 1507.   While continuing his studies in pursuit of a Doctor of Theology degree, he discovered significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the theology and practices then in use by the church.  On October 31, 1517, he posted a challenge on the church door at Wittenberg University to debate 95 theological issues.  Luther’s 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 to a religious war, fueled by fiery temperaments and violent language on both sides.  As a result, there was not a reformation of the church but a separation.  “Lutheran” was a name applied to Luther and his followers as an insult but adopted as a badge of honor by them instead.  Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of theology and practice espoused by Luther, such as Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, and Sola Scriptura: 

• We are saved by the grace of God alone — not by anything we do; 
• Our salvation is through faith alone — we only need to believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, who died to redeem us; 
• The Bible is the only norm of doctrine and life — the only true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged. 

Another of Luther’s principles was that Scriptures and worship need to be in the language of the people. Before that only Latin was used and only the most highly educated could read it or understand Latin when it was spoken. Many Lutherans still consider themselves as a reforming movement within the Church catholic, rather than a separatist movement, and Lutherans have engaged in ecumenical dialogue with other church bodies for decades.  In fact, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has entered into cooperative “full communion” agreements with several other Protestant denominations.  Luther’s Small Catechism, which contains teachings on the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession and Absolution, Holy Communion and Morning and Evening Prayers, is still used to introduce people to the Lutheran faith, as is the Augsburg Confession. 

Is Lutheranism the Only True Religion?

“Do Lutherans believe theirs is the only true religion?” This question was once put to the late Dr. Elson Ruff, editor of The Lutheran. His answer was, “Yes, but Lutherans don’t believe they are the only ones who have it. There are true Christian believers in a vast majority of the churches, perhaps in all.” The ELCA Confession of Faith says “This church confesses Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe …”

How Do Lutherans Look upon the Bible?

To borrow a phrase from Luther, the Bible is “the manger in which the Word of God is laid.”  While Lutherans recognize differences in the way the Bible should be studied and interpreted, it is accepted as the primary and authoritative witness to the church’s faith.  Written and transcribed by many authors over a period of many centuries, the Bible bears remarkable testimony to the mighty acts of God in the lives of people and nations.  In the Old Testament is found the vivid account of God’s covenant relationship to Israel.  In the New Testament is found the story of God’s new covenant with all of creation in Jesus.

The New Testament is the first-hand proclamation of those who lived through the events of Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection.  As such, it is the authority for Christian faith and practice.  The Bible is thus not a definitive record of history or science.   Rather, it is the record of the drama of God’s saving care for creation throughout the course of history.

What Do Lutherans Believe About Creation?

Lutherans believe that God is Creator of the universe.  Its dimensions of space and time are not something God made once and then left alone.  God is, rather, continually creating, calling into being each moment of each day.

Human beings have a unique position in the order of creation.  As males and females created in God’s image, we are given the capacity and freedom to know and respond to our creator.  Freedom implies that we can choose to respond to God either positively or negatively.

Where Do Lutherans Stand on the Question of Sin?

Lutherans believe that all people live in a condition which is the result of misused freedom.  “Sin” describes not so much individual acts of wrongdoing as fractured relationships between the people of creation and God.  Our every attempt to please God falls short of the mark.  By the standard of the Law, of which the Ten Commandments are a classic summary, God expresses his just and loving expectations for creation, and our failure to live up to those expectations reveals only our need for God’s mercy and forgiveness.

What Sacraments Do Lutherans Accept?

Lutherans accept two Sacraments as God-given means for penetrating the lives of people with his grace.  Although they are not the only means of God’s self-revelation, Baptism and Holy Communion are visible acts of God’s love.

In Baptism, and it can be seen more clearly in infant Baptism, God freely offers his grace and lovingly establishes a new community.  It is in Baptism that people become members of Christ’s Body on earth, the Church.   In Holy Communion — often called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist — those who come to the table receive in bread and wine the body and blood of their Lord.  This gift is itself the real presence of God’s forgiveness and mercy, nourishing believers in union with their Lord and with each other.

Do Lutherans Believe in Life After Death?

While there is much we do not and cannot know about life beyond the grave, Lutherans do believe that life with God persists even after death.  Judgment is both a present and future reality, and history moves steadily towards God’s ultimate fulfillment.

This of course is a great mystery, and no description of what life may be like in any dimension beyond history is possible.  Anxiety for the future is not a mark of faith.   Christians should go about their daily tasks, trusting in God’s grace and living a life of service in his name.

What Must a Person Do to Become a Christian?

Jesus said, “Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”   (John 11:25-26)

What Must a Person Do to Become a Lutheran?

To become a Lutheran, only Baptism and instruction in the Christian faith is required.   If you are already baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it will be necessary only to attend a membership class in a Lutheran congregation and thus signify your desire to become a part of its community.  Active members of other Lutheran congregations usually need only to transfer their membership.

We, at Salem Lutheran Church, extend the same word of welcome, which God shares with us through our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord. We believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection is for us, so that nothing can ever separate us from God’s word of welcome for us. We are sinners who, for Christ’s sake, God now declares to be saints and beloved children. We are saints, not because of our conduct, but because of Jesus’ death on the cross, “where he forgave us all, erasing the record that stood against us and set it aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14)

The word of welcome is a gift of love which we call grace. We invite you to join in our community of faith as we celebrate the gift of God’s welcoming grace.

For more information on the history and current documents of the ELCA, look at other resources linked to the "Who We Are" section of the ELCA web site. Another resource related to this topic is the bulletin insert series "With Confidence in God's Future."

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- Prepared by the ELCA Department for Communication