You might be a Lutheran if...

(Sneak peak at October's newsletter column).

October is the month that Lutherans remember the day in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed the Wittenberg door On October 24 and 25, our worship space will be decorated with the color red as a sign of God’s Holy Spirit at work in the Church. We’ll sing traditional Lutheran hymns like “A Mighty Fortress is our God” and remember that we don’t have to buy indulgences to earn our way into heaven.

When I was in New Orleans at the ELCA Youth Gathering with some of our high schoolers, I saw t-shirts with the word “ymbali.” I was really confused. Is this Greek? Swahili? I finally asked somebody. It’s an acronym: You Might Be a Lutheran If… The back of the shirt had funny lines that were mostly variations on jokes about casseroles and boring organ hymns.

We are not defined by our food or our music, but by our theology. This emphasis on God’s grace crosses so many boundaries.

Lutherans can be described as evangelical, catholic, and reforming.
Lutherans are evangelical, proclaiming Good News of God's love. Martin Luther's prophetic action brought him to a door. Our evangelism at brings us out of these doors. We end our service every week with “Go in peace, serve the lord.”

Lutherans are catholic, meaning universal. We realize we don’t have a monopoly on God’s grace, but are a part of the Church that transcends time and space.

Lutherans are reforming. We are called to wrestle with issues that cause us discomfort and to welcome those who are unfamiliar. We carry on beautiful traditions and create new ones. Let the Holy Spirit guide us in our transformation into a Beloved Community that lives into its name—Amazing Grace.