What Being Lutheran Means to Me

I was recently asked what I thought being Lutheran was all about. Here’s my ever-evolving answer.

Compassion for the Human Condition

Lutherans understand humans as simultaneously saint and sinner, meaning that no one is perfect, no one can boast of being better than anyone else. Instead, we know that we are all complex, imperfect human beings.

God’s Love Doesn’t Depend on Us Being Good

We are “justified by faith.” That means that nothing we do or don’t do can change the fact of God’s love for us. It is through God’s mercy alone that we can rest in the love of God. In addition, with Martin Luther I believe that faith unites the believer with Christ and through Christ the Holy Spirit transforms or sanctifies us so we can become new beings.

We Don’t Need a Pope or Priest as a Go-Between

We are a “priesthood of all believers,” meaning that laypeople and clergy alike have equal rights and responsibilities. Laypeople have as much dignity, worth, and value as clergy. And all are called to be in daily relationship with God and Christ, so that we may be a reflection for others to come to faith as well.

We Love to Sing and Learn

We embrace music as a key part of our worship experience, and we lift our voices in praise together. Because we are part of the lectionary tradition, over the course of a few years we hear all the key stories upon which our tradition – and the bulk of Western culture – is based. That connects us to our religious ancestors and expands our awareness of the power of scriptural texts to relate ancient, deep truths to our contemporary lives.

We Don’t Demand Conformity

We don’t ask people to check their brains at the door. We are all invited to bring our intelligence, our questions and our doubts to this journey of faith. Doubt is not the opposite of faith, but a key part of it.

We Love Community

We love being in fellowship together, sharing food and love. Our relationships are key to our experience of the Way of Jesus and his way of Life.

We are Open to Reformation

We are not afraid to challenge tradition when it no longer serves the faithful or has become a stumbling block to those who have not yet heard the good news of God’s love.