All that we believe and confess about God is revealed to us in God’s Word, the Bible, the sacred Scriptures. The Scriptures are the inspired, inerrant Word of God, the proclamation of which is the vehicle by which the Spirit works to create and sustain faith in the hearts of all believers (see Romans 10:14-17). Alongside the Bible, Lutherans also confess the Book of Concord of 1580 (also known as our Confessions) as a right exposition of the Scriptures and a good rule and norm for our life together as God’s people. The Confessions include: The Augsburg Confession, The Apology to the Augsburg Confession, the Small and Large Catechisms of Martin Luther, On the Power and Primacy of the Pope, The Smalcald Articles, and the Formula of Concord. For more information on these documents, see this website on the Book of Concord.
As a Church of the Reformation, we also hold to some of the guiding principles that came out of that historic time in the life of the Church, often referred to as the “solas” of the Reformation (sola meaning “alone”):
As Lutheran Christians, we also confess the powerful work that God does for us through the means of grace, or the vehicles by which His grace is given to us, namely in the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar (or, Holy Communion). As the Church has done for centuries, Lutherans baptize children as infants recognizing both their need for God’s grace as sinners, and the manner in which He makes heirs of His kingdom. In Baptism, our sins are washed away, the name of the Triune God is placed upon us, and we are made partakers of Christ’s death and resurrection and thus, of everlasting life with Him. It is in the Sacrament of the Altar that we receive ongoing food for our journey with Christ as He feeds us with His very body and blood given to us under bread and wine. Through our eating and drinking, we receive forgiveness and a foretaste of the unending feast of heaven. This is why the Lord’s Supper is celebrated every week at St. John’s, and in many Lutheran churches around the world. It is a tremendous blessing to be able to receive the Lord’s gifts each week in Word and Sacrament.
While no one can believe for you, we are never called into the faith to live purely as individuals. In other words, faith is never merely a private matter. Christ has made us members of His body and set us in a life together as the Church. Being together as that body on the Sabbath is important to support, rejoice, and receive together all that the Lord is doing in and through us. Reading the Bible on your own and praying by yourself is certainly fine, but our Lord intended for us to gather together and to work cooperatively as His ambassadors out in the world. As such, the Church offers a variety of ways to be involved in her life, from helping on Sundays, to serving in administrative positions, to assisting with our mercy work in the community. Together, we strive to support one another in the faith, and by God’s grace, to be His hands, feet, and voice into the community and beyond.
For more information on the basics of what we believe, please see the Small Catechism of Martin Luther, available here. You may also check out the beliefs page, and many other items, from our church body’s website, The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, here. You may also contact the pastor with any additional questions. He would be happy to speak with you!