A word from Pastor Brian Brandt:

Lutherans are part of a 500 year old Christian reform movement. Martin Luther and others in 16th century Germany realized that the church had lost its way. So they worked to separate the church from secular government. They also worked to recover a sense of God’s amazing grace.

Here are my personal main points about doing church Lutheran style.

God reaches out to build spiritual community. God proactively builds relationships with people. God calls them into spiritual community and good spiritual relationships. This community is traditionally called “the church.” This community is always under construction.

God is good. God blesses, empowers, and authorizes people to make their spiritual experience active in love to serve other people. God calls us to seek justice, build up the common good, work for peace on Earth, and celebrate God’s presence in the splendor of Creation. That's how God is honored. And that's why God is worshiped.

God is in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ defines what it means to be fully human because Christ brings the fullness of God’s love, power, wisdom, and everlasting life into each person's experience. Through Christ, God reclaims human beings to live in right relationship with God and each other. Jesus’ life, work, death, and resurrection are the heart of this reclaiming.

God confronts evil and transforms it to good. Just as God empowers goodness, God also calls us to confront evil, injustice, hatred, and abusive violence – in ourselves and in others. God intervenes to confront and transform our own alienation from God and others.

Traditionally, this is called “the forgiveness of sins.” This brings changes in heart and mind that empower us to do good. Traditionally, this is called “repentance.” God continues to work with each of us like this so we are set free from fear and enslavement to the powers of evil. So we become free to live with trust, courage, love, and wisdom. This gives us power to do good, seek justice, work for peace, and celebrate God’s presence in Creation.

God will bring the universe to fulfillment. Just as God is creating this amazing universe, so the cosmic Christ, living beyond death, guides the universe to fulfillment. This cosmic journey from beginning to end is empowered by the Holy Spirit, which energizes the convergence of all things into an integrated communion of holy love where each creature is intimately present to God in praise, thanksgiving, and enduring joy. Traditionally, this is known as “eternal life” and “the beatific vision.” It’s an infinitely expanded version of the Garden of Eden, only better.

Of course, there’s much more to be said about these things. If you’re curious, come meet me and let’s talk. – Pastor Brian Brandt