Hello friends,
Over the next few weeks, my weekly blog will focus on what distinguishes
Lutherans from non-denominational churches.
Here is what makes an (ELCA) Lutheran church distinct from
(most) Non-Denominational Churches.
1) Sacramental Focus:
Unlike many non-denominational churches that view communion as a symbolic act,
Lutherans believe in the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine. It is an act of
recognizing the sacred in the simplicity of the gifts of bread and wine (or juice).
As your pastor, I have a very open view of who is welcome at the table (everyone)
and who is not (nobody). After all, it is Jesus who is the host, and he invited,
welcomed, and received all kinds of people, including believers, nonbelievers, sinners,
and saints, even the one who ultimately betrayed him.
It is also common for the sacramental focus of Lutherans to include the idea that all
life is sacred, and needs to be honored and loved, the earth and all that is in it. We are
interconnected and bound to one another by Christ’s love through the Holy Spirit.
Lutherans have two focal sacraments in worship, Communion and Baptism. These
have been determined by being commanded by Jesus and are instituted through
nature, using water, grain, and fruit of the vine.
“The trees act not as individuals, but somehow as a collective. Exactly how they do
this, we don’t yet know. But what we see is the power of unity. What happens to one
happens to us all. We can starve together or feast together.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the
Teachings of Plants
Be like a tree and feel the power of unity!
With Love,
+Pastor Teri