-We are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and more generally part of the Lutheran tradition, which has its roots in the 16th century writings of Martin Luther and his followers. What that means for us in real life is that we value tradition, but also value trying new things and staying connected to the world around us. Words like "grace" and "faith" come up a lot for us, but they're not just buzzwords - they're the cornerstones of how we believe God is active in the world!
-So...what's grace? We believe that Jesus Christ is God's Son, and that his death on the cross and resurrection open up a new reality for us, one in which the division between God and people is bridged by the love that we see in Jesus. It's an unconditional love that we can never earn just by doing enough good things, going to church, etc. - it's love, and it's freely given to us just for existing. That's grace!
-How about faith? Faith is the trust that God puts in our hearts that the grace and love we see in Jesus is real, and true, and for each and every person who's ever lived. It's not something we do, and it's not necessarily the opposite of doubts or questions - it's holding on to the promise that we are loved by God not for what we do, but simply for who we are.
-What do grace and faith have to do with us and our lives in the world? Plenty! Because we are loved by God, we are invited to share that love with our neighbors around us in the world. Whether that's helping feed the hungry, treating others with kindness and respect, or advocating on behalf of those who experience injustice, there are all kinds of ways that we can live out our faith by sharing God's love with our neighbors near and far.
-Where do we get all of these ideas? For us, we believe that Jesus Christ is God's Word - the biggest, clearest expression of God's love for us. We learn about Jesus, and the whole story of how God has interacted with people, in the Bible. We consider the Bible to be a faithful witness to who Jesus is and what Jesus does, and it leads us and guides us in living out our faith...though we are careful not to turn the words of the Bible into an idol. We embrace some other books and writings to help us better understand the central message of the Bible; for us, these guides are the three Ecumenical Creeds (Apostles Creed, Nicean Creed, and Athanasian Creed) and the Lutheran Confessions (found in the Book of Concord). These aren't substitutes for the Bible, but they help us know how to make sense of what we find there.
-The Bible was written a long time ago in a very different part of the world, and so were the Creeds and Lutheran Confessions, so...what do we do with them now? We read and study them! Wrestling with the Bible - even the weird and uncomfortable parts - helps us to grow in our faith and understanding of how God's love is alive in the world for us and all people. We take the Bible seriously, and taking it seriously sometimes means asking hard questions, listening to a variety of viewpoints, and not always taking the most literal reading of the Bible as the best one.
-As part of our life together, we celebrate two sacraments. What's a sacrament? It's a fancy word to describe ways in which God uses physical things, like bread, wine, and water, to reveal how much we are loved by God. In baptism, God claims us as beloved children with God's unconditional love, and in communion, the bread and wine help us taste the goodness of God's love for us as Jesus shows up in the meal and the community gathered around it.
-Who can be a part of all of this? Anyone! We believe that God loves you for you, just as you are, no exceptions. Christians haven't always done a good job of making all people feel loved, but at St. Paul, we try to do better because we genuinely believe that everyone is made in God's image and is worthy of God's love.