Concerning the Good News

In its simplest form, the Good News is,

It is the Book of Faith meant to bring its reader into an encounter with and faith in the Living Word of God, Jesus.
It is the inspired Word of God, meaning that study and such resources as the Augsburg Confession are endlessly helpful in one’s relationship with and understanding of it.
It is the norm for Christian life.

In its simplest form, faith is the ability to trust God to be God.
It is a gift, never earned but worked in us by the power of the Spirit.
It is the vehicle of our identity as disciples, our value as God’s children, and our purpose in service toward God’s whole creation.

It is a free gift made sure and irrevocable for us in Jesus as the Messiah.
It is liberation from those powers of sin and death.
As the gift of eternal life, salvation is a reality which the church is to live out of, and into, each day for the whole world.

Seeing the true value in baptism as found in the work and faithfulness of God, not in humans or their understanding, we baptize only once and often during infancy.
Baptism is a sacrament in which the church recognizes and participates in the full deliverance of the individual from sin, death, and the powers of evil, and affirms their identity, value, and purpose as fellow members of the church through the pouring out of the Spirit.
As Lutherans, baptism is one of two sacraments we recognize because it is directed by Jesus in the scriptures.

We take Jesus at his word when he says, “this is my body and blood.” While still bread and wine, we believe that Jesus is made truly present in, with, and under them in Communion.
Communion is a sacrament in which the church recognizes and participates the full deliverance that restores us to a right and close relationship with God as Jesus once again becomes a part of us and we a part of him.
As Lutherans, communion is one of two sacraments we recognize because it is directed by Jesus in the scriptures.