The Nature of God: Along with Christians throughout history, the Lutheran Church believes in The Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is our one God who exists in three separate and distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While not itself a biblical term, the concept of the Trinity is testified to in the Bible. Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, addressed a transcendent being that he called Father. Jesus' Father was the same God who created the cosmos and who had led Israel out of their slavery in Egypt. When Jesus died for our redemption, God the Father raised His crucified Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead. The Holy Spirit then proceeds from the Father and the Son to continue Christ's ministry on earth, working out God's will in the world and making us holy.
The Problem of Sin: Although we are created in God's image, all human beings are born into a fractured relationship with God because of the sin of our first forbearers. This is called "Original Sin." On our own, we simply cannot love, trust, and obey God as we ought. Our sinfulness is often expressed in attitudes and behaviors that transgress God's law for us, of which the Ten Commandments is the epitome. None of us can avoid sinning, and we cannot earn being put into a right relationship with God by good works, righteous living, or personal commitments. Left to our own devices, we would be deserving of nothing but God's wrath and condemnation for our sins.
Salvation in Christ: God wants to be reconciled to His people; He wants us to be a state of loving communion with him. For that reason, Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, came into our world to demonstrate God's unfailing love for us and to pay the penalty for our sins by his death on the cross. Jesus death makes atonement for our sins and won for us freedom from the powers of sin and death.
Justification by Faith: We are reconciled to God then, not by our good deeds, but God's grace, expressed in Jesus self-sacrifice, which we receive through trusting in the Good News of Jesus death and resurrection. Even though we sin, God declares the faithful not guilty for Jesus' sake. Faith is a free gift the Holy Spirit gives us through the means of grace.
The Means of Grace: So that we might receive faith, God in His wisdom has shared with us His Word and ordained sacraments which awaken and nourish our faith. A sacrament is an action commanded by Christ that involves an outward physical sign that conveys an inward spiritual blessing. The sacraments celebrated by the Lutheran Church are Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.
Holy Baptism: Holy Baptism is a washing in a ritual water bath that cleanses us from our sin and promises us eternal salvation. We baptize infants that will be raised in the Christian faith and adults who come to faith and have not previously been baptized. Baptism is always conducted in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Communion: We believe and teach that in the Holy Communion Christ is truly present in the bread and wine, which become for us Jesus' body and blood. Receiving Holy Communion forgives our sins, strengthens our faith, and makes us at one with Christ and one another.
The Word of God: Jesus Christ is himself the living Word of God. The Bible is for us the written Word of God, testifying to Christ. Lutherans believe the Bible should be the rule and norm for all our doctrines and teaching. Proclamation (preaching) is also the Word of God in that it makes clear the witness and truth of Holy Scripture. The Three Great Creeds used historically throughout the Christian Church (The Apostles', the Nicene, and the Athanasian) are true summaries of scripture. The Lutheran Confessions (written by Luther and the other Reformers) are believed by Lutherans to be accurate commentaries on scripture.
The Church: The Church is the assembly of believers in Christ who gather around the Word and sacraments. In our Lutheran tradition, local communities of believers form into communities called congregations, and groups of congregations in a region join together to form synods. Lutherans recognize the presence of the gospel and the marks of the church not just in Lutheran churches but in other Christian denominations as well.
Saint and Sinner: Although our sin is washed away in Baptism, we have free will and we chose to continue to transgress God's laws. So we are always one time both saint and sinner. Therefore, we need to constantly turn from our sin and seek God's forgiveness, remembering the promise He made to us in Baptism.
Priesthood of All Believers: All people are created equal by God. For good order in the church, some people are dedicated to a ministry of Word and sacrament, but no one has higher or lower status before God based on their vocation or heredity. However, all people have a Christian calling, all people serve a God-given purpose in their careers, family life, etc., and all Christians are called to pray for one another and encourage each other in faith, as God gives us opportunity.
Worship: Jesus Christ is the center of our worship. In worship we hear God's word and receive the sacrament, and we respond to Him with prayer and praise. Genuine worship involves the participation of all the people present and is always in a language the people can understand.
The Problem of Sin: Although we are created in God's image, all human beings are born into a fractured relationship with God because of the sin of our first forbearers. This is called "Original Sin." On our own, we simply cannot love, trust, and obey God as we ought. Our sinfulness is often expressed in attitudes and behaviors that transgress God's law for us, of which the Ten Commandments is the epitome. None of us can avoid sinning, and we cannot earn being put into a right relationship with God by good works, righteous living, or personal commitments. Left to our own devices, we would be deserving of nothing but God's wrath and condemnation for our sins.
Salvation in Christ: God wants to be reconciled to His people; He wants us to be a state of loving communion with him. For that reason, Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, came into our world to demonstrate God's unfailing love for us and to pay the penalty for our sins by his death on the cross. Jesus death makes atonement for our sins and won for us freedom from the powers of sin and death.
Justification by Faith: We are reconciled to God then, not by our good deeds, but God's grace, expressed in Jesus self-sacrifice, which we receive through trusting in the Good News of Jesus death and resurrection. Even though we sin, God declares the faithful not guilty for Jesus' sake. Faith is a free gift the Holy Spirit gives us through the means of grace.
The Means of Grace: So that we might receive faith, God in His wisdom has shared with us His Word and ordained sacraments which awaken and nourish our faith. A sacrament is an action commanded by Christ that involves an outward physical sign that conveys an inward spiritual blessing. The sacraments celebrated by the Lutheran Church are Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.
Holy Baptism: Holy Baptism is a washing in a ritual water bath that cleanses us from our sin and promises us eternal salvation. We baptize infants that will be raised in the Christian faith and adults who come to faith and have not previously been baptized. Baptism is always conducted in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Communion: We believe and teach that in the Holy Communion Christ is truly present in the bread and wine, which become for us Jesus' body and blood. Receiving Holy Communion forgives our sins, strengthens our faith, and makes us at one with Christ and one another.
The Word of God: Jesus Christ is himself the living Word of God. The Bible is for us the written Word of God, testifying to Christ. Lutherans believe the Bible should be the rule and norm for all our doctrines and teaching. Proclamation (preaching) is also the Word of God in that it makes clear the witness and truth of Holy Scripture. The Three Great Creeds used historically throughout the Christian Church (The Apostles', the Nicene, and the Athanasian) are true summaries of scripture. The Lutheran Confessions (written by Luther and the other Reformers) are believed by Lutherans to be accurate commentaries on scripture.
The Church: The Church is the assembly of believers in Christ who gather around the Word and sacraments. In our Lutheran tradition, local communities of believers form into communities called congregations, and groups of congregations in a region join together to form synods. Lutherans recognize the presence of the gospel and the marks of the church not just in Lutheran churches but in other Christian denominations as well.
Saint and Sinner: Although our sin is washed away in Baptism, we have free will and we chose to continue to transgress God's laws. So we are always one time both saint and sinner. Therefore, we need to constantly turn from our sin and seek God's forgiveness, remembering the promise He made to us in Baptism.
Priesthood of All Believers: All people are created equal by God. For good order in the church, some people are dedicated to a ministry of Word and sacrament, but no one has higher or lower status before God based on their vocation or heredity. However, all people have a Christian calling, all people serve a God-given purpose in their careers, family life, etc., and all Christians are called to pray for one another and encourage each other in faith, as God gives us opportunity.
Worship: Jesus Christ is the center of our worship. In worship we hear God's word and receive the sacrament, and we respond to Him with prayer and praise. Genuine worship involves the participation of all the people present and is always in a language the people can understand.
Core Beliefs
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Monroeville, PA 15146
412-372-2934
