Our Beliefs

ELCAfaithLUTHERANS BELIEVE IN GOD WHO IS THE ETERNAL CREATOR OF ALL THAT EXISTS. Because God is a loving God – not because we fear God’s punishment – we want to live as God’s children in obedience to God’s holy will.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD who, in the incarnation, the cross, and the resurrection, has brought redemption and salvation to all. Because of this undeserved and free gift, we seek to live in faithful discipleship to Jesus our Lord.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT that was present at creation and has inspired men and women throughout the centuries. We believe that the Spirit still calls us through the Gospel and inspires us to live out our faith in lives of service to the world.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD. It is not merely the record of how God once spoke. Still today, God speaks to us in and through the Scriptures. To read the Bible and to hear it preached is not only a privilege, but also a holy responsibility for all.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE CREATION OF GOD AND AN INTEGRAL PART OF CHRIST’S MISSION TO EARTH. We are glad to count ourselves as a part of a holy catholic (universal) and apostolic (based on the apostles’ witness) family of faith, for the Church is the communion of all saints.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE THAT THE SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM AND HOLY COMMUNION ARE THE MEANS OF RECEIVING GOD’S GRACE and should be held in reverence by all.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE THAT THE GOSPEL IS GOD’S CALL AND GIFT OF SALVATION. In our own strength and by our own efforts we cannot believe or come to God, but the Holy Spirit creates and nourishes a true faith within us.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE IN MINISTRY IN DAILY LIFE. We believe that every Christian has been called through his/her baptism to minister in the world. Every occupation, however worldly it may be, is a God-given vocation in which we use the special gifts that God has entrusted to us. “There are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord. First Corinthians 12:4-5.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. We believe that the rule of Jesus has begun in our world and even now makes a difference in our lives and in the lives of others. Like Jesus, our Lord, we seek to be sensitive to all human need and are glad to assist the Church in its global service to humankind. We believe the kingdom’s coming will culminate in Jesus’ coming again.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE IN EDUCATION AND THE GROWTH OF THE MIND. We are not afraid of any new discovery of truth, for all truth is from God. Lifelong learning, our growth in grace and strengthening in faith, runs through our congregation’s life and ministry.

LUTHERANS BELIEVE IN LIFE ETERNAL. Our abiding hope is that, when we complete our journey in this world, we will be welcomed to live in the nearer presence of Christ. Saint John 14:1-6 tells of Jesus’ promise that there are rooms – the finest of places – prepared for us in heaven. There, in time, we will be welcomed by God as forgiven and restored children of the light

Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Norwood, MA is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Click here to visit the ELCA website for a description of our Lutheran teachings.