Did you know that when Martin Luther began the Reformation, he and his allies referred to themselves as “evangelicals”? That word has taken on many other meanings in our time, yet the word actually means “those with good news.” Eventually, opponents of those early reforms began to call Luther’s allies “Lutherans,” not to honor their work but to identify them as enemies of the church who followed a man, not God.

While the name “Lutheran” may have stuck, we are still committed to being “those with good news.” The God we meet in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus offers unconditional love and life, and invites people, through faith, to trust in that love and join in Christ’s work in the world today. We celebrate that love as a gift of grace. We continue the ministry of Jesus as a calling that shapes our lives.

God doesn’t love people more for believing, but God does rejoice each time a person trusts in God’s love and joins with Jesus as an ally in the work. Our role is to inform and invite people. God’s Holy Spirit brings the gift of faith to each person’s life.

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