Grace, Peace, and Mercy be to you, from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"Out of love and zeal for truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following theses will be publicly discussed at Wittenberg under the chairmanship of the reverend father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology and regularly appointed Lecturer on these subjects at that place. He requests that those who cannot be present to debate orally with us will do so by letter."

With these words Martin Luther began what was to become one of the most talked about documents in Lutheranism. This is the opening paragraph of the Ninety-five Theses. Not that we must all read and know each of these theses, but how many of us have ever read through them to see what they contain? As we look through the dusty memory banks in our minds we know there is something about indulgences, works meriting forgiveness and a few other things important to what Luther did in 1517 and years following, but are these theses still helpful to us today? While at the last Pastors’ conference our presenter spoke about Lutheran mission being just that, Lutheran missions. If what we do does not support the doctrine we claim to confess we are being hypocrites. Luther did not compromise the truth he defended; why? The truth was Scripture. "Out of love and zeal for truth…" Luther’s point from the beginning of the Reformation was to let Scripture guide the entirety of the church and the lives of her members that the truth would be brought to light in daily life.

That truth is just as important today as it was when Luther wrote the Ninety-five Theses as it was when Moses wrote The Pentateuch as it is still today. We have a need to be constantly lead by Scripture, to be sure of our faith, to know what it is that we claim to believe, teach, and confess. The only way to do this is to study it, read it, to inwardly digest it. Only as we study the Scriptures and our confessions will we grow in faith. As we walk together in learning we will grow together as a congregation and as the people of God. A few years ago (when AAL still existed) there were bumper stickers stating "Proud to be Lutheran". Are we? Are we proud enough of our Lutheran faith to study it, to learn it, to live it?

The first of the Ninety-five Theses states, "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ [Matt. 4:17], he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance." What does this refer to but living our Baptismal life remembering daily we are the "baptized" forgiven children of God, living daily as such. With this in mind how do we then live our lives but as the children of God. In other words live your faith, be who God has made you to be in all you say and do. Please prayerfully consider you faith, your Lutheran faith, your attendance in the Divine Service, and Bible Study, and live your life in and through Christ always.

In His Name

Pastor Jim