What We Believe

Lutherans believe the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is a living Word, where God’s saving love and goodness is communicated among us even today. We’ll often say that we interpret the Bible in a way that takes scripture "seriously, but not always literally". We take seriously the historical and metaphorical meanings of each scripture reading, and we also ask, "How is God speaking to us through this passage, at our moment in time, given our cultural situation today?"

Grace is God's free gift and comes with no strings attached. Martin Luther focused on the grace of God, which is God's unconditional love and forgiveness given to humanity through Jesus Christ. Grace sets us free from guilt, fear, and worry. Grace is the cornerstone of our Christian faith.

Sacraments are a way we experience God’s grace tangibly–through water, bread, and wine. God promises life and salvation in and through our Baptism. We believe that God is truly present with us in Communion, and we taste and see the goodness of God. While God’s grace can show up to meet us anytime, anywhere, in the two sacraments held by the Lutheran church, we recognize a place where Jesus promises to be present as a means of grace. We practice weekly communion and remember our baptisms daily because the sacraments are a place where God sustains and equips us to live out Christ’s love.

When Lutherans talk about faith, we are talking about the relationship God’s Holy Spirit creates with us. It’s a relationship where God’s promise of steadfast love and mercy in Jesus opens us to a life of bold trust in God and joyful, generous service to everyone we know and meet in daily life. Faith does not close our minds to the world or close our hearts to others - rather, faith opens our hearts to Christ's inspiration and calling today.

Through our baptisms, we are all ministers of the Word–a priesthood of all believers, equipped to share Christ’s love through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther was exuberant when he described the freedom of “a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that believers would stake their lives on it a thousand times.” He wrote, “Oh, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good things unceasingly.”

Our faith frees us to care for our neighbor, God calls us to strive for justice, and the Spirit equips us to be peacemakers. As we are shaped by the Gospel we follow in the way of Christ joyfully practicing radical hospitality for all people and living out God’s way of peace that surpasses all understanding. Muhlenberg embodies this call by caring for God’s creation, working and praying for justice, and living out God’s dream where all have dignity and have enough. In particular, we are mindful to welcome and affirm historically disenfranchised communities like LGBTQIA+ folks and we commit to antiracist work that makes our community safe for all people of color.

We welcome all because God welcomes all, regardless of race or culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or relationship status. We welcome all without regard to physical or mental health, intellectual or developmental disabilities, addictions, socio-economic status, politics, or anything that too often divides us. Our unity is in Christ. Our diversity of thought, mind, love, race, gender, and any number of other things is not a barrier to community, but a blessing. Together, we reveal the infinite creativity of our God, simply by being our authentic selves in relationship with one another.