Introducing Two Minute Lutheran

Pastor Keith breaks down the basics of the Lutheran tradition in a series of two-minute videos. In this first video, Pastor Keith Anderson introduces the series and lets you know what to expect.

Justified by Grace Through Faith

“Grace” is the most important word for Lutherans. It is how we understand God, ourselves, and the world. We are made right with God through God’s grace alone, which we receive in faith.

Bondage of the Will

Nobody likes talking about sin, including Pastor Keith, but in Lutheranism sin is only a road sign pointing us to a loving God. We simply cannot earn God’s love or salvation. Rather, we receive it as a free gift.

Sinners and Saints at the Same Time

Faith is not an either/or proposition. For Lutherans, it’s always both/and. Our faith enables us to hold things in tension and juxtaposition. In this case, we recognize that we are sinners and saints at the same time.

Law and Gospel

How do Lutherans read the Bible? We do not read the Bible literally. We read it through the lens of Law and Gospel. The law, everything that talks about something we “should” do, reminds us of our need for God and drives us into the arms of God’s love.

Theology of the Cross

Where is God in suffering? Lutherans answer this question in a particular way. On the cross, we see that Jesus joins us in our suffering, experiencing not only physical pain, but also grief, loss, and abandonment. Therefore, God is most present when we suffer, even when we feel furthest from God.

A Lutheran Ethic

There is nothing that we have to do— nothing we can do—to earn God’s love. So what do we do when we don’t have to do anything. We look around and ask, “Who is my neighbor?” and serve them in response to the gratitude we feel for God’s gifts to us.

The Sacraments

Lutherans recognize two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. A sacrament is something that Jesus did and commands us to do. It combines a physical element and joins it to the promises of God.

The Freedom of a Christian

In 1520, Martin Luther wrote that “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” He meant that while we have been set free in Christ, that freedom should be used in the service of our neighbor.

Martin Luther

He was a monk, a Biblical scholar, a theologian, a pastor, a preacher, and the best-selling author in all of Europe. Considered to be one of the most important figures in history, his theological insights changed the world.

The Reformation

In 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, and lit the fuse that would change the world. His key theological insight, that we are saved by grace through faith, started a religious, political, social, and economic revolution, and, ultimately, invented the modern world.