Who We Are
We are a small congregation where everyone is known by name. In a past generation Christ Lutheran was a larger congregation. Now we are learning how to be a smaller community based in the promise of Christ’s life in us. We seek to welcome new life to our congregation who can come to know through our church the solid foundation faith in Christ brings. We are praying for those who can help with roles of service and leadership in carrying out the mission of the church.
We treasure the heritage of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod where the God’s Word as found in the Bible is believed, followed, and delighted in. We have experienced the liturgy of the church as a rich and timeless treasure that speaks to us the consistency and comfort of the love of Christ in good times and bad. We do not pretend life is without difficulty or hardship in our worship service, but instead cling in faith to the meaning of our Savior dying on the cross as our hope in times of trial, our purpose in times of joy.
What We Believe
We believe that scripture teaches that our relationship with God is entirely facilitated through our hearing and reading of God’s Word. We speak of the Means of Grace: which are signs and assurances that we are forgiven through Christ’s work in our lives through Holy Baptism, The Lord’s Supper, Holy Absolution, and any other way in which we listen to and inwardly digest God’s Word. A summary of faith coined By Dr. Martin Luther in the 16th century is as follows: Scripture alone – Faith alone – Grace alone… and Christ alone!
Common Myths About Lutherans
Lutherans are stuffy: In some contexts people have
unfortunately experienced interactions with Lutherans where the impression is
made that Lutherans are stuffy, high on themselves, and possibly annoyed that
you are not more familiar with “the way we do things here” This is not
the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod today, and this is not Christ Lutheran
Irvington. Our congregation culture includes characteristics like: caring, down
to earth, humble, and joyful. We don’t want to take ourselves too seriously
because if you haven’t heard before: It’s all about Jesus!
We don’t want you to commune with us: We very
much want you to share in the gift of the Lord Jesus
sacramentally present in with and under the bread and wine! However we want to insure you are properly instructed in the Lord’s Supper before receiving this gift. 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself”
We practice closed communion out of love, so as to insure that those not yet instructed in the Lord’s Supper get this attention.
Lutherans are all about justification by faith to the point that they
“are afraid to emphasize good works.” Knowing that Christ has
set us free from the curse of sin frees us to love and serve our neighbor out
of thanksgiving and joy. Enough said.
Lutheran worship is only for those who have grown up Lutheran:
Lutheran worship is for everyone. The hymns and order of the liturgy can be an acquired taste, but it is entirely rooted in God’s Word. A colleague of
mine recently reminded me that most people don’t like craft beer at first. We believe the more you are exposed to the nurture of an ordered worship service, the more you will appreciate it as a constant in life amidst the many changes and chances of this world.