Luther Memorial Luther Church has been serving families in Northeast Portland for nearly 60 years. We maintain a spirit of the "small country church' offering warm hospitality to all those who venture in.
Who are Lutherans and what do Lutherans Believe?
Lutherans believe in the Triune God. God created and loves all of creation -- the earth and the seas and all of the world’s inhabitants. We believe that God's Son, Jesus Christ, transforms lives through his death on the cross and his new life, and we trust that God's Spirit is active in the world.
Lutherans are people of scripture. We understand the Bible, both Old and New Testaments to be the revealed Word of God. Through the reading of scripture we are caught up into the divine story. We find words of encouragement, admonition, and vision. As we read the sacred ancient texts, we are connected to people of faith throughout time and place, drawn into a deeper relationship with God and one another.
In accordance with the teachings of the Apostle Paul and other writers of the Holy Scriptures, we understand faith as a gift from God. It can not be created by the power of our own will or conviction. Because faith is a gift, we are set free to love and serve all.
SacramentsUnite and Heal Through Grace
Through the gift of Holy Baptism we become children of God and receive the gift of God's life giving redeeming grace. Washed clean in this holy bath, we are forgiven and united with Christ, becoming a part of the Body of Christ in the world today. We share in the mission of followers of Jesus Christ throughout the world as we proclaim the gospel, and live out the love of God through Christ, bringing healing, reconciliation, and renewal to all of creation.
At the table of Holy Communion we receive the forgiveness of sin and are renewed by God's grace. By the promise of Jesus Christ himself, Christ is fully present in with and under the elements of bread and wine. When received in faith, believing the words "for the forgiveness of sin" are meant for us, we receive the full forgiveness of our sin. With the power of this life giving grace, we are once more free to truly live, and to share God's love as we work for the healing of the world.
The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and the writings of the Apostle Paul tell us:
Our Lord Jesus, on the night he was to be betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me." After supper he took the cup, and ;when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, "Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you and for all, for the forgiveness of sins; do this in remembrance of me."
Lutherans Care Care and Serve
Through the work of the ELCA Word Hunger Appeal, Lutheran World Relief, and the ELCA Disaster Response, Lutherans in the United States, Canada, Europe and throughout the world join with our ecumenical partners to bring emergency relief and sustainable development to people in need next door or around the globe. Millions are saved each year through emergency nutrition and clean water programs. Malaria nets protect sleeping families. Hunger grants, micro loans, and technical training and assistance transforms impoverished communities into places of hope.
Lutherans are hands on servants! Volunteer service is a core value among Lutherans. Where there is a need, Lutherans show up. It may be working at a food bank, soup kitchen, sewing quilts, or mowing a neighbors lawn. Lutherans believe that love is a verb to be lived out in service to our neighbors.
For more information about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America go to: www.elca.org.
