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A Lutheran Knows Sin and Grace

© Rik Krahn, Pastor, First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lake Genev

This article, preached for Reformation Sunday, is fitting to be published on this date, November 10, which is the date Martin Luther was born in 1483. That would make Martin 517 years old if he were still alive today. Is it possible that 17 years have passed since I played one of Martin's students in the Martin Luther play in college to commemorate his 500 birthday? -John

Text: Romans 3:19-28

What is a Lutheran? What makes someone a Lutheran? Are you a Lutheran? What does that mean? And how do you know? I had someone email me a list of ways you can tell. I’ll give you just some of them.

If you hear something really funny in church and smile as loud as you can, you might be a Lutheran.

If you have an uncontrollable urge to sit in the back of any room, you might be a Lutheran.

If you tap a church visitor on the shoulder and say, "excuse me, but you're in my seat," you might be a Lutheran.

If it's 110 degrees outside and you still have coffee at the church function, you might be a Lutheran.

If you automatically sing 'amen' at the end of every song you sing, you might be a Lutheran.

If all of your casserole dishes have your name on the bottom, you might be a Lutheran.

If you believe that Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there will be a free-will offering," you might be a Lutheran.

If your house is a mess because you're "saved by Grace," not by works, you might be a Lutheran.

If you sing "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" while sitting down, you might be a Lutheran.

If you're watching "Star Wars" and when they say, "May the force be with you," you have the urge to answer, "and also with you," you might be a Lutheran.

We can laugh at those, probably because most of them are so true. But I don’t know that it ever really answers the question what is a Lutheran?

In case you hadn’t noticed, the world has already answered that question. You’ve probably heard some of the things that Lutherans have been called. We’ve been defined as stodgy and conservative, sticks in the mud, stuck in the dark ages. We’ve been told that we don’t like women, or that we don’t do anything with anyone other than Lutherans. We’ve been called cold, unfriendly and intolerant. We've been called the "frozen chosen," because people think they see a lot of talk and no action. You’ve maybe heard the joke about a new person being shown around heaven, passing a closed door and told to be quiet, because behind that door are the Lutherans, "they think they’re the only ones up here." Are those accurate

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