19th Day of Advent - Our Savior Lutheran Church - Issaquah, WA - December 19th 2010

       What is Lutheranism? Lutheranism was the first Protestant faith to rise out of the reformation. It was founded by the Priest Martin Luther when he was unable to bring about reform in the Catholic Church. The core differences between Lutheranism and Catholicism is the non-belief in the Pope, the belief in justification through faith alone and the Bible is the only reliable and final source on issues of morality and God's Law since every word is believed to have been inspired by God. Lutheran's also have female pastors which I really like about the faith.

     The day I attended Our Savior Lutheran Church was the 19th day of Advent. When I first came I talked briefly with the pastor and educational director...I'd attended this Church once before with Youth Exploring Spirituality (YES) but that had been years ago. I had no clear memories. The day I arrived the youth were putting on the nativity but it was done differently this year where each of the grades was asked a question in regards to what Christmas meant. One of the inspirations for this was what Jesus said in Matthew 18:2-4,

    "I tell you the truth. You must change be like children. If you don't do this. You will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest person in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child."

     Family and friends were the greatest theme outside of the birth of Jesus for what Christmas means. This theme fit with the first quote of the service. John 4:8 "Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love." The community the kids expressed was of love and was what Christmas means. Christmas is about sharing love with family, friends and partner. In Christianity this is shown in God becoming Man because he loved humanity so much, and this informs the theology of love in Christianity...which I believe is the essence of all faiths.

    The readings and structure of service reminded me a little of Catholic Mass, as well as the vestments of the Pastors. There was Communion at the end of the service, there were prayers for the Church (all those who were suffering) and the World. It was a really beautiful all inclusive prayer with peace and healing as it's aim. There was also the Lord's Prayer and a similar prayer of the people lifting their hearts up to the Lord before offering it to one another.

     After the service I would talk to the Pastor for a while about service in the community, and how Our Savior Lutheran Church actually made it pretty easy (as far as the causes you could give to immediately) and I told him about my goal of creating understanding and peace between religions. We exchanged information and I'm excited to talk with him again, hopefully later this break.