Sunday, October 26, 2025

For those raised in Lutheranism, these words are very familiar. In the Small Catechism, these words come after everything from the Ten Commandments to Communion. The purpose of this oft repeated question, first written by Martin Luther is simple, to take a belief and explain it in a simple way. The goal of all these questions and answers is so that everyone, from theologians to parents, would be able to learn these beliefs, and to say why, “this is most certainly true”.

As we celebrate Reformation Day, we ask ourselves this same question in a different way, what does it mean to be Lutheran. And more than that, what even is a Lutheran? Chances are many many reading this have been asked this very question at some point in their lives.

So what does it mean to be a Lutheran? Many answer that question by painting a picture, saying that this is what we do or this is the type of things they may see in a service. Others may answer this question by comparing Lutheranism to other expressions of Christianity. In other words, we are like this denomination, but different in these ways. All of these help answer this, but fail to give a complete or completely accurate picture. So what does it mean to be a Lutheran?

One of the earliest and most distinctive things of the Reformation were the so called “solas” of the Reformation. These solas are things that stand alone as pillars of our faith. As Lutherans we rely on scripture alone to tell us about God, this scripture tells us we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone. These three solas, Latin for only, set our faith apart and help share the foundation of our hope and confidence.