<> Ask the Pastor The Reverend Walter Snyder Thursday is the Eve of All Saints, also known as All-hallows Eve or Halloween. Friday is All Saints' Day, a remembrance of the martyrs and saints. The time was chosen to counter pagan festivals which focused on spiritism or witchcraft. Much of our costuming and carousing on Halloween has as its roots the practices of a bygone age, when Christians would mock Satan, to show that he had no power over Christ's Church. In Lutheranism, All Saints' Eve marks Reformation Day. It recalls Martin Luther posting his 95 theses for debate about abuses in the Church. The Lutheran Reformation spread through Europe, shattering Roman Catholic domination of the continent, changing political and social boundaries. Most non-Roman Catholic churches in the West owe at least part of their existence to the Reformation or its aftermath. Because this is a special time for Lutherans, here's a question I'm often asked about our church. Q: What are Lutherans and how are they different (or like) other churches? A: You'll see resemblances to several other churches among the Lutherans. We believe above all else that Jesus Christ is our only Savior from sin, and that we are saved by grace alone, through faith in Christ Jesus. Human works, no matter how good, are seen as the result of salvation, not its cause. The Lutheran Church is a Biblical church. We hold that the Bible is the only source of Christian teaching. It decides what and how we believe, teach, and confess. In this, you'll see a strong resemblance to many other "Bible- believing" churches. While the Bible is the source and norm of our doctrine, its teachings are spread throughout its 66 books. By consolidating and clearly proclaiming these doctrines, we are also a confessional church. Our confessions (statements of belief) are drawn from Scripture alone. These teach on many different situations. We believe that these confessions are true expositions of the Word. As does the Bible, so the confessions point to Christ as our Savior and justification by grace through faith as the chief doctrine of the Church. Lutherans are liturgical. We follow an orderly and ancient pattern in our worship. With our hymns, Scripture readings, sermons, and the Lord's Supper, we also sing songs and chants from the worship of the Old and New Testament churches. On any Sunday, literally millions of Lutherans around the world may, in their own languages, be singing and praying the very same thing. It binds together a wide spread church. The liturgy is not meant to be stiff and stuffy, but it is formal. It speaks of the mystery and the majesty of God. In this area, we most resemble the Roman Catholic, Anglican- Episcopal, and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Like these churches, Lutherans are also sacramental. Along with preaching the Word, we practice Absolution. The commission Christ gave his Church to forgive sins is carried out by his pastors among those who confess their sins and profess faith in Jesus. This is done in corporate worship and in private settings. We believe that the pastor's word of forgiveness is as sure and certain as if Jesus himself were speaking. We believe in baptismal regeneration. Baptism is not seen as a symbolic act, nor as something one does to join the Church. We believe that Christ's words with this water give us forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation. We baptize infants, since we believe from the words of Scripture that they are born in sin and in need of Christ's forgiveness and the new life he gives in Baptism. We highly regard the Lord's Supper, confessing that we do not receive only bread and wine to remember Christ's sacrifice, but that miraculously we receive the very body and blood of Christ. We believe that through eating and drinking this Supper our sins are forgiven, our faith is strengthened, and our selves are joined ever more closely with our Savior. We are thus taken into closer communion with the Father, who is one with Christ. We are also brought into closer communion with brothers and sisters in the faith - the body of Christ. We do not believe that Communion brings unity, but that through unity of doctrine we have true communion in the Lord's Supper; thus, our union in the Body of Christ is strengthened. Until next week, when we enjoy more of your questions, remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Walter Snyder is pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1996 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.