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WHAT DO LUTHERANS BELIEVE?

The most important and, in fact, the only thing that God requires from us is that we honor Him as God: that we place all our trust only in Him, that we trust completely in life and death, in time and in eternity To him.

Man’s sin lies precisely in the fact that he is not capable of such things, that he thinks more about himself than about God, that his heart does not belong entirely and completely to the Lord. Sin is not individual actions, but a person’s distance from God, in a person’s turning towards himself.

In most religions, and in many Christian Churches, they teach that a person himself must, to one degree or another, become pleasing to God, must work on himself, that sin must be overcome by the inner strength of a person. Because of such calls, a person turns to himself again and again. Salvation becomes his business. He relies, at least partly, on himself. And therefore he cannot place all his trust entirely in God. Thus, the more pious and religious a person is, the more he relies on his own strength, and the further he is from God. It's a vicious circle. This is the tragedy of human sin: even if a person actually becomes better through his efforts, he still, thereby, moves away from God. And this tragedy is inevitable, because man is designed that way. Everything around us teaches us that if we want to achieve something, we need to make an effort, we need to change something in ourselves. In Lutheran teaching this is called law. By fulfilling the law outwardly, a person may look very righteous, but since this righteousness is achieved through the efforts of the person himself, it leads him away from God, and therefore such righteousness is a product of sin.

God Himself gave us a way out of this vicious circle in Jesus Christ: through His death and Resurrection, God forgave us and accepted us. Accepted without any conditions, once and for all. The story about this is called the Gospel. The Gospel completely overturns the usual worldview. If a person comprehends the Gospel, then he no longer has to do anything for his salvation. He simply understands that he is already saved. Saved without any merit. He owes his salvation only to God Himself. Man now sees his salvation and all the best and greatest not in himself, but only in God. This is faith: a look outside of yourself, a look at Christ, a refusal to save yourself - complete trust in God. A believer turns out to be righteous precisely when he refuses to achieve his righteousness and accepts that he, as he is, whether righteous or unrighteous, is accepted by God. It’s as if a person rushes without looking back into the open arms of God, no longer thinking about himself. This is the righteousness of the gospel, the righteousness of faith. Righteousness based not on one's own achievements and actions, but only on God's forgiveness. A believer does not ask himself: “Have I done enough for my salvation, have I sincerely repented of my sins, do I firmly believe?” The believer thinks only about Christ, about what He did.

To believe means to understand that nothing that is inside me can become the reason for my salvation.

To believe means: in the midst of all doubts and temptations, look outside yourself - at the crucified Christ and only at Him.

This is the fulfillment of what God requires: to trust completely and completely in Him, to be focused only on Him, only in Him, and not to seek salvation in oneself. Therefore, only faith (and not works, not work on oneself) is saving. Or rather: not faith itself, but what we believe in - God, as He revealed himself to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Around this central statement (confession), this radical focus on Jesus Christ, the rest of the doctrine of the Lutheran Church is formed, while it retains most of the traditional dogmas of Christianity.

LUTHERAN WORSHIP

Do not seek your own merits, but, recognizing your helplessness before sin, completely trust in God - believe. Because of his sinfulness, this is very difficult for a person, almost impossible. Therefore, it is necessary to proclaim the Gospel to him again and again, turning his gaze outside himself - to the cross of Jesus Christ. Again and again a person needs to proclaim the forgiveness given to him by God. Remind again and again that he does not save himself, that his salvation is the merit of Christ alone. This is the main meaning of Lutheran worship. The entire course of worship and the entire structure of each church building is subordinated to this goal.
The story (proclamation) of salvation is carried out in different forms, primarily in the sermon.
Therefore, in every church there is a pulpit from which the pastor or preacher reads his sermon. Preaching is the proclamation of the Gospel in a living and free form, focusing on the current situation of believers, accessible and understandable to them. Therefore, the sermon is the center of Lutheran worship.
The second center is the Sacrament of Communion (Eucharist), which is celebrated regularly at Lutheran services (in some communities every week or even more often). The altar in every church is the table for this sacred meal. For Lutherans, the Sacrament of Communion is the same Word of forgiveness, “said” in a particularly material form. By receiving bread and wine in Communion, those gathered eat the Body and Blood of Christ. This means that God’s love itself touches them in a material, tangible way, that they literally accept into themselves the forgiveness proclaimed by God in the death of Jesus Christ. Therefore, on the altar, as a rule, there is a crucifix illuminated by candles, reminiscent of the Savior’s death on the cross. Also on the altar lies the Bible, which is the oldest and most authoritative testimony about Christ.
The altar is open (everyone can approach it: an adult and a child, a woman and a man): Christ calls everyone to His meal; He calls everyone to hear and taste the Word of salvation. All Christians are usually invited to Communion in the Lutheran Church, regardless of their affiliation with a particular Church, if they recognize that in this Sacrament they receive the Body and Blood of Christ.
You can often see a board with numbers in a church. These are numbers of chants from special collections that are in the hands of parishioners. At each service, as a rule, several church hymns are heard. These hymns were written by Christians of different times and peoples. These are testimonies of their faith, their prayers and their confessions, to which we join today with our singing.
In the Lutheran church, during worship it is customary to sit on benches or chairs so that nothing interferes with the concentrated perception of the sermon. It is customary to rise from the pews or kneel only during prayer or at especially important and solemn moments of the liturgy.
Often after the sermon, monetary donations are collected for community or charitable purposes.

The service is usually led by an ordained pastor or preacher. However, he does not possess any special “grace”; he is no different from other believers. A pastor is an appropriately educated person who, on behalf of the Church, is officially entrusted with the public preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments.

Focus on the manifold proclamation of the Gospel (the story of forgiveness and salvation that God grants to man), openness, simplicity, modesty, and at the same time careful preservation of the ancient traditions of the Christian Church - these are the main features of Lutheran worship.

ORIGINS OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH

The medieval German theologian and church leader Martin Luther (1483-1546) was one of those believers who was especially sensitive to the question of their salvation. He was taught in the monastery that only those who can sincerely and deeply repent of their sins before God will be saved. Luther invariably asked himself: “How do I know that my repentance is sincere and deep enough, how do I know if I have done enough for my salvation?” In the end, his answer was: “I don’t know if my repentance is enough, I don’t know if I’m worthy of salvation. Most likely no. But I know one thing: Christ died for me. Can I doubt the power of His Sacrifice? I will trust only in her, and not in myself.” This discovery shocked and inspired many of his contemporaries. Within the Western medieval Church, a party of his supporters is rapidly forming, who want to renew church doctrine and preaching. This is how the Reformation begins. Luther himself did not seek to separate from the existing Church and create a new one. His only goal was that in the Church, whatever its external structures, traditions and forms, the preaching of the Gospel could sound freely. However, due to historical reasons, a split was inevitable. One of its consequences was the emergence of the Lutheran Church.

LUTHERAN CHURCH TODAY

Separate Lutheran Churches, each of which is independent, are today most widespread in Germany, Scandinavia, the Baltics and the USA. There are many Lutherans in Latin America and Africa. There are about 70 million Lutherans in the world. Most Lutheran Churches are united in the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Also, the majority of Lutheran Churches are in full communion with the Reformed (Calvinist, Presbyterian) Church and with a number of other Protestant Churches that have remained faithful to the traditional principles of the Reformation. Lutheran theologians are engaged in an interested and fruitful dialogue with representatives of Orthodoxy.

The contribution of the Lutheran Church to the development of theology and to world and Russian culture is enormous. Albrecht Dürer, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Wilhelm Küchelbecker, Paul Tillich, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Rudolf Bultmann are just some famous names. Each of them was a convinced Lutheran.
Many researchers associate the economic well-being and political successes of the modern West with the ethics of the Reformation, which values hard work, responsibility, honesty, adherence to duty, caring for others, the ability to stand firmly on one’s own two feet, but condemns excessive luxury.
Already in the sixteenth century, Lutherans appeared in Russia. Before the October Revolution of 1917, Lutheranism was the second largest Church in the Russian Empire and numbered several million believers, mostly of German origin. The head of the Russian Lutheran Church was the Emperor of the Russian Empire himself. During Soviet times, the Lutheran Church in Russia was almost completely destroyed. Only a few scattered communities managed to survive.
Today, a complex and labor-intensive process is taking place of the revival of the Lutheran Church in Russia and its search for new ways of preaching the Gospel in a completely new situation for it in the modern world.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church is a collection of people deeply affected by the event of the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Only in this event do they see the basis and center of their spiritual life.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is a community of people who are aware of the depth of their guilt before God, all their sinfulness, but at the same time boldly trust in the love of God and His forgiveness.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is a traditional Church that recognizes and accepts the basic Christian beliefs:
- about the trinity of God
- about the Divinity of Jesus Christ
- about the need for the Sacraments (Baptism and Communion).
But, at the same time, this is a Church that is constantly striving for a new understanding of ancient truths, not afraid to reflect on theological problems, pose new, sometimes “inconvenient” questions and seek its own answers to them.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church recognizes the truth of other Christian Churches that proclaim Jesus Christ, is open to dialogue with them and is ready to learn from them.
In its teaching, worship and customs, the Evangelical Lutheran Church is guided by the forms and traditions developed over thousands of years in Western Christianity.
Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church are not fanatics, but ordinary people who do not confine themselves exclusively to their own circle, but are ready to communicate. People who live a normal everyday life, who know how to appreciate the joys of the world around them and do not give up on them.

[Church of Ingria], one of the Lutherans operating in Russia. churches. History of E.-l. c. I. is associated primarily with the Ingrian Finns. Ingria, or Ingria, is a historical region on the site that existed in 1618-1703. provinces of the Kingdom of Sweden with the same name.

Currently Currently, this territory contains: St. Petersburg with suburban areas (but without Zelenogorsk and the villages of Ushkovo, Komarovo, Repino and Solnechnoye), the entire Vsevolozhsky, Lomonosovsky and Volosovsky districts of the Leningrad region, partially the Gatchina, Tosnensky, Kirovsky, Kingiseppsky and Luga districts, as well as the city of Narva (Estonia). This territory approximately coincides with the ancient Izhora land, which was part of Kievan Rus, Vel. Novgorod, and from 1478 - the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Fin. The people of Izhora (Izhorians), with whom the name of this territory is associated, adhered to Orthodoxy even to this day. time almost completely assimilated with the Russians, and not with the Finns. During the Livonian War (1558-1583) and after it (1589-1595), the Swede. troops repeatedly invaded the Izhora land. Having conquered Koporye, the Swedes created the 1st Lutheran there. parish (1585), which ceased to exist after the expulsion of the Swedes (1590). In 1609, Vasily Shuisky entered into an alliance with Sweden, which provided for Sweden to provide Russia with mercenary troops in exchange for the Korelu fortress with a district and Russia’s refusal of Livonia. In the spring of 1610, Rus. and Swedish The troops were defeated by the Polish. cor. Sigismund at the village. Klushina. In 1611, the Swedes occupied Novgorod, and then the Novgorod lands and the Karelian Isthmus. After the Troubles of 1604-1613, which seriously weakened Russia, the government of Tsar Mikhail Romanov was forced to conclude on February 27. 1617 Stolbovo peace treaty with the Swedes. cor. Gustav II Adolf. The Izhora land with the cities of Oreshek (Noteburg, now Shlisselburg), Yam, Koporye, and Ivangorod came under the rule of the Swedes. The king established the province. Ingria, whose capital was originally Narva. By that time, this territory had been depopulated due to many years of war, Swede. the authorities forcibly converted the remaining Russians to Lutheranism, effectively forcing them to flee to Russia. Swede. The feudal lords, who received lands as fiefs, organized the resettlement of Finns from the East to them. Finland (Evremøiset tribe) and from the Karelian Isthmus, near Vyborg (Savakot tribe); the number of these Finns by 1640 was 7 thousand, by 1655 - 11 thousand. Swedes, as a rule, arose in fortified cities. chapel parishes, where visiting pastors served the liturgy from time to time: evidence of such a pastoral visit to Noteburg in 1618 has been preserved. In places where Finns settled, rural parishes arose, where pastors served constantly. The oldest parish was Lembolovo (Lempaala), which already existed in 1611 (this date is indicated on the seal as the date of foundation of E. -l. c. AND.). In 1625, the parish of Korpiselkya was first mentioned (probably in the modern village of Korabselki), which later moved to Toksovo; in 1628 - Koltushi (Keltto). In 1630 there were already 8 parishes, Skvoritsa (Skuoritsa), Kotly (Kattila), Klopitsa (Klopitsa) and Soikino (Soikkola) were added. The parish of Izhora (Inkere) covered the territory of the modern cities of Kolpino and Otradnoye, the villages of Ust-Izhora and Ulyanovka. The church building was located between Voiskorovo and Yam-Izhora. In 1632, a parish church made of white limestone was built in Moloskovice; This is the only church building in Ingermanland from the 17th century, the ruins of which have survived to this day. time. In the church administration In relation, these parishes initially belonged to the Vyborg diocese, but in 1641 the Ingrian parishes were allocated to an ecclesiastical province headed by a superintendent, whose residence was in Narva. The first superintendent was Henrik Stachell. The names of some of his successors are also known - Abraham Tauvonius and Johannes Geselius Jr., who, after serving as intendant (1681-1689), was Bishop of Abo. While the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) lasted, Russia and Sweden were allies. However, in 1656, Russia tried to regain the territories captured by Sweden and achieve access to the Baltic Sea. The war ended in 1658 with the confirmation of the borders defined by the Stolbovo Treaty, after which followed the 2nd wave of Finnish resettlement, mainly from near Vyborg (Sawakot tribe). In 1686, the Charter of the Lutheran Church was introduced in the Kingdom of Sweden, which established a very strict subordination of the church to the state. In 1703, during the Northern War, Ingermanland became part of the Russian Empire, where there were 28 parishes, including the Finnish-Swedish parish of St. Mary in the newly founded St. Petersburg (perhaps it moved from Nyenskans, that is, from the right bank of the Neva to the left). Lutherans received freedom of religion in the Russian Empire, limited only by the ban on the conversion of Orthodox Christians to Lutheranism. Lutheran Office. the parishes were carried out by the Holy Synod; in 1734, a subordinate Consistory of Evangelical Churches was established (it was also in charge of the Reformed churches). For Lutherans. The Swedish continued to operate in parishes. Charter of 1686, and in some parishes pastors were appointed by the monarch, and they received subsidies from the Russian treasury. In 1745, the formerly united Swedish-Finnish. the parish of St. Petersburg was divided into Finnish. parish of St. Maria and the Swede. St. Catherine (located respectively on B. and M. Konyushenny streets). Parishes arose in Kronstadt (1750) and Gatchina (1793). As a result of the annexation of first Vyborg and a small part of Finland (1743), and then the entire Grand Duchy of Finland (1809), the relationship between German-speaking and Finnish-speaking Lutheranism within the Russian Empire changed in favor of the Finns. But both in liturgy and in sermons the Swede was more often used. language. In the XVIII - beginning. XIX century Finnish-speaking Lutherans of St. Petersburg province. called “Maimists” (Finnish maamies - peasant); Ethnographers recorded the tribal division into Evremoyset and Savakot until the beginning. XX century In 1819, imp. Alexander I established the Evangelical General Consistory to govern all evangelical (i.e. Lutheran and Reformed, as well as mixed - those who accepted the Prussian Union of 1817) parishes of the Russian Empire. Zachary Cygneus, bishop. Borgo (now Porvoo) was placed at the head of this institution. He didn't own it. language, by this time, as a result of the annexation of the Baltic provinces (Livonia, Courland, Estland) to Russia and the immigration of Germans to the Volga region under Catherine II, the majority of Lutherans in Russia became German-speaking. Therefore, when he began work on the new charter, in order to ease the discontent of the believers, he tried to take into account the Baltic-German. traditions. After the death of Cygneus on December 28. 1832 imp. Nicholas I approved the Charter of the Russian Evangelical Lutheran Church (valid until 1917). All Lutherans. parishes were distributed among 8 districts subordinate to consistories. Ingria entered the district of the St. Petersburg Consistory, its rural parishes were united into 3 provinces: Northern, Eastern and Western (city parishes were governed by Consistories). The church as a whole was governed by the National Consistory, headed by the president (a secular person) and the vice-president (pastor), it included 8 general superintendents (sometimes some of them were called bishops, but this was not a rank, but a position) and 4 assessors: 2 pastors and 2 lay persons. The overwhelming majority were Germans. However, thanks to the pressure of the Lutherans of Finland, since 1836 the Finns. parishes received the right to serve the liturgy in Finnish. In 1879-1888. The president of the consistory was the Finnish Theodor Bruun, thanks to his efforts, since 1886, 1 of the 2 assessor pastors was elected from the Finnish. parishes 4 Sep. In 1863, a seminary was opened in M. Kolpano (now M. Kolpany, Gatchina district) to train Sunday school teachers in Finland. parishes Lutheran. There were no higher educational institutions in Ingermanland; pastors studied, as a rule, at Helsingfors (now Helsinki) or Dorpat (now Tartu) universities. Since 1871, Ingrian preachers began publishing spiritual literature (previously it was brought from Finland), and at the same time the most famous Ingrian missionary Martti Rautanen (1845-1926), who converted to Christianity, began serving in Africa (within modern Namibia). OK. 16 thousand people In the 19th century was open several times. new parishes, but chapels stood out from the old ones, and therefore their numbers grew; on the site of wooden churches, stone ones were erected (St. Mary in St. Petersburg in 1803-1805, St. Nicholas in Gatchina in 1828, St. John in Martyshkino (Turyo, now a microdistrict of Lomonosov) in 1831, in Toksovo in 1887) . This new construction was often financed by members of the imp. surnames. As a sign of gratitude, the churches were named after their saints. patrons (permissible in Lutheranism, but rare). After the decree of the Emperor. Nicholas II dated April 17 1905, when restrictions on Lutherans were lifted. missionary activity and criminal liability for apostasy from Orthodoxy was abolished, Lutheranism in the Russian-speaking environment was still not successful. The outbreak of the First World War led to an increase in Germanophobic statements, which often affected Lutherans; ban on public use of German language led to the publication of the 1st collection of Lutherans. hymns in Russian language (1915).

In 1917, there were 21 rural Finnish-speaking parishes in Ingria; The consistory in St. Petersburg also governed 4 city parishes (St. Mary in St. Petersburg, as well as in Narva, Gatchina and Kronstadt) and 2 parishes outside Ingria - in Olonets (Aunus) and Murmansk. The largest parishes were: in the city - the parish of St. Mary (15 thousand believers), in the countryside - the Slavyanka parish (Venyoki, the church was located in the village of Pyazelevo, south of Pavlovsk; the building is preserved; 13 thousand people); the next largest parish was Toksovo (11 thousand). The total number of Ingrian Lutherans at that time was 144-147 thousand. The fall of the monarchy, the abolition of the Holy Synod, and after the October Revolution, the decree “On the separation of the church from the state and the school from the church” (1918) led to the complete disorganization of the administration of the Lutherans. parishes. In Jan.-Feb. 1919 representatives of the fin. parishes gathered in Petrograd and formed the Finnish branch of the Petrograd Evangelical Lutheran Consistory, or the Committee of Finnish-Ingrian Evangelical Lutheran communities, which at the end of September even adopted a document declaring the Finnish Church of Ingermanland independent, since it. The consistory no longer existed. But at this time, Gen. was advancing on Petrograd from Estonia. N.N. Yudenich, Ingrian people, especially those who were churchgoers, actively helped him in the fight against the Red Army: the number of white Ingrian formations reached 500 people, they were commanded by Georg Elvengren. When on Oct. Yudenich was defeated, many were forced to flee to Estonia or Finland, and repression fell on those who remained. 24 Nov M. Putro, a talented composer and author of liturgy, disappeared to this day. time serve in the vast majority of E.-L. parishes. c. I. 19 pastors fled to Finland, one died in Estonia, 4 pastors remained in Ingermanland (among them Juha Saarinen, rector of the Church of St. Mary, father of the famous Finnish architect). Oct 14 1920 The RSFSR concluded a peace treaty with Finland in Tartu.

According to one of the articles of this treaty, the RSFSR was supposed to guarantee the cultural (not necessarily territorial) autonomy of the Ingrians. The Soviet government then saw the main enemy in the Russian Orthodox Church and in “Great Russian chauvinism,” which led to a relatively tolerant position for religions. and national minorities, including Finnish-speaking Lutherans, until the end. 20s The Church of Finland received the opportunity to help its fellow believers on the other side of the border. In con. 1920 through the efforts of Ch. arr. German and Latvian. Lutherans in Moscow formed the Supreme Church Council of a federation of 3 national churches: German, Finnish and Latvian. On March 3, 1921, the Russian Evangelical Lutheran Episcopal Council officially informed the parishes of Ingria that from now on they would form an independent synodal district with a Consistory. Formally this meant autonomy, in fact - independence. Representatives of the parishes of Ingria formed a synod and consistory, and elected Felix Relander, a citizen of Finland, as provost, who, according to the already established tradition, began to be called a bishop. However, in Feb. 1923 Relander followed. He fell ill from nervous tension and returned to his homeland, where he soon died (in 1925). His duties were transferred to a consistory of 3 pastors and 4 laymen. One of these pastors - Selim Yalmari Laurikalla (1882-1957, rector of the Ryabovo parish; the church was located on Rumbolovskaya Mountain, now the northern outskirts of Vsevolozhsk) - in 1924 he became the chairman of the Consistory (but was not called a bishop). After the death in 1926 of the rector of the Gatchina parish, Oscar Gustavovich Palza, there were only 2 pastors left in Ingria. However, parish life continued, sermons were read by laymen; during the period of repression, these were women. In 1927, in the parish of V. Nikulyasa (Miikkulainen, village in the Kuyvozovsky district of the Leningrad region, on the Avloga river, now does not exist) a new church was even consecrated.

In the same year, the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) set a course for curtailing the NEP and collectivization. The Ingrian Finns suffered during this period not because of their nationality, but because many of them were strong masters and were now considered the so-called. fists. On Nov. 1927 Lauricalla was exiled to Finland, and although he was able to return in 1929, the synod had not actually worked since 1928, and the Consistory until the fall of 1937 only recorded the repressive actions of the authorities: arrests, expulsions of believers, confiscation of church money and buildings. By resolution of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee dated April 8. In 1929, education in parishes, work with youth, and all types of social service were prohibited. 17 Dec 1929 mass arrests and deportations of Ingrians began; to the end 1931 approx. 18 thousand people was sent to Khibiny and Wed. Asia. Among them was Aatami Quartti (1903-1997), a preacher of the Lembolovo parish, who managed to escape to Finland. During a new wave of repressions in 1935, after the murder of S. M. Kirov, approx. 7 thousand Ingrians were deported to Kazakhstan, Wed. Asia and the Urals. In 1936 approx. 27 thousand people was evicted from a 100-kilometer zone along the Finnish border. borders. 27 Apr 1937 Lauricalla was deported to Finland. K con. 1938 There were not a single legally existing Lutherans left in the USSR. parish, not a single pastor serving at large. Believers, despite considerable risk, gathered in private apartments or cemeteries; some preachers found the opportunity to visit neighboring communities. Of these, the most famous are Katri Kukkonen and Maria Kajava, who are called spiritual mothers.

In 1941, there were still approx. 30 thousand Ingrians. Aug 26 1941, and then again on March 20, 1942, the decree “On the mandatory evacuation of the Finnish and German population from the suburban areas of the region and the city of Leningrad” was issued. On March 26-28, 1942, 88,764 Finns and 6,699 Germans were taken to settle in Siberia. In 1941-1944. In the territory occupied by the Nazis, the process of restoring Lutheran parishes began, but it was not. the authorities first encouraged the voluntary movement of Ingrians through Estonia to Finland (March-October 1943), then carried out their forced deportation (as of June 1944, about 63,200 people). 19 Sep. 1944, a truce was concluded between the USSR and Finland, 10th Art. which provided for the return of Ingrians to the USSR. We returned ok. 55 thousand, but they were prohibited from settling in Leningrad and the region. In Oct. 1948 they were allowed to settle in Karelia, ch. arr. in Petrozavodsk and Chalny. After Stalin's death, the Ingrians began to return from Siberia, and 2 pastors - Paavo Haimi and Juhani Vasseli - baptized children semi-legally and performed liturgies at home. Although restrictions on the settlement of Ingrians in Leningrad and the region were formally lifted by a resolution of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs dated August 13. 1954, in fact, the return was fraught with difficult obstacles to overcome. Most often, Ingrian people were sent from places of special settlement to Karelia and the Baltic republics. The repressions led to the mass death of Ingrians and destroyed traditions. rural way of life and caused irreparable damage to the culture of this people.

Within Ingria, prayer groups continued to operate, meeting in cemeteries and in private apartments. Because he is Lutheran. there were few parishes, the sacrament of baptism was many. Ingrians accepted into the Orthodox Church. churches, but did not consider themselves Orthodox. According to Lutherans. According to ideas, a person is made a Christian by the sacrament of Baptism, correctly performed - usually in infancy - in any Christ. temple, and by a Lutheran - the rite of the Lutherans. confirmation at a conscious age. Until now, a significant part of the parishioners of E.-L. c. I. are made up of those baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church. Since 1961, fin. Ingrian residents of the adjacent territory of the Leningrad region also began to serve the liturgy in Narva. could visit. The pastor of the Narva parish, Elmar, periodically served in Petrozavodsk, and after much delay, the authorities registered the Petrozavodsk parish under the canonical subordination of the Estonian Church: the first legal liturgy was served on February 2. 1970 In Aug. In 1975, representatives of the USSR signed the Final Document of the Helsinki Conference, and the legal norms concerning freedom of conscience became international legal for the USSR and were not subject to such arbitrary interpretation as before. 11 Dec 1977 Lutheran was consecrated. church in the city of Pushkin, although before the revolution it was German, now the Ingrians for the first time after the war received a limited opportunity to recreate the parish within Ingria proper. The youth group at this parish was attended by Arvo Survo and Arri Kugappi, who became later. initiators of the reconstruction of E.-l. c. I. Arvo Survo was sent to study in Tallinn, and in December. 1987 Archbishop. Estonia Kuno Pajula ordained him as a pastor. In Feb. In 1988, on his initiative, the revival of the Gubanitsky parish began. On May 14, 1989, representatives of 5 parishes of Ingria signed a declaration in Gubanitsa on the re-establishment of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria, “fully independent in its internal life,” although “recognizing the authority” of the Estonian Archbishop. Payula, and formed the Board headed by A. Quartti and A. Survo. On July 19, 1989, the Koltush parish was registered, February 22. In 1990, parishes in Narvusi (Kuzyomkino), Toksovo and Skvoritsy received registration; in August, the Gatchina parish. In 1990, the Estonian Church allocated these parishes to the Ingermanland Provincial Church, which was headed by Pastor Leino Hassinen, invited from Finland. On May 19, 1991 in Gubanitsy, Archbishop. Payula ordained 4 more pastors. 5 Nov In the same year, a parish was registered in Saransk - the 1st missionary parish in the Russian province. Since in Aug. 1991 Estonia's independence was proclaimed, January 1. In 1992, with the consent of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia, the Ingermanland Provincial Church was transformed into an independent E.-L. c. I., registered by the authorities of the Russian Federation on September 14. 1992 At the 1st Synod (March 19-20, 1993), the head of the church, Hassinen, was elected, and on May 23 of the same year he was ordained as bishop in Koltushi. Oct 21 1995 was elected as a new bishop, and on January 20. 1996 Kugappi was ordained, for the first time the church was headed by a native and citizen of Russia. In subsequent years, the number of E.-l. c. I. grew: its parishes were created in Moscow (1992), Yoshkar-Ola, Olonets (1993), Primorsk (Koivisto) (1994), Tver, Murmansk, Syktyvkar, Pitkyaranta (1997), parishes were also formed in other cities, including in Siberian ones. On Sept. In 1995, the Diaconal Educational Center was opened in Koltushi. S. Ya. Lauricalla (later transformed into the Theological Institute of E.-L.C.I.), providing church workers with training at the bachelor’s level. stole, casula (analogue of phelonion) and ornate. The stola, casula and ornate should be of liturgical color. The bishop's attire is a kapa (analogous to a chasuble) and a miter. Some pastors also use a black tallar (analogous to a cassock), which is more common among them. Lutheran

The highest governing body is the synod (of representatives of both clergy and laity), convened annually in October. in St. Petersburg in the Cathedral of St. Maria. The bishop, elected for life, administers the E.-l. c. I. in agreement with the Synodal Council. E.-l. c. I. - centralized religion. org-tion Although all parishes are legally and financially independent, in large parishes, if there are 2 candidates for a position, elections are held - all parish rectors, pastors and deacons are confirmed in their positions by the Synodal Council. The bishop oversees the adequacy of Lutherans' preaching. doctrine, and the activities of parishes - the canons of E.-L. c. I. Lutheran norms. the creeds formulated in the Book of Concord (1580) are considered superior to any canonical decrees of E.-l. c. I. and are not subject to revision. Holy Communion is understood as communion with the True Body and Blood of the Lord, and no concessions to Calvinism or the teachings of Zwingli are allowed in this matter. Prohibited for women priesthood, there are deaconesses, but this is not a rank, but the name of a position in social ministry. E.-l. c. I. unconditionally condemns same-sex marriage and defends traditions. Christ idea of family. The closest cooperation is carried out with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Lutheran Church of the Missouri Synod (USA). Journal has been published since 1991. “Church of Ingria” (usually 4 issues per year). E.-l. c. I. is a member of the Lutheran World Federation.

Lit.: Inkerin suomalaisten historia / Ed. S. Halt-Stonen. Jyväskylä, 1969; Pirinen K., Laasonen P., Murtorinne E. Suomen kirkon historia. Porvoo, 1991-1995. 4 t.; Shchipkov A.V. What Russia Believes: Relig. processes in post-perestroika Russia. St. Petersburg, 1998; Junker J., Arkkila R. Nacht und neuer Morgen: Die Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche von Ingrien in Russland. Gross Oesingen, 2001; Kurilo O. V. Lutherans in Russia: (XVI-XX centuries). Minsk, 2002; Litsenberger O. A. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia history: (XVI-XX centuries). M., 2003; Musaev V.I. Political history of Ingermanland in the end. XIX-XX centuries St. Petersburg, 2004; Shkarovsky M. V., Cherepenina N. Yu. History of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North-West Russia, 1917-1945. St. Petersburg, 2004.

S. A. Isaev

LUTHERANISM, one of the main and largest followers of the movements of Protestantism. Church organizations belonging to this movement are usually called Evangelical Lutheran churches.

Lutheranism is named after its founder, Martin Luther (1483-1546). M. Luther was born in the small Saxon town of Eisleben into a poor family. His father gave his son a good education. Having graduated from the University of Erfurt and received a master's degree, M. Luther, however, refuses teaching work at the university, takes monastic vows and then becomes a Catholic priest. As a priest, he received a doctorate in theology.

The founding date of Lutheranism is usually considered to be October 31, 1517, when M. Luther nailed to the door of the church in Wittenberg, where he served as a priest, a board with 95 theses, in which he severely criticized Catholicism. But sometimes the foundation of this movement is dated to the winter of 1513-14, since it was at this time that M. Luther came to the conclusion about the decisive importance of God’s mercy for salvation. There is another point of view, according to which the emergence of Lutheranism is associated with 1530, when the Augsburg Confession, written by M. Luther’s associate Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560), was published, containing the foundations of Lutheran dogma.

The doctrinal provisions of Lutheranism are given in the so-called Book of Concord. It includes three historical creeds (Apostolic, Nicene, or Nicene-Constantinople, and Athanasian), the Augsburg Confession and Apology of the Augsburg Confession (1531), Luther's Small and Large (for children and adults) catechisms (1529), Schmalkaldic articles ( containing a sharp criticism of Catholicism, the response of Lutheran leaders to the invitation of Pope Paul III to the Council in Mantua, which was to be held in 1537) and the Formula of Concord (a church document adopted in 1577, which resolved the dispute between his supporters that arose after the death of M. Luther). Among these documents, special importance is attached to the Augsburg Confession and Luther's Small Catechism.

Lutherans, like most Christians, accept the doctrines of the Holy Trinity and the dual nature of Jesus Christ - divine and human. They also believe in Christ's atoning sacrifice, resurrection and ascension.

One of the most important doctrines of Lutheranism is the position that man is saved only by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ (the so-called sola gratia and sola fide). Lutherans believe that because of original sin, man needs reconciliation with God, and this reconciliation, together with the forgiveness of sins, is the essence of justification. Christ's righteousness is imputed to the believer who receives it through the Holy Spirit. According to Lutheranism, a person's justification before God occurs not as a result of his merits and good deeds, but by the grace of God. Lutherans do not deny that believers should do good deeds, but they argue that these deeds themselves are the fruit of faith.

In Lutheranism, as in Calvinism, the doctrine of the predestination of some chosen people to salvation is accepted, but in this current of Protestantism, unlike Calvinism, there is no provision about the election of people to condemnation. Lutherans, like most other Protestants, recognize the Holy Scripture as the only source, rule and norm of faith. The symbols of faith and other provisions accepted by tradition have, according to Lutheranism, only a subordinate character. Lutheranism rejects purgatory (an intermediate link between hell and heaven), recognized in Catholicism, prayers for the dead, and the possibility of saints interceding before God.

The dogmatics of Lutheranism are strictly Christ-centric, in contrast to the teachings of Calvinism, which is rather characterized by God-centrism, and Pentecostalism with its spiritual-centric tendencies.

The two generally accepted sacraments in Lutheranism are baptism and communion (Lord's Supper, Eucharist, altar sacrament). They are not considered merely as simple religious rites. Baptism performed in childhood is perceived by Lutherans as the water of rebirth; a baptized person is, as it were, born again in Christ, his sins are forgiven and he is freed from the power of evil. Baptism is considered a prerequisite for salvation. It is usually performed among Lutherans by sprinkling, but can also be performed in another form. The Lord's Supper, Lutherans believe, was instituted by Christ to strengthen faith, to express the believer's union with God. Believing in the true presence of the body and blood of Christ in the elements of the sacrament - bread and wine, Lutherans nevertheless abandoned the Catholic and Orthodox doctrine of transubstantiation (change of substance) of bread and wine. The Lord's Supper is celebrated in some Lutheran churches only once a year - on Good Friday, in others - much more often. Lutherans have not developed a unified view on confession. If in the Lutheran confessions of the 16th century. It was considered a sacrament, but now some Lutherans view it simply as a rite. Lutherans also consider confirmation, ordination, marriage and unction to be only rites.

Unlike Catholics and Calvinists, Lutherans strictly separate the scope of the Gospel and the law. The first of them is connected with the church, the second with the state. The law condemns, but the gospel justifies. The law is seen as God's wrath, while the gospel is seen as God's mercy.

Liturgical practice in Lutheran churches, as in other churches of Protestantism, is greatly simplified compared to the Catholic cult. Nevertheless, the Lutherans did not go as far in simplifying rituals as the Calvinists, Baptists, and Methodists, and retained a number of elements of the Catholic liturgy. During services, candles are lit in Lutheran churches, some of which use incense. Not recognizing icons, Lutheranism allows for the presence of wall paintings depicting biblical subjects in churches. Churches have an altar and the cross is the official church symbol. Unlike Calvinist clergy, Lutheran pastors wear special vestments, although they are much more modest than those of Catholic priests. Previously, the vestments were black, but now pastors wear an alba (white liturgical vestment), over which another vestment is worn, which varies in different national churches.

The sermon occupies a central place in church services. In addition, hymns are sung, prayers and passages from the Holy Scriptures are read. Divine services are performed in national languages. In the 20th century Some Lutheran churches have somewhat simplified their rituals.

Lutheranism proclaimed the priesthood of all believers and thereby erased the sharp line separating the laity from the priests. Nevertheless, there are still clergy (pastors) in Lutheran churches, since the priesthood, as Lutherans emphasize, was established by Christ himself. Pastors in Lutheran churches are elected and remain in office for life. Ordination (ordination) is considered in Lutheranism as a custom that has roots in the ancient church, but is not considered mandatory. Because of this, most Lutheran churches have lost the apostolic succession of ordination. In the last decades of the 20th century. In many Lutheran churches, the ordination of women was introduced into practice. Lutheranism also lacks a unified system of church structure. Lutheran churches have Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Congregational forms of organization. Heads of churches may have the title of bishop, general superintendent, or president. The affairs of the churches are governed by synods, which include both clergy and laity. As a rule, Lutheran churches in different countries are completely independent (in some countries, for example, in the USA, there are several Lutheran churches).

In general, Lutheran churches tend to consider both ritual and church structure as spheres of adiaphora, that is, that which is indifferent from the point of view of faith, since it is neither confirmed nor refuted by Holy Scripture. Therefore, some rituals can be performed, but they may not be performed. The church structure can also be different.

In 1947, the Lutheran World Federation was created in Lund (Sweden), with Geneva as its headquarters. However, this organization is not some kind of administrative center, but is only designed to promote the unity of Lutheran churches, provide assistance to those in need, and promote missionary work.

The total number of followers of Lutheranism throughout the world is 76 million people. The largest number of Lutherans is still concentrated in Germany (27 million, or 35% of the country's population). Supporters of Lutheranism form the majority of the population in the Nordic countries: in Denmark (4.6 million, or 89%), Sweden (4.4 million, or 53%; church statistics show a much higher figure, but a significant part of people formally listed as Lutherans, actually abandoned the religion), Finland (4.2 million, or 85%), Norway (3.8 million, or 89%), Iceland (243 thousand, or 96%), on Faroe Islands (38 thousand, or 79%). Among other European countries, there are significant groups of adherents of Lutheranism in

In his polemic against Luther and his supporters. Moreover, this definition was used in a pejorative sense. Only over time the name acquired a neutral connotation. Luther rarely used it, and it does not appear in the Book of Concord. Even at the beginning of the 17th century, the term was not generally accepted - theologian Philip Nicolai was surprised that German Protestants were called this way in Holland. This name began to be used more widely only after the end of the Thirty Years' War. However, the more correct terms are “evangelical Christianity” and “evangelical Christians.”

Story

Creed

The creed (confession) is comprehensively set out in the Book of Concord. Lutherans consider themselves to be trinitarian theists (Holy Trinity) and profess the divine-human nature of Jesus Christ, crucified on the cross, descended into hell, resurrected and ascended to heaven, in order to come again at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. An important place in the doctrine is occupied by the concept of original sin, which can be overcome solely by the action of grace (Latin: Sola Gratia), expressed in faith (Latin: Sola Fide). At the same time, while denying the role of freedom in salvation, Lutherans do not deny freedom in worldly affairs, therefore they are not supporters of predestination (God knows everything, but does not predetermine everything). They consider the Bible (lat. Sola Scriptura) to be the main and only criterion for the correctness of faith. As additional authority, Lutherans resort to the Holy Tradition of the Church Fathers and other traditional sources, not necessarily Lutheran, but emphasizing that they (like the Book of Concord) are true to the extent that they correspond to Scripture (the Bible), and are in no way self-sufficient. The same critical view is applied to the opinions of the theologians who stood at the origins of the confession, including the writings of Luther himself, towards whom Lutherans have a respectful, but without cult, attitude.

Lutherans recognize two sacraments: baptism and communion (at the same time, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession classifies confession and ordination as sacraments, art. XIII). Through baptism people become Christians. In communion they are strengthened in faith. A feature of Lutheran communion within the Western tradition is that all believers, not just priests, receive communion with the chalice. This is due to a special view of the church, where priests are only pastors (preachers), that is, just special professionals in their community, and are in no way elevated above the laity. Meanwhile, the Lutheran Church traces its succession back to apostolic times. This succession is not necessarily understood directly, as, for example, in Orthodoxy, but rather in a spiritual sense [ ] . In the strict sense, they do not have the status of a sacrament: confirmation, wedding, funeral service and ordination.

Theology

Liturgical practice

Lutherans celebrate the Liturgy as the highest Divine service, including confession and absolution, with blessings of the sign of St. cross, traditional liturgical chants (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei).

Current state

More than 85 million people around the world consider themselves to be Lutherans. However, due to geographical, historical and dogmatic reasons Lutheranism does not represent a single church. There are several large church associations, very different from each other in dogmatic and practical issues - the Lutheran World Federation, the International Lutheran Council, the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, and there are also a number of Lutheran denominations that are not part of any association. Formally, the largest Lutheran denomination is currently the Church of Sweden (about 6.9 million people). Lutheranism is much less homogeneous than other groups of churches that recognize apostolic succession. Actually, in Lutheranism there is also a “high-church” direction, which considers itself (and not without reason) to be reformed Catholics.

Liberal denominations

Liberals, who formally constitute the majority, consider belonging to the Evangelical Church a good tradition. Many of them do not or rarely attend religious services. Some liberal communities sometimes hold rather unusual worship services - for example, with the presence of pets (which is motivated by the commonality and value of all living beings). Most liberal denominations are united in the Lutheran World Federation. This association includes, among other things, the “old” state (or formerly state) Churches of the Old World. The liberal movement tries to include all people in the church, despite the biblical texts, the literal reading of which justifies the exclusion from the church of representatives of quite a lot of strata of modern society (the Church of Sweden turned out to be the most consistent in this regard). At the same time, it cannot be said that liberals constitute the majority in the WLF, however, they are the most visible and influential.

Confessional denominations

Confessional Lutherans are more conservative and do not recognize not only the female priesthood and same-sex marriage, but even intercommunion with Anglicans and Calvinists. In their polemics with liberals, they appeal to the Bible and the Book of Concord. Most denominational churches belong to the International Lutheran Council. The most conservative are united in the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference.

Discussion questions

The subject of fierce debate are such innovations of liberal Lutheran denominations as the ordination of women (the world's first female bishop was Lutheran Maria Yepsen) and the blessing of same-sex marriage, which are rejected by confessionals. Lutheran Bishop Gunnar Staalseth criticized the position of Catholics who prohibit the use of condoms.

Relationship between Lutherans and other denominations

Lutheranism in the CIS countries

Lutheranism in Russia

Lutheranism appeared on Russian territory in the 16th century thanks to German settlers. In 1832, all movements and organizations of Lutheranism (with the exception of Finland and Poland proper) were united into the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia (ELCR), which received a single charter, according to it, the head of the church was the Russian emperor, but stipulated his non-interference in religious affairs .

During Soviet times, the church was destroyed by 1938. In September 1948, an Evangelical Lutheran community was registered in Latvia, the first in the USSR, and then in Estonia. In 1980, there were approximately 80 registered Lutheran congregations. However, they were all independent from each other and were not united into a church.

During perestroika, the state recognized the entire Church and it was necessary to recreate the governance structure. The head of the newly formed church was Harald Kalnins (who had previously visited communities in Russia on his own initiative for a long time), ordained bishop in Riga. The recreated church received the name “German Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Soviet Union.” In 1990, the Consistory (governing the church) was created.

After the collapse of the USSR, formally independent Lutheran denominations arose in most of the newly formed states, which, however, united into one union - ELKRAS. It is believed that ELKRAS is a church of the German tradition. However, today there is no strict ethnic focus, although some communities receive official support and funding from the Evangelical Church of Germany [ ] . For a long time, ELKRAS did not have a single administrative and spiritual center. Today, the spiritual administration is carried out by the archbishop; recently, his duties have been performed by Dietrich Brauer. The central administration is located in St. Petersburg. Administrative centers in Moscow and Omsk.
In 1992, the Church of Ingria separated from.
In Siberia for a long time there was a mission of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC), which in 2003 became an independent Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church with its center in Novosibirsk. This is a supra-ethnic Lutheran church, whose parishes are located in both the Eastern and European parts of Russia.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession (ELCAI) is a Lutheran denomination created in 2006 (received official registration in 2007). Positions itself as a supranational church. It was created after the Church of Ingria and ELKRAS refused to accept new Lutheran communities created on the territory of the Russian Federation. She repeatedly took the initiative to unite with other Lutheran churches, stating that the only purpose of its creation was to enable legal registration of Lutheran communities that were not accepted into the pre-existing churches. ELC AI consistently establishes cooperation with Lutheran churches outside the Russian Federation, in particular with Lutherans in Germany, Sweden and Finland.
Evangelical Lutheran Church "Consent" - One of the five officially registered Lutheran churches on the territory of the Russian Federation. It was formed with the assistance of missionaries from the Wisconsin Synod at the end of the 20th century. In 1992, a group of believers from the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok invited missionaries to organize a conservative Lutheran church in Russia with its center in Novosibirsk. In 1996, the Evangelical Lutheran Church "Concord" became independent from the Wisconsin Synod and entered the International Conference of the Most Conservative Lutheran Churches (CELC). Now the church has six parishes, served by four Russian pastors and a missionary pastor. The Chairman of the Synod is Pastor Arkady Pavlovich Sedelnikov. The leading theologian and professor of the Theological Seminary is Pastor Alexey Evgenievich Feringer.

Lutheranism in Ukraine

Spreading

Art

Architecture

Unlike many Protestant denominations, Lutherans attached and attach great importance to architecture, as a result, most churches are, if not architectural masterpieces, then landmarks of the settlements in which they are located. Some of the buildings passed to the Lutherans from the Catholics (though not always peacefully), then buildings were built in modern (at the time of construction) styles - Baroque, then classical. Since the end of the 19th century, the neo-Gothic style was very actively used; later, in the 20th century, a large number of churches were built in the Art Nouveau style. The doctrine itself does not impose any restrictions on the style of church buildings, therefore, if the customer has the means and desire, the architect has noticeable freedom for creativity.

Music

Lutheran liturgical meetings are characterized by choral singing of hymns (including by all those gathered, and there may be several thousand of them), as well as the active use of organ music, which can either accompany the singing of chorales or be performed separately. One of the most famous and prolific composers to write music for Lutheran congregations is Johann Sebastian Bach. In the 20th and 21st centuries, modern musical styles began to be actively used, including metal masses in Finland since 2004.

Painting

Unlike Calvinists, Lutherans never rejected church painting, but it is not given the same sacred meaning as Catholics. Since religious doctrine does not attach significant importance to the decoration of churches, images in churches are often limited to the presence of an altar painting or mosaic; stained glass windows may also be found. On the other hand, if desired and possible, a complex decoration with paintings in a variety of styles can be created. For example, the Church of the Ascension in Jerusalem, the Memorial Church of Protestation in Speyer, etc. are richly decorated.

In addition to painting buildings, there is Lutheran portrait painting. Thus, the appearance of many figures of the Reformation is known from works created, including by Albrecht Durer and Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Graphic arts

This genre has developed due to the need to illustrate printed books, including the Bible. A similar trend appeared already during the Reformation, but did not stop in subsequent centuries. For example, in the 19th century, the German romantic artist Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld created a series of engravings on various biblical subjects, which is actively republished to this day.

Notes

Mitrokhin L.N. Lutheranism// New Philosophical Encyclopedia / ; National social-scientific fund; Pred. scientific-ed. Council V. S. Stepin, deputy chairmen:

God Himself gave us a way out of this vicious circle in Jesus Christ: through His death and Resurrection, God forgave us and accepted us. Accepted without any conditions, once and for all. The story about this is called the Gospel. The Gospel completely overturns the usual worldview. If a person comprehends the Gospel, then he no longer has to do anything for his salvation. He simply understands that he is already saved. Saved without any merit. He owes his salvation only to God Himself. Man now sees his salvation and all the best and greatest not in himself, but only in God. This is faith: a look outside of yourself, a look at Christ, a refusal to save yourself - complete trust in God. A believer turns out to be righteous precisely when he refuses to achieve his righteousness and accepts that he, such as he is, righteous or unrighteous, is accepted by God. It’s as if a person rushes without looking back into the open arms of God, no longer thinking about himself. This is the righteousness of the gospel, the righteousness of faith. Righteousness based not on one's own achievements and actions, but only on God's forgiveness. A believer does not ask himself: “Have I done enough for my salvation, have I sincerely repented of my sins, do I firmly believe?” The believer thinks only about Christ, about what He did.

To believe means to understand that nothing that is inside me can become the reason for my salvation.

To believe means: in the midst of all doubts and temptations, look outside yourself - at the crucified Christ and only at Him.

LUTHERAN WORSHIP

Do not seek your own merits, but, recognizing your helplessness before sin, completely trust in God - believe. Because of his sinfulness, this is very difficult for a person, almost impossible. Therefore, it is necessary to proclaim the Gospel to him again and again, turning his gaze outside himself - to the cross of Jesus Christ. Again and again a person needs to proclaim the forgiveness given to him by God. Remind again and again that he does not save himself, that his salvation is the merit of Christ alone. This is the main meaning of Lutheran worship. The entire course of worship and the entire structure of each church building is subordinated to this goal.
The story (proclamation) of salvation is carried out in different forms, first of all - in the sermon.
Therefore, in every church there is a pulpit from which the pastor or preacher reads his sermon. Preaching is the proclamation of the Gospel in a living and free form, focusing on the current situation of believers, accessible and understandable to them. Therefore, the sermon is the center of Lutheran worship.
The second center is the Sacrament of Communion (Eucharist), which is celebrated regularly at Lutheran services (in some communities every week or even more often). The altar in every church is the table for this sacred meal. For Lutherans, the Sacrament of Communion is the same Word of forgiveness, “said” in a particularly material form. By receiving bread and wine in Communion, those gathered eat the Body and Blood of Christ. This means that God’s love itself touches them in a material, tangible way, that they literally accept into themselves the forgiveness proclaimed by God in the death of Jesus Christ. Therefore, on the altar, as a rule, there is a crucifix illuminated by candles, reminiscent of the Savior’s death on the cross. Also on the altar lies the Bible, which is the oldest and most authoritative testimony about Christ.
The altar is open (everyone can approach it: an adult and a child, a woman and a man): Christ calls everyone to His meal; He calls everyone to hear and taste the Word of salvation. All Christians are usually invited to Communion in the Lutheran Church, regardless of their affiliation with a particular Church, if they recognize that in this Sacrament they receive the Body and Blood of Christ.
You can often see a board with numbers in a church. These are numbers of chants from special collections that are in the hands of parishioners. At each service, as a rule, several church hymns are heard. These hymns were written by Christians of different times and peoples. These are testimonies of their faith, their prayers and their confessions, to which we join today with our singing.
In the Lutheran church, during worship it is customary to sit on benches or chairs so that nothing interferes with the concentrated perception of the sermon. It is customary to rise from the pews or kneel only during prayer or at especially important and solemn moments of the liturgy.
Often after the sermon, monetary donations are collected for community or charitable purposes.

Focus on the diverse proclamation of the Gospel (the story of forgiveness and salvation that God gives to man), openness, simplicity, modesty, and at the same time careful preservation of the ancient traditions of the Christian Church - these are the main features of Lutheran worship.

ORIGINS OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH

The medieval German theologian and church leader Martin Luther (1483-1546) was one of those believers who was especially sensitive to the question of their salvation. He was taught in the monastery that only those who can sincerely and deeply repent of their sins before God will be saved. Luther invariably asked himself: “How do I know that my repentance is sincere and deep enough, how do I know if I have done enough for my salvation?” In the end, his answer was: “I don’t know if my repentance is enough, I don’t know if I’m worthy of salvation. Most likely not. But I know one thing: Christ died for me. Can I doubt the power of His Sacrifice? I will trust only in her, and not in myself.” This discovery shocked and inspired many of his contemporaries. Within the Western medieval Church, a party of his supporters is rapidly forming, who want to renew church doctrine and preaching. This is how the Reformation begins. Luther himself did not seek to separate from the existing Church and create a new one. His only goal was that in the Church, whatever its external structures, traditions and forms, the preaching of the Gospel could sound freely. However, due to historical reasons, a split was inevitable. One of its consequences was the emergence of the Lutheran Church.

LUTHERAN CHURCH TODAY
Separate Lutheran Churches, each of which is independent, are today most widespread in Germany, Scandinavia, the Baltics and the USA. There are many Lutherans in Latin America and Africa. There are about 70 million Lutherans in the world. Most Lutheran Churches are united in the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Also, the majority of Lutheran Churches are in full communion with the Reformed (Calvinist, Presbyterian) Church and with a number of other Protestant Churches that have remained faithful to the traditional principles of the Reformation. Lutheran theologians conduct an interested and fruitful dialogue with representatives of Orthodoxy.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church is a collection of people deeply affected by the event of the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Only in this event do they see the basis and center of their spiritual life.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is a community of people who are aware of the depth of their guilt before God, all their sinfulness, but at the same time boldly trust in the love of God and His forgiveness.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is a traditional Church that recognizes and accepts the basic Christian beliefs:
- about the trinity of God
- about the Divinity of Jesus Christ
- about the need for the Sacraments (Baptism and Communion).
But, at the same time, this is a Church that is constantly striving for a new understanding of ancient truths, not afraid to reflect on theological problems, pose new, sometimes “inconvenient” questions and seek its own answers to them.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church recognizes the truth of other Christian Churches that proclaim Jesus Christ, is open to dialogue with them and is ready to learn from them.
In its teaching, worship and customs, the Evangelical Lutheran Church is guided by the forms and traditions developed over thousands of years in Western Christianity.
Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church are not fanatics, but ordinary people who do not isolate themselves exclusively in their own circle, but are ready to communicate. People who live a normal everyday life, who know how to appreciate the joys of the world around them and do not give up on them.