Following our 11am worship service today, my wife and I attended the “new members instructional class” in preparation for becoming members of First Lutheran Church in Poulsbo.I am happy to report that we found no surprises in what we learned today, and that likely means we will become members there within a few weeks.
The class was taught by Senior Pastor Don Jukam, a seasoned preacher who knows what following Christ is all about and communicates those tenets very well, often using humor to his advantage.
We learned a bit about church history, about comparative denominations and, of course, about the teachings of Martin Luther. If Luther had one distinctive it was he believed and taught that mankind, or any individual, can do nothing in and of himself or herself to gain salvation. Our spiritual emancipation comes fully and entirely by what God, through Christ, has done for us.
This church is a “Word and Sacrament” Church. The Bible is the final authority for faith and practice, and this church, as do all Lutheran congregations, celebrates just two Sacraments – Baptism and Holy Communion. The remaining practices commonly referred to as Sacraments by the Roman Catholic Church and others (such as marriage, confirmation, etc.) are simply “rites” in the Lutheran tradition.
The backgrounds of class members considering Lutheran Church membership were quite varied. The gamut included the spread between Roman Catholic and Baptist with a smattering of mainline denominations in between.
All of us agreed that we have found a oneness here in this church that encompasses what we seek and need as followers of Christ.
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