I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. (John 13:34)
At its heart, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ was about something simple: the powerful connection between God and Creation. As Christians, we are called to share this good news: the knowledge that we are not alone in our life’s journey, that God cares for us.
We can summarize this faith in two famous portions of scripture: the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. As Matthew recorded it: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember that I am with you always” and “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Bethel Lutheran Church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a church body of nearly 4.5 million with roots dating back to the European Reformation of the 1500s and connections to worship communities across the globe.
Our Lutheran heritage prompts us to emphasize the primacy of God above ourselves: no action of ours can earn God’s love, but our actions can (and should) reveal that love to the world around us. Bethel’s commitment to the community can be seen in its various ministries, its peoples’ time and talents, and the multiple groups who use space here (check out our “Church Calendar”).
“Beth-el” means “House of God” in Hebrew, and there can be no doubt that we strive to live up to that name in all that we do and say. There is a place for everyone in this house of God.
If you’d like more detailed information about Lutheranism as a branch of Christianity, check out the website of the ELCA.