Our core Missional Emblem for Grace of God Lutheran Church was inspired by Luther's Seal. Our emblem presents the iconic heart, rose, cross, and ring, and explodes with the definition of grace: "gift-giving love."
Luther's Seal
(Pictured here is a flyer printed circa 1617 in celebration of the Centennial Anniversary of the Reformation.)
In a letter to his friend Lazarus Spengler (in 1530 AD), Martin Luther wrote:
"Grace and peace in Christ: Honorable, favorable, dear Sir and Friend! Because you deeply desire to know whether my [personal] seal has [hit the mark/appears correctly], in good humour/amiability, I present to you my first thoughts which I want held fast to my seal as a symbol of my theological teachings:"
"The first (thing) should be a cross: black in the heart, so that I myself would be reminded that faith in the Crucified One makes us happy. For when someone believes from the heart, so will that person be justified. [Romans 10:10]. Although it is a black cross, which mortifies and which should also cause pain, yet it doesn't make the red heart black. It does not spoil nature, that is to say, it does not kill but keeps (the heart) alive. For the just shall live by faith, yet by faith in the Crucified One [Jesus]. [Romans 1:17].
But such a heart should stand in the middle of a white rose to show that this faith gives joy, consolation, and peace. And [this heart is] directly set within this white, cheerful rose - not how the world gives peace and joy [John 14:27] (that's why the rose should be white, and not red, because the white color is the spirits and all the angels' color). [cf. Matthew 28:3; John 20:12].
Such a rose stands in a sky-blue-colored field, (to show) that such joy in spirit and faith is the beginning of the future of heavenly joy - yet now inside, understood, and through Hope is grasped, but not yet apparent [revealed].
And [around] this field is a golden ring, [showing]that such bliss in heaven eternal will endure, and it has no end, and is also comforting above all the happy things and wealth, like how gold is the highest, most precious ore. Christ our beloved Lord be with your spirit until [we are in] that life, Amen."
Grace All Around Us
Because God's grace embraces every facet of life and has been given to all people, we developed our "core" Missional Emblem hand-in-hand with our church's programs and events. Scroll down for a few examples - some of which are still works-in-progress!
Because we want to remember how Jesus is God's most precious gift to us, we converted our core Missional Emblem for Christmas to show a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, with a nimbus 'round his head inscribed with "God With Us" in Hebrew, English, and Greek.
For Easter, we are reminded that Jesus' death (as our substitute) and return to life gives us (eternal) life, too. The swaddling cloths that one sees in our Christmas emblem now resemble the cloths that wrapped Jesus' body while he was dead and laid on a slab in a tomb. The hands are no longer "human"-colored; they are the same color as the gold ring, now representing divinity.
Pastor Tim Walsh has a "sermoncast" channel on buzzsprout, so we knew we needed to have an emblem showing the grace of God being audibly shared.
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(This emblem is still a work in progress)
Lutherans are known as "the singing church" and at Grace of God, we love music. Whether we are singing with piano, ukulele, or rhythm, our Music Ministry encompasses music from the early church to songs written today.
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(This emblem is still a work in progress)
"Gifts for the Garden" is our early Summer event. A couple of our members are fervent gardeners - and, like any good gardener, they love sharing! At this event, we share plant starts so that you can grow your own healthy produce - with a little extra love!
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Every September, we look forward to meeting our neighbors at our own "Applefest." We have games, snacks, and of course - apples!