Pastor

From Pastor Strong:

Proud to be Lutheran! What's this, "PROUD to be Lutheran stuff?" It's true! I, Micheal M. Strong, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, am as proud of being a Lutheran as a papa watching his daughter at her first pom pon performance. I am as proud that I am a follower of Dr. Martin Luther. I swell with pride as I consider what my church stands for. I glory in my church's tall in the saddle answer to those who think our doctrine and practice should change to be more relevant. "This is what the Bible says and this is what we believe - and we ain't changing." I am proud to be a member of a church that has lived under the cross all her days: The Diet of Worms, Luther's defiant "Here I stand," the Augsburg Interim when faithful pastors and families fled from counter reformation troups with only shirts on their backs make me proud. With pride I hear the troops of Gustavus Adolphus (the Lion of the Reformation) singing "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" as they march into battle and save the Lutheran church from annihilation.

I am proud to be standing in the ranks with men like Martin Chemnitz, James Andreae, Nicholas Selnecker, Andrew Musculus, Christopher Koerner, and David Chytraeus who in the Book of Concord writes: Therefore, in the presence of God and of all Christendom among both our contemporaries and our posterity, we wish to have testified that the present explanation of all the foregoing controverted articles here explained, and none other, is our teaching, belief, and confession in which by God's grace we shall appear with intrepid hearts before the judgement seat of Jesus Christ and for which we shall give an account. Nor shall we speak or write anything, privately or publicly, contrary to this confession, but we intend through God's grace to abide by it. In view of this we have advisedly, in the fear and invocation of God, subscribed our signatures with our own hands.

I am as proud to be associated with those Saxons, Pomeranians, Slovaks, Wends, Swedes, Finns, Norwegians, Sudanese, North Africans, Lithuanians, Chinese and all others who have risked their life and limb, goods and families to find a refuge where they could worship God in truth and purity without religious or civil tyrants dictating what they must believe. Although separated by years and languages, we are bound together by a common faith as set forth in the Book of Concord

With pride, I believe, teach, and confess the same doctrines as the pastor who confirmed me still believes, teaches, and confesses. I am proud to be a Lutheran who still believes in the three solas: grace alone, faith alone, and the Word alone. I am proud that my church has not caved to religious liberalism, secularism, and all manner of 21st century heresy where all manner of sin is excused, condoned, or ignored.

I am especially proud to be a member of a Lutheran church that believes that the Gospel - the free forgiveness of sins by Christ alone - offered to us poor miserable sinners in Word and Sacraments is the reason for gathering together in worship.

I am proud that my Lutheran church supports missionaries throughout the world, child and family social ministries, and a publishing house that produces throughly Christ-centered literature for young and old. I am proud that my church believes that Christian education is more than an hour of Sunday School a week. I burst with pride that Christ - through and through - is the message in our Christian day school.

I am proud - no doubt about it! As St. Paul was proud of the church in Corinth (2 Cor. 8:24), so I am proud of all the good, godly, and gracious things my church stands for, says, and does. To which pride I now add - Soli Deo gloria - To God alone be the glory!