|
Luther’s Marks of the Church
Week 7: The Cross
This is the 7th and final of Luther’s Marks of the Church. Martin Luther identified seven visible signs, or “marks,” that help us recognize where the church of Jesus Christ is present.
These marks are not merely doctrines we believe. They are gifts through which Chris continues to meet us, shape us, and sustain us. We experience all seven marks in our weekly liturgy.
Last week, the sixth mark was Prayer and Worship. Luther saw this as the way for us to turn to God, bringing our whole lives with us: our gratitude, worries, grief, and hopes that are hard to put into words. To pray for the church, the world, those in need, and those who have died.
The seventh and final mark is the Cross, and it may be the most surprising. Why would suffering be a sign of the church? Luther understood something important about Christian faith. Following Jesus does not mean life will always be easy, nor does it mean faithful people will somehow escape suffering. Christians still experience illness. We grieve those we love. Families struggle. Churches face uncertainty. We experience disappointment, loneliness, fear, and loss. Faith does not give us immunity from any of these things. Instead, the cross tells us something far more important: God is with us in them.
At the heart of Christianity stands a crucified Savior. God did not remain distant from human pain. In Jesus Christ, God fully entered into it. That means there is no hospital room, graveside, sleepless night, lonely house, difficult diagnosis, or broken heart where Christ cannot be present. We never suffer alone.
But the cross is not the end of the Christian story. The cross stands in the light of Easter. Jesus is risen. Death does not have the final word. Suffering does not have the final word.
Fear does not have the final word. God does. God’s final word is life.
That brings us back to Luther’s seven marks of the church: the Word, Baptism, Holy Communion, Forgiveness, Ministry, Prayer and Worship, and the Cross. These are the backbone of our faith life. They hold us together when life is joyful and when it is difficult. They remind us of who we are and whose we are. Through these gifts, Christ continues to meet us. Christ speaks to us, claims us, feeds us, and forgives us. Christ calls us. Christ listens to us. And Christ walks with us through the cross toward resurrection. The church is alive not because we are perfect, successful, or strong, but because Christ continues to show up among us. And that is very good news. Reflection: Looking back on these seven marks, where have you most clearly experienced Christ’s presence in your life?
We worship at 10:30 AM and are also live on Facebook. Come experience the peace of the cross, where you can leave your burdens there. We don’t need to carry our burdens; leave them for Jesus.
The Cross—God Is Here With Us
Peace+
Pastor Eric
| 
