Lutheran Cross
Q: What do Lee Harvey Oswald and Johann Sebastian Bach have in common?
Lutheran Cross
Lutheran Cross
(Click image to enlarge)
Q: What do Lee Harvey Oswald and Johann Sebastian Bach have in common (apart from both having a middle name)?
A: They were both Lutherans.
As are (or were) Bruce Willis, Björk, Beau and Jeff Bridges, William Hurt, Liv Ullmann, and dozens of other famous people.
Martin Luther
1483 – 1546
The most famous Lutheran is of course, Martin Luther, who began the earliest protestant church in 1517. Unlike some of the later Reformed churches, Lutheranism has retained many of the liturgical rites and sacramental understandings of the Catholic Church. For the cross, however, rather than the Crucifix favoured by Roman Catholics, Lutherans generally prefer the simple Latin Cross of Protestantism.
In terms of size, the church has about the same number of adherents as Anglicans, Methodists and Baptists. There are many Lutheran churches; the main ones being the Church of Sweden, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the Church of Denmark, the Church of Norway, and the Protestant Church of the Netherlands.
In Germany, the home of Lutheranism, the main churches are the Protestant Lutheran Church of Hanover, the Protestant Lutheran Church in Bavaria, the Evangelical State Church of Württemberg and the North Elbian Evangelical Church.
Many Lutheran churches have their own logo and here are some of the main ones:
Church of Sweden
1
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
2
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
3
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
4
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
5
Protestant Church in the Netherlands
6
Luther Rose (or Luther Seal)
The Lutheran Cross featured at the top of this page is adorned with the Luther Rose (or Luther Seal). Martin Luther himself was involved in the creation of this logo. He explained:
"Grace and peace from the Lord.
As you desire to know whether my painted seal, which you sent to me, has hit the mark, I shall answer most amiably and tell you my original thoughts and reason about why my seal is a symbol of my theology.
The first should be a black cross in a heart, which retains its natural color, so that I myself would be reminded that faith in the Crucified saves us. For one who believes from the heart will be justified" (Romans 10:10). Although it is indeed a black cross, which mortifies and which should also cause pain, it leaves the heart in its natural color. It does not corrupt nature, that is, it does not kill but keeps alive. "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17) but by faith in the crucified.
Such a heart should stand in the middle of a white rose, to how that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace. In other words, it places the believer into a white, joyous rose, for this faith does not give peace and joy like the world gives (John 14:27). That is why the rose should be white and not red, for white is the color of the spirits and the angels (Matthew 28:3 John 20:12).
Such a rose should stand in a sky-blue field, symbolizing that such joy in spirit and faith is a beginning of the heavenly future joy, which begins already, but is grasped in hope, not yet revealed.
And around this field is a golden ring, symbolizing that such blessedness in Heaven lasts forever and has no end. Such blessedness is exquisite, beyond all joy and goods, just as gold is the most valuable, most precious and best metal.
This is my compendium theoligae ['summary of theology']. I have wanted to show it to you in good friendship, hoping for your appreciation.
May Christ, our beloved Lord, be with your spirit until the life hereafter.
Amen."
7
1 Church of Sweden - the largest Lutheran denomination in the world http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/SVK/ENGLANG.HTM
2 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - the largest Lutheran denomination in the US http://www.elca.org/
3 Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - the second largest Lutheran denomination in the US. Their clever logo is three crosses in one, representing the Trinity, where each part of the design depends on the other two to complete the three-dimensional cross. http://www.lcms.org/
4 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod - the third largest Lutheran denomination in the US http://www.wels.net/
5 Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland - In 2007, around 84.2% of Finns were members of the Lutheran Church. http://www.evl.fi/english/
6 Protestant Church in the Netherlands - formed in 2004 from the merger of Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Dutch Reformed Church, and the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. The circular logo symbolizes unity and God's perfection. The cross represents Christ, and the dove in the centre is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. http://www.protestantchurch.nl/ (And whilst Holland might not have as many Lutherans as Sweden, they can claim to be probably the tallest Lutherans in the world! http://www.tallpages.com/uk/)
7 Martin Luther's letter to Lazarus Spengler, 8th July 1530. This translation appeared in the Lutheran Quarterly, Vol. XIV, Num. 4, Winter 2000, pages 409-410.
