I returned from a post-Easter vacation this past week. While I was away, I attended worship with my son, a new 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. My son has been attending a church different from the one in which he was raised: ethnically, linguistically, denominationally, and liturgically. The time I spent with my son at the service was a unique and pleasurable experience. I was impressed by the dedication of the worshippers - by the number of people who participated in the service and their attentiveness for two hours.

However, I missed one aspect of our regular Sunday worship. I realize I should not judge after one experience, but I missed a clear expression of what we Lutherans call "Law and Gospel." Simply put, the Law tells us what God demands of us but we fail to do. The Gospel tells us what God has done for us in our Savior (Jesus, the Christ) and then freely gives us through faith. I tell my young students, "The Law sends an SOS (Shows us Our Sins) and the Gospel sends an SOS (Shows us Our Savior). This is what I consider the heart of our faith and our worship.

Many people in the South might wonder what a "Lutheran" is. We believe very strongly in the Bible as the sole basis for our faith and life and in the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. Dr. Martin Luther (the 16th century church reformer) stated that anyone who could properly and consistently distinguish between Law and Gospel, whether or not they were formally trained, deserved a doctorate in theology.

It is a difficult task but one that deserves our dedication and effort.