Come and See – This phrase is one of the major ones in the Gospel according to John. It is an invitation to come into a relationship with the living God that cannot be fully explained, but rather is to be experienced. The phrase reminds us that the subject of our faith and our proclamation is never ourselves, but is always something beyond us, something that we point towards. And so we echo John’s message to “come and see.”

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The Difference Christ Makes – Fundamentally, we believe the Christian faith is about transformation – from doubt to faith, from death to life, from fear to hope. We believe that Christ makes a real difference in our lives: we are forgiven, blessed, and loved even when we do not think we are worthy of those things. And then that difference that Christ has made becomes manifest as we strive to live differently by living lives that are aligned with the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to live this new life in Christ.

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Abundant Grace – The central message of the Gospel is that of God’s grace: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Grace means that we are made deserving of God’s love not by anything we do (or don’t do), but rather is God’s gift. Because we do not earn God’s grace, we also cannot ever lose it. We describe this grace as abundant because there is no limit to how deeply and broadly God loves Creation. A vision of abundance instead of scarcity enables us to encounter the abundant life that God intends for us.

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Beloved Community – In all that we do, we strive to follow the Holy Spirit's equipping us to be a community of love by caring for one another, by enjoying fellowship, and by emphasizing unity over uniformity. Beloved Community not only describes who we strive to be, it is also our mission in the world – to promote a beloved community within our society. At St. Luke’s, we are primarily focused on this reconciling love as it relates to racial justice and environmental stewardship. You can read more about our beloved community efforts here.

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Intentional Worship – At the heart of what we do is worship, as worship gathers us, forms us, and bestows God’s blessings upon us. Our worship is intentional in that it is part of a deeply rooted and holy tradition that dates back hundreds of generations. Our liturgies are done deliberately and with deep reverence to the God who creates, redeems, and sustains all things. Our worship is also intentional in that it is intended to create a space for a transcendent experience in which we can experience God’s transforming, comforting, and challenging message of love. The major liturgies of our church are all centered around the Eucharist – that sacred meal in which we are invited to behold what we are and become what we receive, that is, the Body of Christ.

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Canterbury Cross – In the center of our identity statement is a Canterbury Cross, a Cross that is emblematic of and distinctive to the Anglican Communion. This cross connects us to our deep roots in British Christianity. A version of this cross is also found on our Baptismal font, so the cross symbolizes all those through the generations who have become members of Christ’s Body through Baptism at St. Luke’s. Finally, having the Cross at the center of our identity statement is important because the Cross of Christ is at the center of our faith and proclamation of the Good News.