Answer: This is a great question, but it's also a multipart one. When this gets asked 2 questions are really being presented.
1. What family of the faith do you belong to? We are confessional Lutherans in our beliefs, if you would like to know more about both the term confessional and what Lutherans believe please go check out our belief page.
2. What political hierarchy is over you? None, we are a truly independent church plant that holds to what the Bible teaches and not to man made decisions made outside the guidance of Holy Scripture. Nor do we fall into to nepotism, favoritism or social justice that so many denominations have been shown to favor over God’s Word in the last decade. We are here to teach and learn God’s Word, full stop, period, that’s it. We also like to eat lunch together on Sundays but thats neither here nor there.
So if you wanted to you could call us “a truly independent confessional Lutheran Church plant that has lunch as well as service on Sundays” but that’s a mouthful. So how about you just call us your new home.
That’s a great question, and there’s a lot to say!
First and foremost, we are a church. That means we are here to worship our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the core of everything we do and central to who we are. If you come and worship with us, you can expect the focus to be on God and His saving work for us through Jesus Christ.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”
Psalm 28:7
Secondly, we are an independent confessional Lutheran church. That means we love the liturgy, the reading and preaching of God's Word, and singing hymns that teach and proclaim the faith. A typical service lasts about an hour and includes Scripture readings, hymns, a sermon, and, on every other Sunday, the Lord’s Supper.
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”
1 Chronicles 16:29
Finally, we are both Americans and Lutherans, so we really like our food! After every service, we either serve a meal together or head to a local restaurant for food and fellowship. So expect not only to be fed spiritually, but quite possibly to be well fed before you leave!
“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”
1 Timothy 4:4–5
What should I wear?
Whatever you are comfortable wearing.
We ask that you dress respectfully for worship, but please come as you are. You do not need special clothes, and you do not need to worry about fitting a particular dress code. We would much rather have you worship with us than stay home because you weren't sure what to wear.
“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:3–4
Another great question!
The Jerusalem Cross first appeared in the 5th or 6th century and was later adopted as the standard of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1291 AD. This is where it gets its name. Today, the Jerusalem Cross is used as the national flag of Georgia and, of course, as our logo.
While most of us at Living Word have never been to Jerusalem and have no connection to the city outside of our faith, this cross—named after the City of David—still represents our faith in three distinct ways. These correspond with three of the most commonly referenced meanings of the design: Christ and the four evangelists, Christ’s five wounds, and Christ and the four corners of the Earth.
The four smaller crosses can represent the four evangelists: Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Through their Gospels, we are shown the salvation we have in Christ alone. They proclaim who Christ is and what He has done for us—His humanity, His power, His sacrifice, and His divinity.
These four “smaller crosses” point us to the “big cross”—Christ Himself. They remind us that the Gospel always points us to Jesus.
As our name would suggest, we are immensely focused on our Lord’s Living Word, through which we receive the message of our salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life.
Our Savior suffered far more than five wounds during His torture and crucifixion. He was whipped, beaten, mocked, and crowned with thorns, just to name a few. Yet the Jerusalem Cross has also been understood as representing Christ’s five holy wounds.
Four of these are the wounds in His hands and feet—the wounds that held our Savior to the cross in our place and lead to His death. These are represented by the four smaller crosses.
The larger cross can then represent the wound in Christ’s side, where a Roman soldier pierced Him with a spear, and from His side flowed blood and water.
In that wound, we see Christ’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness poured out for us. The blood and water remind us of the gifts Christ gives to us through His Sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion.
We deeply focus on what our Savior has done for us through His death and resurrection: offering us forgiveness that is found nowhere else.
The Jerusalem Cross can also remind us of Christ and the four corners of the Earth.
Just before His ascension, Christ commanded His disciples:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Once again, the large cross represents Christ. The four smaller crosses represent His Living Word going out into the entire world.
This is a command Christ has given to all of His followers: to proclaim His Gospel and make disciples of all nations.
We sincerely seek to do our part in carrying out this command, even if our part is only to reach our little corner of Central Texas.
So while the Jerusalem Cross may have a long history connected to a city and a kingdom far from us, its meaning is deeply connected to who we are as Living Word.
It points us to Christ and His Living Word.
It points us to His sacrifice for us.
And it points us to our calling to proclaim that Word to others.
That is why this cross is more than simply a logo for us. It is a reminder of who we are, what we believe, what Christ has done for us, and what He has called us to do.