Lutheran Church Scottsdale AZ And Its Origins

By Minnie Whitley


The State of Arizona is surrounded by California, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico to the West, Northwest, North and East, respectively, and by Mexico to the south. It has a single point in common with the State of Colorado, making it one of the Four Corners States. There is a Lutheran Church Scottsdale AZ located in the southern region of the city near to Papago Park.

In terms of acreage, Arizona is the sixth-largest state in the country. In terms of population (6.6 million), it is the 15th largest. This makes the population density of the state an enviable 57 per square mile. Enviable, that is, apart from the fact that the uninhabited part is stinking hot desert. Arizona entered the Union on February 14, 1812, making it the 48th state and the last one in the main continental United States.

Approximately one-quarter of the state is dedicated to Indian Reservations that house around twenty Native American tribes. These are registered with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and include a number of Apache tribes, as well as the Hopi, Navajo and others.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Arizona is Grand Canyon National Park. The star attraction here is a giant gorge carved out by the Colorado River over millions of geological years. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural world and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. It straddles two counties, Coconino and Mojave, amounting to in excess of 1.2 million acres.

In comparison to the Grand Canyon National Park, Scottsdale is tiny, about one-tenth the acreage. The city is elevated above sea level to the tune of 1,257 feet. The city's nickname is, "The World's Most Western Town."

The Lutheran Church was founded by the 16th century German monk, Martin Luther, who triggered what became known as the Protestant Reformation. Luther's view was that man could only be saved by grace through faith, based on what is written in the Bible. The Roman Catholic leadership angrily disputed this view, perhaps unsurprisingly, since it challenged their authority. The Holy Roman Emperor at the time, Charles V, was moved to issue the Edict of Worms (named after the town in Germany where it was promulgated), which denounced Martin Luther as a heretic and scoundrel.

What is intriguing about Lutheranism is that it is closer in philosophy to the church of the original Apostles in the early days of the formation of the Christian church. While good works were important in the sense of being obedient to the laws of Christ, mainly being nice to each other, true salvation could only be achieved by turning one's back on sin and publicly declaring that Jesus was the Son of God and died for the sins of all mankind.

Without an intensive study of the written works of Luther, and a deeper knowledge of the global mind set in the 16th century, it is hard to say who is right and who is wrong. God does, indeed, instruct His believers to be obedient to their leadership, both Christian and civil. It is up to Him to judge them if they lead their people in the wrong direction. It would be very interesting to see what would have happened had Luther and Charles V been invited guests at the Last Supper!




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