I write this newsletter ariticle, I am truly having a unique experience. I was asked to cover sophomore and junior religion classes at Metro East Lutheran High School. I have come back to the place where I sat for my own religious classes. The faces in the hallways look so much younger than I remember. Only a name or two on the faculty are the same. But then again, that was 17 years ago. But there is still something uniquely familiar in the chapel service I led. Something uniquely familiar the classrooms and the students in them. Everything in unique. Unfortunately, you might not appreciate it as much as I do, but it is unique.

I didn't come in to this day with unique on the mind. However, unique is a word that came up over and over in the lectures. We have a unique faith. We Lutherans, with our understanding of the Real Presence and the proper distinction between Law and Gospel, are unique among all Christendom. The fact that the Word of God has been proclaimed for two millenia and has remained true the whole time is evidence that we have a unique faith.

It is unique because we have a unique Savior. Our Lord Jesus Christ has done something for us that is clearly unique. He was willing to offer up His life in exchange for ours. That is something that only a handful of people might be willing to do for a very small group of people in our lives. But Jesus was willing to offer up His life for the sake of sinners. Read Romans chapter five again to be marveled at this unique Savior.

This then gives us a unique message. You and I are called by God to share with the world the Savior of the cross. A dead savior that gives life. A resurrected Savior that defeats death forever. We preach Christ crucified, risen, ascended and coming again. We preach the Christ who is truly present in the Lord's Supper and delivers forgiveness and life to those who, by grace through faith, see Him there. We preach the Christ who calls people by name in Holy Baptism. We preach the Christ of which we are told "There is no other name, under heaven, given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Jesus is unique. For without Him, there is no salvation. He is the only way. As a result, we too are unique. We are dead to sin and alive to Christ. We are in the world but not of the world. We are at the same time saint and sinner. Jesus makes us different. Better yet, Jesus makes us unique. And this uniqueness we celebrate in God's house and at His table. Don't let anything keep you from this celebration. Not sin. Not selfishness. Not wordly passions. For these are not unique. Every human has them. You and I are called to be unique.