Our Name
We are named in commemoration of Luke the Evangelist, the author of the gospel account bearing his name and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke paints a stunning picture of Jesus, both in breadth, stretching from the anticipation of his birth to his resurrection and ascension, and in depth, showing us his love for sinners and compassion for those in need of mercy. He also captures for us a firsthand account of life of the early church, inviting us to find our place in God’s great work of redemption. Each of the four gospel writers has been symbolized in Christian art with a “living creature”—St. Luke’s is a winged ox. Oxen were sacrificial animals in the biblical world. Luke’s gospel account begins in the temple where oxen would have been sacrificed, and the ox symbol reminds us of his presentation of Jesus as the great sacrifice for our sin upon the cross, and his ongoing priestly intercession for us following his ascension into heaven.
Our Mission
We exist to declare and display the heart of God to the people of Greenwood.
St. Luke’s portrayal of Jesus’ ministry shows us that God’s great plan is the redemption, reconciliation, and restoration of the undeserving by means of the forgiveness of their sins. We want to declare this truth in a clear gospel proclamation and display it in our sacramental and daily lives.
Scripture
We believe that in God’s Word we come into contact with God himself, and want to orient our communal life and practices around this gift. Through faithful preaching, instruction in the rhythms of prayer and reading in the Daily Office, and equipping families, we aim to make the Scriptures the bedrock of our life together.
Sacraments
The gospel is not the presentation of mere propositions but the in-breaking of the kingdom of God. This is manifested in the church’s observation of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, where God truly meets us in power, transforms us by his grace, and reshapes our understanding of reality itself. We aim not only to observe these ordinances regularly but to allow them to shape our imaginations, liturgical calendar, and habits.
Service
As Christ welcomes us to his table, we want to welcome our neighbors to ours. We aspire to become a people defined by merciful hearts and giving spirits, meeting the needs of our neighbors and welcoming one another into our homes, lives, and schedules.
