About the Work
“We Believe” was conceived as a catechetical teaching piece for children inspired by Ephesians 2:8. The verses follow the Trinitarian structure of the Apostles’ Creed, affirming belief in God the Father, Son, and Spirit. The chorus takes its themes from the Five Solas of the Reformation. These solas represent the central beliefs of the Protestant tradition: authority lies not with councils or tradition, but in “Scripture alone” (sola scriptura); believers are saved, not by one’s own works, but “by grace alone” (sola gratia); this salvation comes “through faith alone” (sola fide), “by Christ alone (solo Christo); and, therefore, all “glory belongs to God alone” (soli Deo gloria).
“We Believe” was the 2017–18 theme song for St. Paul’s Lutheran School in New Ulm, MN. The students premiered the piece during their Christmas services on December 24, 2017, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm, MN.
