From the monthly archives:
April 2008
What My Neighbor Believes: Lutheranism (Part One)
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This morning, I happened upon a post at The Truth In Context entitled “Lutheran vs. Reformed.” The author, Alan, discussed the differences between Lutheran and Reformed churches, inviting commentary and discussion in an effort to assist his readers in their understanding of the topic.
His comments on Lutheranism inspired me to respond, given that, until a little more than a year ago, I was a lifelong member of and extremely active participant in the Lutheran church. I am not and have never been a pastor, nor have I attended or graduated from seminary. Rather, my knowledge is based purely upon my nearly lifelong tenure as a member and employee of, and leader within, the church.
Different Types of Lutherans
The danger in talking about Lutheranism is that there are different kinds of Lutheran churches and their beliefs and practices vary widely. Much of what Alan described applies only to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), an extremely conservative group that clings, in my opinion, to outdated notions about everything from the status of women in the church (they neither vote in congregational elections nor hold positions of leadership that would require them to lead or teach men, and they may not serve as ordained pastors) to questions of sexual orientation (it is believed to be a sinful lifestyle choice) to views on baptism, communion, worship styles, etc.
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Take Me As I Am
“Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly. We insist upon trying to modify Him and bring Him nearer to our own image.”
~ by A. W. Tozer ~
“Take me as I am.”
We say that — aloud or tacitly — to each other every morning when we head out into the world and interact. Every look, every gesture, every word that comes from our mouths, the clothes we select, the jewelry with which we adorn ourselves, the hairstyle we sport, the car we drive, the home in which we live . . . everything that makes us our unique self is, in essence, a cry to the world: “This is me. This is who I am. This is what I’m about. These are the things that matter to me. Please take me as I am — and love me anyway.”
We spend our entire lives trying to figure out the answer to a deceptively simple question: “Who am I?” We change jobs, professions, clothes, hairstyles, hobbies, activities, friends, life partners . . . trying on different styles to see if they “fit” and provide us with the answer to that question, even though, as we are questioning, other people are making ongoing assessments and drawing conclusions about us based upon their observations.
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The Seventh Day: Blogging’s Best Edition
On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
Genesis 2:2-3
Welcome to the Seventh Day Blog Carnival “Blogging’s Best” Edition. The Seventh Day is designed to provide bloggers an opportunity to highlight their best work and readers a chance to get acquainted with some new sites and writers! For this special edition, participants were asked to submit new and old posts on any and all topics, irrespective of the original publication date, representing the submitter’s very best work.
Please support the bloggers who have graciously shared their work with us by visiting their sites and leaving a comment letting them know how much you enjoyed their contribution!
The next edition of the Carnival is scheduled for May 4, 2008 and it will again be focused on Blogging’s Best. Submit your post by Saturday, May 3, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. (Pacific time) to be included in the May 4, 2008, round-up of the best the blogosphere has to offer!
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Wordless Wednesday
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Closer to Conformity with Christ . . . Away from the Church
“We must assess our thoughts and beliefs and reckon whether they are moving us closer to conformity to Christ or farther away from it.”
~ by John Ortberg ~
Last week, I happened upon a woman I had not seen in several years. She continues to be active in the congregation in which I grew up and remained a member for many years thereafter. We chatted for a few minutes and then she asked, “Are you still going to _____ Church?”
“No,” I responded. “I am no longer affiliated with organized religion.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “That’s too bad! I’m sorry. Would you consider coming back to ______ Church?”
She immediately assumed that my decision to disassociate myself from the patriarchal church was a bad thing. She jumped to the conclusion that something must be wrong or some awful thing must have transpired if I am no longer attending worship serves at a particular congregation.
“No,” I explained. “I am not interested in being part of organized religion any longer.”
“Why not?” she inquired with genuine interest.
“Oh, for many reasons,” I told her. “Primarily, the homophobia and bigotry I encountered there. Not to mention the church politics and focus on things that I’m not interested in. I’m on a spiritual path now that is leading me in absolutely the right direction — for me.”
She looked at me as though she had never really seen my face before, even though we’ve known each other casually for at least thirty years.
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