Trail Guide Forum

Comment by Pastor Ernie Lassman (Trail Guide - WA) on June 30, 2008 at 8:07pm

I am happy to be a part of this group. Thanks for the invitation...Pastor Lassman

Comment by Rev. Alan J. Wollenburg on June 30, 2008 at 9:30pm

OK, I guess that I'm in, too. Maybe I'll ask a question to see if anybody is interested in this question: "What makes Lutherans different from the other Christian denominations?"

Comment by Larry Mitchell on July 1, 2008 at 10:33am

This is a little confusing to me. Did Pastor Wollenberg ask the question what makes Lutherans different, or did someone named Sarah ask the question?

Larry

Comment by Larry Mitchell on July 1, 2008 at 10:39am

OK. I get it now. Pastor Wollenberg asked the question. It is a question that interests me. From what I have been reading, Lutherans are different in that they believe God does it all -- we people don't have to, or can't do much at all to achieve salvation.

I read an excellent article in a book called Lutheran Identity. This essay, the book's first chapter, is by Mark Noll and he describes Lutheranism (at its best) as embodying the essence of Christianity: a belief in original sin, in "objective salvation," and in paradoxes.

Larry

Comment by Larry Mitchell on July 1, 2008 at 11:09am

One more thought on what makes Lutherans different. It seems Lutherans believe the gospel must be preached in its purity and the sacraments must be administered properly.
On another site I read Rolf Preus had said that. I started wondering what "pure gospel" really meant. People might disagree about this. But I was reading a book called "Christian Assembly" by a couple of ELCA fellows, Lathrop and Wengert, and they seemed to give an answer. They said "pure gospel" is defined by the first 21 articles of the Augsberg Confession. I wonder if all Lutherans agree with that definition, or if at least "confessional" Lutherans would agree with that.

Larry

Comment by Larry Mitchell on July 1, 2008 at 11:29am

Sorry for bombarding the site with comments this morning. But, I've been reading about Lutheranism for the last couple of years and attending an LCMS church for the last year, and being asked about the Lutheran "difference" spurs me to write.
I attended a United Methodist church for a number of years but was distressed by some of the changes -- a watering down, it seemed, of the liturgy and the worship.
I think of Luther as offering a realistic view of the world and a way of being Christian that is practical -- that allows people to relax. (Maybe we can relax because God does it all). For example, it seems Lutherans don't insist that we save the world, but rather that we try to do a good and faithful job at our vocation and be content with that.
I feel Lutheranism offers a hope -- some things to believe in that seem to be "really there" rather than a sort of vague faith. I'm aware some of my enthusiasm may be due to being a beginner, but I'm hopeful that what I'm finding in Lutheranism will sustain me in the long run.

Larry

Comment by Timothy D. Schellenbach on July 1, 2008 at 2:55pm

Larry, I think you got the nail right on the head with your last comment.

Not that we don't encourage good works, of course, but since that's not what saves us or what our Christianity is, finally, about, we can do good "recklessly," as Dr. David Scaer put it in his James commentary, instead of being so afraid of messing it up that we fail to do anything at all.

Comment by Sarah Baldwin on July 1, 2008 at 6:06pm

Hey, do we get kicked out of the group if we become real Lutherans? :P

Comment by Sarah Baldwin on July 1, 2008 at 6:26pm

Comment for Larry: I am this "mysterious" Sarah that Pastor Wollenburg referred to. He asked "What makes Lutherans different from other Christian demoninations" to test the waters and see if there was enough interest in the subject to start a discussion on it. Then I sent him a message telling him to start an official discussion and I'd be happy to participate.

A few comments about your comments. I appreciate the thought that you put into them and I am picking up on some of the same things when I go to Lutheran churches (I am a Christian with a non-Lutheran background too). You might enjoy the blog of Chris Rosenburg: http://www.extremetheology.com/ He is a Lutheran who offers some thoughtful commentary on some trends in Evangelicalism and their contrast with a Lutheran view of things.

Perhaps I am just nitpicking, but I'd also like to comment on what you said here: "Lutherans believe ... the sacraments must be administered properly." Well, I think that all genuine Christians believe that. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, etc., all believe that they are administering communion in a Biblical fashion. There are a great number of non-Lutheran Christians who have done extensive study on the subject of communion and STILL sincerely come to very different conclusions than Lutherans do.

I am studying the subject as well in my pursuit of truth, and I really wish it was as easy as some people think it is.

Comment by Bob McDowell on July 2, 2008 at 7:18am

All you Lutheran theologians, here are some of my reasons for not jumping in feet-first to Lutheranism.

1. The "mechanics" of adult conversion vis-a-vis Baptism. (When Baptists bad-mouth Lutheran baptismal regeneration, I reply that it has more biblical basis than "decisional regeneration" widely proclaimed in the evangelical swamp.)

2. I need to understand the why's and wherefores of the Lutheran view of losing one's salvation. I admire their monergism. I just need to read more about how they interact with Calvinism's view.

3. The nature of the Lord's supper. I'm not a Zwinglian. I just need to see what Christ's presence means. I need to read more about how Lutheranism interacts with the Calvinistic view (NOT the Zwinglian view!)

So this gives you a head start, so you can load your Calvin-shooting-irons.

I'll check back in with you after I've finished Given for You: Reclaiming Calvin's Doctrine of the Lord's Supper

Yours truly, but not exhaustively!

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