- Joined
- Jun 12, 2015
- Messages
- 13,927
- Gender
- Male
- Religious Affiliation
- Lutheran
- Political Affiliation
- Conservative
- Marital Status
- Married
- Acceptance of the Trinity & Nicene Creed
- Yes
.... continuing from above....
Why I JOINED the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod:
I sought a fellowship that embraced humility, accountability, community. That was boldly Christocentric rather than self-centered, that lifted high the Cross rather than the denomination. I looked for at least some attempt at BALANCE between authority and responibility, that pointed to an Authority OTHER than self. It was important to ME that the teachings be biblical and historical. I wanted a fellowship that embraced the teachings I felt strongly were TRUE, but didn't insist I accept things I could not so embrace. It was important to ME that worship be liturgical and sacramental. That the fellowship be pro-life, pro-family.
There's some Lutheran background in my family, and I knew a little bit about the Reformation (mostly from history), and I knew Lutheranism and Catholicism share much, so it was the first church I checked out. I also went to an Episcopal church (for the same reasons) and to a big mega non-denom. I also considered a Baptist church that I had attended several times as a child (I was homeschooled through their parish school). I knew about the liberalism of the Episcopal Church in the USA (I didn't know that there ARE some very conservative/traditional Anglican parishes) and I quickly disregarded the non-denom. I went back to the Lutheran church.
AT FIRST, I saw it as "Catholic Light" - embracing all I felt dear but none of the reasons why I had to leave the RCC. But in time, I came to embrace the GOSPEL, the Law/Gospel distinction, the "Theology of the Cross" - I became Lutheran, not "Catholic light."
The worship was a tag.... lacking ( a bit too informal for my liking) but I could accept that. At first, my parish didn't have weekly Communion (which I REALLY missed and thought odd) but that changed and now it does. Kind of missed a bit of the customs too, but again - I quickly adjusted.
I LOVED the theology!!!! I LOVED the very bold pro-life, pro-family stance.
I came to really appreciate the "family" feeling, the fellowship, the friendships - all things very much missing in Catholicism and a surprise blessing to me. I didn't seek this but I found it - and came to really appreciate it. There is a bonding, a caring, a friendship in the family that I came to love.
I DID hesitate over one issue: In the Reformation, there was this whole "The Pope is the Antichrist" thing. I found that profoundly unbiblical, silly, wrong and, well, offensive. I asked some Lutherans (including at websites) about this.... I researched this.... I read some stuff in the Lutheran Confessions on this..... it troubled me. I may have "landed" in a denomination that ALSO had something unacceptable to me. I struggled with this for over a year. I had some private meetings with the Lutheran pastor over this. I would not be Confirmed. By the way, I also read the ENTIRE three-volumn set of doctrine books used in LCMS seminaries to train Lutheran pastors: "Christian Dogmatics" by Francis Pieper, 3 very intense books each maybe 400 pages long. I really, really liked what I was reading..... but kept stumbling over that "Antichrist" thing. I finally came to accept that this was a historic thing and was NEVER de fide dogma, never binding - and never regarded as binding on people today. When I could accept that was the case.... that I was allowed to disagree with the pov and be a bona fide Lutheran and be Confirmed.... I finally agreed to be Confirmed. But I did struggle with this.
There are some things in the LCMS that I don't fully embrace, but these are praxis issues (I tend to have a wider view of fellowship - including for the Eucharist for example).
BTW, about half of the members of my small LCMS parish are ex-Catholics, converts from the RCC I'm in good company.
Just my journey.....
Pax Christi
- Josiah
.
Why I JOINED the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod:
I sought a fellowship that embraced humility, accountability, community. That was boldly Christocentric rather than self-centered, that lifted high the Cross rather than the denomination. I looked for at least some attempt at BALANCE between authority and responibility, that pointed to an Authority OTHER than self. It was important to ME that the teachings be biblical and historical. I wanted a fellowship that embraced the teachings I felt strongly were TRUE, but didn't insist I accept things I could not so embrace. It was important to ME that worship be liturgical and sacramental. That the fellowship be pro-life, pro-family.
There's some Lutheran background in my family, and I knew a little bit about the Reformation (mostly from history), and I knew Lutheranism and Catholicism share much, so it was the first church I checked out. I also went to an Episcopal church (for the same reasons) and to a big mega non-denom. I also considered a Baptist church that I had attended several times as a child (I was homeschooled through their parish school). I knew about the liberalism of the Episcopal Church in the USA (I didn't know that there ARE some very conservative/traditional Anglican parishes) and I quickly disregarded the non-denom. I went back to the Lutheran church.
AT FIRST, I saw it as "Catholic Light" - embracing all I felt dear but none of the reasons why I had to leave the RCC. But in time, I came to embrace the GOSPEL, the Law/Gospel distinction, the "Theology of the Cross" - I became Lutheran, not "Catholic light."
The worship was a tag.... lacking ( a bit too informal for my liking) but I could accept that. At first, my parish didn't have weekly Communion (which I REALLY missed and thought odd) but that changed and now it does. Kind of missed a bit of the customs too, but again - I quickly adjusted.
I LOVED the theology!!!! I LOVED the very bold pro-life, pro-family stance.
I came to really appreciate the "family" feeling, the fellowship, the friendships - all things very much missing in Catholicism and a surprise blessing to me. I didn't seek this but I found it - and came to really appreciate it. There is a bonding, a caring, a friendship in the family that I came to love.
I DID hesitate over one issue: In the Reformation, there was this whole "The Pope is the Antichrist" thing. I found that profoundly unbiblical, silly, wrong and, well, offensive. I asked some Lutherans (including at websites) about this.... I researched this.... I read some stuff in the Lutheran Confessions on this..... it troubled me. I may have "landed" in a denomination that ALSO had something unacceptable to me. I struggled with this for over a year. I had some private meetings with the Lutheran pastor over this. I would not be Confirmed. By the way, I also read the ENTIRE three-volumn set of doctrine books used in LCMS seminaries to train Lutheran pastors: "Christian Dogmatics" by Francis Pieper, 3 very intense books each maybe 400 pages long. I really, really liked what I was reading..... but kept stumbling over that "Antichrist" thing. I finally came to accept that this was a historic thing and was NEVER de fide dogma, never binding - and never regarded as binding on people today. When I could accept that was the case.... that I was allowed to disagree with the pov and be a bona fide Lutheran and be Confirmed.... I finally agreed to be Confirmed. But I did struggle with this.
There are some things in the LCMS that I don't fully embrace, but these are praxis issues (I tend to have a wider view of fellowship - including for the Eucharist for example).
BTW, about half of the members of my small LCMS parish are ex-Catholics, converts from the RCC I'm in good company.
Just my journey.....
Pax Christi
- Josiah
.
