This week, we’re going to move on from baptism to talk about the other Lutheran Sacrament, namely that of Holy Communion. Remember, Lutherans consider something a sacrament if it has the following three things: God says, “Do this.” God says, “When you do this, you will receive the forgiveness of…
Lutherans are inveterate paedobaptists. Okay, that’s a mouthful. Basically, it means we baptize babies. Always have and, so far as I can tell, we always will. And here’s the reason why: as we’ve seen over the past several weeks, we have a slightly different understanding of how a Christian comes…
Last week, I talked about the Lutheran definition of a sacrament. Just so we’re all on the same page, the “recipe” is as follows: God says “Do this.” God says, “In doing this, you will receive forgiveness.” We use a physical object (or element) in connection with this action or…
If I had to pick one thing that set Lutherans apart from other Christians, it’d probably be our understanding of the Sacraments. So let’s start with a definition. To Lutherans, a sacrament is a sacred act, instituted by God, in which God Himself has joined His Word of promise to…
So I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure if I should include this entry or not. See, here’s the thing: I’ve been raised in a Lutheran bubble. My dad was a pastor and his dad was a pastor too. I attended my dad’s church all throughout my childhood and youth. When…
One of the symbols you may have seen during this series is the Luther Rose: The meaning of the rose itself is pretty cool, but I wanted to focus on the three phrases that are wrapped around it. These are the three solas of the Reformation, the foundation upon which…
Last week, we talked about Luther’s 95 Theses, and how they were intended only to start a scholarly debate over the efficacy of indulgences. I shared my belief that Luther wasn’t trying to start any trouble. He simply wanted to have a scholarly discussion about a theological point. Regardless of…
Last week, we talked about how Martin Luther had his “light bulb moment,” so to speak, when he was able to rediscover the Gospel. But that just begs a question: how did this translate into a moment and movement that created shockwaves through so much of the world? Well, it…
Last week, we talked about the theological world that Martin Luther lived in. That’s important, because it helps explain why Martin did what he did and why he believed what he believed. But before we can really get to what you might call his “light bulb moment,” we have to…
So last week, I introduced the latest series to grace my blog, namely a series about what it means to be a Lutheran Christian. What is it that we believe, teach, and confess? How do we differ from other Christians? I’m hoping this will be an interesting and enlightening experience…