Do the Orthodox agree with this?

[LCMS Lutheran]

For all of you who were Lutheran before conversion: what first made you interested in Orthodoxy?

 

[Maximus]

For all of you who were Lutheran before conversion: what first made you interested in Orthodoxy?

Free food after liturgy.

Not really . . . we had that at the Lutheran Church.

For me it was Church history and a trip to Russia.

 

[ByzantineDixie]

Dixie, I ran across this article on Clifton Healy's blog the other day. Is this the same person you're talking about? I didn't listen to the radio show.

Yep...that's the guy and the blog you reference is dead on in it's assessment of Wilken's tactics. I participate in one Lutheran / Orthodox online dialogue and even the Lutherans admitted the last show on the topic was a sham.

 

[Lotar]

I recieved the article in my email today.

It seems to me that Mr. Wilken has never read The Two Natures of Christ. It's sad how polarized that many Lutherans have become, they actually end up ignoring and/or arguing against their own historical doctrine.

 

[Lotar]

For all of you who were Lutheran before conversion: what first made you interested in Orthodoxy?

Church history.

 

[ByzantineDixie]

For all of you who were Lutheran before conversion: what first made you interested in Orthodoxy?

Quite honestly...what first made me look for something else was a host of problems associated with the Eucharist in the Lutheran (LCMS) church. Open communion, administration of the Sacrament by lay people, plastic individual cups which contain residual Blood of Christ tossed in the trash, denial of infant communion...all of these abuses not only happened in congregations in which I was a member but even the congregations that did not do these things were at a minimum in communion with the ones that did.

What made me interested in Orthodoxy? The visible Church. The Ark of Salvation. I couldn't buy the invisible thing any longer. Too scary not to be absolutely certain whether or not one is in the boat. (And I guess I harbored a romantic notion that if Luther knew then what things would be like today...he would jumped into the Bosphorus and never looked back.)

 

[MariaRegina]

Are you sure that title wasn't The Protestant Reformation BY Dummies?

LOL

 

[Rilian]

I'm one of those former Lutherans.

Was that before or after the Hare Krishnas.

 

[Maximus]

Was that before or after the Hare Krishnas.

One must first achieve moksha to be admitted to the LCMS, grasshopper.

 

[Xpycoctomos]

Former LCMSer here too!

Welcome LCMS Lutheran!

 

[Oblio]

Former LCMSer here too!

I hope yooz all don't get any fancy idears 'bout nailin' stuff to the doors

 

[Xpycoctomos]

I hope yooz all don't get any fancy idears 'bout nailin' stuff to the doors

Just the Creed sans filioque.

 

[Oblio]

:wipesforehead:

 

[LCMS Lutheran]

Hey thanks for the welcomeeveryone!!
Were any of you former LCMSers a part of the '40 Days of Purpose Campaign' in your churches before you left? I ask because the church I currently attend is just finishing up with this little program. The Sunday before it started I went and viewed Rick Warren's national telecast in which he basically plugged his book and after sitting through that little presentation and reading some of the book itself I decided I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it at all. Since I wouldn't go to church with my mother this Sunday to hear our pastor stand in front of us in a business suit and quote Scripture from a Bible paraphrase and the Purpose Driven Life, I was told satan is getting the best of me.

I've been taking a lot of abuse from fellow students, my parents, my academic advisor at school and it seems like the world for my changing beliefs. I've been accused of being a pagan and giving in to satan's temptations, and it honestly does hurt. My other question is did you have a similar experience where your changing beliefs were met with opposition from family/friends/spouse or anyone else? If so, how did you get through these times?

 

[Xpycoctomos]

sigh.. the LCMS is turning into something I hardly recognize anymore. I worry for my parents.

ADDED...

I must say... I never felt anger towards the LCMS when I left... but now I just feel depressed about the things I hear. Honeslty, even if I still felt I needed to be Lutheran... I don't knwo where I'd go. Honeslty, after hearing about the slight changes that go on at my old parish (especially with the service) I don't think I would even recognize it, even if I decided to be Lutheran again.

It's odd. I almost feel betrayed. I was told not to leave because I was making a mountain out of a mole hill... and now I cannot possibly understand how my old pastor (whom I love and admire deeply) could look at me with a straight face and say "there is nothing to worry about".

LCMS Lutheran, I'm sorry. I really don't mean this as any disrespect for you. But it's just that I always had such a great respect for the LCMS and all that it could have been.. and they are throwing away such a beautiful (albeit seriously flawed from an Orhtodox POV) to distance themselves from the sacramental reverent Church I knew (that was too 'catholic' for so many) and likenning themselves more every day to the vagante bible Church shepereded by a self-proclaimed pastor down the road.

I do not feel triumphant in saying any of this. I feel hurt and betrayed. I still have family in the LCMS. The best I can see coming out of this is that this movement will get my parents asking more questions and searching. I suppose I'll have to pray.

John

 

[ByzantineDixie]

I've been taking a lot of abuse from fellow students, my parents, my academic advisor at school and it seems like the world for my changing beliefs. I've been accused of being a pagan and giving in to satan's temptations, and it honestly does hurt. My other question is did you have a similar experience where your changing beliefs were met with opposition from family/friends/spouse or anyone else? If so, how did you get through these times?

I guess the things you are experiencing transcend age and location...as I just had another bout of attacks from family and friends this past weekend. My husband of 23 years said he and the pastor came to the conclusion that I was being deceived by satan. One of my dear friends told me she prayed for me while I was away on a business trip so that I would have enough "quiet time" with God and come to my senses. My other friend doesn't attack my decision but repeated tells me how she misses me.

How to get through all this? I am new at this so my advice is limited. The only way I know how to do this is to pray for strength to continue the struggle and to continue taking one step, then the other. Pray for those who hurt you and/or don't understand and do not take their accusations to heart. For me...I just had to come to the realization that these attacks were going to come and I needed to weather them. It wouldn't do for me to pretend I could coast through this unaffected.

LCMS Lutheran...I will pray that you are given the strength to weather this storm.

 

[Matrona]

One of my dear friends told me she prayed for me while I was away on a business trip so that I would have enough "quiet time" with God and come to my senses.

When I was a catechumen I experienced this also... a guy who was an avowed evangelical told me that he really liked me (what is this, high school?) but that he couldn't possibly start a relationship with me: "If only you'd come to your senses... [about Orthodoxy]" Jerk.

It was for the best, as he turned out to be an absolute pig, who, shall we say, didn't let his avowed evangelicalism follow him to the bedroom.

 

[repentant]

The reason why the Creed was originally written the way it was, and the reason why the Filoque was rejected by the East, is because Jesus HImself told us in Scripture where the Holy Spirit is from..

Luke 24:49
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high".

 

[Theophorus]

Hey thanks for the welcomeeveryone!!
Were any of you former LCMSers a part of the '40 Days of Purpose Campaign' in your churches before you left? I ask because the church I currently attend is just finishing up with this little program. The Sunday before it started I went and viewed Rick Warren's national telecast in which he basically plugged his book and after sitting through that little presentation and reading some of the book itself I decided I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it at all. Since I wouldn't go to church with my mother this Sunday to hear our pastor stand in front of us in a business suit and quote Scripture from a Bible paraphrase and the Purpose Driven Life, I was told satan is getting the best of me.

I've been taking a lot of abuse from fellow students, my parents, my academic advisor at school and it seems like the world for my changing beliefs. I've been accused of being a pagan and giving in to satan's temptations, and it honestly does hurt. My other question is did you have a similar experience where your changing beliefs were met with opposition from family/friends/spouse or anyone else? If so, how did you get through these times?

All of the above. I used to defend myself against those accusations, using a lot of bible and history. They stopped. Now they do not discuss theology with me anymore. I am considered dangerous and deceived.
My atheist father won't allow my believing mother to talk with me about it.

 

[Orthosdoxa]

I too faced opposition, and was accused of insane things like "worshipping the Early Church"....umm, what does that MEAN???

I used to get fired up and angry, but now it just saddens me, and I try to pray for my attackers. They are lost.