Seeker Friendly Progressive Churches

[W2L]

With our lives we glorify many things. We should glorify God alone. Its God who gives us life and sustains us.

 

[ubicaritas]

I'm a member of a reformed Baptist Church, we believe that the purpose of life is to glorify God and enjoy Him.
Your Church is very similar, because to serve your neighbor is glorifying God. Everything we do should bring glory to God, we believe it's all about God and there's nothing in man worth celebrating or glorifying.

For us its more about a sacramental worldview, God has made service to the neighbor sacred therefore service is a sacramental participation in what is holy. The rites in our church such as the Lord's Supper point to this and shape and empower our lives as spiritual and ethical beings.

We would not tend to say there's nothing worthy in man though I suppose we don't disagree with the substance of it, we just don't use that language anymore. We believe people are created good and still have human dignity as a result, however sin makes us flawed, sinful beings. But God loves us anyways because he is gracious.

I am a member of the Evangalical Lutheran Church in America which is part of the World Lutheran Federation. The ELCA is a relatively liberal church in that we use higher criticism of the Bible, but our denomination's laity is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. We tend to be a confessional church which means we have a big thick book of doctrine called the Book of Concord though we tend to interpret that within its historical context.

The LCMS is a related church but they have a different history from us, being religious dissenters from Germany in the 19th century. They disagreed with other Lutherans and believed they were more strict in their interpretation of the confessions. We are descended from Lutherans that came over from all over Europe during the colonial era and afterwards, and we have tended to have a broader range of interpretation of what it means to be confessional.

 

[Dan1988]

For us its more about a sacramental worldview, God has made service to the neighbor sacred therefore service is a sacramental participation in what is holy. The rites in our church such as the Lord's Supper point to this and shape and empower our lives as spiritual and ethical beings.

We would not tend to say there's nothing worthy in man though I suppose we don't disagree with the substance of it, we just don't use that language anymore. We believe people are created good and still have human dignity as a result, however sin makes us flawed, sinful beings. But God loves us anyways because he is gracious.

I am a member of the Evangalical Lutheran Church in America which is part of the World Lutheran Federation. The ELCA is a relatively liberal church in that we use higher criticism of the Bible, but our denomination's laity is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. We tend to be a confessional church which means we have a big thick book of doctrine called the Book of Concord though we tend to interpret that within its historical context.

The LCMS is a related church but they have a different history from us, being religious dissenters from Germany in the 19th century. They disagreed with other Lutherans and believed they were more strict in their interpretation of the confessions. We are descended from Lutherans that came over from all over Europe during the colonial era and afterwards, and we have tended to have a broader range of interpretation of what it means to be confessional.

There are some stark differences in our beliefs, we believe man is wicked and there's nothing good in man. We were dead in our sins before God gave us life so He owns us outright, we have no rights to anything. We are slaves to Christ, and we are still sinners but we are forgiven sinners and we fight sin all the time.

 

[ubicaritas]

There are some stark differences in our beliefs, we believe man is wicked and there's nothing good in man. We were dead in our sins before God gave us life so He owns us outright, we have no rights to anything. We are slaves to Christ, and we are still sinners but we are forgiven sinners and we fight sin all the time.

I don't think we really disagree all that much on those points in terms of the substance, but we use more modern language. Still, we would recognize much of that as being traditional to our faith.

Occasionally, the pastor will use elements of older liturgies that have language similar to what you are describing. Still, compared to most mainline Protestant churches in the US we are relatively penitential in tone as we begin every service with confession. We just tend to express concepts like sin in ways that are relevant to modern human experiences.

 

[Dan1988]

I don't think we really disagree all that much on those points in terms of the substance, but we use more modern language. Still, we would recognize much of that as being traditional to our faith.

Our pastor tells us that Gods people are in many different Churches, he said we shouldn't allow different interpretations of scripture divide the church. God won't hold it against us if we failed to understand every scripture in it's correct context.

God looks at the heart, and not at the particular denomination we happen to be worshiping Him in

 

[ubicaritas]

Just some examples of what I was talking about:

This is from an older prayer book, we sometimes use this at the confession:

P- Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners
confess unto Thee that we are by nature sinful and unclean,
and that we have sinned against Thee by thought, word, and deed.
Wherefore we flee for refuge to Thine infinite mercy, seeking and
imploring Thy grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

C- O most merciful God, who has given Thine only begotten Son
to die for us, have mercy upon us and for His sake grant us
remission of all our sins; and by the Holy Spirit increase in us
true knowledge of Thee and of Thy will and true obedience to Thy Word,
to the end, that by Thy grace we may come to everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

P- Almighty God our heavenly Father,
hath had mercy upon us
and hath given His only Son to die for us
and for His sake forgiveth us all our sins.
To them that believe on His name
He giveth the power to become sons of God
and hath promised them His Holy Spirit.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.
Grant this, Lord, unto us all.
C- Amen

A more modern rite:

We confess that we are in bondage to sin and
cannot
free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word,
and deed, by what we have done and by what
we have left
undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have
not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son,
Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead
us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your
ways,
to the glory of your holy name. Amen

Pastor:
Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die
for us and, for his sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and
ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I
therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in
the name of the Father, and of the
+
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

and an even more modern rite:

Loving God
we confess that we have turned from your way to follow our own ways.
Forgive us for the times we have spoken or acted too quickly;
we have not spoken or acted at all;
we have hurt those closest to us;
we have hurt those we have yet to know;
we have thought more about ourselves than others;
we have thought less of ourselves than we ought.
Turn us around, and give us a fresh start,
So that we can live again as your children. Amen.

Pastor
:
Even when we have done wrong, God makes us right.
Even when we have messed up, God puts us together.
God’s love never runs out.
God never tires of calling us beloved children.
Hear God say to you now:
Your sins are forgiven,
for the sake of †Jesus Christ our Savior.

Amen.

All of those are seen as legitimate expressions of our faith, using different language but expressing the same truth.

My favorite is actually the third, because it uses simple, everyday language and because it is focused on God's forgiveness and love. It is also the most Lutheran in its emphasis on the Word actually being spoke to us as the Word of God himself.