Visitors center welcoming thread (TCL members please check in here)

[Tangible]

Thanks, I hadn't heard of that! It seems really interesting, and definitely similar to what I'm looking for.

I remembered seeing this lately and I finally found the link I was looking for. @MarkRohfrietsch mentioned once (long, long ago) that he was a member.

St Paul Hamel The Society of Saint Polycarp

Society of Saint Polycarp

 

[JRichard68]

Lurker/interested observer here (formerly 'ImaginaryDay' at CF). Hanging around the LCC, but haven't decided to make the jump yet. The local church here is fairly "modern" which is definitely not what I've been looking for.

 

[AMM]

Lurker/interested observer here (formerly 'ImaginaryDay' at CF). Hanging around the LCC, but haven't decided to make the jump yet. The local church here is fairly "modern" which is definitely not what I've been looking for.

Welcome! Hope you find what you're looking for here. I believe the LCC is a "daughter denomination" of the LCMS, which just so happens to be the branch I belong to!

 

[DeerGlow]

Hello.... I'm a (southern) baptist but thinking about hanging around here. I may ask questions, do I go into the Lutheran area or stay here for that?

 

[Tigger45]

Welcome to TCL @DeerGlow !

You could start by asking questions here and see how it develops and then go from there

 

[DeerGlow]

Welcome to TCL @DeerGlow !

You could start by asking questions here and see how it develops and then go from there

I didn't know if I could do that here, if I can ask about theology/practices here or in the other section since I'm not Lutheran.

 

[Tigger45]

You're fine with asking questions here, they cover that in this thread's original post > Visitors center welcoming thread (TCL members please check in here)

 

[DeerGlow]

You're fine with asking questions here, they cover that in this thread's original post > Visitors center welcoming thread (TCL members please check in here)

I guess I missed that. Then, can someone or multiple people try to explain the "Real Presence in, with, and under the form of bread and wine" in communion to me?

 

[tampasteve]

I guess I missed that. Then, can someone or multiple people try to explain the "Real Presence in, with, and under the form of bread and wine" in communion to me?

Perhaps the web page liked below will help. It is written by a Lutheran (MS) Pastor in San Antonio Tx.
Sacramental Union | Pastor Zach's Blog

In brief Martin Luther believed:
"Out of two kinds of objects a union has taken place, which I shall call a “sacramental union,” because Christ’s body and the bread are given to us as a sacrament…Therefore, it is entirely correct to say, if one points to the bread, “This is Christ’s body”…Thus also it is correct to say, “He who takes hold of this bread, takes hold of Christ’s body; and he who eats this bread, eats Christ’s body; he who crushes this bread with teeth or tongue, crushes with teeth or tongue the body of Christ.” And yet it remains absolutely true that no one sees or grasps or eats or chews Christ’s body in the way he visibly sees and chews any other flesh. What one does to the bread is rightly and properly attributed to the body of Christ by virtue of the sacramental union."

 

[DeerGlow]

Perhaps the web page liked below will help. It is written by a Lutheran (MS) Pastor in San Antonio Tx.
Sacramental Union | Pastor Zach's Blog

In brief Martin Luther believed:
"Out of two kinds of objects a union has taken place, which I shall call a “sacramental union,” because Christ’s body and the bread are given to us as a sacrament…Therefore, it is entirely correct to say, if one points to the bread, “This is Christ’s body”…Thus also it is correct to say, “He who takes hold of this bread, takes hold of Christ’s body; and he who eats this bread, eats Christ’s body; he who crushes this bread with teeth or tongue, crushes with teeth or tongue the body of Christ.” And yet it remains absolutely true that no one sees or grasps or eats or chews Christ’s body in the way he visibly sees and chews any other flesh. What one does to the bread is rightly and properly attributed to the body of Christ by virtue of the sacramental union."

It's not transubstantion, not symbolism, and not spiritual presence only? Is it like a link between the bread-body and wine-blood? Or simultaneously the bread and the body or wine and the blood?

 

[AMM]

It's not transubstantion, not symbolism, and not spiritual presence only? Is it like a link between the bread-body and wine-blood? Or simultaneously the bread and the body or wine and the blood?

Welcome to TCL!

This is one of the hardest things to understand about Lutheran theology, and I say that as a Lutheran.
We reject transubstantiation because we don't want to mix Aristotle with our theology.
We reject symbolism and spiritual presence because Christ said "this is my body".

Christ and Paul call it the Body and Blood of Jesus, so we take that at face value. Paul also calls it bread and wine (in 1 Corinthians 11:27), so we teach that it is also bread and wine.

In my opinion, transubstantiation is the closest to correct. There's really not too much wrong with it, per se, but we reject it because it's a human philosophical explanation of a divine mystery, which we believe to be a vain and prideful attempt of explaining God. Does that help?

 

[tampasteve]

It's not transubstantion, not symbolism, and not spiritual presence only? Is it like a link between the bread-body and wine-blood? Or simultaneously the bread and the body or wine and the blood?

I'm no theologian, so my analogy or interpretation could be wrong...but I believe it is simultaneously bread/wine and body/blood. In the end, I tend to think along the lines that it is mystical, not entirely to be explained in our logic or scientifically able to be proven. But, I have faith that Christ said "this is my body, this is my blood" and he meant it as such.

 

[DeerGlow]

Welcome to TCL!

This is one of the hardest things to understand about Lutheran theology, and I say that as a Lutheran.
We reject transubstantiation because we don't want to mix Aristotle with our theology.
We reject symbolism and spiritual presence because Christ said "this is my body".

Christ and Paul call it the Body and Blood of Jesus, so we take that at face value. Paul also calls it bread and wine (in 1 Corinthians 11:27), so we teach that it is also bread and wine.

In my opinion, transubstantiation is the closest to correct. There's really not too much wrong with it, per se, but we reject it because it's a human philosophical explanation of a divine mystery, which we believe to be a vain and prideful attempt of explaining God. Does that help?

It's both at the same time?

 

[AMM]

It's both at the same time?

It can't be understood or explained by us humans. The God-man said the bread is His Body. So it's His Body. The Apostle Paul, writing infallibly by the Holy Spirit, calls the consecrated elements bread, as well as Christ's Body. So it's His Body, and it's bread.

John 6 may be helpful too. Christ's flesh is true food, Christ is the Bread from heaven, etc.

In short, yes, I suppose you can say that it is both at the same time. The important part is that it is truly Christ's Precious Body and Blood.

 

[DeerGlow]

It can't be understood or explained by us humans. The God-man said the bread is His Body. So it's His Body. The Apostle Paul, writing infallibly by the Holy Spirit, calls the consecrated elements bread, as well as Christ's Body. So it's His Body, and it's bread.

John 6 may be helpful too. Christ's flesh is true food, Christ is the Bread from heaven, etc.

In short, yes, I suppose you can say that it is both at the same time. The important part is that it is truly Christ's Precious Body and Blood.

I think I am processing it now, thank you.

 

[Tigger45]

The thing I like about Lutheran theology is that it wont define anything by going outside of scripture, neither adding to or subtracting from. I personally like the terminology of sacramental union of the body and bread-wine and blood myself.

 

[DeerGlow]

What kind of baptism do Lutherans practice?

 

[tampasteve]

What kind of baptism do Lutherans practice?

Infant, adult, teen...generally people baptized as infants also have Confirmation. The practice is very similar to the Roman Catholic Church.
According to Martin Luther's "Small Catechism," Lutherans believe that being baptized results in forgiveness of sins, deliverance from death and the gift of salvation to those who believe in God's promises.

I hope that helps!

 

[DeerGlow]

Infant, adult, teen...generally people baptized as infants also have Confirmation. The practice is very similar to the Roman Catholic Church.
According to Martin Luther's "Small Catechism," Lutherans believe that being baptized results in forgiveness of sins, deliverance from death and the gift of salvation to those who believe in God's promises.

I hope that helps!

It does help, thank you.

 

[AMM]

What kind of baptism do Lutherans practice?

We baptize people of all ages, like tampasteve said.

As for what it actually "looks like" -- most often we pour/sprinkle water on the head three times, but I've known some Lutherans who do immersion as well.