What do you most value about your local congregation?

[joyfulthanks]

What do love best about your local Lutheran congregation?

For me as a newbie, I LOVE the strong, clear, constant, consistent, and well-balanced proclamation of God's Holy Word.

I love that the Word is proclaimed in the context of worship and is received with thankfulness in an atmosphere geared toward grace-filled growth, rather than just forensically analzyed week after week.

Thank you, Lord!

 

[Jim47]

Yep, you said it quite well. Having a Pastor that teaches God's word in truth and purity and rightly administers the sacraments, thats by far more important then anything else.

 

[LilLamb219]

I love that the liturgy is about the same from when I was growing up (different synods though)!!

 

[wildboar]

I love the Christ-centered and cross-focused liturgy and preaching. The wonderful pastoral care I've received doesn't hurt either.

 

[joyfulthanks]

Well said, wildboar!

By the way - I love your username! I'm assuming you took it in reference to Luther from Pope Leo's Exurge Domine bull?

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Everyone else hit the nail on the head; however I would like to add that my congregation is small, and it is a wonderful part of my extended family. The closeness, fellowship and loving kindness added to the purity of Scripture is truly awesome. My congregation is a little piece of our Lord's heavenly kingdom here on earth. It has been an immeasurable blessing to me; as it should be! Mark

 

[joyfulthanks]

I'm optimistic and hopeful that I will be able to report the same about our congregation, Mark. I just haven't been there long enough to know for sure yet, but things are looking great in that regard so far.

 

[wildboar]

Yeah, I stole my username from Luther. I actually stole it several years ago when I was a member of a Reformed church and was participating in some other forums on the internet.

 

[nikkipompom]

I mainly value the close community and fellowship of us younger people. We have a voice in our church.

 

[Edial]

Yeah, I stole my username from Luther. I actually stole it several years ago when I was a member of a Reformed church and was participating in some other forums on the internet.

You came from a Reformed background? This is fascinating.
What clicked with you that you rejected the Limited Atonement?
(I don't really want to hijack this thread ... )

Thanks,
Ed

 

[Edial]

What do love best about your local Lutheran congregation?

For me as a newbie, I LOVE the strong, clear, constant, consistent, and well-balanced proclamation of God's Holy Word.

I love that the Word is proclaimed in the context of worship and is received with thankfulness in an atmosphere geared toward grace-filled growth, rather than just forensically analzyed week after week.

Thank you, Lord!

To me it is people.

 

[wildboar]

You came from a Reformed background? This is fascinating.
What clicked with you that you rejected the Limited Atonement?

The doctrine of active reprobation was probably what I held on to for the longest, the limited atonement was probably one of the easiest to give up. My general approach to the Scriptures changed. I came to see that they are all about Jesus and that there is no passage that teaches a limited atonement--it is a logical deduction raised from questions about why some go to hell and how those could go to hell for whom Christ died. I also found passages in Hebrews and in the Epistles of Peter where people are said to have been partakers of the Holy Spirit and denying the Lord who bought them (if Jesus bought them and they end up in hell how can there be a limited atonement?). I eventually came to see that the Bible speaks of the atonement in two different respects. It speaks of Christ's redemption of everyone and it also speaks of Christ's redemption of believers since they are the ones who receive the benefits of the atonement. Paul never tells anyone that Jesus didn't die for them. When passages speak of Christ's death atoning for the sins of believers, those who subscribe to a limited atonement assume that those are the only ones he died for.

I think Calvinism on the internet is also skewed by the whole TULIP thing. The Synod of Dordt did speak of a limited atonement but they were careful to emphasize that Christ's death is of infinite worth and value and able to expiate the sins of the whole world.

 

[Aibrean]

My congregation isn't local (we have a 20 minute drive). We are actually considering changing churches. We visited another LCMS one this past Sunday (still a 20 minute drive). I loved the fact that the little church we went to had a divine service and there was such a feeling of togetherness there. The closest Lutheran church is 2 minutes away but it's ECLA and we would rather stay within our synod.

 

[Edial]

The doctrine of active reprobation was probably what I held on to for the longest, the limited atonement was probably one of the easiest to give up. My general approach to the Scriptures changed. I came to see that they are all about Jesus and that there is no passage that teaches a limited atonement--it is a logical deduction raised from questions about why some go to hell and how those could go to hell for whom Christ died.

Yes.

I also found passages in Hebrews and in the Epistles of Peter where people are said to have been partakers of the Holy Spirit and denying the Lord who bought them (if Jesus bought them and they end up in hell how can there be a limited atonement?)

I found the definition of words saved and/or justified being so rigid in the definition of the Reformed (or even regular Baptist churches) that it loses sense when we address some texts. We appear to depend much on the definitions that we invent over what the Scriptures say.
It is so hard to forego the intellectualized gospel ... so hard.
But once you do ... what a relief.

I eventually came to see that the Bible speaks of the atonement in two different respects. It speaks of Christ's redemption of everyone and it also speaks of Christ's redemption of believers since they are the ones who receive the benefits of the atonement.

This I learned here. I was like ... "Now these verses make sense" ...

Paul never tells anyone that Jesus didn't die for them. When passages speak of Christ's death atoning for the sins of believers, those who subscribe to a limited atonement assume that those are the only ones he died for.

There is NOT ONE verse that states Christ died ONLY for the elect.
I had a thread here simply stating that Calvinism Does Not Exist ...
Long thread. Interesting "to me"
But here is a treasure I found in that thread.
One guy posted 300 verses presenting that Christ died for all.
http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=15851339&highlight=300#post15851339

I think Calvinism on the internet is also skewed by the whole TULIP thing. The Synod of Dordt did speak of a limited atonement but they were careful to emphasize that Christ's death is of infinite worth and value and able to expiate the sins of the whole world.

That is why, in my opinion, they do not want to call themselves Calvinists, but Reformed.
I also had some interesting (to me ) debates in that thread concerning Calvin's repentance from the Limited Atonement in his Last Will and Testaments.
Honest Calvinists simply say that Calvin should not have repented.
The others say that Calvin basically did not say what he meant ... or something to the effect.

Thank you for your comments.
Ed

 

[LutheranChick]

I love my congregation, first and foremost, because I know that I will hear God's Word in all its truth and purity every single Sunday. As for the congregation itself, we have a very small, close-knit group that consists of the most loving wonderful Christ-centered people that I have ever met.

 

[kevin.d.cherry]

My church is very large. We have 3 services per sunday, with about 150 people in each service, yet somehow you don't feel like you're unnoticed. When I first moved here I didn't know anyone but after i started going to St Johns (my current church, the other church in town is ELCA), people started coming up and talking to me and answering all of my annoying questions about the faith. The church itself is very beautiful, and has been up for over 100 years, and the sermons are more beautiful than i any I have ever experienced, even after attending an orthodox church for over a year. Everyone, especially the pastors, is extremely helpful and very friendly. They have been my deciding factor in staying here, and helped me understand things about life and the Truth of the Lutheran Faith.

 

[Renatus]

My church is an old cubblestone church of the 10th century. The altar is an ancient Catholic altar with woodcarving of the 16th century. In the second Wold War the chruch has been loot, so many other woodcarving is lost. But the scenery creates although a very beatiful atmosphere for a worship. Of course it isn't as much traditional as it was in the past, but our pastor is a more traditional one, than many other pastors in the state church. It also is a very small chruch, maybe 100 people have room in there, but many of them comes from other communities to worship there.

 

[faithrestored]

For me i enjoy the sermons that may pastor gives and also the childrens service on the altar and the message he gives there as well. The message he gives the children , adults can truely learn from as well. The warmth i see and feel is also something i enjoy about my new church. I also enjoy the variety of hymns they sing , i really feel the presence of Jesus there.